By Jennifer Copley (Last Updated 12 May 2011)
Pregnant Cat, Jsome1, Flickr
Cats require more calories while pregnant and nursing. When a cat’s pregnancy becomes apparent, you should switch her over to a premium kitten food (good quality kitten foods are higher in protein and overall calories). Make the switch gradually, adding increasing amounts of kitten food to her regular food until she is eating all kitten food.
A cat’s caloric requirements may double during the second half of pregnancy and triple while nursing, so she should be free fed (allowed to eat as often and as much as she wants), assuming she’s not becoming extremely obese. Once her kittens are weaned, you can gradually switch her back to adult food.
For more on how to choose the best cat foods for cats at various life stages, visit the Cat Feeding Page.
For more cat articles, see the main Cats page.
References:
- Hines, Ron. (2009). “What Should I Feed My Cat.” 2ndChance.info/catfood.htm.
- Ruben, Dawn. (2010). “Feeding the Pregnant Cat.” PetPlace.com.
