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Why move your nearly grown kitten to a premium adult cat food? Because quality counts. It's crucial to continue the superb nutrition she's been getting from a premium kitten food into adulthood. Downgrading to a basic nutrition brand at this stage of her life may upset her digestive system and certainly won't provide her with the same type of nutrition she was raised on.
Think of a baby. When it's time to start giving him solid food, you wouldn't feed your child anything less than the best nutrition you can buy. The same is true for your maturing kitten. She needs the best age-appropriate food there is to help maintain overall health. Premium foods such as IAMS are formulated to meet all her needs and provide additional benefits.
They're specifically designed to provide your cat with a formula that features:
High-quality ingredients
Balanced, optimal levels of protein, fat, moderately fermentable fiber, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals, which make costly supplements unnecessary
High-quality recipes and great taste
Standards that meet or exceed Association of American Feed Control Officials standards
Nutrient-dense formulas that are right for each life stage
Product guarantees
What do all of these features add up to? A happy, healthy cat. With premium cat food, you can expect to see these important indicators of good health. They contribute to providing your cat with a long, healthy life:
Exceptional muscle tone
A shiny, luxurious coat
Healthy skin and bones
Clear, bright eyes and clean teeth
Small, firm stools
Founded upon decades of research, premium formulas from IAMS help maintain your cat's health and help provide him with the nutrition he needs for a long life. Generic brands simply may not match the level of expertise that goes into every bag of IAMS cat food.
When your cat is about 12 months of age, it's time to change her diet to a premium maintenance formula. When you transition your cat to an adult diet, it's important to monitor her weight and body condition and adjust portions if necessary.
Because cats generally eat only what they need, free-choice feeding is adequate for most cats. (Free-choice makes food available to your cat around the clock and lets her eat when and how much she needs.) Indoor cats that don't get much exercise, however, may overeat if fed free-choice. For them, portion-controlled feeding twice a day is a better routine.
To determine how much food to give your cat, check the recommendations of the pet food manufacturer on the label. Use the guidelines and weigh your cat on a weekly basis. If your cat is gaining or losing weight and shouldn't be, slightly adjust her daily intake and weigh her again the following week.
To avoid intestinal upsets, make the change from a kitten formula to an adult diet over a period of four days with the following method:
Day One: Fill your cat's dish with 75% kitten food and 25% adult food.
Day Two: Mix adult and kitten food in a 50/50 ratio.
Day Three: Feed your cat a mixture that's 75% adult food and 25% kitten food.
Day Four: Switch to 100% adult formula.
Cats are generally considered to be low-maintenance pets. However, that’s nothing but a myth. You need to care for a cat the way you would care for any baby, especially with regards to its health and overall well-being. Although medical treatments are available for most feline illnesses, prevention is always better than cure. Cat vaccinations, such as the anti-rabies and FVRCP vaccine, protect your furry friends from deadly infections like rabies. But did you know? These diseases are transmissible to humans as well. Yes. So, when you vaccinate your cat against such medical conditions, you also reduce the possibility of contracting fatal diseases from your own pet.
Feline vaccines are scientifically developed to boost the cat’s immunity and fight fatal diseases. Even though there is no ‘one size fits all’ protocol for immunization, veterinarians suggest cat injections depending on your pet’s age, overall health, lifestyle, and breed. Moreover, these vaccinations are primarily divided into two categories – core vaccines and lifestyle vaccines. Core vaccines are essential for every cat irrespective of their lifestyle, breed, and region. Lifestyle vaccines are given to cats after considering certain circumstances.
Administering rabies and other precautionary vaccines from a young age protects cats from falling prey to serious diseases. Mentioned below are essential cat vaccinations that every kitty must get:
These are anti-rabies vaccines for cats. They are given annually or once in 3 years – depending on the type of vaccine you choose – to protect your kitty from the fatal rabies virus. While this disease is fatal for your feline friend, it can also prove terminal for humans. Rabies often spreads through bites or scratches of infected animals. And rabies patients develop signs of aggression, disorientation, and hydrophobia post incubation stage. If not treated in time, rabies often results in fatal consequences for both animals and humans. Hence, anti-rabies vaccines for cats are a must from a young age.
These are 3-in-1 vaccine for cats. FVRCP vaccine prevents cats from three different viruses – feline rhinotracheitis virus, calicivirus, and feline panleukopenia virus. Instead of getting the kitten inoculated three times, you can simply get the FVRCP vaccine. This 3-in-1 vaccine for cats is recommended annually to protect them from highly infectious diseases.
Protect your kitty from leukemia virus by getting them vaccinated. This disease can spread through body fluids like urine, saliva, and feces; hence, FeLV infects cats while grooming or sharing a bowl with an infected cat. This fatal virus can process into various associated conditions such as anemia, lymphoma, or immunosuppression. Hence, the FeLV vaccine is recommended for cats from a very young age. This vaccine consists of two doses spaced three to four weeks apart for kittens and is followed by revaccination a year later for adult cats.
An FPV vaccine also protects your cat from feline panleukopenia. Kittens should receive an FPV shot once they turn 6-8 weeks old. You should also revaccinate your four-legged angel every three to four weeks until the age of 16 weeks. After this, a booster dose should be given between the ages of 1 to 2 years.
Developed to combat 4 diseases, 4-in-1 vaccine for cats protect against rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, panleukopenia, and chlamydia. These 4-in-1 cat vaccine are also called 4-way vaccines or FVRCCP. Feline chlamydia is part of the feline upper respiratory complex and an underlying cause of most early ocular infections. Hence, kittens should receive 4-in-1 vaccine for cats at the age of 8, 12, and 16 weeks, and a revaccination once they turn a year old. Cat parents are also suggested to revaccinate their kitty every 3 years to keep their purrfect pal hale and hearty.
F5 or Fevac 5 vaccines are 5-in-1 vaccines for cats that boosts your kitty’s immune system to tackle five viruses. Getting your kitty inoculated for this combination will ensure that it is safe from a range of fatal illnesses.
Vaccines are built to boost immunity and fight deadly illnesses. However, after getting vaccinated, your kitty might show mild signs of discomfort and other symptoms. These signs and symptoms are nothing but proof that its body is building a defense mechanism to defeat deadly viruses. Side effects of anti-rabies, FVRCP vaccine, or other combination vaccines for cats may include the following symptoms:
Lethargy
Loss of appetite
Vomiting
Fever
Diarrhea
Swelling and redness around the injected area
Ensuring that your feline friend is vaccinated from time to time aids in keeping them healthy and lively. Hence, every cat parent is recommended to plan a proper vaccination schedule for their fur babies.
