The Best Foods for Your Pregnant Cat

During your cat’s pregnancy, it is essential that you offer her the best possible foods to keep her and her kittens healthy. This is true for all breeds of cats and even strays, although for the latter, other precautions should be taken.

If your cat is already on a healthy diet of top quality canned cat food, it is a good idea to continue along that path. High quality canned foods contain all the necessary nutrients to keep your cat healthy during her pregnancy. Canned cat food is a better choice than dry food, since it contains considerably more carbohydrates. However, during the latter stages of her pregnancy, you must keep in mind the nutrition of the kittens. Because of this, you should switch her normal canned cat food for canned kitten food. Continue feeding your cat kitten food even after the kittens are born, but stop after the kittens are weaned. By giving your cat canned kitten food, it will give her milk the necessary nutrients essential for a new born kitten.

During your cat’s pregnancy (and directly afterwards), she will have depleted levels of calcium. As a result, you should provide your cat with calcium, either in the form of supplements or in dairy products, during the latter stages of pregnancy and while she is nursing.

Read the labels of cat foods. Make sure to choose brands that have high levels of protein and calcium. Many cat food brands are labelled “complete and balanced”. This is not a marketing scheme; for a cat food brand to have that on their label, it must conform to the standards of the AAFCO. Nonetheless, read the ingredients to ensure that your cat is getting all the necessary nutrients.

Also ensure that your cat has an ample supply of water on hand. This is a key to keeping your cat healthy during all stages of her pregnancy. A good idea is to provide a filtered water system for your cat to drink whenever she feels it necessary. If you need further help with pregnant cats or kittens, there are many vet nurse jobs concerning paternity and you should be able to get all the answers that you need through your local vet or animal care center.