Nutrition Basics for Kittens
Putting a little thought into what you feed your growing kitten can pay huge dividends over their lifetime and very possibly ensure that they avoid painful, serious, and costly illnesses. A kitten is what it eats, just as it applies to human beings. Kittens should be fed both dry and wet food so that they have an experience of both at a young age. This is vital as it helps them to quickly become suspicious of new foods as they get older. Also, kittens tend to grow fast. So, having the right balance of nutrients is everything. Proper nutrition is needed to achieve healthy growth, minimize the chances of obesity, and optimize immune function. In this guide about the nutrition basics for kittens, we outline all the nutrients needed by the growing kitten.
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Basic Nutrients Essential to Growing Kittens
Here are the basic nutrients that are fundamental for a healthy growing kitten.
Proteins
Dietary protein supplies amino acids that are essential and are required for the manufacture of antibodies, hormones, enzymes, and tissues for proper pH balance. Proteins provide energy for growing kittens and are important for growth and development. Complete proteins contain an ample amount of amino acids that are essential and are found in foods like legumes and grains. Growing kittens need animal sources of taurine nutrients.
Minerals
These are very crucial in growing kittens as they are involved in almost all physiological reactions. They contribute greatly to the formation of enzymes, pH balance, utilization of nutrients, and transportation of oxygen. They are stored in the bone and muscle tissue. Biological availability varies widely depending on the source of the nutrient.
Elemental minerals are derived from the earth while chelated minerals are those bound with other organic substances, often making them easier to be absorbed by the body. Minerals include calcium, phosphorous, manganese, chromium, iodine, and iron among others. There are others that cats need at trace concentrations.
Vitamins
These are essential for metabolism regulation and normal growth and function. Vitamins are normally food while some are synthesized within the body. They are classified as fat or water-soluble. Water-soluble vitamins include C and B complex. Fat-soluble ones include D, E, K, and A. Fat-soluble vitamins are generally stored in the body, while water-soluble ones pass through more quickly. It is worth mentioning that vitamin supplementation is unnecessary. However, in the event of a specific vitamin deficiency, a veterinarian may recommend the supplementation. Over supplementation can lead to poisoning.
Water
This is the most important nutrient. Approximately 60% of your kitten’s body weight is made up of water. Growing kittens naturally have a low thirst drive because they are designed to fulfill most of their water requirements by eating fresh raw food. This can cause health issues when they eat dry food products and treats. One of the problems is that their natural programming may not encourage them to drink more even though they become dehydrated. This causes urine to become too concentrated.
As a kitten owner, you should always have clean drinking water available even though they don’t drink much. Ensure that the water is of good quality. Water helps in regulating body temperature and also helps in digestion and chemical reactions. Always remember that a deficiency of water can lead to serious illness or even death.
Fat
This is a concentrated source of energy that provides fatty acids that are very essential and helps in the utilization and transportation of nutrients. Besides, it is involved in cell integrity and metabolic regulation. Fat can either be saturated or polyunsaturated. Saturated fat is found in animal sources while polyunsaturated fat is derived from plants.
Fats and oils are composed of fatty acids, which are sometimes referred to as Vitamin F. Fatty acids such as Omega 3, Omega 6 are most involved in the health and growth of your feline companion. DHA contributes greatly to your kitty’s vision, immune system, and reproductive health. GLA ensures healthy skin and a shiny coat for your beloved kitten. EPA is also beneficial.
Essential fatty acids are important for the kitten’s health and must be obtained from food sources. This is because kittens do not efficiently convert plant sources to the required derivatives compared to some animals.
Carbohydrates
These provide energy for the body’s tissues and play an essential role in the health of the intestine. It is less vital in reproduction. While there is no minimum carbohydrate requirement, there is a minimum glucose requirement necessary to supply energy to organs that are critical, for instance, the brain.
Fibers are kinds of carbohydrates that modify the mix of the bacterial population in the small intestine, which can aid in managing chronic diarrhea. To ensure that your four-legged friend gets the most benefit from fiber, the fiber source must be moderately fermentable. This is because foods with high quantities of fiber are not good for growing kittens as they have high energy requirements
Amino acids
These are the building blocks of proteins and are classified into essential and non-essential amino acids. The kitten cannot synthesize essential amino acids in sufficient quantities hence must be supplied in the diet. They include arginine, isoleucine, methionine, lysine, and valine. On the other hand, non-essential amino acids can be synthesized by the kitten and are not needed in the diet. This includes taurine which is required for the prevention of eye and heart disease as well as reproduction and growth. It is only found in foods of animal origin like eggs, meat, and fish.
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Here is another substance that contributes greatly to the good health of your growing cat.
- Enzymes
These are protein molecules that are necessary for most bodily functions. They are involved in energy, organ, tissue, and cellular repair. They also aid digestion. Creatures have the enzymes required to break down food properly in their natural diets and tend to be deficient in those that work on substances they wouldn’t eat in the wild. Besides, enzymes can also be found in food. However, temperatures of 118 degrees or above could destroy them.
Conclusion
It is important to ensure that your kitten is fed a balanced and complete meal having the necessary nutrients so that it stays healthy. Food with the right nutrients also fuels its growth and energetic play. What your kitten eats helps form the foundation for a lifetime of good nutrition, so ensure that you feed it a quality kitten diet.