The breeder from whom you purchased your kitten should be asked for a diet sheet or for a list of foods to which the kitten has become accustomed. Ignore the breeder at your peril, as she will know the likes and dislikes of your particular kitten and which foods have upset it.

 

 Kittens may enjoy a varied diet but you must make sure that this is also a completely balanced diet. The special kitten diets, which are sold, are designed to have all the dietary requirements for a kitten and do not need supplements. To high a level of vitamins and minerals can cause as many problems as too low a level. If you are feeding your kitten on fresh food you will need to supplement it but you will need to know what is lacking in the diet, if in doubt ask your veterinary surgeon about this. Do not feed your kitten too much of any fresh meat or offal. Changes in diet should be made gradually.

 

 Four meals a day should be given at three months reducing to three meals at about 6-7 months. During this period the size of the meal will increase from about 2 tablespoon to about two thirds of a cup, but this is only an approximate guideline; Kittens will vary and should be fed according to appetite. When growth slows at about a year, two meals are usually sufficient. Your pet will often decide which meals are no longer required by leaving one of them, or showing little interest in it.

Advice

from

The Governing Council of the Cat Fancy

 

Buying a Kitten

 

If you wish to buy a kitten for breeding or showing it is essential that you buy one which is correctly bred and registered: you may otherwise discover that it is not possible to register the kittens you produce or not possible to show your cat.

Check the pedigree against the registration policy before buying the kitten.

 

Only cats which are registered on the Full Register (its registration number will begin CS...), Supplementary Register (CSSR...) or Experimental Register (CSEXP...) may be shown.

 

If you only wish to buy the kitten as a pet you should still ensure that you are paying for a proper pedigree kitten and that the breeder has adhered to the Code of Ethics. (Buying a cheaper, unvaccinated kitten may work out much more expensive in the long term!)