Dry food as the basis of a pet's diet is a convenient and justified choice, because such a food contains all the necessary nutrients in the right proportions.
However, kittens are not always pre-accustomed to dry food. And then the process of teaching your pet to new food falls on your shoulders. Often, lovers of domestic cats are interested in how to transfer a cat to dry food.
How to transfer a kitten to dry food: general information
Many breeders and experts in the field of veterinary medicine have been arguing among themselves for a long time about the benefits or dangers of using dry feed. So, today, there is simply no final opinion on this matter. Some breeders prefer to use dry food in feeding their pets, while others insist that natural food is much more beneficial for the animal’s body than “crackers”.
It often happens that the owners are forced to drastically change the diet of their pet. Therefore, the issue of transferring animals to dry feed sharply becomes relevant for them. The main distinguishing feature of this process is gradualness. Do not forget that such translations are stress for a little fluffy, so the rush here will obviously be inappropriate.
How to transfer a kitten to dry food: basic requirements
Dry feeds are often a very attractive option for breeders because they are very convenient to use and not so expensive. At the same time, dry feed is enriched with many vitamins, in addition, manufacturers offer their consumers a balance in each of the nutritional indicators.
In case your pet is already accustomed to additional feed mixtures in order to avoid health problems, you need to add other types of feed to its diet, taking into account the characteristics of the body of your pet.
Before you accustom the animal to "crackers", for a start, you should familiarize yourself with the entire list of feeds that manufacturers offer. In this case, special attention should be paid to products that are present in the composition, as well as its shelf life and quality level. You should also pay attention to the recommendations that manufacturers give.
How to transfer a kitten to dry food: compositional features
It is necessary to find out in more detail about the type of dry food and follow all the manufacturer’s advice because it is highly undesirable to make top dressing with natural food products after switching to “crackers”. Also, with such a diet, it is undesirable to feed the animal with multivitamin complexes in parallel.
As a rule, almost all nutrient chemicals and biologically active chemical compounds are present in dry feed. Breeders should also know that the process of transferring to dry food should be carried out without haste, for at least 7-10 days. At the same time, it must be ensured that the pet itself does not experience health problems, in particular, with the gastrointestinal tract, and remains in a good mood. If this question concerns a mature cat, in no case should this process be carried out during her pregnancy.
How to transfer a kitten to dry food: translation procedure
Do not forget that the cat should be translated no earlier than the moment when he begins to have a desire to gnaw something (household items, baseboards, and so on). Most often this can be observed in kittens that have reached a month of age, this is due to the fact that they begin to cut milk teeth.
Small kittens require special attention, and the process of transferring them to other types of food should take at least 5-7 days, so stay patient. This step is very important in the maturation of the pet, so both physically and psychologically he must be prepared for this, accordingly, he will need some time for this. His digestive system also needs to be adapted so that new nutrients can enter it.
1. As an intermediate option, you can use mousse. This product is a wet food with a soft texture. So, in parallel, you can add "crackers" in another bowl. To increase interest, they can be added to paste, kittens love it and eat it with pleasure.
2. It is recommended to start the transition period by soaking a small amount of dry food (in warm water until the time of swelling), this will help to involve the animal in the process.
3. You can also stretch the swollen croquettes with a fork, make a homogeneous mass of them and feed them to the cat while they are still warm.
4. Try to feed the mousse or soaked feed immediately, as it is a perishable product and re-feed them is not recommended.
5. In the following days, try to gradually increase the amount of soaked feed and reduce the number of usual foods.
6. From the fifth day it is already possible to add dry granules to the soaked feed and continue to increase the number of “crackers” until they completely “squeeze out” other feeds from the animal’s bowl.
7. Divide the daily feed rate by the number of meals you need (the smaller the age of the cat, the more often, but in small portions, it should be fed). Follow the recommended norms, do not forget that the stomach of a little fluffy still remains small, and it will fill up very quickly.
When transferring a kitten to dry food, one should carefully monitor its health, in particular, the stool. If the pet suddenly began to be bothered by constipation or diarrhea, allergic reactions began to occur - no need to hesitate, immediately consult a veterinarian for help, he will help you choose the right diet.
Kittens are very sensitive to all the changes in their lives, so try to do everything as comfortable as possible for them.
