Few moments will be as crucial to the healthy development of a feline as its first “childhood”. A baby cat needs to obtain the necessary nutrients to strengthen your immune system and prepare your body for your adult age. Naturally, breast milk would be the ideal food to meet the nutritional needs of a puppy cat. But what do we do if we find a kitten who, unfortunately, could not be nursed by his mother?
Thinking about it, invites you to know 6 homemade recipes for baby cats. If you rescued or adopted a puppy cat and want to provide a balanced and natural nutrition, you will find, in this new article, simple and inexpensive options to prepare formula milk and weaning paps for your new companion. Can you come with us?
Can cats drink cow’s milk?
Many people wonder if cats can drink cow’s milk or if this food would be harmful to their health. In fact, lactose has conquered a certain “bad reputation” in recent years, with the growing number of diagnoses of intolerance in humans. But does lactose really harm the digestive system of animals?
The digestive system of mammals changes as the animals develop and acquire new nutritional needs and, consequently, different eating habits. During the period of lactation (when they are breastfed by the mother), mammals produce a large amount of an enzyme called lactase, whose function is to digest just the lactose in breast milk. But when it reaches the period of weaning, the production of this enzyme progressively decreases, preparing the animal’s organism for the food transition (stop consuming breast milk and start feeding on its own).
Now, the breast milk of a cat has a composition different from that of a cow, and generally has a lower concentration of lactose. Therefore, when we make homemade baby formula for our kittens, we must use preferably cow milk without lactose o goat’s milk (which also naturally has a lower lactose index).
And adult cats, can they continue to consume milk? While some cats may continue to produce the lactase enzyme in doses sufficient to digest small portions of milk ingested, most may develop symptoms associated with lactose intolerance. Therefore, it is best to adapt the diet of the adult cat to its natural nutritional needs, and for that we can opt for a varied diet that includes balanced feed, moist foods and homemade recipes.
Infant formula for baby cats: 3 homemade recipes
If you have already consulted your trusted veterinarian and found out that your new kitten has not yet passed the weaning stage, you will have to artificially replace the nutrients that breast milk would naturally offer. The most practical option would be to use commercial formula, which can be found in most pet stores and veterinary clinics. However, you can prepare your kitten a very nutritious and natural homemade baby formula with inexpensive and easy to find ingredients.
Recipe 1: 4 ingredients
This recipe for baby cats is the best one to nourish your little ones. To make it, you will need the following ingredients:
- 250 ml of whole milk without lactose
- 150 ml of milk cream (preferably with 40% fat)
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 honey soup spoon (you can use glucose, but honey is more recommended)
Recipe 2: 3 ingredients
Unlike the first recipe, this option is made with goat’s milk, which is usually more digestible for kittens (and also for puppy dogs). You will need the following ingredients:
- 250 ml of goat’s milk
- 150 ml of Greek yogurt (if you can find lactose free, better)
- 1 egg yolk
Recipe 3: 5 ingredients (indicated for kittens with malnutrition)
Many times, a rescued kitten that was not breastfed may have malnutrition, which makes it even more vulnerable immune system. This highly energetic baby formula for baby cats is indicated to quickly reverse this picture, but it is important to consult your veterinarian to avoid side effects resulting from excessive intake of proteins and fats.
- 200 ml of whole milk without lactose
- 25 ml of milk cream (preferably with 40% fat)
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ tablespoon of honey
- 10 butter g
- 15 g of calcium caseinate (which is the protein of milk already isolated)
Preparation of the three recipes
The elaboration of the 3 recipes consists, first, in Mix well all the ingredients until obtaining a milk of a little thicker consistency and more yellowish color than normal. Then, we recommend heating the baby formula to a water bath, until reaching a temperature around 37 ° C. And then, you can offer it to your kitten with the help of a sterile syringe or teat.
You can prepare the infant formula of your kittens 1 or 2 days before taking, and keep it in the refrigerator (maximum of 48 hours, at an average temperature of 4 ºC). We also recommend consulting our tips on how to feed your kitten, to help keep them well fed and healthy during their first weeks of life.
How much milk does a puppy cat need to consume?
The amount of milk ingested will depend on the daily energy requirement of each kitten, and this changes as the baby cat grows and gains body weight. The estimated calculation is 20 daily kcal for each 100 g of body weight.
If their mother breast-fed them, the kittens would absorb the milk in small quantities and could make up to 20 daily intakes. At each feeding, a kitten usually consumes 10 to 20 ml of milk, even though its stomach capacity can support up to 50 ml. In the interval between feedings, kittens digest milk and absorb nutrients.
When offering homemade baby formula to your kitten, you should do it several times a day, respecting their time of rest and digestion. It is recommended to provide 6 to 8 daily shots, with 3 intervals to 5 hours between them. It is very important to maintain regularity in the feeding of your kitten, and never leave it without eating for more than 6 hours. And remember that the kittens should also be fed at night and early in the morning.
Sudden dietary changes, excess milk and excessive space between feedings can cause symptoms of stress in cats, such as diarrhea and vomiting.
3 homemade recipes of weaning porridges for baby cats
It is common to hear about weaning as a moment, but in reality it is a process experienced by all mammals. And it is not only a food change, but also a preparation for adult life, where the animal must be able to become independent of its mother to survive on its own. Therefore, it is so important respect the age of weaning when choosing to bring a new pet to your home.
If a kitten develops with its mother and is breastfed, the curiosity inherent in its instinct leads it to want to experience the female’s food. This usually happens after the first month of life of the animal, when the teeth begin to grow.
When your little companion reaches your 25 or 30 days of life, you can start to present solid food, but in the form of porridge to facilitate chewing and subsequent digestion. Next, we propose 3 homemade recipes to keep your kitten well fed during his childhood:
Recipe 1: homemade baby formula and balanced feed
- 1 balanced feed cup for baby cats
- 1 cup of warm homemade baby formula
This recipe of porridge is an optimal option to gradually accustom our kitten to the flavor of the commercial feed that it will consume during its childhood, and to guarantee the proportions of adequate nutrients to its healthy growth.
To prepare it, we will have to heat the infant formula to the water bath and later, pour it on the solid feed. Let it rest for a few minutes so that the food softens, and we liquefy the mixture until obtaining a porridge. The ideal is to offer the pap to the kitten at room temperature or something warm.
We must remember to gradually introduce solid food into our kitten’s routine. At first, we can substitute 1 for porridge, and then increase its intake, until it occupies the 100% of its daily feed. And it is important to consult your trusted veterinarian before including any new foods in your pets’ diet.
Recipe 2: homemade turkey porridge (or chicken) with carrot
- 150 g of turkey breast (you can also use chicken)
- Carrot 1
- enough water to boil the food
This is another recipe for simple and practical baby cats that you can prepare your kitten to supplement its feeding and introduce it to solid food. To prepare the porridge, you must first boil the breast well of turkey (or chicken) and also the carrot. When the foods are tender, it is enough to liquefy them until forming a porridge. Remember to let it cool before offering it to your kitten.
Recipe 3: homemade chicken liver porridge
- 200 g of chicken liver
- water in quantity needed to boil and give consistency
This recipe for papilla for puppy cats can also be adapted to make an exquisite homemade pate to your cat. The basic difference is in the amount of water that we put to achieve the consistency we desire. To get a porridge, we must boil livers in abundant water until they are well cooked. Then, let them cool for 10 minutes to be liquefied next to 100 ml of warm water that remained as a broth after cooking. Remember to leave the porridge cool before offering it to your little furry.
If we want to achieve a consistent paté, we should simply drain the livers well after boiling them, and step them with a fork, or pass them through the food processor.
To discover more homemade and exquisite recipes using the fish meat that our cats love so much, be sure to read our article “Homemade Cat Food – Fish Recipes”. And if you also have a homemade recipe that you want to share with us and our readers, leave us your comment!
If you want to read more articles similar to 6 homemade recipes for baby cats, we recommend that you enter in our section of Homemade Diets.