What do you know about your cat?

Knowledge about your cat’s growth is essential for its proper nutrition.

A cat’s growth lasts 12 months and it can be divided into two stages. During the first 4-6 months the skeleton develops intensively. Proper mineralization of the skeleton is extremely important as it works as a stable scaffolding for the whole body. When the skeleton is ready to take on a higher load, muscle mass starts developing. This division into two stages protects sensitive, not yet developed joint structures from excessive overloading.

A cat is born with very little antibodies because they pass from mother’s blood to the fetus only to a very small extent. This is due to the specific structure of the placenta. Kitten’s immunity in the first few days of life depends on the amount of antibodies it takes from its mother’s milk. The critical moment in kitten’s life is between 4th and 12th week. During the so-called immune gap, the immunity acquired from the mother decreases, while the immune system only starts to develop. Supporting your kitten’s immune system through the addition of antioxidants to food is therefore extremely important.

When the cat is born, it weighs about 100 g. In just 6 months it reaches nearly ¾ of its target body weight. However, this results in a huge energy expenditure. It would seem logical to increase the daily intake of food, but the digestive system of the newborn kitten is not able to cope with too much food. High energy concentration and high quality and digestibility of nutrients are therefore crucial.