Hi, this is Buddy – with Taylor & Sunshine Kitty,
Raise your paw if you got a new 4-footed furry friend at your house for this Holiday Season!! Congratulations… If your Human is a little in the dark about how to feed your new canine buddy or kitty, maybe this blog will help. I did a little Internet research, Sunshine helped out with the kitty info, and Taylor interviewed his Mom, who has been helping Humans with their pets at the Cats n Dogs store for 14 years!
The first thing you and your Human need to know is what the approximate healthy weight he or she will be as an adult. Knowing the breed or mix of breeds should help with that. That will be the guide the number of feedings and amount to feed your newest family member.
Toy, Small & Medium Size Breed
Toy and small breed puppies grow to be up to 23 pounds. Medium breeds grow to be 23-55 pounds. They grow to be full-size in about 12 months.
These little guys should be fed four equal sized meals of soft food per day for the first 3-months. At around 3 months old, a pup should be losing the very cute potbelly and pudginess. If he or she is still roly-poly at this age, continue to feed the four meals until the body matures.
At about 4 months of age, cut down the number of meals to three times a day. If your family plans to serve dry food for your puppy sibling, transition from soft food to dry puppy food around 12-13 weeks.
Puppy food supports the amazing amount of growth puppies experience and should be eaten until 9 to 12-months old. Cats n Dogs carry MANY types and brands: dry kibble, freeze dried, gently-cooked frozen and raw frozen. See our brands for puppies here.
At 9 months old, your cute furry friend will need just 2 meals a day which will cut down on the calories too. Staying fit and slim at a healthy weight is important all throughout a canine’s life!
Large and Giant Dog
Black Russian Terrier Puppy, 80-120lbs
Large breeds are around 56-90 pounds and giant breeds are heavier than that. The needs of these big guys through puppyhood are more intense than smaller breeds. They don’t grow to full-size until about the age of 2, a full year longer than smaller doggies!
And while they grow A LOT, they should not grow too fast.
Big dog puppies need the right amounts of Protein, Fat and Calcium (among the other nutrients) to insure their bodies and bones grow healthy and strong, and to help avoid hip dysplasia and other bone diseases when they grow older.
Your Vet knows the guidelines. Nancy & Judi can help your Human choose tasty and high-quality brands of foods.
Kitties
Hi everyone, this is Sunshine Kitty, and I’m just about a year old now! Just like dogs, special kitten food is so very important during the first year of a kitty’s life. We grow and develop very fast when young. Small & medium-size cat breeds (like me) need kitten food for about our first year. Large cat breeds, like a Maine Coon cat, might need kitten food for up to a year longer.
Vets agree on these points for healthy growth in kittens*:
- Protein: As carnivores, cats need more protein than dogs. Kittens, however, need even more protein, and more essential amino acids such as arginine, lysine and methionine, than adult cats to support their rapid growth and development.
- Taurine and Choline: Like adult cats, kittens need sufficient daily intake of taurine and choline.
- Fat:Kittens need more essential fatty acids to support their rapid growth and development.
- Calcium and Phosphorus: Kittens need more calcium and phosphorus than adult cats to support growth and development of their bones and teeth.
- DHA: The omega-3 fatty acid DHA is important for brain and vision development.
- Vitamins and Minerals:Cats need adequate daily intake of vitamins and minerals, but kittens need more magnesium, copper, iodine and vitamin A than adult cats.
Wow! That sounds complicated! It’s not hard. Talk to your Kitty Vet for advice. Then, come visit Cats n Dogs to see all the yummy varieties of cat and kitten food. Nancy & Judi can help.
(* I got the bullet points from this source.)
More Pet Tips
Also – remember we furry friends aren’t machines. Remind your Humans that some days you might be hungry for a little extra in your dish, especially if the temperatures outside are colder than normal – or if you have a couple days with more exercise than normal.
As puppies and kitties near adulthood, we will start to need fewer calories, and might start leaving some food in the bowl. This doesn’t necessarily mean we no longer like the food, it’s just too much. Just put a little less in our bowl so we don’t overeat and get chubby. Being overweight is not good for our health.
On a more fun note – a youngster is so much fun to have in the family. We can be curious and crazy – and sometimes a pest to our other fuzzy family members. We know you older dogs and cats will show us who’s boss once in a while – that’s ok! Just don’t forget to be a good teacher and friend.
Training and play
Taylor says his mom, Nancy, has this advice for Humans about having a new pup or kitty in the house:
“These little ones need lots of sleep! It can be most of the day, the younger they are. As they get older, they need more play time. Make training time part of your play time. Remember – Puppies don’t have a long attention span. A few minutes here, a few minutes an hour later.”
Ok – that’s it for this month’s blog. Thanks for listening to me, Buddy, Taylor & Sunshine! Nancy & Judi asked us to include one more thing. A request really…
Please visit the Cats n Dogs store. Nancy & Judi would LOVE to meet your new family member and give them a cuddle! Taylor & I won’t get too jealous, promise…
With a Wuff Wuff and a Meowww,
Taylor, Buddy, Mango & Sunshine
Joke of the month
What do you call a dog magician?
A Labracadabrador
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