Pregnant cats and those that have just recently given birth will require changes in their nutrition. Royal Canin First Age Mother Babycat has been specially developed to meet the particular needs in pregnant and nursing cats as well as in their kittens between the ages of 1-4 months. In the first weeks of life, kittens drink their mother’s milk, which contains colostrum. The mother passes on antibodies to its children that it has developed through its life. Around 4-12 months after birth, the natural immunity from the mother’s colostrum and the lactose intolerance gradually disappear. Your kitten should be gradually withdrawn from this. Your kitten is not yet a cat! Kittens require specifically tailored nutrition. Imagine we are talking about human beings - would you feed your baby the same diet as an adult? Of course not! Babies have a sensitive digestive system, small jaws and no teeth, so could not, for example, bite into an apple as an adult could. Comparisons such as this make it easier to understand why our young pets require a whole different kind of food from their adult counterparts. With a few breed- and gender-specific different, cats up to 12 months need tailored diets in order to reach healthy adulthood. The Royal Canin Kitten range offers your kitten the perfect start, so you can choose the ideal combination of wet and dry food. The time frame between when a mother cat’s protection is no longer enough and your kitten’s own immune system has not yet developed properly can cause an “immunological gap”. Chewing is also limited. Nutrients reach the stomach without being properly pre-digested by enzymes in the saliva. Kittens need many small meals, sometimes eating 10-16 times per day. A specially adapted kibble with tailored size, shape and texture can be vital in ensuring healthy digestion, clean teeth and good acceptance. Eases weaning, as the dry food can be soaked to make it easier to move from milk to solids. Smaller kibble pieces are considerably easier to chew. Benefits of dry food: concentrated nutrients and a texture that cleans teeth and supports dental health. Benefits of wet food: the high moisture content can reduce the risk of urinary tract problems and help maintain a healthy weight. The corresponding wet food for Royal Canin Mother Babycat can be found here: Royal Canin Babycat Instinctive Mousse
