The best way to feed your new kitten

There’s no doubt about it. Your new kitten will grow pretty quickly. But if he or she is to do so, they will need a little help along the way – especially during the first six months of their lives when they reach around 75 per cent of their adult body weight. When you buy a kitten though, they’ll probably look a little gangly and awkward. This is because their muscles, fur, teeth and bones may still have a lot of developing to do, along with their immune system. With this in mind, it is essential to make sure they get the nutrition they need right from the outset. Cats are naturally carnivorous, but this isn’t just because they prefer meat – it’s because they physically need it in their diet to properly function. Your kitten will only be able to get the taurine they need for normal vision and a healthy heart from meat, as well as other things like arachidonic acid, vitami A and essential polyunsaturates. All of this is available in the mass produced kitten food you’ll find at your local pet store or supermarket, but this will need to be introduced into their diet much the same way as you would a baby. If you are feeding kittens from birth, the mother's milk is the best form of nourishment you can offer them. When the time comes to wean them onto something more substantial (usually when they are between six and eight weeks old) you should find they already naturally want to nibble at solid foods. Both wet and dry cat food will serve their needs, but if you do choose the latter, remember to make sure the food is moistened and mashed up at first so they can get used to it. After a while, you’ll start to notice that your kitten – and later cat – will leave food in their bowls. Try not to worry about this, your pet is just growing up and learning not to binge of their food! Unlike dogs, cats tend to know that they can return to their food later when they’re hungry… so try not to worry that they are not eating enough! If you do start to have serious conce s, however, make sure you weigh your kitten or cat once a month – just to make sure they aren’t having any nutritional or digestive issues that need to be looked at.