When Can Kittens Eat Dry Food Only

Dry food must however be stored in a dry clean environment.

When can kittens eat dry food only. When do kittens start eating solid food. Kittens might look grown up by six to eight months but they re still kittens on the inside. Their bones are still growing stronger and their bodies will keep filling out. Kittens start to eat solid foods from about three weeks of age.

Dry food is convenient in that it will stay fresh all day so it can be left out for your cat to eat whenever it wants. The higher water content of wet food may contribute to a decreased incidence of dehydration kidney and lower urinary tract problems in cats but if your cat insists on eating only dry food this can be addressed by making sure your cat has free access to a fresh and clean drinking water supply. A general schedule for kitten weaning might be. These animals grew up eating dry foods almost exclusively and their tastes have adapted to prefer it.

Wet food is about 75 percent water which is roughly equal to the percentage of water in cats prey in the wild. For these reasons most experts recommend you feed your kitten specially formulated kitten food until age 1. Dry food is only about ten percent water. This first food should be soft and easy to digest so dry food should be soaked in water or kitten milk remember not to give your kitten cow s milk as this can upset their tummy.

Although some cat foods are labeled as appropriate for kittens and cats of all life. Use canned food or dry kitten food mixed with water. At first add a lot of water and then reduce the amount of water as the kitten matures. We must feed them with food appropriate for their age.

Blended or mixed feeding routines can offer the best of both worlds. Between the fourth and sixth week gradually transition the weaning kittens to dry food supplementing with formula if needed. Breastfeeding a kitten lasts about 9 weeks and when their teeth begin to come in after about four weeks they can begin to eat food. The average cat who eats only dry food needs to drink several ounces of water a day to make up for the lack of water from food.

Because of the cat s propensity to not drink a lot of water their ancestors being desert dwellers. This should be given as small amounts often as their mum will still be feeding them too. Studies show that cats fed solely dry food have a lower water intake and lower urine volume than cats on a wet. Bradshaw feels that young cats are influenced by the foods that their mother introduced them to as kittens.

This way she can graze on the dry food throughout the day if she chooses and you can dispose of any dried out wet food before going to bed. You can feed your cat on wet or dry food or a combination of both.