Nutrition For Cat In India

[Ayush Soni]

Thanks for the reply. I'm from India and I adopted her 2 days ago.
We don't have cat specialists in my area and nearby... I was wondering if you could help me with a diet plan for her... We don't have cat food stores nearby... I could buy them from Amazon.in though... I fed her cooked rice with warm milk, boiled eggs, bread soaked in warm milk, and she catches crickets (insect) and eats them... What else could I get for her to eat.
Thanks again for the reply.

 

[StefanZ]

We had at least one forumists from India, whom described how she took care for her protegé. she lived off the local butchers... They had much often scraps which humans didnt wanted to pay full price for, the cat got, for a cheap price. This including chickens and hens.
Goats milk is excellent, buffalo milk good. Raw milk from cows old type - as I presume India cows are - should be OK, but normally we dont recommend cow milk. Eggs. cheeese. Youghurt.
A little cooked rice is good. If you dont have problems with salomonella, raw egg yolk is good. But if you do have salomonella (you may have!) do boil the eggs... If boiled you can use both the yolk and egg white. Even the shells crushed into fine powder, are ok for calcium. Sprinkle a little alike salt on her food.

 

[Ayush Soni]

We had at least one forumists from India, whom described how she took care for her protegé. she lived off the local butchers... They had much often scraps which humans didnt wanted to pay full price for, the cat got, for a cheap price. This including chickens and hens.
Goats milk is excellent, buffalo milk good. Raw milk from cows old type - as I presume India cows are - should be OK, but normally we dont recommend cow milk. Eggs. cheeese. Youghurt.
A little cooked rice is good. If you dont have problems with salomonella, raw egg yolk is good. But if you do have salomonella (you may have!) do boil the eggs... If boiled you can use both the yolk and egg white. Even the shells crushed into fine powder, are ok for calcium. Sprinkle a little alike salt on her food.

Thank you very much for the reply.
Thanks for the advice... Will surely follow your instructions..
We don't have cat vets here.. so can you help me with what vaccines she has to be given?
Will ask for your anytime soon and will keep you updated with her conditions.

 

[Ayush Soni]

We had at least one forumists from India, whom described how she took care for her protegé. she lived off the local butchers... They had much often scraps which humans didnt wanted to pay full price for, the cat got, for a cheap price. This including chickens and hens.
Goats milk is excellent, buffalo milk good. Raw milk from cows old type - as I presume India cows are - should be OK, but normally we dont recommend cow milk. Eggs. cheeese. Youghurt.
A little cooked rice is good. If you dont have problems with salomonella, raw egg yolk is good. But if you do have salomonella (you may have!) do boil the eggs... If boiled you can use both the yolk and egg white. Even the shells crushed into fine powder, are ok for calcium. Sprinkle a little alike salt on her food.

Thanks again for the reply and your advice.
What vaccines she has to be given?
We don't have cat vets in my local area.

 

[StefanZ]

For questions about of how take care; its best to ask in our other, more suitable forum - depending on exact question. As long she is a kitten, you are welcome to the Preg & Kitten care - Im often in there.
Of course, you are welcome to add the @myname for being sure Im noticed about the question. - Because I dont patrol all forums.

Re vaccines - in short; the usual "core" vaccines, Feline Herpesvirus 1, Feline Calicivirus and Feline Panleukopenia Virus Vaccines (its usually one vaccine in one shot) + rabies. The core vaccine given at about 9 weeks, rabies somewhat later, 11-12 weeks. Its standard vaccines, so almost any vet or even para-vet should be able to give them.

Thank you very much for the reply.
Thanks for the advice... Will surely follow your instructions..
We don't have cat vets here.. so can you help me with what vaccines she has to be given?
Will ask for your anytime soon and will keep you updated with her conditions.

 

[Ayush Soni]

For questions about of how take care; its best to ask in our other, more suitable forum - depending on exact question. As long she is a kitten, you are welcome to the Preg & Kitten care - Im often in there.
Of course, you are welcome to add the @myname for being sure Im noticed about the question. - Because I dont patrol all forums.

Re vaccines - in short; the usual "core" vaccines, Feline Herpesvirus 1, Feline Calicivirus and Feline Panleukopenia Virus Vaccines (its usually one vaccine in one shot) + rabies. The core vaccine given at about 9 weeks, rabies somewhat later, 11-12 weeks. Its standard vaccines, so almost any vet or even para-vet should be able to give them.

Thanks again for your time and reply.
Actually I don't know how old she is as I adopted her from my uncle's house where she showed up randomly for food and milk... As she didn't have a mother I adopted her to take care of her.
Is it still possible to vaccinate her?

 

[StefanZ]

Yes.

Although she probably has a good immune system. If she hadnt, she would perish by now.

 

[Ayush Soni]

Yes.

Although she probably has a good immune system. If she hadnt, she would perish by now.

Thanks again for your time and reply.
It's an emergency... My kitty was sleeping and she vomited white stuff.... What happened to her?
I fed her cooked rice with milk and cheese before she went to sleep.

 

[abyeb]

Thanks again for your time and reply.
It's an emergency... My kitty was sleeping and she vomited white stuff.... What happened to her?
I fed her cooked rice with milk and cheese before she went to sleep.

Most cats can't tolerate dairy products well. I think it's likely she just vomited the milk and cheese.

 

[Ayush Soni]

Most cats can't tolerate dairy products well. I think it's likely she just vomited the milk and cheese.

Thank you...
Would it cause any harm to her?
Is it serious?
What else can I feed her that is vegetarian?

 

[abyeb]

View attachment 185065

Thank you...
Would it cause any harm to her?
Is it serious?
What else can I feed her that is vegetarian?

One episode of vomiting doesn't warrant a vet visit. The color and consistency makes me think that she did vomit her dinner, probably because of the cow's milk.

Cats are obligate carnivores, so they need to eat meat. A vegetarian diet won't suit them well because they won't get the protein that they require. I'm vegetarian myself, but unlike people, cats can't choose to be vegetarian or not, so it's important to give them food that keeps them healthy.

Since you don't have stores nearby that sell cat food, I'd reccommend buying cat food online. When you're looking for cat food, it's best that the food is grain-free, potato-free, carrageenan-free, and has meat as the first ingredient. Wet food is generally considered healthier than dry because it contains more moisture, which keeps cats hydrated and feeling fuller for longer, which helps to prevent them from overeating. Until you get the cat food in the mail, StefanZ's suggestion about getting meat from the butcher is a good one.

 

[StefanZ]

Cats are not vegetarians. They are what in scientific language is called for; obligate carnivores. Ie; they MUST live off animal food as the major part of their food. In nature they are hunters and take prey. Just occasionally nibbling on fruits and such. Also if a mice has eaten seeds and has it in stomach, of course the cat gets it too... So perhaps 10% of their food may be vegetable, not more.

If eating of dead animals is unthinkable for you, you can do it a milder way where nobody already born from a vomb need to die:
Goats milk, cheese, youghurt. Eggs. Fish. Add some food oils, for example coldpressed olive or coldpressed cocoa oil, a few drops a day. This may be a base for her food, I presume she should do OK, even if not excellent.

Another option is of course to buy ready made cat food, where you dont see what its really is. Buy preferably those labelled Organic - both because these food ARE healthy, and also, you know for sure the animals whom shared to give your cat the food, they lived a decently live, and were decently put down.

Look. My wife is a vegetarian and vegan. No meat, no fish, not even eggs.
She has although no troubles at all giving our cats meat, raw or what she herself prepares. She know they must have it, she loves them, so she does it.

 

[LTS3]

Is a raw diet an option? Its not as simple as giving the cat a bowl of meat chunks, though. You need to include raw organs and uncooked bone to the raw meat in the right ratio, typically 80% meat 10% bone 5% liver and 5% other organs. There is a forum here on TCS where you can get more info about how to make a proper raw diet for cats Raw & Home-Cooked Cat Food I'm sure in India you can source a variety of different raw meats and organs and bone

 

[Willowy]

Cats cannot be vegetarian; they'll die without meat or at least animal protein. You may be able to make a reasonably balanced diet based on eggs and cottage cheese, but it will require a lot of supplementing. If you're unable to find cat food locally or buy online, you'll need to read up on how to provide a balanced homemade diet. If she's allowed to hunt, she'll catch mice for herself, but you can't always depend on her getting enough to eat that way.

Is it possible for you to get multi-vitamins there? You can use crushed-up eggshells for calcium. This is probably the easiest site I know of that has recipes for balanced homecooked diets, but be sure to follow the recipes closely or they won't be balanced: Home-Prepared Dog & Cat Diets

There's more info in the raw and homecooked subforum if you choose to make homemade food.

 

[orange&white]

Can you buy her some meat until you can order cat food from Amazon?

The healthiest thing she's eaten, from what you wrote, is crickets. They are high in taurine which is critical for a cat's survival. Taurine levels are only high enough in meat (and insects) to sustain a cat's life. Dairy products won't do it.

 

[Columbine]

I just found these online suppliers in India:
m.petzy.com/Food_and_Treats-Cat
https://petshopindia.com/Cat
Buy Cat Food Pouches Online India | Cats Food at Best Price | Cats Food Pouches - Marshalls Pet Zone
Cat-Food
Buy Pet Food and Accessories from India's Leading Pet Supplies Store - Pets World
Hopefully at least one of these is of some use

If you're interested in trying making your own food, there are some great recipes here Cooked Recipes Thread and here Raw Recipe Thread. You do need ample freezer space to make this work though. Another option would be to feed Prey Model Raw, but that needs to be done with a lot of care and attention to ensure your girl is getting everything she needs in the right proportions Raw Feeding Cats: Types Of Raw Diets & Feeding Options
Feeding Raw To Cats - Safety Concerns
Homemade Food For Cats: Consider Your Recipe!
Unbalanced Diets - Are You Killing Your Cat With Kindness?

 

[StefanZ]

A Ayush Soni You have got lotsa of new answers!

 

[Amryta]

A Ayush Soni You have got lotsa of new answers!

Hey there,

I'm from India, and have been a cat parent since the last one year. Of the foods available locally, Royal Canin is the best. Whiskas is a level below, not nutritionally that great, but safe. Sheba could be used as occasional treats. Orijen is available online (only dry). While all these brands may not match up to the foods available in the US, they are definitely more species appropriate than what you seem to be feeding your kitty now And finally there's Amazon US, UK that you could always order from!

As mentioned previously, I can't stress enough on how important it is to feed cats meat, cats are obligate carnivores and are not able to digest plant protein well. Also most adult cats are lactose intolerant, so I would suggest keeping milk and dairy to a minimum.

Incidentally why do you want to feed your cat vegetarian food? I am not sure if this forum has a pm function, but if it does, you could always pm me if you have further queries. All the best with your fur ball

 

[Amryta]

Hey there,

I'm from India, and have been a cat parent since the last one year. Of the foods available locally, Royal Canin is the best. Whiskas is a level below, not nutritionally that great, but safe. Sheba could be used as occasional treats. Orijen is available online (only dry). While all these brands may not match up to the foods available in the US, they are definitely more species appropriate than what you seem to be feeding your kitty now And finally there's Amazon US, UK that you could always order from!

As mentioned previously, I can't stress enough on how important it is to feed cats meat, cats are obligate carnivores and are not able to digest plant protein well. Also most adult cats are lactose intolerant, so I would suggest keeping milk and dairy to a minimum.

Incidentally why do you want to feed your cat vegetarian food? I am not sure if this forum has a pm function, but if it does, you could always pm me if you have further queries. All the best with your fur ball

Okay, pardon my oversight, you have a kitten, I missed that. In that case please go for only Royal Canin KITTEN instinctive or Whiskas Junior (meant for kittens). Do not give her Sheba, orijen at this stage, since they are adult cat foods and she may not be able to digest them. My bad, sincere apologies.

 

[Willowy]

Most "adult" cat foods are approved for all life stages, in the US at least (other countries have different regulations). So the kitten will be able to eat "adult" cat food if that's all that's available. It would be better than a diet of milk and rice anyway. But, yes, certainly get kitten food if it's available.