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How To Feed Your Newborn Kitten

For the first 4–5 weeks of her life, your kitten will get all she needs from her mother. She’ll normally be weaned by 7 weeks, but even from week 4 you can get her used to eating a specially prepared food like Whiskas® Kitten Pouch.

Learning how to feed a newborn kitten is an important part of being a pet owner. Your fluffy friend needs complete and balanced nutrition in the right amount and frequency to live a long and healthy life. As owners, we need to know how to feed a newborn kitten, what to feed kittens, how many times to feed a kitten, and more. Some kitten feeding tips for first time kitten owners include choosing the right food formulated for kittens, feeding them regularly in small amounts throughout the day, and providing a variety of tastes and textures in their diet to help them grow and explore their instincts. Whiskas® provides nutritious and delicious meals that keeps your kitten healthy and happy, so you don’t have to worry about what to feed kittens or how to feed a kitten!

KITTEN FEEDING GUIDE

As kittens grow, their feeding patterns and nutritional needs change as well. This kitten feeding chart can be used as a guide on how to feed a newborn kitten with Whiskas® kitten food. You can find our feeding guide on every Whiskas® kitten food bag.

  • From birth to 2 months old:

Kittens feed on cat milk from their mother. At around 1 month old, you can introduce small bites of kitten food as they start to wean off cat milk.

  • 2 to 4 months old:

Start with Whiskas® kitten food. Feed kittens 4 to 5 pouches of wet kitten food per day. If your kitten is ready for a mixture of wet and dry food, reduce the amount of wet food to 2 pouches and feed 18-40 g of dry kitten food accordingly. Feed them 4-5 times in a day

  • 4 to 8 months old:

Increase the amount of wet kitten food to 5 to 6 pouches per day. If the kitten is on a mixed diet, use 2 pouches of wet kitten food and 40-48 g of dry kitten food. Feed them 4-5 times in a day.

  • 8 to 12 months old:

Feed kittens 6 to 7 pouches of wet kitten food per day, or a mixture of 2 pouches of wet kitten food and 48 g of dry kitten food. Reduce the feeding frequency to 2-4 times in a day.

FEEDING SNACKS AND TREATS

What do kittens eat besides kitten food? The answer is: treats! As owners, feeding our fluffy friend snacks and treats is always a joy. Many manufactured cat treats are designed to support digestive health, dental health, or overall health. Bear in mind that cat treats contain more calories and are not nutritionally complete and balanced compared to cat food. So, you should only give treats occasionally or as rewards. This prevents the risk of overfeeding and an unbalanced diet. If you give them any treats, be sure to reduce their main meal by an equal amount. This is an important part of how to feed a kitten.

HOW MANY TIMES TO FEED A KITTEN

Besides knowing what to feed newborn kittens, we also need to know how many times to feed kittens. Kittens should be fed frequently in small amounts throughout the day. For kittens over 2 months old, kitten food can be given 4 to 5 times a day. From 6 to 12 months old, the number of meals can be reduced to 2 to 4 times a day. If you’re feeding dry food, you can choose to leave a bowl of dry food out for your kitten to eat through the day. You can also divide wet food in half and feed your kitten twice a day.

WHISKAS FOOD RECOMMENDATIONS

Every owner has asked this question before – what do kittens eat? Whether it’s dry food, wet food, or both, Whiskas® cat food has a wide range of tasty and nutritious meals for your cat and kitten. Whiskas® cat food has essential nutrients such as protein, vitamins, carbohydrates and fibres. Protein provides energy and helps to keep their immune system strong and healthy. Vitamins keep their skin and coat healthy, and carbohydrates and fibres support good digestion. Any nutrient important for your kitten can be found in Whiskas® cat food! With Whiskas®, you won’t have to worry about what to feed kittens or how to feed a kitten.

FOOD FOR KITTENS

Kittens have different nutritional needs from adult cats. Because of this, many owners find themselves wondering what to feed newborn kittens, or what can kittens eat. The answer is a specially-designed kitten diet with the right balance of nutrients to support your little kitten’s rapid growth. So, if you’re ever in a bind about what should kittens eat, look no further because Whiskas® cat food covers all of your kitten’s needs in a simple and delicious meal!

Cat Feeding FAQs

What do kittens eat?

Most first-time owners may be wondering; what do kittens eat? From birth to 4 weeks old, kittens will have milk from their mothers. After that, they can start trying solid food. If you’re wondering on how to feed a kitten during this time, consider mixing some dry food with kitten milk or water, or use wet food so they can eat it easily.

How often to feed kittens?

It is recommended to feed kittens twice a day, either with dry food, wet food, or both. You can follow our feeding guide that can be found on every Whiskas® kitten food bag.

How do I feed a fussy kitten?

Many kittens have a preference for certain textures and flavours. Try to feed your kitten a mixture of wet and dry kitten food. You can also try the wide variety of Whiskas® kitten food to find your kitten’s favourite food.

How do I store kitten food?

Bags of dry kitten and cat food should be stored in a cool, dry place. For wet kitten food that has been opened, store it in an airtight container and place it in the refrigerator.

How much to feed a kitten?

Generally, you should feed a kitten until its belly feels full. For newborn kittens, it is recommended to feed kittens 4 to 5 pouches of Whiskas® wet kitten food.

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