About kittens | About lactating or pregnant cats | About adult cats | About senior cats | About food and health in general
Q. I have new kittens at home. What should I feed them?
How you feed your cat depends on his or her age. From birth up to six weeks old, kittens are normally fed their mother's milk, which provides all their nutritional needs as well as maternal antibodies that help them fight illness.
After four to six weeks, your kitten will progress from mother's milk onto solid food. This is called the weaning period. Here are some top tips to help you wean:
- Mix Go-Cat Kitten food with water to make a gruel that can then be smeared around the mouth. The kitten's natural reaction is to lick it off.
- Warm the food to body temperature, so it gives off an aroma that attracts your kitten's attention. Warm food is reminiscent of the warmth of mother's milk.
- Wean your kitten at first onto food that is mashed into a gruel or into very small chunks, which are easy for your kitten to grasp.
- Soak dry food in boiling water until it is soft. While it soaks, let it cool to body temperature. Then pop it into your kitten's mouth by hand.
After the weaning period, and until 12 months, your kitten's growth is much faster than at any other stage and requires highly nutritious and energy-rich foods.
During this time your growing cat has increased needs in:
- Calcium for the development of strong bones and teeth
- Protein for good muscle development
- Vitamins and minerals for a good, all-round health
- During the first year of your cat's life, feed him or her Go-Cat Kitten. This delicious, nutritionally complete recipe is proven to contain all the nutrients and energy your kitten needs to grow into a strong, healthy cat.
When your cat reaches around a year old, it's time to move him or her to an adult diet.
Q. Is it OK for a kitten to eat adult cat food?
Although it will not do your kitten any harm in the short term, it is preferable for them to be eating their own kitten food as this is specially formulated for a kitten's own needs.
Q. What does my lactating or pregnant cat need?
A pregnant or lactating cat needs calcium, vitamins, minerals, protein and extra calories for energy. These nutritional requirements are the same as those of a kitten, which the Go-Cat Kitten recipe provides. By feeding her Go-Cat Kitten, she'll get 25% more protein, an increase in calcium, and extra vitamins and minerals.
The amount of food your cat needs rises dramatically while she nurses. Leave your cat as much to eat as she needs during the day by leaving out a bowl of dry food. She also needs water to produce milk, so ensure you leave out a large bowl of fresh, clean drinking water and that you keep it topped up.
Q. What should I feed my adult cat to keep him in the best of health?
An adult cat with normal activity requires a maintenance diet. You can feed your cat any good quality cat food (like Go Cat) that is complete and balanced - provided you cat isn't pregnant or nursing. Cats should be fed as individuals and the amount of food required depends on his activity level, temperature and body metabolism. A good body condition is one in which the animal is well proportioned with an observable waist behind the ribcage and ribs that can be felt with a slight layer of fat covering them.
Because cats tend to be nibblers or occasional eaters, they should have access to their food for several hours each day. As with other animals, an available source of clean, fresh water is important for virtually all body functions.
Cats require a higher level of dietary protein and a different nutrient balance to dogs. Like kittens, mature cats require the addition of taurine to their diet whilst dogs do not. These unique dietary requirements are met by providing cats with a complete and balanced cat food. Cats should not be fed dog food. A cat can be fed a maintenance diet after 1 year of age, and not during pregnancy of lactation.
The amount of food needed will vary according to the nutrient density of the food and the individual cat. A cat's appetite and total food consumption will vary from day to day. This should not pose a problem unless the loss of appetite persists or the cat shows signs of illness or weight loss. In these situations, a vet should examine the animal.
Q: My cat is overweight. What can I do?
For more information on how to deal with an overweight cat, download our article on slimming for cats.
Q. Does my cat have different nutritional needs as he or she gets older?
As with people, it's often hard to predict exactly when 'old age' begins. Experts, however, have estimated that an eight-year-old cat is roughly the equivalent of a 60-year-old human.
Signs that your cat is becoming older might be one of the following:
- Your cat is more than eight years old
- Your cat has dandruff
- Your cat's coat changes colour (black cats particularly tend to become more brown) or lose some of its earlier gloss or has a few white hairs
- Your cat is less agile and physically active. To cater for this, you'll need to regulate your cat's calorie intake to avoid weight problems and obesity
- Your cat's appetite changes. Some older cats may lose their sense of smell outright and suffer from a reduced digestive efficiency, turning them off their usual diet
- Well-balanced recipes to give cats a complete, nutritionally balanced diet
- Added natural oils to help senior cats keep their coat soft and shiny and ensure their skin is also in good condition
- Easy-to-crunch nuggets adapted to your senior cat's teeth (which may not be as strong as they used to be)
- Rice to keep your cat's digestive efficiency and weight under control
Formulating diets for older animals take into consideration changes taking place in the animal's body that effect energy and nutritional requirements, such as impaired kidney function. Traditionally lower protein levels have been thought to slow this impairment, but now we think that older animals have difficulty in obtaining protein from food. Therefore Go-Cat is increasing protein in some senior diets to provide for this deficit. Restriction of dietary phosphorous is, however, recommended to protect and support the liver and kidneys.
Whereas dogs tend to become overweight as they get older, cats tend to lose weight with age due to the decrease in the bodies ability to digest the nutrients. Therefore the calorific level and protein levels should stay the same as a good complete adult food, so the reduction of lean muscle mass is kept to the minimum.
Fibre levels should also be increased to decrease constipation. Canned foods may be more suitable for the older animal as they lead to an increased water intake (useful in supporting the kidneys) and can also be more palatable for the fussy older cat. Some animals need reduced fat in older age to avoid weight gain. Older animals require increased amounts of vitamins, particularly vitamin E for protection of the body and B groups for uptake of energy from food.
Q. What are the differences between economy and gourmet products?
We make many different products to suit the purses and preferences of our customers, and the tastes and preferences of their pets. All of these are nutritionally balanced in accordance with AAFCO Nutrient Profiles, to provide the requirements of pets at different stages of their lives. However, the price of the products varies due to the quality and cost of the ingredients and the manufacturing process involved. Like Tescos Value and finest ranges, this does not mean that the cheaper foods are in anyway detrimental to the animal's health & well being.
Q. Is dry food safe for my cat?
Yes, dry cat food is safe. In the past, there was a prejudice that dry cat food could cause kidney problems. Research has proven that dry food alone certainly won't cause kidney problems. As the bladder leads from the kidneys, keeping the bladder and urinary tract healthy helps avoid problems. With the right level of vitamins and minerals, Go-Cat Complete keeps your cat's urine slightly acidic, which is proven to help keep the urinary tract in good health.
Q. Wet or dry foods. Which is better for my cat?
The decision to feed your cat wet (canned or pouch) or dry food depends on your cat's tastes. Both varieties provide all the nutrition your cat needs. Some cats love meaty chunks in a delicious gravy while others enjoy the crunch of dry food.
Q. I see dry food has a number of health benefits. How should I introduce dry food into my cat's diet?
The best approach is to introduce the new food slowly (over a period or around 5 days). Start sprinkling dry cat food on top of your cat's usual wet food and see if he or she likes it. The new texture will surprise your cat, but after a few bites, he or she will learn to love it. Next, while feeding your cat with wet cat food at his or her main meals, leave out beside the wet food a bowl of dry food. If your cat starts eating a lot of dry food, you'll need to reduce the quantity of wet food to maintain the same level of calories.
Q. Is it OK for my cat to eat dog food?
No it is not good for cats to eat dog food. This is because cats and dogs have different requirements and the cat's requirements are more stringent. Our pet foods are formulated to reflect this and so dog food isn't suitable for cats.
Cats are true carnivores or meat eaters and need specific nutrients, which this kind of diet cannot give them. One of these is called taurine. Dog food doesn't have as much taurine in it and would not provide a balanced diet for a cat. Cats also require a much higher level of protein and a food manufactured to provide specific essential amino acids.
Q. My cat doesn't like to drink water. Should I be worried?
Some cats prefer drinking running water, and some cats prefer to drink from ponds and stale puddles. However, as long as you provide a bowl that is always full of fresh water, you do not need to do anything else. Cats will often drink out of your sight, again leading to the perception that they do not drink much.
Most canned cat food contains 70-80% water, and cats get most of their daily water requirement from their food. If they have a diet of 'dry' food only (which does contain some water) you are likely to see them drinking more.
Q. My cat has been diagnosed with kidney failure, can she eat normal cat food?
If a vet has prescribed a special diet this is what the cat should be eating. Normal pet foods do not have the correct levels of nutrients for a cat with kidney problems and this cats condition could deteriorate rapidly without the correct levels of nutrients. As with older animals (see question 8) lower protein levels have been thought to slow kidney impairment, but we cannot provide protein in low enough levels in standard pet food without compromising the animals other needs for protein. This is done in prescription diets by using protein of a very high quality.
Restriction of dietary phosphorous is, however, recommended to protect and support the liver and kidneys. Customers who have compared values and think any of ours are lower in protein or phosphorous are likely to be incorrect. Although prescription diets are more expensive the customer should see them as being the pet's medicine, commercial diets do not provide the correct level of nutrients needed by these animals.
Palatability is often reduced with prescription diets due to the strict recipes, it's like changing from a full breakfast fry-up to a bowl of all bran with semi-skimmed milk. Customers should not give up using prescription diets because the animal seems disinterested. We can provide handouts on 'how to make prescription diets more palatable'.
Q. What is FLUTD?
FLUTD (feline lower urinary tract disease) is a bladder infection rather like cystitis. Scientists have shown the acidity of a cat's urine plays a key role in FLUTD and that keeping urine maintained at a constant, slightly acidic level helps keep FLUTD at bay. The right foods help: a balanced combination of minerals absorbed through food has a positive action on cat's uric acidity. Go-Cat Complete has been tried and tested to boost feline uric acidity give a slightly acidic urine.
Q. My cat has diabetes. How do I manage his diet?
It may be possible to manage diabetic patients on normal food. The important thing is that sugar levels should be kept as low as possible. This is often achieved by using a high fibre diet.
Sugar in petfood does not cause diabetes. This is a complex disease, as we are sure your vet has explained to you. Either the body does not produce insulin or where the insulin does not work on the cells or is destroyed by antibodies that the animal produces against the insulin, or large amounts of other hormones being present which cause resistance to insulin in the body.
The amount of sugar in most of our products is less than 0.25%. Sugar can be found in all petfoods as it acts as a preservative - for example preventing bacteria or fungi from growing and spoiling the food.
Sometimes a pet is overweight and the weight has to be reduced to manage the problem. It is best to follow the instructions given to you by the vet very carefully to keep your pet as stable as possible.
In some cases, the prescription diet the vet recommends for your pet may not be to your cat's liking. It is often worthwhile persevering but if you are having problems, then discuss this with your vet. Your vet can work out a regime based around your pet's normal food either fed as normal or by the addition of bran to increase fibre levels.
Your pet will need to be fed at the same time every day and be given the same amounts and type of food. Exercise will need to be kept at the same time level every day. As the sugar in pet food is at such a low level it would not mean that it could not be used to control diabetes in a pet.
Q. How do I deal with my cat's food allergies?
Food allergies tend to show up as either skin problems or gastrointestinal problems such as loose stools or diarrhoea - but very rarely both. If an animal has a reaction to an ingredient in the diet, most commonly the protein source, then every time he is exposed to this ingredient then he will have a reaction. For example, some people react to shellfish and are violently sick after eating a meal containing even a tiny amount of shellfish.
Food allergies very frequently cause irritation around the area of the paws, however as the symptoms are very similar to those of most allergies, your vet to identify the cause must perform a full diagnostic workup. Once a diagnosis has been made then your vet will be able to suggest a cause of treatment, or in the case of food allergy an exclusion diet, to relieve the symptoms.
Do be aware that if an exclusion diet is recommended, then it must be strictly followed. A change in diet itself can cause a reaction, and therefore each exclusion must be trialled for a minimum of six weeks to allow the digestive system to recover and also get used to the new ingredients.
Q. My cat suffers from abscesses. What can I do to help?
Abscesses commonly develop as the result of a bite from another cat. Even a cat with clean teeth will harbour a number of bacteria that can be injected under the skin when the cat bites. As the cat removes his teeth the skin comes together trapping the bacteria underneath that leads to the infection.
If your cat has an abscess developing, the pus will build up underneath the wound and may cause your cat to feel unwell. They become very painful and may burst if left untreated. In most cases, your vet may lance the abscess to drain the pus and your cat may require a course of antibiotics to counteract the infection.
Q. What can I do if my cat has bald patches?
As you are aware, skin complaints, including hair loss, can be notoriously difficult to get to the bottom of, however, once the cause has been isolated, treatments can usually vastly improve the situation.
If the bald patches are getting larger, or appear to be causing your cat distress, then your vet to identify the cause must perform a full diagnostic workup. If your vet has already performed this, but has been unable to find a cause for the problem then the next step would be a referral to a veterinary dermatologist. Your vet will be able to recommend one and refer the case on. Once a diagnosis has been made then your vet will be able to suggest a cause of treatment, or in the case of food allergy an exclusion diet, to relieve his symptoms.
Q. How will I know if my cat is in season?
- Cats reach puberty at 5 to 9 months.
- Oestrus starts suddenly. If the queen is mated her oestrus will stop abruptly after several matings a day. If no mating, the oestrus lasts 5 to 10 days and recurs after 5 to 12 days.
- Signs of oestrus are often alarming for owners who often think their cat is in excruciating pain (and consequently call their vet). She cries and yowls (especially loud in oriental breeds), waves her tail around and puts her back end up and crouches down on the front legs.
- It is generally thought that most cats will come into season 3-4 weeks after giving birth.
- However, there has been evidence of cats getting pregnant whilst still feeding their kittens post birth!
Fleas are most common during the summer season and they can carry many parasites. The fleas themselves bite into the animal's skin - injecting saliva to stop the blood clotting while they suck it up. It's the chemicals in the saliva that produce the itchiness and marks on your pet's skin. Treatment
- Treat with a good quality flea preparation
- Flea collars are not a very effective means of treatment. Do not use flea collars with tablets for your pet as this can cause an overdose of medications.
- Ask a vet about specific easy-to-use products.
- Treat your pet's environment as well as the animal itself. Use an insecticidal spray on all its resting-places and spring clean the house.
- Generally, pet shop products do not contain enough of the medication required to kill the fleas, therefore we would suggest only purchasing these products through a vet. If you get a product from the vet you may need to register your animal first or take it along for examination, as the law is strict on prescribing such products.
There are a few pieces of basic grooming equipment that you will need to have. A stiff brush is fine for shorthaired cats. However, you will need a steel comb with round tipped points and a wide toothed comb for cats with longer hair.
- Start grooming your kitten by using a soft nylon brush.
- Comb or brush your cat at least once a week. If your cat is elderly, moulting or longhaired, it should be more frequent. This helps to prevent hairballs, which can occur when a cat swallows an excess of hair when grooming.
- If fur has become heavily tangled, mats may have to be cut out with round-ended scissors, or you may wish to take your cat to the vet's for them to do this as accidents may occur.
Cats are so clean by nature that there is very little for an owner to do. You should give them a quick check over once a week, cleaning their ears and eyes with a damp piece of absorbent cotton. Also check their teeth and claws. If they need scaling or clipping, then you should take your cat to the vet to get this done.
Also run your hands over your cat to check for lumps and look carefully for fleas.
Q. Vaccinations?
The best place to go for advice on vaccinations will be your local vet, but a brief list of the key ones that you should get when your kitten is between 9 and 12 weeks old is:
Which vaccinations does my cat need?
The best place to go for advice on vaccinations will be your local vet, but a brief list of the key ones that you should get when your kitten is between 9 and 12 weeks old is:
- Cat flu and enteritis
- Feline Leukaemia
- Chlamydia - (this is optional)
Once your kitten has had its first set of injections at 9 and 12 weeks of age it should have boosters every year. These are important and many catteries will not accept cats that don't have an up to date vaccination certificate.
Worming:
The main worms that affect cats and dogs are roundworms and tapeworms.
Roundworm:
Especially affects kittens and puppies. Your pet should be treated more frequently when younger and then every 3-6 months throughout its life. Your vet will provide with a worming regime at time of first vaccination.
Tapeworm:
Tapeworms look like small pieces of rice and are often seen stuck to the anus or onto the tail. Pets, particularly cats, get this parasite by hunting and eating their kill (e.g. birds, mice, etc.), by eating raw meat, or from fleas in their coat.
For effective treatment of this difficult to remove parasite, see your vet who may also advise appropriate flea control. Most treatments will need to be repeated as the animal can reinfect itself with this parasite (often immediately).
For more petcare advice visit www.purina.co.uk.
