What kind of food can you feed the Sphynx. Care and feeding, how to feed a Sphynx kitten. Don and Canadian sphinxes - differences and features

They are special in every way, these hairless cats are sphinxes. And they require more attention than many other breeds. Be responsible for feeding sphinxes if you want your pets to be always cheerful, healthy and please you, their owners, for a long time.

Features of the nutrition of sphinxes

The group of hairless cats includes not only Canadian and Don Sphynxes, but also breeds bred with their participation:

peterbald;
Ukrainian Levkoy;
bambino;
Minskin;
elf;
dwelf.

Nutrition rules are the same for all hairless breeds

These animals are very different in many respects, but they are united by the complete or partial absence of wool. This feature dictates certain rules for keeping and feeding "balds".

What determines the diet for sphinxes

Due to the lack of a warm coat, the Sphynx has to spend more calories on its heating than any other cat. Representatives of hairless breeds have an excellent appetite, and their menu should be very satisfying and energetic. Organize feeding so that the pet receives only high-quality products, and the diet is strictly observed.

From age

The sphinx, like any living creature, has three ages: childhood, maturity and old age. Much is connected with this, including the mode and calorie content of feeding. A fast-growing kitten aged from one month to six months should receive the most high-calorie, but at the same time food that does not depress its internal organs, at first six, and by the time of a complete change of teeth - four times a day.

An adult animal, depending on its activity and physical condition, can “table” two or three times a day, the same parameters (plus health) must be taken into account when compiling a food assortment. By the age of sphinxes, it is better to transfer to a children's, fractional regimen - many portions in small doses, gradually reducing the calorie content of food and increasing its therapeutic component.

There is a widespread theory that daily dose food for the sphinx should be equal in weight to five percent of its body weight. This is not only stupid, but also harmful fiction - according to this logic, an animal with severe obesity will eat a huge portion and continue to get fat, which is completely unacceptable for him.

From the floor

A cat and a cat in the normal state should eat the same - the calculation of the quality and quantity of food does not depend on the sex of the animal. But in moments when the reproductive function is realized, the approach should be completely different.

In preparation for mating (a month or two before the planned meeting), both partners should be transferred to high-protein nutrition, and the content of carbohydrates and fats should be reduced. When the female becomes pregnant, she will receive "special nutrition" for the pregnant woman, but there is also an important point here. About a week before the birth, you need to take care of the prevention of such a dangerous disease as eclampsia (milk fever, caused by a violation of calcium metabolism - hypocalcemia, that is, a low level of this mineral in the blood of a cat). To prevent illness, you should minimize the proportion of meat in the menu of the woman in labor, and instead introduce foods high in natural calcium.

A cat in an interesting position requires a special approach to feeding

From the state of health

Veterinary feeds are called so because they, like medicines, should be prescribed only by a doctor - to each cat individually, assessing the state of her health. Not a pet store clerk, not a self-employed owner, and not even an experienced breeder - just a doctor who observes the animal.

The following are considered the best of medicinal feeds:

GO Sensitivity Shine - to normalize digestion;
1st Choice Urinary Health - for urolithiasis;
Gina Elite Cat Sensitive - for sensitive, allergy-prone animals;
Josera SensiCat - for cats with digestive problems;
Bozita Feline Funktion Sensitive Diet & Stomach - with sensitive digestion and obesity;
Hill's Science Plan Sensitive Stomach - for cats with sensitive stomachs and skin
Royal Canin Sensible 33 - for cats with sensitive digestive systems.

from the physiological state

Pregnancy and lactation are perhaps the most critical periods in a cat's life. At this time, you need to pay special attention to her diet, make sure that the animal receives all the necessary elements not only to maintain its own physical form, but also for the correct, harmonious formation of kittens.

The world's best brands recommend special foods for mother cats, but just as well, some breeders feed pregnant and lactating breeders with starters that are designed for the smallest kittens and are rich in valuable, easily digestible components.

During the period of feeding kittens, the cat is entitled to an enhanced diet

Neutered or neutered pets should not be considered sick animals. But when choosing their permanent menu, this special physiological state must be taken into account in order to control the optimal weight and reduce the risk of developing urolithiasis. For sterilized and neutered sphinxes, the following foods can be advised:

Hill's Science Plan Sterilized Cat;
Eukanuba Adult Sterilized/Weight Control;
Almo Nature Holistic Adult Cat Adult Beef and Rice;
Bosch Sanabelle Sterilized;
Royal Canin Neutered Young Female;
1st Choice Sterilized.

What is forbidden in the diet of sphinxes

The omnivorousness of sphinxes is absolutely no reason to feed them anything (and even more so - human food) or feed them with sweets from the master's table; such food is not only harmful, but also dangerous for hairless cats.

Food from the master's table is a taboo for the sphinx

The list of products prohibited for sphinxes is quite large. Here are his main positions:

any confectionery and yeast baked goods;
fried, salty or smoked foods;
pork;
excess fat or adding spices;
river fish, especially raw;
liver;
legumes;
citrus.

Unfortunately, it is impossible to advise any particular food or nutrition system as a whole to an animal “behind the eyes”. Often you have to select an individual diet through trial and error - something will not suit your pet, but something will not be liked at all. When switching from one food to another, it is extremely important for sphinxes to observe gradualness - a sharp change in the menu can greatly harm digestion.

The transition from feed to feed should occur gradually over ten days.

Problems with improper feeding

The criterion “and my cat likes it” should not determine the choice of food for feeding the Sphynx, who is ready to eat anything, without thinking about the consequences. And they can be very annoying:

systemic digestive disorders;
chronic diseases internal organs;
metabolic disorders;
allergies and various dermatological diseases.

Sphinx, who eats with you at the same table, should not cause tenderness, but alarm

Overeating is detrimental to any cat, and for the Sphynx, which has a muted sense of fullness, it is especially dangerous. In hairless cats, metabolic failures very easily occur, and metabolic disorders lead to obesity, which is already fraught with quite serious problems - from acne to functional disorders of all body systems.

What feed is best to use

It is impossible to save on the nutrition of sphinxes - this will result in loss of health, and subsequently money for treatment. Expensive food for these cats is bought not based on the prestige of the breed, but on the basis of a special susceptibility to poor-quality nutrition. Almost all sphinxes are prone to allergies and endowed with a very sensitive digestive system.

For kittens

Often sphinxes are prolific, in their litter there can be six to eight, and sometimes up to twelve quite viable kittens. It is clear that it is problematic for a cat to feed such a number of offspring on its own. In such cases, you should support her by feeding babies from the nipple with cat's milk substitutes - such mixtures are offered in the lines of some feed manufacturers.

Little sphinxes need more energy to normal development than babies of other breeds

The first feeding of kittens begins at the age of three weeks, introducing new foods into the diet in small doses - no more than one per day. Traditionally, many owners begin to feed babies with semolina - but this is not the best option, because there is little benefit from such feeding: only excess weight and the risk of allergic reactions. Not suitable for feeding small sphinxes and human children food- primarily because of the sugar in its composition. Here are some "dishes" that are recommended if you want to feed kittens natural:

boiled yolk;
calcined cottage cheese;
boiled or frozen meat (chicken, turkey, veal);
boiled sea fish;
well-boiled cereals from buckwheat and rice;
greens, vegetables, fruits.

Until the age of three months, active babies should eat at least six times a day (a single serving is 25 grams). By six months, you need to gradually reach the adult regimen and dosage - two or three meals a day, 40–50 grams at a time.

Sphynx kitten needs high-calorie nutrition

It is difficult to independently build a balanced menu for a kitten that is growing and developing rapidly. High-quality ready-made feeds in this sense are convenient and reliable - pay attention to such products from the best brands:

Royal Canin Babycat Instinctive - mousse for kittens up to 4 months;
Royal Canin Kitten - dry food for kittens from 4 to 12 months;
Purina Pro Plan Junior Chicken - canned chicken for kittens;
Wahre Liebe Junge - dry food for kittens with colostrum;
Hills Cat Science Plan Kitten Tuna - dry food for kittens with tuna;
GO! Sensitivity + Shine Duck Cat Recipe Limited Ingredient Diet, Grain Free - for kittens and cats with sensitive digestion.

For adult animals

When compiling a diet for your pet, you need to be guided not only by his preferences and tastes, but first of all by the characteristics of his body and health.

Ready feed

It is not easy to choose ready-made food for an adult Sphynx. Not because there are few suitable feeds - on the contrary, it is difficult to do right choice among many proposals.

Video: we select food for the sphinx

Natural menu

Any cat is a predator, and protein should form the basis of its nutrition. If you are a supporter of a natural diet, then it will need to be built around meat and fish - these products will occupy at least 70 percent of the total.

But even the freshest and highest quality meat cannot be the only component of the Sphynx's diet - the pet's daily diet can be built from the following products:

frozen beef or turkey meat - 40 g daily;
boiled chicken breast without skin or boiled fish without bones - 3-4 times a week;
boiled or frozen chicken offal (except liver), raw or boiled vegetables, fruits, herbs - 2-3 times a week;
pharmacy brewer's yeast - 3-4 times a week;
steamed oatmeal, buckwheat or rice - 2-3 times a week;
chicken yolk, cheese - 1 time per week;
chicken neck or crackers - 1 time per week (to clean your teeth);
vegetable oil(slowly add to cooked food).

Be careful with red fruits - they can provoke allergies in the Sphynx

Are Additional Beneficial Supplements Required?

By practicing feeding the Sphynx with high quality complete feeds, the owner may not worry about any additional feeding - the animal gets everything it needs without them. For cats that eat natural food, vitamin and mineral supplements are required - their composition and dosage should be recommended by a veterinarian, taking into account the characteristics of a particular animal and its diet.

Sphinxes are not only famous gluttons, but also sophisticated gourmets. Many of these cat breeds love leafy greens, rich in vitamins and minerals. You should not deny your pet this healthy treat, even if you think that his diet is completely balanced and saturated with everything you need.

Many baldheads generally have a weakness for fresh greenery - even for ordinary lawn grass, which is usually recommended for breeds with long and thick hair, in order to cleanse the cat's stomach from its stray clods. But do not forget that your Sphynx will also benefit from this cleansing and vitamin natural supplement.

Let him nibbling grass better than eating your houseplants - especially since among them there may be specimens dangerous for a cat.

Video: unusual gastronomic addictions of the sphinx

Sensitive digestion and sensitive skin are two main factors to consider when considering a Sphynx's diet. Picking up for your cat healthy eating, you will provide her with activity, vivacity and good physical shape for many years.

Feeding the Canadian Sphynx has its own characteristics. First, hairless breeds spend more energy on heating, and therefore need carbohydrates. Secondly, sphinxes are distinguished by excellent appetite and picky eating, so the main task of the owner is to create a balanced diet for the pet. Thirdly, the composition and amount of food for each animal must be calculated individually.

Ready feed

The best option for sphinxes in a city apartment is ready-made food. It can be either dry or wet. If you have been feeding your baby ready-made food since childhood, it is better not to change the brand over time. Feed should be selected based on the age, weight, sex, lifestyle of the animal, etc. Special feeds should also be purchased for castrated and sterilized animals. When choosing ready-made food for sphinxes, give preference to high-class goods. Don't skimp on your pet's health! So, the food brands Pronature, Acana, Royal Canin, etc. have proven themselves well.

Natural food for sphinxes

70-80 % from the entire diet should be meat and meat products raw or scalded. 20-30% falls on o waxes, dairy products and cereals. An adult pet needs 200-250 g of protein food and 100 g of carbohydrate-containing foods daily.

Approximate sphinx feeding regimen:

Every day:

raw beef, veal (necessarily deep-frozen);
pure water;

3-4 times a week:

boiled chicken or rabbit meat without bones and skins;
additive "dry brewer's yeast";

2-3 times a week:

frozen or boiled chicken or beef offal (kidneys, heart, tripe, lungs, etc.);
fish. Best of all, sea, previously peeled and boiled;
cereals: rice, buckwheat, steamed oatmeal;
raw or boiled vegetables: pumpkin, carrots, cucumbers, cauliflower, black Eyed Peas;
fruits (according to taste preferences);
greens (spinach, parsley);

1-2 times a week:

low-fat dairy products (ryazhenka, cottage cheese, kefir, yogurt);
egg yolk (mixed with anything or in its pure form);

1 time per week:

The Canadian Sphynx, which eats natural food, should definitely be given croutons to clean its teeth once a week.

To improve digestion, you can add a few teaspoons of vegetable oil to your pet's food. Sprouted cereals will be a good vitamin supplement, especially in winter.

Alternative solution. Natural food in reserve.

If you do not have enough time to prepare cat food every day, you can use the following recipe for ready-made food from natural products. The recipe is made taking into account the physiological characteristics of the cat and is great for feeding the Canadian Sphynx.

1 kg. lean beef or chicken;
150 gr. lean cheese;
2 medium carrots, can be any vegetables that the pet prefers;
200 grams of seaweed,
greens;
1 chicken yolk or 3 quail;
5 tablets of chalk, powdered;
20 drops of vitamin D;
1 tablespoon of brewer's yeast as a source of vitamins for sphinxes.

We make minced meat from all the ingredients and freeze in the form of portioned cakes or balls. We take out as needed.

How to feed the sphinx?

There are many different opinions about what kind of food to feed the Canadian Sphynx. Some prefer to give the pet a finished product, others prefer only natural food, and still others combine both. What is the best food for sphinxes? You must determine this yourself. Sphynx nutrition should be balanced and complete. Before choosing a certain type of food and feeding regimen for your pet, consult with breeders who are aware of the taste preferences of sphinxes. Offer the cat various options and assess the condition of the animal. If the pet is active, cheerful, has no allergies and always has a good appetite, then you have picked up correct menu.

For sphinxes, it is desirable to have several bowls. The first should always be clean water. In the second - the main food, and with the combined feeding of sphinxes, there should also be a third bowl - for natural food. Do not mix several feeds into one! So, for example, a dry product can stand for several days, while a natural product quickly deteriorates.

The feeding bowl must be clean. This is important for the health of the cat.

The frequency of feeding is determined individually. The average scheme looks like this: 4-8 months? 3-4 meals a day, after 8 months? feeding 2-3 times a day.

It is believed that the daily portion of food for an average cat should be equal to 5% of its weight. However, for your pet, calculate the amount of food experimentally. The animal should not starve and overeat. Pregnant and lactating cats should be fed 3 times a day.

Feeding Sphynx kittens

About up to 1.5-2 months the kitten receives mother's milk, then the feeding period begins.

Food for Sphynx kittens may consist of boiled or raw beef, homemade cottage cheese, boiled quail eggs, dry food for kittens, previously soaked in boiled water.

1 to 3 months babies are fed at least 5-6 times a day.

3 to 5 months the diet of Sphynx kittens should be balanced in terms of protein, vitamins and minerals, because. the body is actively growing. You can enter boiled fish, cereals, offal in boiled form. It is good to add greens to kittens' food.

Features of the constitution of the body of hairless cats also leave an imprint on their body. Pets of this breed have a high metabolism, so they can be fed more often than other types of cats. How many times a day and what to feed the Sphynx should be determined taking into account their age and weight, individual characteristics. You can feed your pet with natural products or give him dry food for a Sphynx kitten (at the age of 2-12 months), food for adult cats (after 12 months).

How many times a day do you need to feed a Sphynx kitten and adult cats

Feeding an adult Sphynx cat involves the selection of food with a high energy content. You can not overfeed the animal, otherwise it will have problems with being overweight. It is necessary to feed an adult cat 2 times a day. Kittens are fed much more often: at 2-3 months, the pet is fed every 4 hours, at 4-6 months - 4-5 times a day, at 7-10 months - 3 times a day, up to a year and beyond - 2 times a day.

Pregnant and lactating cats are fed 4-5 times a day. Old cats also require a different feeding regime - they can be fed 3 times a day.

Nutrition of an adult Sphynx

The rate of feeding the Sphynx is determined taking into account the weight of the animal. Cat food should be high-calorie, because. These breeds have a high metabolism. The best option is the use of ready-made cat food - they contain all the useful components that the pet needs. If there is more dark discharge on the skin of the animal, you need to change the diet, reducing the amount of fat.

When feeding with natural products, it is recommended to give preference to lean meat (veal, beef, poultry, rabbit) as the main component of the diet. Raw meat should not be given - it should be boiled, frozen or doused with boiling water. You can give offal (kidneys, lungs) 2 times a week, liver - 1 time per week.

What to feed a Sphynx kitten

When buying a kitten of this breed, you should ask the breeder what kind of food they fed the baby. Transferring a pet to a different diet should be gradual. From the first months of life, you need to feed the kitten with food with a large amount of proteins, the necessary complex of vitamins and microelements. How many times to feed a Sphynx kitten? At 0-2 months - 6-8 times a day, 3-5 months - 4-5 times, 6-9 months - 3 times, upon reaching 9 months of age - 2 times.

What not to feed a Sphynx cat

Many cats are not satisfied with what the owner gives them and beg for all sorts of goodies from the table. But a number of products consumed by humans cause great harm animal. Therefore, you should not give a cat a sausage or a piece of cake - such feeding will lead to indigestion and disorders in the digestive tract.

Prohibited products for adult cats and Sphynx kittens:

any kind of smoked, fried, sour, salty foods;
sweets, sweets, cookies;
sausages;
garlic, onion;
tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes (especially raw);
citrus;
fat sour cream, cottage cheese, milk (milk is useful only for kittens and only in the first year of life).

Many Sphynx owners do not know how to properly feed them at home. What diet is best for them to choose. This article will be useful not only to the owners of sphinxes, but also to those who are just planning to have a kitten, because it should be taught to good food from childhood. Next, we will get acquainted with what products in feeding sphinxes are best to give preference to. We will find out why ready-made food is better than ordinary food, and also consider foods that are not recommended for cats at any age.

A little about the features

Don, Canadian and St. Petersburg Sphynxes are purebred cats, and therefore they require special care and attention from their owners. And first of all, it concerns nutrition. A properly selected diet of a cat or cat must be balanced, because only then the animals will not have health problems, namely the intestines, immunity and teeth.

With proper nutrition, the skin will be healthy, because the Sphynx (most of them) do not have hair.

Even while the kitten is very small, he should begin to be accustomed to the food that he will eat all his life. Since a sharp change in food or diet very often leads to health complications. In general, it is believed that sphinxes are quite unpretentious in nutrition, and therefore they do not need an excessive abundance of food. Many cats and cats of this breed can eat everything indiscriminately, but this does not mean at all that they should be fed “from the table”. For animals, in most cases, what people eat is not suitable.

When choosing natural food that the owners prepare themselves, or choosing dry food, it is very important not to forget about the correct dosage. It is also worth "from an early age" to teach the animal to eat on schedule. This is especially true for neutered and neutered Sphynxes, who, eating a balanced diet, will not gain extra pounds.

Natural food or prepared food?

Every year, breeders, felinologists and owners ask themselves questions about how to properly feed their pets without harming them? What is better to give preference to, natural food or ready-made dry? Of course, that almost all professional veterinarians and felinologists agree that It is best to choose ready-made feed. This is due to the fact that they are balanced, and most of them are specially adapted for a particular breed.

Of course, the choice in favor of a particular diet should be made based on the animal's health, personal preferences and financial capabilities.

Details about ready-made feeds

Premium cat food is created in such a way that in addition to the meat and vegetables they need in the right ratio, they are saturated with all the necessary vitamins and minerals. Premium food has many benefits.

Owners do not need to constantly think about how to feed their pet. Moreover, you do not need to spend a lot of time cooking meat, vegetables and cereals, when you can simply pour the finished food in the required dosage.
Dry food helps to normalize digestion, and many lines specially created by manufacturers, for example, for neutered cats, serve as an excellent prevention of KSD (urolithiasis), which sterilized animals often encounter. Specially adapted foods can be a great way to keep your Sphynx healthy at home.
Many owners mistakenly believe that dry food can be boring, but this, of course, is not the case. After all, today, in addition to dry food, manufacturers offer wet food in a vacuum, and a variety of canned food. Therefore, a cat or cat will not get tired of eating food with one beef, because for breakfast they can be given ready-made canned rabbit or tuna.
The advantage of ready-made feeds is that they take care of the teeth of animals in one way or another. Sphynxes often develop caries, so they should brush their teeth regularly, but not all cats respond to this therapy, and therefore food that gently cleans enamel can be an excellent prevention for them.

The disadvantages of premium feeds include their rather high price, but if the cat eats only meat and cereals, then in general the expenses will be the same. Also, some feeds are addictive in animals, after which it is quite difficult to transfer them to a new feed or diet. However, this applies to budget food, which is generally not recommended to feed cats.

Natural products

Natural food can also be the main diet of a cat or Sphynx cat. You can also feed it to small kittens. However, it should be understood here that not all products that a person consumes can be given to cats. Sphynx at home eating is recommended to feed like this.

Lean meats, namely turkey, chicken, young lamb and rabbit. Meat should be given only boiled, fried is completely contraindicated, as well as smoked. Raw chicken meat is also allowed, the main thing is to pre-dip it in boiling water.
Boiled vegetables must also be in the diet of the animal.
Kashi (rice, buckwheat and others).
Boiled eggs (it is recommended to give only the yolk).

You can add a little oil to boiled porridge. As treats, cats can be given special crackers, which are not only treats, but also gently brush their teeth. It is completely contraindicated to give bones to kittens and adult cats with cats, as well as raw fish. Castrated individuals should be especially careful with fish. It very often provokes ICD. Bones, on the other hand, are not absorbed by the body of domestic cats and cats, and therefore can cause a lot of discomfort to animals.

Also, do not pamper cats with chocolate and buns, as well as other bakery products. Dishes with salt, pepper and other spices are contraindicated. Milk is best replaced with plain yogurt. Cats should not be fed spoiled food, and any uneaten leftovers are best removed immediately.

Feeding sphinxes with natural products at home is not so difficult, the main thing is to immediately exclude products that are not recommended for cats from the diet, and no problems should arise.

The most important thing to never forget is that kittens and adults should always have a clean drinking water in a bowl, especially if the cats are on dry food. In no case should you pour tap water; in extreme cases, you can take boiled, but cooled to room temperature. As an additional source of vitamins for animals, you can grow special cat grass or germinate grain.

Fresh greens will always be useful not only for cleansing the intestines, but also for healing the body as a whole. Finished vitamin complexes in food should be added only according to indications and after the recommendation of a veterinarian.

It is also very important to wash the bowls after each feeding of the sphinxes. Food should always be poured into clean dishes. Also, for animals, it is imperative to allocate a place where they will eat. You can not constantly change it, it will confuse the animals.

Animals are usually fed 2 times a day, at the same time: in the morning and in the evening, but it happens that the sphinxes do not eat up, and therefore they can often be given a small snack or treat for an afternoon snack.

kitten food

You can also feed small kittens with food or natural food which you can cook yourself. If food is used as food, then it is best to choose premium options that are adapted to the age and weight of the baby. For example, in a one-month-old kitten, as well as in kittens at 2 and 3 months, ready-made food already varies, as babies grow and their food requirements change.

Feeding at first and the regular feeding resulting from it form certain taste characteristics in your purring pet. By the way, almost all representatives of the cat family are real gourmets. What then to say about exotic breeds, which include sphinxes? It is they who are distinguished by the desire to try a chocolate candy or enjoy a pickled cucumber. You can certainly satisfy your kitten's food curiosity, but these specific foods should be given in very small amounts and rarely, so as not to harm the exotic cat's health.

But before a pet in adulthood begins to surprise its owners with its original taste preferences, it is necessary to choose the right and balanced diet for it from the first months of life. Usually in the cattery you can buy kittens of two or three months of age, who have already learned to eat on their own. But if for some reason a completely unintelligent baby has come to you, then you will have to tinker with him.

Such a Sphynx kitten will not even have to be fed, but fed, offering special mixtures five to six times a day. This is due to the fact that the crumbs still have a very small ventricle, which is able to absorb only small portions at short intervals. Therefore, it is better to acquire a more independent kitten, whose catering requires much less effort on the part of the owners. So, what is the best way to feed a Sphynx baby?

Principles of natural nutrition

These animals belong to picky breeds and from early childhood react very capriciously to any changes in the diet. Therefore, not all natural products and industrial feeds are acceptable for feeding your exotic kitten. Fatty foods are very harmful for them, since animals are more likely than others to have a risk of diseases of the cardiovascular system. Therefore, choose dietary meat: turkey or chicken breast, beef, rabbit meat. Eliminate pork completely.

Many newly minted housewives who purchase a Sphynx kitten forget to ask the cattery about the diet that has already taken place because of the joyful feelings that overwhelm them. Therefore, be careful and do not neglect this rule, because at a young age the digestive system is very sensitive to a sudden transition from one diet to another, and therefore it is more expedient to feed the baby with the food to which he is accustomed.

But if for some reason it is impossible to obtain the necessary information, then the first and most optimal nutrition for a Sphynx kitten should be defatted veal, raw or boiled. Do not forget about the cottage cheese, which is better to do it yourself. Then you can offer the baby finely chopped eggs and homemade pates based on meat and vegetables.

The menu of a Sphynx kitten during the period of active growth and formation of the body should include a maximum of necessary trace elements and vitamins. Therefore, give the baby fish in boiled form and without bones. A fluffy, capricious purr cannot do without cereals. In order not to have problems with whims and refusals of cereals in the future, try to feed your pet with them as early as possible. It is best to start with oatmeal, and then introduce rice and buckwheat into the diet.

A lot of useful substances is found in the so-called by-products: the liver, heart, kidneys, lungs and chicken ventricles. But do not forget that they must be boiled, and not given raw. You can vitaminize the diet of a Sphynx kitten by adding greens to food. But the special sensitivity to smells inherent in this breed can interfere with your intentions, and the baby will capriciously turn away from the bowl.

Features of the choice of industrial feed

The easiest solution is to choose ready-made food. Commercial feeds are available, varied, and can save owners a lot of time. But not everything is so simple, because you will have to deal with a large number of bags, boxes and jars. Sometimes such an assortment is confusing, because you want to give the kitten the best food in terms of composition so that the baby grows and develops properly, and his health has always been strong.

The content of vitamin-mineral complexes in industrial feed is considered the most balanced, if we mean premium and super premium class products. They are not cheap, but you won’t be able to save on exotic food, because cheap industrial food can lead to various diseases, which are oh so expensive to treat. Therefore, from the first months of life, the diet of a Sphynx kitten should be of high quality. And no one better than a competent breeder or a specialist from a good veterinary clinic will advise you on which brand of prepared food should be preferred in case of acquiring an exotic baby and what is the best way to feed it.

You can diversify the menu with dry food and wet canned food from the same manufacturer, but pay attention to the labeling, because you are buying food for kittens, not adults. You should not stock up on large packs or jars of finished products, because when interacting with air, their contents have the ability to deteriorate and become moldy. Therefore, tightly close dry food bags and store them in a dark, dry place. Place special canned food for kittens in the refrigerator and immediately pay attention to how long they should be consumed.

If you do not want to mix dry and wet food in the diet of a Sphynx kitten and prefer to choose one thing, then consider some features of both types of ready-made industrial food. Canned food is seventy-five percent water, and the moisture content of croquettes or dried does not exceed thirteen percent. Therefore, they must first be offered to the kitten in a soaked form, and then make sure that there is always a container of fresh water next to the bowl.

Wet canned food is much better absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract of a small sphinx, they have a more appetizing look and smell tempting. But such products are not stored in open form, so you will have to stock up and constantly replenish them. Whatever you choose as your Sphynx kitten's main food, avoid feeding it expired or spoiled food. And choose only ready-made products suitable for age.

As for the amount of industrial food needed by a kitten to provide four or five feedings, a special table on the package will allow you to determine it. It clearly states how many grams your pet is supposed to eat at different age stages. If you are feeding a kitten dry, you can either immediately pour all daily allowance in a bowl, or divide it into several doses. But canned food will have to be given strictly in portions - they will deteriorate if they lie in a bowl without a refrigerator for a long time.

The price and quality of industrial feeds depend on the ingredients used in their manufacture, as well as on the "hype" and reputation of the brand. The most important component of the finished product is protein, so it is its presence and quantity that caring owners should be primarily interested in. It is not worth at your own risk to increase or, conversely, cut the daily allowance of food for a kitten. In the first case, this will lead to overfeeding and indigestion, and in the second case, it will cause thinness, weakness and lag in the development of a small sphinx.

True, not only errors in nutrition are to blame for problems with the intestines. Kittens of this breed are incredibly emotional, therefore they are prone to stress when the environment changes, the appearance of sharp unusual sounds, and so on. If your little Sphynx suddenly has an upset stomach, do not rush to give up the usual type of food, but think about what could frighten or upset the baby.

What to do if the kitten's ready-to-eat diet is not suitable?

The fact that your exotic pet has problems with the chosen brand of industrial food is signaled not only by malfunctions in the digestive tract. The general appearance of the baby and his atypical behavior hint at this with a dull coat, refusal of outdoor games, lethargy and poor appetite. In this case, contact your veterinarian immediately for advice. It will not be superfluous to consult with the owner of the cattery where you got the kitten from.

If, after studying the results of the analyzes, the specialist comes to the conclusion that the reason for the unimportant condition of your little Sphynx was the food, which, despite the high quality, still does not suit him, then you will have to try the products of another brand. But this should be done gradually, so as not to aggravate the stressful state of the baby and not harm his health even more.

Start gradually mixing into the old food a small amount of new granules. During this period, you may encounter the fact that the kitten chooses the old habitual food and leaves untouched the one that is supposed to replace it. It's okay, interrupt the process and repeat it after a couple of days. Although sphinxes are well-known fussy, but even among them there are rare individuals who refuse to switch to a new food for a long time. You just need to be patient and keep trying.

Do not forget that you will have to pay close attention to the diet of a Sphynx kitten even after it reaches six months of age. At this time, individuals are still considered immature babies and therefore require special care. If you belong to the category of caring housewives, then simple observations of the baby will help you determine whether everything is being done correctly to raise a healthy pet. Readiness for active games, a strong body with well-developed muscles, the absence of obesity or excessive thinness - all these signs are the result of a clearly balanced nutrition with all necessary requirements.

And finally, I would like to give one important advice. Do not let your guests feed the kitten with food from the table, even if the baby is happy to enjoy the offered goodies in the form of smoked meat or salted fish. As mentioned above, sphinxes are notable for a certain curiosity in terms of new food, but you should not allow everyone to indulge your charming purr. After all, the guests will leave, and you will have to eliminate problems with indigestion. Therefore, purchase special treats for kittens at the pet store, and then all family members and friends who come to you will be able to bribe the handsome “yummy”, and the hostess will not have to worry.

Do not forget that in addition to the correct balanced diet, your Sphynx kitten needs love and affection. Therefore, find time to play with him and do not leave one for a long time, because this breed is distinguished by special devotion to the owner. And if another little purr calmly reacts to the absence of a person for a whole day, while he either sleeps in his favorite place while waiting, or simply takes revenge on you for separation with scratched wallpaper and torn curtains. But the sphinx babies will be very bored and even grieve in their own way, like a cat, so take into account such a feature of them in order to subsequently have an animal with a normal psycho-emotional background.

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