Cat Pregnancy Diet: What to Feed & Diet Tips for Expect

What Should Pregnant Cats Eat?

When a cat becomes pregnant, it's advisable to gradually switch her regular cat food to kitten formula or pregnancyspecific food. These options are richer in nutrients and more balanced, catering to the increased nutritional demands of her pregnancy.

During pregnancy, it's crucial to focus on protein intake while reducing carbohydrates and fats. Feeding your cat items like eggs, boiled meats, and dairy products can be beneficial. As a pet parent, you can incorporate these as supplements, blending them at a 1:9 ratio with her cat food. This ensures a wellrounded diet, ample protein, and enhanced flavor.

Pet milk formulated for kittens can also be given to pregnant cats, a small amount each day. As the pregnancy progresses, your cat's appetite will naturally increase. By around 42 days, her food intake should double compared to before pregnancy. However, due to the pressure on her organs by the developing kittens, her appetite may decrease significantly. In such cases, it's important to divide her food into several smaller meals and increase feeding times to maintain her nutrition.

Important Dietary Considerations for Pregnant Cats

Avoid feeding your cat too cold or too hot foods.

Adjust her food intake according to her pregnancy stage, either by feeding her more frequently or leaving food out for her to graze as needed.

Ensure all meat is thoroughly cooked, as pregnant cats are not suitable for deworming and consuming raw meat can lead to internal parasites.

Do not feed her fish with spines or chicken and duck bones, as these can cause internal bleeding and potentially lead to serious complications like miscarriage.

Avoid overfeeding to prevent obesity, which can result in oversized kittens or a mother with excessive fat and muscle weakness, potentially leading to difficult labor.

What else should you prepare? Here are some tips:

Set up a birthing box made from a cardboard box to serve as a suggested birthing area. Start acclimating your cat to this box about a week before her expected delivery date.

Have a transport box ready in case of a difficult labor that requires immediate veterinary attention.

Procure kittenspecific milk formula to be prepared for any unexpected situations where the mother may have insufficient milk or abandon a kitten. This formula can also be given to the mother if needed.

Now that you're aware of what pregnant cats should eat, do you have any other questions? Feel free to consult an online vet for any further queries related to your feline's pregnancy!