In the wild, big cats know exactly what they need to eat. By feeding cats the right food at the right life-stages of life, we support their natural instincts as a carnivore and solitary hunter.
Ensure kittens eat special kitten food
For the first 4–5 weeks of their life, kittens get everything they need to survive from their mother. Kittens are normally weaned by 7 weeks old, but even from week 4 they can start eating a specially prepared kitten food like WHISKAS® PERFECT PORTIONSTM Kitten Chicken Pate Entrée.
Kittens have a small tummy but a big appetite
Kittens are cute and small, but they grow very quickly. In fact, they grow up to 15 times faster than a human baby! However, with a stomach that starts out as the size of your thumbnail, they can't eat very much in one go. That's why it's important to feed kittens small meals at regular intervals – up to 6 times a day to begin with. In the early days, we advise spreading the food out on to a plate so kittens learn to lick the food and get a taste for it.
From kitten portions to cat portions
From about 4 months old, one WHISKAS® PERFECT PORTIONSTM Kitten Chicken Pate Entrée is perfect for a single tasty meal. Kittens should be fed 3–4 meals each day until they are 6 months old. After that, 2–4 meals a day are recommended. At 12 months old, kittens are ready for adult food, which can be fed twice a day. Most cats enjoy wet food being served morning and evening with a bowl containing their daily allowance of dry food being left out to graze on during the day.
Cats are careful eaters
In the wild, big cats are careful eaters, avoiding anything that tastes “off”. Casts and kittens share those instincts and prefer every meal to be fresh and, served at room temperature in a clean bowl.
Don’t suddenly change your cat’s diet
Introduce any new food gradually and a little at a time, as sudden changes might upset a cat’s sensitive digestive tract.
Should cats drink cow’s milk?
After kittens are weaned, they lose their ability to digest milk – so contrary to popular belief, cats should not be given cow's milk to drink! However, at WHISKAS®, we know that owners like to treat their cats to something special so we’ve created a safe version of milk that cats love.
Encourage your kittens to drink water
Cats need water, so it’s best to get them drinking it from a young age. Kittens have a super-sensitive nose and tongue that will easily pick up unfamiliar chemical smells. To encourage kittens to drink more, place their water bowl in a quiet spot away from the litter tray and away from anything with any odours that may offend them.
A healthy coat often means a healthy cat
A shiny coat, bright eyes and supple muscle tone are all good signs that a kitten or adult cat is healthy. If you feed complete and balanced food that's right for every stage of your cat’s life, it will be reflected in their appearance.
Feeding your cat a mixture of wet and dry food
Cats seek variety in their food and enjoy different flavours, tastes and textures in their diet. Mixing wet and dry complete and balanced cat food, that is appropriate for your cat’s life stage and lifestyle, is a great way to keep your cat happy and healthy.
Wet food encourages water intake. With high moisture content it can help keep your pet hydrated and helps to support a healthy urinary tract especially in cats.
Wet food contains fewer calories per gram than dry food. It can help to maintain a healthy body weight.
Wet food is closer in texture to the food that cats would naturally choose. It’s very palatable and easily digested making it the right choice for finicky eaters.
Wet food delivers a variety of tastes and textures. Compared to dry foods, wet foods have higher levels of real meats and lower levels of carbohydrate sources, such as grains.
The soft texture of wet food is easy for kittens and senior cats to chew.
Benefits of Wet Pet Food
Wet food encourages water intake. With high moisture content it can help keep your pet hydrated and helps to support a healthy urinary tract especially in cats.
Wet food contains fewer calories per gram than dry food. It can help to maintain a healthy body weight.
Wet food is closer in texture to the food that cats would naturally choose. It’s very palatable and easily digested making it the right choice for finicky eaters.
Wet food delivers a variety of tastes and textures. Compared to dry foods, wet foods have higher levels of real meats and lower levels of carbohydrate sources, such as grains.
The soft texture of wet food is easy for kittens and senior cats to chew.
Benefits of Dry Pet Food
Dry pet food is a concentrated source of nutrition and energy.
Chewing the crunchy kibble helps support oral care health.
Dry pet food is usually less expensive than wet to feed on a per-serving basis.
Dry pet food is convenient, it does not require refrigeration after opening, and can be left out in a bowl all day without the risk of drying out or going stale. Makes traveling with your pet much easier, too.
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Grooming: Coat care and dandruff elimination
A cat's skin and fur is nourished from the inside, so the most important thing you can do to achieve a healthy coat is to feed your cat a complete and balanced diet that is enriched with all of the nutrients they need to maintain a healthy coat and skin. Here’s a list of things to consider in caring for your cat’s skin and coat:Does your cat have any bald patches? Red, inflamed or sore skin? Matted fur, damp patches of skin? Itchy skin, scabs or bleeding patches? If so, they should be taken to the vet to start appropriate medication.Some cats can be allergic to parasites such as flea bites. Once treated, this can be prevented with regular flea prevention treatment.It’s also advisable to keep on top of worm prevention treatment as internal parasites can stop your cat from absorbing all of the nutrients from the food.Regular cat grooming is important. Cats love to be groomed and enjoy regular brushing to keep their coat clean and in good, tangle free condition. This is particularly important for long-haired cats.Watch their weight , if cats become overweight, they can struggle to reach their entire coat for daily cat grooming and dandruff may begin to appear.Under normal circumstances there is no need to bathe a cat, which is good because most cats hate it!Cats’ claws naturally shed and shouldn’t need cutting. It’s important that cats maintain sharp long claws as they use them in daily activities like climbing. If you are concerned about your cat's claws take them to see your local vetfor advice.
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Cat’s Ears, Eyes And Skin
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Cat Weight
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Understanding Your Cat
Just like her big cat cousins, your feline friend’s behaviour is driven by a wide range of natural instincts. By understanding these, you’ll get a much better idea about why she does the things she does. That way, you won’t fall into the trap of thinking your cat’s being naughty or stubborn … and you’ll realize instead that she’s just being a cat!By learning these natural behaviours, you’ll better understand the things your cat is trying to communicate – and so your relationship will flourish. Your cat is communicating with you all the time – you just have to watch and listen!NATURAL INSTINCTSBy nature, your cat is a solitary creature. She likes to spend time alone, especially when she’s asleep or on the prowl. Your cat also has a powerful instinct to hunt at night – a natural urge that won't be dampened even if you feed her regularly through the day.It’s important to let your cat express her natural behaviour. 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However, if you do find a bird or mouse on the doorstep, remember that your cat’s just finishing her hunt in the place she feels most safe. She’s not being naughty, and it isn’t a gift – she’s simply demonstrating that there’s no place like home!A NOSE FOR COMMUNICATIONLike her cousins in the wild, your cat communicates using scented messages, which she leaves by scratching, spraying urine and rubbing. So, when your cat rubs herself on walls, furniture or doors, what she's actually doing is marking her territory. And if she rubs against your legs, she's really paying you a compliment by telling you that you belong to her!Scratching leaves visual messages, so it helps to keep your cat's claws nice and sharp. Make sure your cat has a specific area in the house where she's allowed – even encouraged – to scratch. To stop her from ruining your furniture, give her a special scratching post.UNDERSTANDING YOUR CATJust like her big cat cousins, your feline friend’s behaviour is driven by a wide range of natural instincts. By understanding these, you’ll get a much better idea about why she does the things she does. That way, you won’t fall into the trap of thinking your cat’s being naughty or stubborn … and you’ll realize instead that she’s just being a cat!By learning these natural behaviours, you’ll better understand the things your cat is trying to communicate – and so your relationship will flourish. Your cat is communicating with you all the time – you just have to watch and listen!NATURAL INSTINCTSBy nature, your cat is a solitary creature. She likes to spend time alone, especially when she’s asleep or on the prowl. Your cat also has a powerful instinct to hunt at night – a natural urge that won't be dampened even if you feed her regularly through the day.It’s important to let your cat express her natural behaviour. If they want to spend time alone, make sure there are places in your home to which they can retreat. Like most cats, they'll probably like enclosed areas such as cardboard boxes or cat beds.You’ll find more details in our article on cat's hunting instinctsA BORN HUNTERIn the wild, all big cats are natural hunters. Your feline companion is just the same, which is why it’s important to encourage her instinctive desire to go hunting. Don’t worry, that doesn’t have to mean birds or mice – a simple cat toy should do the trick! Fishing rod toys, for example, are a great way for you and your cat to play together, while allowing her to show off her natural hunting skills. Let her win every now and then, and your cat will be brimming with pride!If your cat exercises her hunting abilities inside the home, there’s less chance of her bringing you any prey she might catch outside. However, if you do find a bird or mouse on the doorstep, remember that your cat’s just finishing her hunt in the place she feels most safe. She’s not being naughty, and it isn’t a gift – she’s simply demonstrating that there’s no place like home!A NOSE FOR COMMUNICATIONLike her cousins in the wild, your cat communicates using scented messages, which she leaves by scratching, spraying urine and rubbing. So, when your cat rubs herself on walls, furniture or doors, what she's actually doing is marking her territory. And if she rubs against your legs, she's really paying you a compliment by telling you that you belong to her!Scratching leaves visual messages, so it helps to keep your cat's claws nice and sharp. Make sure your cat has a specific area in the house where she's allowed – even encouraged – to scratch. To stop her from ruining your furniture, give her a special scratching post.
READ MORE