Feeding a kitten is no simple process. There are plenty of rules when it comes to what you can feed a kitten, and how much you can give them. Sometimes you might not have a lot of resources, especially if an abandoned kitten wanders up to your door cold and hungry. In today’s article, we are going to discuss whether or not you can give kittens baby formula.
Can you give kittens baby formula?
We recommend only giving kittens baby formula if you have no other option. Even then it should only be used as a short term fix until you can get your hands on something that is more healthy for them. Baby formula is essentially just a purified form of cow’s milk. Cow’s milk is not recommended for kittens for many reasons. Cow milk is high in lactose, which can be hard for a young kitten to digest. Baby formula also usually contains a blend of different vegetable oils that are not natural for cats because they are naturally carnivores. Lastly, baby formula also lacks important nutrients and vitamins that are essential for promoting the growth of a kitten. For example, baby formula does not contain Taurine, an important amino acid found in cat’s milk that helps promote healthy eyes and muscle growth.
What happens if you feed your kitten baby formula?
If you give kittens baby formula for an extended period of time, they will almost certainly develop diarrhea. This is because the kitten’s digestive system is extremely sensitive, especially when the kitten is less than 6 weeks old. Most kittens are also lactose intolerant, which means they can not properly digest lactose, which is a key component in baby formula.
If your kitten develops diarrhea, it can be very serious (and sometimes even life threatening). The first couple weeks of a kitten’s life are very important for their future growth and development, and diarrhea can significantly set them back. This is because diarrhea usually causes your kitten to become dehydrated, which forces the kitten to use some of its body’s last resort resources.
Feeding your kitten baby formula can also cause them to vomit. This is obviously a huge problem, because kittens must consume a lot of food on a daily basis in order to maintain their physical development.
What type of milk should you feed kittens
The best type of milk for a kitten is their mother’s milk. It contains all the needed nutrients in order to help the kitten grow into a healthy size. It is also natural for a kitten’s digestive system, which tends to be very sensitive. However, we are well aware that it is common for kittens to be separated from their mother. In this case, you should let the kitten drink the milk of another mother cat if possible. If that isn’t possible, we recommend feeding the kitten cat milk formula. The formula is designed to be as close to natural kitten milk as possible. It comes in the form of powder which can easily be mixed into a cup of water. Kitten formula contains a lot of essential vitamins for a growing kitten, including calcium which helps promote healthy bone growth. Best of all, kitten milk replacement also contains the ever important Taurine.
