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Cats/Nursing queen's diet

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Expert: - 11/12/2009


Question
We were adopted by a stray queen but we've never even had a cat before.  All the sites said to feed her kitten food during and after pregnancy in order to provide adequate nutrition for her and the kittens.  Recently her interest in the kitten food has declined. We've tried it dry and with water added but instead she seems more inclined to sit under our plates at dinner time.  Today she tried to get into the garbage can.  This is the first time that she's done this in our home.  What should we do?  I don't want the kittens or her to lose out on their needed nutrients.

Answer
Susan,

You may have to crate her so that she will eat what she should. Any premium cat food with virtually all of its protein from meat would do the trick.  I would add some bone meal powder and a good kitty vitamin (like Kitty Bloom).  We mix dry and canned cat food together for our cats.

Do not let her out stubborn you,  Cayts are masterful aty manipulating humans and she will do what she cah to get her way.  The growing kittens inside her will pressure her to eat what you giove her if you do not relent.  She may go on a hunger strike for a couple of days, but will make up for it quickly when she decides to eat what you give her.


Best regards... Norm.  

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Norman Auspitz

Expertise

I can answer most non-veterinary questions about cats. My particular expertise is pedigree cats, breeding and showing. However, I am versed in feline behavior, cat breeds and their characteristics, general feline husbandry, and the like.

Experience

I judged for the Canadian Cat Association from 1975 until 1982. I am currently an approved allbreed judge for the Cat Fanciers'' Association (the world''s largets cat registry), and have been judging for them since 1991. I have been breeding pedigreed cats since 1971 and have been exhibiting pedigreed cats in shows since 1970. I obtained my first pedigreed cat in 1970 and have never looked back. In 1971, I obtained my first Abyssinian which has become my primary breed. In addition, I have bred Manx and Persians. Currently, besides the Abyssinians, I am also breeding Maine Coons.


Organizations
Cat Fanciers'' Association, inc. (CFA) and the Manx, Maine Coon, and Abyssinian breed councils. I am currently Abyssinian breed council secretary.

Publications
Cat Fancy Magazine, The Abyssinian Chapter in The Cat Fanciers'' Association Complete Cat Book, and Articles for various editions of The Cat Fanciers'' Association Yearbook

Education/Credentials
I received a B.S. from Drexel University in 1968, a M.Math from University of Waterloo, in 1970, a Ph.D. from University of Waterloo in 1975, and a MBA from McMaster University in 1980. I received my approved allbreed judging status in the Cat Fanciers'' Association in 1999.

Awards and Honors
We have produced a number of Cat Fanciers'' Association (CFA) National winning Abyssinian and Maine Coons. We have produced a number of Abyssinian and Maine Coon Distinguished Merit females (an award for a top producing cat), including the first Distinguished Merit Abyssinian in the red (sorrel) color. I am the CFA Abyssinian breed council secretary and belong and/or hold office in a number of cat clubs. I am also a member of the CFA Judges Association.

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