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Feeding a pregnant cat may appear so simple as giving her a bit extra meals, however guaranteeing she receives the suitable vitamin throughout this essential time is crucial for each her well being and the well being of her kittens. Identical to people, a cat’s physique undergoes important adjustments throughout being pregnant, and her dietary wants shift accordingly. On this article, we’ll stroll you thru why pregnant cats want particular meals, what sort of meals is finest, and the way a lot to feed her to maintain each queen and kittens thriving.
Do Pregnant Cats Want Particular Meals?
Being pregnant, though thrilling and miraculous, can be fairly exhausting work! Rising kittens takes a number of vitality, and being pregnant locations additional calls for on a cat’s physique. Over the roughly 9 weeks of gestation, a queen (a feminine cat) undergoes dramatic bodily adjustments: her weight will increase by 30-50%, her vitality necessities rise, and her physique requires bigger quantities of particular vitamins to assist the expansion and improvement of her kittens.
A pregnant cat wants extra energy, protein, nutritional vitamins, and minerals to assist:
- Fetal improvement: Rising kittens require important vitamins to type wholesome bones, organs, and immune methods.
- Milk manufacturing: After start, the queen will want extra dietary reserves to supply sufficient milk for her litter of offspring.
- Maternal well being: Being pregnant and nursing are bodily demanding, so it’s important to maintain the queen sturdy and wholesome to keep away from problems corresponding to weight reduction and decreasing of immune operate.
Feeding the flawed sort of eating regimen, or not offering sufficient meals for his or her additional necessities, can result in points like malnutrition, poor fetal progress, and even problems throughout labor. Alternatively, offering high-quality, applicable meals can contribute to a better being pregnant and more healthy kittens.
What Sort of Meals Ought to I Feed a Pregnant Cat?
Pregnant queens want a eating regimen excessive in vitality, protein, and important nutritional vitamins and minerals to assist wholesome progress. Kirsten McCarthy / Cats.com
One of the best meals for a pregnant cat is nutrient-dense, excessive in protein, and formulated to assist progress and copy.
Whereas grownup upkeep cat meals could meet fundamental wants, it sometimes lacks the calorie and nutrient density required throughout being pregnant. One of many easiest and simplest methods to supply the calorific requirement and further vitamins wanted to feed your pregnant cat is to maneuver to a high-quality kitten meals.
Kitten formulation are greater in:
- Energy: to assist elevated vitality wants
- Protein: for fetal improvement and milk manufacturing
- Fat: to supply vitality and assist tissue progress
- Calcium and phosphorus: for creating bones
- Omega-3 fatty acids: like DHA to assist mind and eye improvement in kittens
Not all kitten meals are created equal. Select a product from a good producer that makes use of high-quality components and has a observe document of dietary analysis. Search for a meals labeled as “full and balanced” for progress or copy by AAFCO (Affiliation of American Feed Management Officers) requirements.
When altering your cat onto the kitten meals, or whichever pregnancy-appropriate eating regimen you select, all the time introduce the brand new eating regimen progressively over the course of 7-10 days, to forestall tummy upsets.
Is Moist Meals or Dry Meals Higher for Pregnant Cats?
Whereas dry meals is handy and calorie-dense, together with moist meals in your cat’s eating regimen might help with hydration and could also be simpler for her to eat as her stomach expands. Moist meals can be usually extra palatable, which may be helpful if her urge for food fluctuates.
Additionally Learn: Moist vs. Dry Cat Meals: What’s Higher for Cats?
Including Dietary supplements
Wholesome, pregnant cats on a balanced, industrial eating regimen shouldn’t want vitamin or mineral dietary supplements. Actually, giving additional dietary supplements can truly do extra hurt than good. Including in pointless calcium dietary supplements, for instance, can intervene with correct bone improvement or result in eclampsia throughout lactation. All the time test together with your vet earlier than including any dietary supplements to a cat’s eating regimen.
How A lot To Feed a Pregnant Cat
Offering optimum vitamin is necessary via being pregnant and into lactation. Esin Deniz / Shutterstock.com
A pregnant cat’s urge for food sometimes will increase over the course of gestation, and her vitality wants can practically double by the tip of being pregnant. Moreover, she could solely be capable of eat small meals parts at a time, so her feeding schedule could have to be adjusted.
Giving set directions is not possible, as each cat is completely different. How a lot to feed will depend on her dimension, the variety of kittens she’s carrying, and her exercise stage.
Feeding Tips by Stage of Being pregnant
- Weeks 1–3: Most cats will eat their typical quantity of meals through the early levels of being pregnant. No main adjustments are wanted but. This can be a good time to transition slowly onto a kitten eating regimen, you probably have not already achieved so.
- Weeks 4–6: That is when fetal progress actually begins to speed up. Begin progressively growing her meals consumption by round 10–20% per week.
- Weeks 7–9: By this stage, her stomach shall be noticeably bigger, and her urge for food could peak or fluctuate. Supply smaller, extra frequent meals to accommodate her restricted abdomen area.
Some homeowners select to depart dry meals out all day throughout late being pregnant and lactation, particularly for underweight or choosy eaters. Nevertheless it’s necessary to keep away from the temptation to overfeed, which may result in weight problems and complicate supply. Your veterinarian might help you assess your cat’s physique situation and make tailor-made feeding suggestions.
Postpartum Diet
Don’t change your cat’s meals instantly after she provides start. Proceed feeding kitten meals whereas she is nursing, as lactation calls for much more vitality than being pregnant. As soon as the kittens are weaned, at round 8 weeks previous, you possibly can progressively transition her again to her typical grownup upkeep meals.
