How to Feed Your Scottish Fold Cat – Diet and Food

You wanted a kitten and now you got one, a Scottish fold. Scottish folds are known for the amount of cuteness they exude, but you need to be careful about how to feed the Scottish Fold cat and its diet.

Now you are wondering just what does this little kitten that is so full of cuteness eat, you’re at the right site cause this article is just for you.

First of all, you should remember that despite how cute they might seem, Scottish folds share ancestry with some of the wildest of the big cat family like panthers, tigers, and lions.

So now what really should Scottish Folds eat.

Scottish Fold Diet

This list is provided by a real vet (mine), but as a disclaimer, I don’t assume any mistakes. Your Scottish Fold’s diet should be adapted for your kitten’s age, health condition, weight, etc.

Here is a basic Scottish Fold kitten diet which you should follow at least until your cat reaches 8 months of age.

The most popular cat food producers are Royal Canin, Acana, Orijen, Applaws, Schesir, Leonardo. Acana and Orijen are similar in composition and ingredients. Royal Canin is known to have more cereals in composition than Orijen or Acana which have more proteins. If your cat doesn’t like or feel good after Royal Canin I recommend trying Orijen or Acana. (Check the price for Orijen on Amazon here).

• Royal Canin Mother & Babycat (premium canned maize) up to 12 months of age (check the price on Chewy.com)
• ROYAL CANIN KITTEN up to 12 months of age (check the price on Chewy.com)
  • Approximately 6 to 12 weeks – 30-90 g per day (1 ounce – 3.2 ounces)
  • kittens of 3-6 months – 50-120 g per day (1.75 ounces – 4.25 ounces)
  • kittens of 6-12 or adult cats – 60-120 g per day (2.1 ounces – 4.25 ounces)
• Nutramax Cobalequin (a complex of vitamins and minerals needed by kittens for a harmonious body development) – or equivalent (check the price on Chewy.com)
• Fresh cow’s cheese: one serving per day of about 30 grams (1 ounce) (about as much as one teaspoon)
• Only still water at room temperature

Attention! Coldwater can cause quite dangerous conditions such as pharyngitis that can degenerate into true pneumonia, so please be careful.

Maturity allowed aliments in Scottish Fold’s diet

When the kitten reaches the age of maturity (over 8 months), it may also consume the following foods:

• Special food (dry or wet) adapted for age, weight, and health (eg. dermatological, liver, kidney or other affections)
• beef, chicken, fish, cooked or roasted
• dairy products (boiled sweet milk, cheese, yogurt)
• cereals as such or soaked in milk or soup
• rice or boiled shrimp
• beef soup or chicken
• raw and cooked vegetables and fruits (carrots, apples)
• boiled egg or raw egg yolk but not in excess (one maximum two a week)

Completely forbidden list of foods in the Scottish Fold’s diet

• pork, sheep, horse (meat, organs, bones)
• fish bones or chicken bones
• sausages of any kind
• fried food, sauces or any kind of food which contains sauce
• canned food for human use
• fermentable vegetables (potatoes, peas, beans)
• preservatives (+ any sort of food additives)
• chocolate, hazelnuts, sweets in general
• fresh bread

Important observations

It is advisable to administer small cats foods that are rich in methionine or supplements (example of supplement from Chewy.com). This amino acid has a hepatoprotective role, but most of all it controls the urinary Ph acid and so the urine odor will no longer be stinky. Also by controlling the urinary Ph acid, it prevents urinary infections and urinary lithiasis.

Examples of foods containing methionine are tuna, turkey meat, milk and fresh cheese.

It is forbidden to eat raw meat. By ingesting raw meat, cats can infest with Toxoplasma.

Cats in general and tomcats, in particular, must benefit from freshwater at discretion, possibly water from the sink to be boiled and cooled if you do not give it flat water.

Cats generally appreciate alone the amount of food required to eat and the quality of food because of the multitude of taste buds at the lingual level, however, we do not recommend owners to eat too much food at a meal or to leave food in the nourishment on throughout the day.

You will need a water and food dispenser if you don’t have one already check my reviews here. It will make your life a lot easier and will provide equal and controlled portions of food which will keep your Scottish Fold’s weight under control.

 

Check out my reviews on water and food dispensers if you want to have better control over your cat’s diet in this post. Also, you’ll save some of your time.

Scottish Folds eating with their paws

Why!?

There are a few reasons for your Scottish Fold pet to grab the food with their paws and eat it. Many of these reasons are strongly related to their inherited instincts. Although Folds are domesticated cats, their instincts are deeply rooted. So let’s go through some potential explanations for your Fold eating outside the bowl.

# Hunting and holding on to their prey

This might be a reminiscence of their outdoor days when they had to hunt for food. Their ancestors ripped through the prey with their paws. Then they used the paws to hold on to it while eating. Thus, your Scottish Fold may feel the urge to manifest that instinct by grabbing the food and moving it away from the bowl. You can think of their food bowl as the place where they caught and killed their prey. Some of them take a piece of their hunt and consume it in a different place.

# Protecting their portion

This is another mechanism related to their original instincts. Because other cats are a threat to their food, they choose to move it over and guard it while eating. You may be dazzled by this as your Fold is the only cat or pet in your home. Yes, but they still have the instinct that tells them it is not safe to keep food in one place.

# Take food far from the water

If you keep your cat’s food bowl near the water one, this may be another reason for paw eating. Some cats tend to have their food away from the water area. Your Fold may simply use their paws to create a comfortable eating space.

# Deep food bowls

Your Scottish Fold’s whiskers are sensitive. When a food bowl is too deep, their whiskers will lean on the bowl and get pushed back. This can cause discomfort or even pain. As a result, your kitty might grab the food with their paws and eat it because it is easier for them.

# Interacting with their food

Finally, this could explain their behavior as well. When living outdoors and hunting, cats would interact with the prey. They would chase it, play with it and handle it with their paws and claws. Nowadays this behavior could be a manifestation of that ancient instinct.

How to stop this behavior!?

If the mess bothers you and you want your dear Fold to stop using their paws, here are some things you can try:

• First off, make sure their food bowls are shallow and wide. As a healthy tip, you can also choose containers that are made of glass, ceramic or stainless steel. The ones made out of plastic are less hygienic. Plastics hold on to bacteria and debris in time as you scratch the surface.
• Find the best bowl arrangement for your cat. Try different patterns: food bowl and water bowl close to one another or in different areas. Maybe get a separate bowl for dry food and wet food.
• Challenge your cat by putting food in various places. They will try to find it and get it out to eat it. This might stimulate their hunting instincts.
• If you have other pets, separate their eating spots. They might grab their food with the paws to get away from other animals that are potential threats.

Scottish Fold eating habits

Scottish Folds are fairly regular cats. Their behaviors do not differ greatly from other breeds.

When it comes to food, they enjoy it a little too much. This poses a risk of obesity and you should pay attention to how much you are feeding them.

• Their diet is based on meats, namely protein. But the best meat for a Fold is fish. Pork or red meat is not in their wheelhouse and neither are leftover bones.
• Carbohydrates are a threat to them so you should limit the amount they eat. Scottish Folds are naturally chubby, stocky cats predisposed to obesity. Also, their body doesn’t process carbs too well exposing the cats to diabetes.
• Most Folds prefer small portions throughout the day. If you are away from home most of the day, leave dry food out for them.
• Alternate their many small meals of the day between dry and wet food.
• If you see them grab the food and bring it to where you are, they might seek attention and protection. Next time they eat, try to stay near them until they finish.

Here are some basic tips for your Scottish Fold diet

Increase Meat

As stated earlier these adorable darlings are from the ancestry of big cats like the lion, tiger, etc. So when considering their food meat should be a vital part of it.

You might find it very difficult getting your Scottish Folds to eat if the meat is not a major part of the meal or if the meal is not meat formulated.

If you want your Scottish fold to grow big and strong then don’t ignore meat as this provides it with fat and protein.

Scottish Folds may like meat but remember to exclude pork and lamb from the diet of your Scottish fold as they are not suitable.

Reduce Carbohydrates

Most Scottish fold owners are always tempted to feed their kitten as they feed themselves or as they feed their dogs.

There’s a big difference between the diet of a Scottish fold and a dog, for one a dog needs a lot of carbohydrates but this could be detrimental to Scottish fold as this could lead to it being overweight and even diabetes.

You want your kitten big but not too big, remember your Scottish fold’s digestion system was not made to handle carbohydrates, please do avoid.

Add cereals

Cereals like rice, buckwheat, or oatmeal, boiled in water are very good and nutritional for your kitten.

Don’t be alarmed if your Scottish fold refuses to eat this at first, they are known to reject food.

Try to spice it up a bit by cooking it with a bit of meat or maybe cook the cereal in fish broth, I assure you, your Scottish fold would love it.

Don’t Ignore Vegetables

Vegetables are important to both humans and animals and your Scottish fold is not left out.

Legumes like Boiled cauliflower, green beans, carrots are very important for the growth and development of your Scottish fold as they aid the growth of a cat’s organism.

This diet provides the right amount of nutrients you kitten would need to grow up big and strong.

Water and Vitamins

Now, you understand the needs of the Scottish fold and how to feed the Scottish fold cat, but there is one more important thing: water!

Water is important in the growth of any organism and with the Scottish fold, this is no exception.

Always make sure you leave enough water for your Scottish fold when you leave in the morning and ones you get back be sure to refill.

Milk should never be used to replace water, as too much milk is also not good for your Scottish fold.

Also, an important aspect is vitamin supplement, you can ask your vet for really good ones as this help to sustain your kitten, providing them with minerals and vitamins.

Conclusion

To end this piece remember not to overfeed your Scottish fold, small portions at different times is more advisable.

Ones you discover how much your Scottish fold eat try and stick to that eating plan because if your Scottish fold becomes overweight it’s near impossible for it to lose weight.

Furthermore, no matter how special you want your Scottish fold to feel never go crazy with treats. Because the majority of treats contain salt and for Scottish folds, too much salt is a very bad thing.

Now that you learned how to feed the Scottish fold cat, you can enjoy playing with a healthy kitten. You can find more information about how to take care of scottish fold cat in this article. Check out our reviews for the best food and water dispenser here. It will help you a lot with great info, recommendations, and tips.