The Scottish cat is one of the most popular breeds in the world. She is loved for her beauty and good nature. You can praise the virtues of an animal for a long time, but the article is devoted to the nutrition of a Scottish fold cat. This beauty needs a certain menu.
How many times to feed?
Let's start with the traditional question, the answer to which experienced catworms know. For beginners, it causes confusion. How many times a day is the pet fed?
It all depends on her age. It is advisable to purchase a kitten at the age of 2.5-3 months, when he is already accustomed to self-nutrition. If the newcomer is younger than the specified age, then the owners need to know the following:
Kittens aged 1-2 months are fed six times a day every three hours.
From two to three months, babies eat five times a day, and the intervals between feedings are increased.
Upon reaching three months and up to 5 months of age, small pets are fed four times.
From five months they are transferred to three meals a day. It lasts up to nine months.
Starting from nine months, the pet receives food twice a day. Exceptions are pregnant and sick animals, they are fed more often.
Food norms
The food of a Scottish fold cat, as well as a pet with ordinary ears, should not exceed 300 grams per day. This weight is for adults and healthy animals. For kittens, pregnant, lactating cats and breeding cats, the norm is 10% of their weight.
Do not forget that any cat is a predator by nature. And the aristocratic plaid is no exception. And predators feed mainly on meat. They need carbohydrates, but not in such quantities as newcomers sometimes give.
When planning the diet of a Scottish fold cat, it will be useful to know that the cat needs:
- Proteins, the consumption of which is 50-60% of the total daily intake. Proteins are found in meat, dairy products and eggs.
- Fats, the norm of which is 15%. Fats must be of animal origin, vegetable does not satisfy the needs of plush beauties.
- Carbohydrates, although disputes are ongoing on this issue. Other veterinarians claim that the cat does not need carbohydrates, animals do not have an enzyme called amylase, which is responsible for their digestion. But this statement can be disputed, because where does the cat get energy, if not from complex carbohydrates.
Choose a diet
How to feed a Scottish fold cat? There are two main types of nutrition: natural products and dry food. Other owners talk about mixed food when they feed their pets with “drying” and “natural”, but we do not recommend combining them. The fact is that different enzymes in the animal's body are responsible for the digestion of both species. And they cannot stand out at the same time, which leads to pet health problems if you feed it according to the third option.
The benefits of natural food
What can we feed a Scottish fold cat, we found out. Now let's talk about the benefits of natural nutrition:
- The owner knows what gives the cat. He chooses the products for cooking, focusing on quality.
- This food is more suitable for cats, according to experienced breeders.
Disadvantages of a natural diet
Alas, the nutrition of a Scottish fold cat, built on natural and high-quality products, has more minuses than advantages.
- It takes time to cook. It is often not enough even for the most necessary things, and to set aside an hour for cooking for a pet is an impermissible luxury for many owners.
- No matter how good the foods are, cooked foods are not always well balanced. And this means that you have to buy additional funds, including vitamins necessary for the cat.
- Quite a costly pleasure, especially when keeping several cats. Natural nutrition is more expensive than the best food.
- Animals quickly gain weight if their diet is not adjusted. This is not very good for the pet’s health, and if the cat is also an exhibition cat, then it can simply be prevented from entering the ring.
Benefits of finished feed
Food for Scottish fold cats is divided into dry and wet (spiders). And most owners choose it for the following reasons:
- Ready-made feed is more convenient to use. You can put it in a bowl and not think about not spoiling. And cooking time is not necessary.
- There are a lot of feed brands, there is for every taste and budget. Manufacturers offer products for kittens, pregnant cats, elderly animals and veterinary feeds.
- In the finished feed there are all the necessary vitamins and minerals. Of course, we are talking about quality premium products and super premium.
- The price category suits many owners. The most expensive food is cheaper than high-grade natural food.
Cons of the finished diet
There are also disadvantages to Scottish fold cat food. The most basic of them is the presence of preservatives and incomprehensible additives that help preserve the freshness of the feed.
The second negative is quality. Even in super-premium products, as its manufacturers are positioning, we can see a strange composition. For example, chicken meat prevails in the feed, the percentage component is indicated. But what kind of meat, in what form, is not specified. And under a blurry phrase can be hidden chicken waste in the form of ground bones, hides and feathers, offal and other low-quality ingredients. And this is in a rather expensive feed. What can we say about the economy class, where there is no meat at all, but in huge quantities contains food additives that are harmful to the health of the cat.
Allowed Natural Products
The better to feed Scottish fold cats, their owners decide. Someone likes the natural diet of a pet, and someone prefers dry food.
If the owner is inclined to feed the cat "natural", then we will provide him with a list of allowed products:
- Raw lean meat. This includes beef, veal and rabbit meat. In fact, the issue of feeding a raw product is quite controversial. When cooking, of course, beneficial substances are destroyed. But raw meat may contain worms. And, despite the careful freezing of the product, they are quite capable of surviving it. As for fresh meat, it is strictly prohibited for feeding a Scottish fold cat.
- Chicken or turkey. Chicken is considered a healthy product that contains high amounts of protein. But it serves as a provocateur of allergies, and if a cat is prone to such, then you will have to refrain from feeding chicken meat. In this case, turkey poultry is more preferable; it is fed raw or boiled. If you decide to give the cat a raw bird, then the meat should be frozen out for at least three days.
- Milk products. These include kefir, cottage cheese, fermented baked milk and sour cream. Products should be low-fat, and give them as a separate dish. It is not necessary to combine with meat and vegetables.
- Hard-boiled chicken eggs. An adult cat needs only half an egg or one yolk, which feed it once a week.
- Cereals are carbohydrates, disputes are underway about their usefulness. We mentioned this above, and yet experienced cat owners recommend giving boiled rice or buckwheat to their pets. The cereal is mixed with meat, its amount should not exceed 1/4 of the meat portion.
- Vegetables are useful for feeding a kitten of a Scottish fold cat, as well as for adults. They are boiled, mashed and mixed with the meat component. The main vegetables included in the animal's diet are carrots, cauliflower, green beans, and potatoes in minimal quantities.
- Fish and cat - an established stereotype. Like, mustachioed-striped crazy about this treat. Maybe it is, only Scottish cats do not. If you regularly feed your pet with fish, then he risks getting a kidney disease. Therefore, a weekly treat is enough, and you should choose lean fish varieties.
- Offal does not belong to the obligatory menu of aristocratic beauties. Moreover, their excessive use threatens pets with an upset stomach, but treating the cat with boiled offal once a week is not forbidden.
- Nutritional supplements are essential for cats on a natural diet. Such additives include bran, vegetable oils, fish oil and kelp in dry form.
Kitten food
How to feed a kitten of a Scottish fold cat is a question that makes many newcomer owners think. A tiny baby needs a special diet, as it seems at first glance. But this is not entirely true, for the kitten eats the same foods as an adult, only in a different form.
For example, the meat for the baby is boiled and cut into small pieces. If the kitten is very tiny (1-2 months), then the meat is turned into mashed potatoes. The same goes for vegetables and cereals.
The baby is not given fish for up to six months, as well as offal. But until five months the kitten needs milk porridge. Do not forget to give the baby milk, but only until the stated age. Then it ceases to be absorbed.
We feed elderly cats
The older a pet becomes, the more difficult it is to balance his diet. Therefore, it is advisable to keep elderly pets on a ready-made feed designed specifically for their needs. It is better to refuse a dry product, because with age many teeth begin to lose their teeth, and naturally they are not able to gnaw food.
Choose super premium or premium wet wet foods for older cats. Be sure to pay attention to the composition, taurine must be present in it. It is simply necessary for normal heart function in older cats.
Sterilized cats
How to feed a sterilized scottish fold cat? As in the case of older animals, balancing a diet of natural products is quite difficult and expensive. Pets need seafood, and they cost decent money, at least in order to feed them a cat. Therefore, give preference to ready-made dry food, the more their choice is quite diverse, and for castrated / sterilized individuals, separate products are produced.
The best dry food
How to choose dry food for Scottish fold cats? When buying, pay attention to the composition. Remember that in a good feed, the amount of the main product and its type must be indicated. For example, if you familiarize yourself with the composition of the Akana feed, we will see that the meat or fish component is in the first place. And it is indicated: dehydrated chicken meat - 19%, fresh chicken meat - 17%. In second place are fruits, followed by vegetables.
Please do not buy economy class feed for your pets. Believe me, there will be nothing good from such a diet. The necessary vitamins and minerals are absent in them, but a great many dyes, flavor enhancers and preservatives. After all, turning to the composition, we see that the meat component is only 4-5%. And the rest is corn, rice and other cheap fillers. They cannot satisfy feline protein needs, because they do not contain it at all.
Basic feeding rules
The care and nutrition of a Scottish fold cat is the basis of everything. The quality of life of the pet depends on them, its duration and tendency to diseases. The worse the diet of an animal, the weaker its immune system, which means that a thoroughbred beauty is regularly sick. The cost of veterinary clinics is much higher than good food.
What can be recommended to the owners of lop-eared beauties?
- Feed your pet at the same time.
- Wash the bowl thoroughly before giving the animal food. Especially if you feed with natural food. The remains of it quickly deteriorate, which leads to an upset stomach in the cat, which has to eat stale food.
- When feeding dry food, strictly monitor the servings. Do not exceed the daily dosage stated on the package. The food tends to increase in the stomach, and if you overfeed the pet, it can be very bad.
- The cat must have access to clean water. Change the water twice a day - morning and evening. Many Scots love to drink from the tap, but do not let them do it. Chlorinated water irritates the stomach and can cause diarrhea in the pet.
- When transferring a cat to a new feed, do this very carefully. On the first day, add 1/7 of it, removing the same proportion of the previous one. On the second day, 2/7 of the new one is added to the old feed. And so on for a week, until the transition is complete. But if you notice an allergic reaction, and it manifests itself in the form of redness on the ears and combing, then you will have to return to the old feed again.
- Do not overfeed old cats, it is very difficult for them to digest the food received. And old people are prone to constipation, this should be considered when feeding.
- Kittens do not know the brake light in food. Their portions should be small.
Conclusion
The menu of a purebred and proud cat is the owner, focusing on their financial capabilities. In the article, we made recommendations on the proper nutrition of a Scottish fold cat.