Nutrition of Sphynx
All Sphynx love to eat! They like to eat often and they always don't mind trying something new. To help your pet maintain a healthy digestive system, it is necessary to allow him to eat often, but in small portions and at the same time observe the feeding schedule. Needless to say, but exactly the same principle of nutrition is recommended for people: eat 5-6 times a day, in small portions and follow a diet. Due to the lack of fur, sphinxes have a higher metabolism than ordinary cats. It is thanks to him that the sphinxes manage to maintain the necessary body temperature and not freeze. The following statement is true not only for Sphynx, but for the most part it applies to them: the more balanced and healthy the diet of a Sphynx throughout its life, the healthier it will be and, accordingly, the longer its life will be. That is why the issue of nutrition of Sphynx should be taken seriously. It is also worth noting that Sphynx have a sensitive digestive system and can react differently to foods and feeds of questionable quality.
It will not be difficult to feed such a pet, but it is worth remembering that not all the products that your Sphynx can and is ready to eat will be useful for him. We will try to help you choose the right healthy diet for your pet, but the final choice is always yours!
Dry food
We should immediately note that the use of economy-class feeds in the future can harm the health of the animal. This applies not only to cats and not only Sphynx, but other pets too!
Firstly, the lower the feed grade, the lower the quality of the protein sources used in them. In inexpensive feeds, the main sources of dietary protein are plant components: soy, corn, and so on. The share of useful meat components in cheap feed is small, but it is also represented by a mixture of low-quality meat and various offal. In fact, the digestive system of domestic cats is not able to digest vegetable proteins, no matter how well they are processed and produced.
Secondly, the lower the grade of the feed, the more it contains flavor enhancers, various fragrances and dyes, as well as preservatives. That's why cats like this food so much. Flavor enhancers do their job. We do not claim that such components of the feed are harmful, but the increased metabolism of Sphynx and the enhancement of taste by various additives can provoke overeating, which subsequently threatens intestinal disorders and allergies.
Thirdly, cheap feed contains a significant proportion of ballast components. They are practically not absorbed by the body. They do not have a positive effect on the health and vital activity of the animal, but they increase the volume of bowel movements.
High-quality feed contains a balanced composition of components and trace elements, so if you use them in feeding, then you do not need to give the animal additional vitamin and mineral complexes. If you feed the animal with dry food, then it is mandatory to keep under control the availability of sufficient drinking water. a cat that feeds on such food should drink 3 times more water by volume than it has eaten food. For example, the amount of dry food is 50 grams, respectively, the amount of water is 150 ml. Watch the water quality! It should be fresh. There should always be access to water!
There are cases when a pet drinks very little water. In this case, feeding exclusively with dry food is harmful. This can cause the development of ICD (urolithiasis), the formation of constipation and other problems. If you are faced with such a problem, then you should think about feeding natural food.
Feeding Sphynx with dry food is very convenient for the owner. At the moment, there are a huge number of types of dry food on the animal feed market. Many of them have already been tested by many Sphynx breeders more than once. Unfortunately, in some cases, some feeds have to be abandoned, as there are signs of allergies, diarrhea, increased work of sweat glands (the skin of Sphynx gets dirty more intensively). These feed failures are forcing people to try more and more. As a result, many manage to find optimal food for their cute Sphynx.
Below are the most good brands of dry food:
- Grandorf
- Primordial
- Farmina N&D
- Schesir
- Территория
- Doctrine
- Ajo
- PureLuxe
- Acari Ciar
- Alleva
Natural nutrition
Feeding Sphynx with natural products is a delicate issue. Here you need to be aware that when switching completely to natural products, you should be able to balance the diet so that it will only benefit the pet. For feeding with natural products, the following can be used: chicken offal and chicken meat in raw form, turkey meat, beef, red fish steamed in the form of boneless or raw fillets, pork heart, raw chicken or quail necks and heads. Meat products are chopped / cut into small pieces or twisted in a meat grinder.
The diet of Sphynx consisting of natural products is becoming more and more popular. Many specialists and veterinarians advocate this type of nutrition. Many breeders have a positive experience of feeding animals with natural products.
Of course, when talking about natural products, it's worth remembering that not all pet owners are willing to spend their time cooking.
Here is a purely individual choice and approach. Remember that this type of food does not tolerate any half measures and negligent attitude in observing the diet. You can make your own choice and make a decision that should be based on the knowledge and experience of other people.
Natural nutrition is very useful if it is properly balanced. But there are also disadvantages – the preparation of such food requires the pet owner to have sufficient time, as well as certain knowledge that allows you to competently make a diet. But there are obvious advantages, feeding with natural products is cheaper than feeding with high-quality dry food, and more useful.
If you decide to study the issue of natural nutrition of Sphynx, then let's first remember what cats eat in nature: mice, birds, various large insects, nimble lizards. It turns out that the main part of the diet of wild cats is meat. They also get some carbohydrates from such food in the form of undigested grass and grains in the stomachs of prey. There is also calcium in their diet, which is contained in bones.
The main sources of protein for cats:
Lean meat. It can be red poultry meat, pork/beef/chicken/turkey heart, chicken/turkey stomachs, beef or veal, offal, such as liver, beef/pork kidneys, beef lung/spleen, bovine testicles, udder. It is recommended to freeze raw meat for 5-6 days before feeding. This manipulation is done to eliminate the risk of infecting the pet with parasites, which theoretically can be in raw meat.
Chicken necks and heads. The bone component is necessary to replenish calcium in the body. Necks and heads can be given as a whole or in a ground form. Bones should make up 20% of the portion.
Fish. Fish is necessary to replenish the essential Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids. It is necessarily cleansed of skin and bones. You can only give sea fish. Fish should not be the main diet. It should be an addition. It is enough to add it to the diet 1 time a week.
Eggs. What is contained in eggs besides protein? Essential vitamins and trace elements. One chicken egg or two or three quail eggs a week is enough.
Fermented milk products. Cottage cheese, kefir, yogurt should be included in the diet 1 time a week.
The main sources of fiber for cats:
Fruits and vegetables. Sphynx can be given pumpkin, carrots, squash, apples, cabbage, cucumbers, melon. However, it is worth considering that not all of the above will agree to eat your cat.
We prefer to give steamed pumpkin. It is most convenient to add vegetables in a twisted form to the meat mix. Vegetables in the mix should be 5-10% of the meat component.
What not to give to cats
Tubular bones: the animal may choke, as well as small fragments of bones can damage the esophagus.
Boiled bones: may lead to intestinal obstruction.
The following types of meat: lamb, fat pork, goose. The use of these types of meat can lead to infection with worms and other infectious diseases. It is also worth noting that such meat is very fatty for cats.
Smoked, fatty, spicy and salty foods. These include various sausages, meat products and canned goods.
Sweets: chocolate, sweets, cakes, pastries, sugar and so on. Sweets can disrupt the metabolism, weaken the immune system, spoil the condition of the teeth. Attention! Chocolate contains theobromine. This component in certain quantities is a poison for cats!!! It causes severe poisoning and can lead to the death of the animal. The amount of theobromine contained in chocolate is not dangerous for humans. However, animals whose theobromine metabolism is much slower may be poisoned by eating chocolate. For which animals theobromine is particularly dangerous and toxic: for horses, for dogs, for parrots and for cats. According to statistics, the most frequent victims of such poisoning are dogs. Poisoning is fraught with a possible fatal outcome. The lethal dose for dogs is 300 mg/kg. For cats, and especially for kittens, theobromine is even more dangerous — the lethal dose is 200 mg / kg. The first signs of poisoning include: nausea, vomiting, loose stools (diarrhea), frequent and increased urination. If the poisoning is severe, then more serious symptoms and consequences may occur: cardiac arrhythmia, internal bleeding, myocardial infarction.
Milk. Adult cats do not digest lactose.
Don't give the cats potatoes. Starch contained in potatoes is not digested by the intestines of cats. For them, potatoes will be absolutely useless food. In addition, it can cause stomach upset.
Legumes are also not absorbed by the body of cats. Their use is fraught with bloating and can cause fermentation in the stomach and intestines.
Grapes, onions, garlic are dangerous for cats!
Salt and spices do not bring any benefit to the body of pets. The use of salt can lead to urolithiasis.
What do our cats eat:
Our cats are on a mixed diet. Kittens start their first complementary feeding with raw chicken thigh and within 10 days switch to a full-fledged meat and bone mix, closer to two months they learn to eat dry food. Our kittens eat Grandorf dry food, it is freely available. Thus, kittens are trained from early childhood not to overeat.
Our meat and bone mix looks like this. The proportions shown below are designed for one cat on a natural diet for about a month, if given 2 times a day for 100 grams:
- Chicken thigh fillet with or without skin – 3 kg
- Pork heart – 1 kg
- Chicken heart - 1 kg
- Chicken necks – 1 kg
- Chicken heads – 1 kg
- Chicken liver - 300 gr
- Steamed pumpkin – 300 gr
In addition, I add salmon oil to each portion of the mix, twice a week, one quail egg for each cat, taurine daily.
Essential vitamins, trace elements and minerals for cats:
As a natural source of vitamins and trace elements, you can offer ordinary grass.
Grass can be bought both in stores and grown independently. Oats are well suited for this. It germinates very quickly.
What vitamins do cats need:
For normal development, it is important not only to eat properly and regularly, but also to receive a sufficient amount of vitamins from the daily diet. Let's look at what vitamins cats need and what they contain:
Vitamin A. This vitamin is found in most types of meat. Meat offal also contains vitamin A. It is especially worth highlighting the liver. Due to the high content of vitamin A, the liver is not recommended to be included in the cat's diet very often — hyperavitaminosis may occur.
Vitamins B. The group of vitamins B1, B2, B6, B12 contribute to the growth of the animal, the normal development and functioning of the visual system, as well as the normal condition of the skin. If the animal is significantly lacking vitamins of this group, serious diseases and ailments may occur: nervous system disease, liver enlargement and dysfunction, impaired coordination of movements, eczema may appear on the animal's skin. These vitamins can be replenished through suproducts.
Vitamin C. This very good vitamin prevents the development of many diseases. The optimal content of this vitamin is in the grass, which can be given to cats.
Vitamin D. This vitamin is responsible for the formation of a strong backbone of the pet. it's funny, but cats themselves can synthesize vitamin D while sitting in the sun. And as we know, Sphynx are very fond of sunbathing. But it is worth allowing them to do this in limited quantities. It is contained in salmon oil.
Vitamin E. This vitamin is responsible for the reproductive function of both cats and cats. It also participates in the formation of the muscular system, prevents infectious diseases. Important! Vitamin E promotes the breakdown of fat deposits in overweight cats, that is, it promotes weight loss. This vitamin is found mainly in the liver, kidneys, yeast, egg yolk and vegetable oil. However, if you give the yolk and protein in its raw form, then it should be borne in mind that the avidin substance that blocks vitamin E enters the body with protein. During the heat treatment, avidin is destroyed.
Calcium. It is no secret that calcium contributes to the proper development and strengthening of the backbone, and it is contained in fermented dairy products and bones. In terms of calcium, it will be the norm for an animal if it eats 1 chicken neck per day.
Taurine. It is vital for cats, cats cannot synthesize this amino acid themselves. It is necessary for the proper functioning of the heart and eyes. They can get it from red muscle meat, heart.
Tip: if you make changes to the diet of your sphinx, then do it gradually, and at first observe the reaction of his body to a new type of food. Obvious allergies, vomiting, diarrhea are obvious signs that your animal is not able to cope with a new type of food.
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