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Food Management/ Stage
Growing whelps: When weaning time comes, whelps stop suckling the mothers nipples and pass to be fed basically on solids. Kittens feeding servings when in growth must be correctly balanced according to its specific needs, usually with high level of proteins and energizers. Since kittens need to consume large quantities of food in relation to its body and having a reduced capacity in their stomach, one must. Establish a program in which a certain amount of meals are provided every day. Adult cats: The amount of food that a cat needs to maintain itself varies substantially among individuals and is based on the size of the cat, its activity and its corporal condition. Most cats can regulate its food consumption if it is well balanced, besides, they will only eat the adequate quantity. If a cat has free access to food or if food is disposed freely, it will develop a selective behavior, being that the reason why one must provide them with only two meals per day. It is always recommended to feed cats at the same hours and places every day. If one is going to give the cat commercial food, one must follow instructions shown on the label. If a cat is healthy, and performs normal activities, and if food ingredients are well balanced, it is not necessary to give them any special supplement. These animals must have at their disposal fresh and clean water all the time. Pregnant female: As a difference with other species that only gain weight in the last third stage of gestation, pregnant cats start to eat more and are
During the last stage of their pregnancy female cats can consume up to twice the food than usual; therefore, it is recommended that cats must do some exercise to keep their muscular tone and avoid too much weight. Besides consumption, nutritional needs of the cat also increase, so you must provide a higher percentage of proteins in the food serving. Poor diets can cause problems with the development of the fetus. During the last week of gestation, it is recommended to divide food in small deliveries every 3 or 4 hours for the future mother, If one wishes, one can add small amounts of vitamin and mineral supplements. There are several products – very specific- on the market. Female in breast feeding: During all the breast feeding period, the mother must receive all the necessary food to satisfy its appetite. The whelps growing demand for milk makes it necessary for the cat to eat more food and water. By the fifth week of breast feeding, the amount of food that both, female cat and whelps, eat can come up to three times more than what the female cat used to eat before delivery. If you are giving the cat dry food, it must be humidified to encourage more consumption. Just before weanling time comes, one must gradually reduce the food servings to the cat. This will allow nipples to dry out adequately. When weanling, it is not recommended to feed the cat, one must give only water. For the next 3 days food servings must be limited to ¼, ½ and ¾ of the usual rations respectively. Fat cats: Even though obesity is not a common problem there is a regular percentage of animals with overweight. It is most uncommon because cats have a natural ability to regulate their food consumption. To diagnose obesity, one must use the body weight as a pointer. Cats that weigh over 15% of their ideal weight must be considered obese, and in order for cats to reduce weight, one must establish a low-calories feeding plan based on commercial or homemade food. Old cats: With age, cats tend to be less active, so it becomes necessary to reduce the level of consumption and avoid obesity. Likewise, old animals digestive system are less efficient, and in many cases they are not able to take the most out of food nutrients. That is why it is recommended to provide them with a diet that can be digested easily. | |||||||||||||||||
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