Today, in almost every family, a pet lives, which gives its owners positive emotions. In order for the animal to always feel good, it is necessary to provide proper care, namely: to draw up a diet, to arrange a place for sleep, and also to surround with attention and care.
The British cat is one of the most common breeds, both among Russian and foreign breeders. In order for the animal to maintain health and a beautiful appearance, it must be properly fed. In this review, we will consider how to feed British cats.
Key recommendations
You need to choose a cat's diet, taking into account the state of health and age-related characteristics of the animal. Foods intended for feeding adults are not suitable for feeding kittens. Animals with pathologies should not be given food for healthy cats.
How to feed a cat?
To prevent the pet from losing its predator instinct, it needs special nutrition. In vivo, meat proteins enter the cat’s body in raw form, and carbohydrates and plant fibers in semi-digested form. This must be taken into account when forming the diet of a pet.
Experts suggest following a few simple rules:
- The diet of the cat should include components of plant and animal origin. The composition must necessarily include vegetables, cereals and meat.
- Poultry and beef are especially beneficial to the cat's body. Pork is best excluded from the diet.
- Of cereals, oat, buckwheat, rice, and barley groats are best suited for cats. Useful vegetable crops include carrots, beets, cucumbers, zucchini and white cabbage.
- Sour milk products are suitable for cats: fermented baked milk, cottage cheese, kefir.
Natural nutrition
How to feed a British cat at home? If we are talking about natural food, then meat and vegetable products in raw or boiled form are best suited. You can also give cereal. Usually, such a feeding scheme is chosen by the owners, who have enough time to prepare food for their pet. The set of products required to be included in the diet includes meat, low-fat fish, sour-milk products, vegetables and cereals.
Rabbit, poultry and beef meat must be given fresh to the cat. Previously, it can be subjected to heat treatment. It is enough for several hours to put the meat in the freezer. Then, thawed meat should be poured with boiling water. This will eliminate the likelihood of infection with various infections and parasites. By its structure, such food will be close to canned food, but at the same time it will retain all the useful qualities. How to feed a British cat? When choosing natural nutrition, try not to use raw eggs, pork, flour products, coffee, chocolate, potatoes, tomatoes, nuts and citrus fruits. As a substitute for meat, you can use low-fat ocean fish (pollock, hake, saffron cod). For a cat, it needs to be boiled a little and cleaned of bones. As for dairy products, they can be given together with special bran. Such a product is rich in vitamins and fiber. It has a beneficial effect on the health of the cat.
Finished product
Today, many are interested in the question of how to feed a British cat. The cheapest and most profitable option is dry. But some cat owners and veterinarians believe that such food does not correspond to the digestive characteristics of the pet. Experts recommend the use of feeds that do not contain carbohydrates of plant origin. It is better to alternate them with meat and vegetable wet feed.
Breeds of feed by breed
Today, their range is very diverse. Many owners of the "British" are interested in feed from the so-called breed lines. For example, Royal Canine produces feed called British Shorthair. It has a special balanced composition that optimally meets all the needs of the body of a British cat. In addition, it enriches the body with nutrients.
What is the best way to feed a british cat? Qualified experts recommend using only super-premium feed. They use exclusively high-quality ingredients. As a rule, the composition includes: lamb, turkey, quality cereals and eggs. Foods are highly nutritious and high in calories.
British kitten: the right diet
This issue should be given special attention. So, what to feed a cat of the British breed? In order for your pet to be healthy and live a long life, he needs a quality and balanced diet. In the first month of life, kittens need a lot of nutrients and vitamins. In addition, their digestive system is simply not able to digest food intended for adults. A kitten differs from a mature animal in metabolic and peristalsis features. Upon reaching the age of two to three months, kittens are transferred to five to six meals a day. The diet of the pet should contain chicken or beef chopped. Veterinarians and specialists do not recommend giving a lot of meat. It is better to focus on milk formulas designed to feed middle-aged kittens.
What should be included in the diet of pets from the age of one month?
Many are interested in how many times to feed a British cat. The answer to this question depends on the age of the animal. From two months, crumbs can be transferred to four meals a day, and at three months it is already possible to start giving not chopped, but finely chopped meat. It is also worth gradually starting to introduce complementary foods. Boiled vegetables and fish are perfect for this purpose. Kittens at this age are very useful to eat cottage cheese. It should be given daily in small portions. In the diet of a kitten up to 6 months, it is necessary to introduce kefir, milk and quail eggs.
What do animals from six months to a year need?
How many times a day to feed a British cat in six months? At this age, the animal can be transferred to three meals a day. From 8 months, the number of meals should be reduced to two times a day. It is also necessary to gradually reduce the amount of dairy products in the diet. If necessary, the pet can gradually be transferred to a combined diet. So called a diet consisting of wet and dry feed. The kitten also needs to be given special grass. It can be bought ready-made or grown independently on the window. Remember that the animal must always have access to fresh water.
Adult Briton: what to feed?
Among industrial feeds, Eukanuba, ProPac, Hills are considered the best options. These manufacturers have proven themselves. They produce special feed lines for various breeds and for cats with various pathologies. You can feed adult pets and natural food.
After the pet reaches the age of 1 year, it is necessary to decide which way of nutrition you will use. If you have free time, it is recommended that you independently engage in the preparation of a diet based on natural products. But what if you do not have the opportunity to cook food for your pet? How to feed a British fold cat in this case? You can use Mastery, Pronature, Advance Affinity feeds. They differ in a qualitatively selected composition and budget cost. Veterinarians advise combining ready-made feed with natural ingredients. Commercial varieties should be no more than ¼ of the diet of a British cat.
Diet for adults
With reaching the age of 8-9 years, British cats require a special diet. Experts recommend paying attention to feed designed to reduce the activity of the pet. If you fed the cat a predominantly dry appearance, then with the attainment of old age, the pet should be transferred to canned food. In the event of any diseases or pathologies, the cat needs to buy special industrial feeds. If you feed your pet with natural food, then it is better to consult a veterinarian regarding a change in diet.
Recommendations and Tips
Owners of British cats often have various questions related to feeding their pets. What is better to use as a base - dry feed or natural products? How many times a day to feed a British cat? You can give some simple recommendations. Using them, you can easily create the optimal diet for your pet.
The main ones are:
- Be sure to add vegetables to the British cat's diet: carrots, cauliflower, pumpkin and greens. All this can be chopped in a blender and mixed with meat or fish.
- Once a week, a cat can be given special mineral and vitamin complexes.
- In no case should you include smoked and fried foods, as well as pickles, marinades and sweets in the diet.
- Under no circumstances should domestic cats be given potatoes, beans, peas and lentils.
- For feeding a pet, it is not recommended to use raw fish and offal that have not undergone heat treatment.
- To correctly calculate the optimal amount of food for a pet, you can apply the following scheme: 30-60 grams of food per kilogram of British mass.
- Veterinarians recommend feeding your pet at the same time every day. The dishes from which the cat eats should be clean.
Finally
How to feed British cats? Most owners today prefer finished industrial feed. Their main advantage is the ease of determining the required amount of food at one time. Typically, the packaging gives basic recommendations for feeding, however, strictly following them is not necessary at all. After all, each animal can have its own individual characteristics. The amount of food a cat needs depends on his physical activity. The main thing is that the animal always has access to fresh water.
When feeding with natural food, the amount of feed is best calculated. However, everything here will also depend on the age, health status and activity of the cat. Try to be attentive to the needs of your pet. The type of food should be selected, based not only for reasons of their own convenience. Buy food that will suit your pet in all respects. After all, this is the key to health and long life for your cat.