Exotic Shorthair kittens and Exotic Longhair kittens will naturally wean off their mother’s milk at around 8-12 weeks of age. When these young kittens are old enough (around 8 weeks old) they will start to eat food on their own while decreasing the amount of milk they nurse from their mother.
Basic Exotic Shorthair and Exotic Longhair Kitten Nutrition
The basis of your Exotic Shorthair and Exotic Longhair kitten’s diet should be a high-quality balanced premium commercial kitten food that is appropriate for their life stage and health status. By reading the label, you can discern if the brand is appropriate for the age of the kitten. We strongly advise a diet of wet food with additional water added to enhance kidney health which will lead to longevity.
Please adhere to the diet they are on before you consider switching their diet abruptly could lead to weight loss. We are currently using Royal Canin kitten… both canned (wet) and we do also provide some dry. We want them to maintain their weight and grow like the healthy kittens they are here! It is also generally not recommended to switch your cat to a cheaper kibble, even temporarily, unless it is a similar high-quality formula. Exotic Shorthairs have unique dietary needs and digestive sensitivities, so a sudden change in their food can cause gastrointestinal upset, skin issues, and other health problems.
The Royal Canin Exotic Shorthair formula is specifically formulated to meet the nutritional requirements of this breed. It contains the right balance of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals that are important for an Exotic Shorthair’s health. Switching to a lower-quality kibble could lead to nutritional deficiencies over time.
You should never feed puppy or dog food to your Exotic Shorthair or Exotic Longhair kittens as they will be deficient in taurine.
Do not provide cows milk, this can cause gastrointestinal upsets.
Clean Food and Water Dishes Daily
Ensure clean fresh drinking water is available at all times for your Exotic Shorthair or Exotic Longhair kittens.
Also ensure to clean the food dishes daily and do not add fresh cat food on top of old cat food from the day before. The food on the bottom even if dry can go bad due to moisture or being left in the bottom of the food bowl for many days. Your kitten may quit eating and loose weight before you notice or get sick from accidentally consuming moldy food.
Cats Have Different Tastes & Needs
Just like people – different Exotic Shorthair cats and kittens and Exotic Longhair cats and kittens have different tastes and needs. Some cats are aging, and (like me) need to supplement their diets to stay healthy. The sizes of kibble also vary. I’ve got one old gentleman cat that we dearly love. We give him more soft foods than the younger cats and he maintains his health and his weight. Soft is easier on his old tender gums and teeth.
Other Foods for Exotic Shorthair & Exotic Longhair Kittens
Different types of fish such as tinned fish in spring water (e.g. sardines, tuna, and salmon), may also be offered as a treat occasionally (take care with any fish bones) but please avoid feeding fish constantly because this is not a complete diet for your Exotic Shorthair and Exotic Longhair kittens. Cooked meat such as boiled chicken can also be fed occasionally. Please ensure there are no cooked bones, onions/onion sauces, or other toxic substances present (see below).
A small amount of finely-cut vegetable matter may be offered. It is important to remember that cats are ‘obligate carnivores’, which means they require meat in their diet, so their nutritional needs cannot be met by a vegetarian diet.
Toxic foods for Exotic Shorthair and Exotic Longhair Kittens
Do not ever feed the following substances as they are toxic to your Exotic Shorthair or Exotic Longhair kitten (and all cats really): (This is not an exhaustive list.) alcohol, onions, onion powder, garlic, chocolate, coffee or caffeine products, moldy or spoiled foods, avocado, bread dough, yeast dough, grapes, raisins, sultanas (including in Christmas cakes, etc), currants, nuts (including macadamia nuts), fruit stones or ‘pits’ (eg. mango seeds, apricot stones, avocado stones), fruit seeds, corncobs, tomatoes, mushrooms, cooked bones, small pieces of raw bone, fatty trimmings/ fatty foods, salt and roughly-cut vegetables.
Also, ensure your Exotic Shorthair or Exotic Longhair kitten doesn’t have access to string wrappings around rolled roasts or absorbent pads found under meat when wrapped on trays.
Shorthair Kitten & Exotic Longhair Kitten Food Summary
The best foods for Exotic Shorthair kittens and Exotic Longhair kittens are:
- Rich in protein
- Grain-free
- Low in carbohydrates
- Made with clearly named meats/fats
- Free of artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives and easy to chew
- Additionally, Exotic Shorthair food should ideally be mostly wet food and some dry kibble
NOTE: The following information in this blog is general advice, but as each Exotic Shorthair and Exotic Longhair kitten is an individual, for additional questions, ask your veterinarian.
Arkansas Breeder of Exotic Shorthair Kittens and Exotic Longhair Kittens
Mon Chéri Cattery is a small boutique breeder of Exotic Shorthair kittens for sale and Exotic Longhair kittens for sale and both a CFA Cattery of Excellence and a TICA Outstanding Cattery. For over 20 years we have bred pet and show-quality Exotic Shorthair kittens and Exotic Longhair kittens that are healthy, beautiful, well-socialized and smart.