Book of Proceedings I PetFeeding

29
The regular measurement of the BW allows to detect deviations from the expected growth rate.
This can be evaluated using growth charts for kittens. As a reference, kittens grow at
approximately 100 g/week until about 20 weeks of age but may grow at rates from 14 to 30
g/day (Gross et al., 2010c). At 20 weeks, males typically gain 20 g/day whereas females gain
11 g/day (NRC, 2006).
The body condition of the kitten can also be evaluated by the 9 point body condition system
developed by Laflamme (1997) for adult cats. It needs to be noted that this system is not
validated for kittens, however it can be used to check if an intervention to adjust the amount of
food might be indicated.
Nutrient Requirements
The nutrient recommendations for growing kittens can be found summarized in the nutrient
requirements tables of the NRC (2006). The FEDIAF guidelines (2017) also summarize nutrient
recommendations for commercial diets formulated to feed growing kittens.
The nutritional idiosyncrasies of cats are naturally present in kittens, and should be considered
when formulating commercial as well as homemade diets for kittens (see for details of
idiosyncrasies in cats in Morrison, 2002).
Protein
Protein has a major impact on growth and development of the kitten due to its structural role in
the maintenance and accretion of the lean body mass and also due to its functional role in a
highly active metabolism. The ingredients selected for the kitten’s diet must be included in such
a combination that is able to provide protein with high digestible and high biologic value.
Arginine the protein requirements of kittens are relatively high, and diets formulated
specifically for kittens have considerable concentrations of protein. Arginine, is an essential
nutrient in the urea cycle, thus needs to be increased compared to adult maintenance diets. Diets
with a higher protein content than recommended require more arginine.
Taurine is an essential amino acid that cats cannot synthesize within their metabolism. It needs
to be present in sufficient amounts in the diet for normal body function. It is needed for normal
eye vision and heart function. A shortage in taurine can cause retinal degradation and a heart
condition, called dilative cardiomyopathy. Taurine from dietary sources is more available to
kittens than to adult cats, probably due to lower intestinal microbial degradation (Earle and
Smith, 1994).
Fat and Fatty acids
Fat is concentrated in energy, enhances food palatability includes essential fatty acids and is
needed for the intestinal abortion of fat soluble vitamins. Kittens tolerate high concentrations
of fat in their diet. Energy requirements are high during the growth phase. The higher the fat