http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/ Daily Kitten Chat Forum Topic: What food do kittens really need? en Wed, 17 Mar 2010 06:52:59 +0000 http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/topic/13978#post-330043 Thu, 05 Feb 2009 00:52:22 +0000 lawgirl 330043@http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/ <p>Hi Kapaxiana. I'm a first time cat owner too and I had a lot of questions about what to feed my kittens when I first got them. So, you know, here's my 2 cents. I got Kain (my 7 month old) first and was feeding him just Felidae dry kitten/adult food (with fresh water bowls available, of course) but I worried about his liquid intake -- he didn't seem to drink that much water. I asked my vet about it when I took him in to get his booster shots/check-up, and she recommended switching him over to wet foods only. Everyone else (the pet supply guy &#38; the adoption team from the place I adopted Link from) I've talked to says dry food is better. Personally, I'm taking the middle road. Because I'm not home very much during the day and because both my boys are still quite young, I'm giving them some wet food in the morning and evening (about a quarter of a small can of Nature's Balance per feeding) and leaving out dry food (I'm transitioning over to Evo now) for them to free feed on during the day. Link is actually getting more wet food than dry food because I think the kibble is too hard for his baby teeth still, and I don't really want to leave out softened dry food all day because I've read that it becomes a breeding ground for bacteria. With this combo, I feel like they're going to be getting all of the food/nutrients that they need right now without the threat of bacteria that would come from leaving out wet food all day (I've read somewhere -- and completely believe in Link's case -- that kittens need to eat small meals throughout the day because of their tiny tummies). I'm probably going to continue this feeding style for a goodly while if only because it's easier on the pocketbook than a pure canned food diet. </p> <p>As for Tiaa not eating a lot of wet food, it could be that she just doesn't like the brand. When I was transitioning Kain over to a wet food supplemented diet, I bought a bunch of different small cans (the 3 oz sized ones) of food from different makers in different flavors. At first, he would only lick up the gravy and leave the food -- and some of them (like Science Diet) he just ignored completely. It definitely took a while to find a brand that he really enjoyed. Just make sure you transition slowly -- I didn't and ended up cleaning cat vomit off of my carpets. </p> <p>Like Lily said, just make sure that you're giving Tiaa a balanced diet. This site (http://cats.about.com/cs/kittencare/a/kitten_food.htm) has some really good information on what to look for on a food label, and this site (http://www.consumersearch.com/cat-food/review) has a good general review/info on feeding your kitty. </p> <p>Tiaa is absolutely gorgeous, by the way! I'd love to know how big she is now. </p> http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/topic/13978#post-329726 Wed, 04 Feb 2009 20:21:05 +0000 furryfriends50 329726@http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/ <p>i personally think that cats should get an all wet food or better yet raw diet. you should try differant types of wet food, there has to be something that your cat would love. i do not like dry food yet feed it only because i can only feed my farm cats once each day. </p> <p>dry food dehydrates cats, that's why so many cats die at such a young age. cats on a raw food diet can live into their higher twenties. same with wet food. wet food tends to have higher quailty ingrediants than dry food, and has a higher protien amount and barely any plant protien which equals carbohydrates. yet plant protien and animal protien are still just called protien on the guareented anylisis. i really don't like any cat food that uses wheat/soy/other plants. cats can not properly digest this kind of thing, and tend to have smellier stools because of that. </p> http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/topic/13978#post-327850 Sun, 01 Feb 2009 20:29:16 +0000 Lily 327850@http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/ <p>I looked at the catinfo.org site and I am not persuaded. The information would be a whole lot more believable, if the author had referenced a *single* peer reviewed scholarly study that supports her thesis. Did I miss anything? I did a quick google search and can only determine that she is, indeed a vet. But she does not appear to have published anything or done any sort of research herself. </p> <p>Now I don't think following what she wrote would necessarily hurt a cat-- except for making your own pet food. That can be dangerous. We cannot easily, without serious knowledge and the right ingredients, provide a balanced diet. But feeding a high quality canned diet is fine. But the brands she recommends are murderously expensive. I have tried a few with my canned food eating cats and none of them has wanted anything to do with them.</p> <p>I think what this demonstrates once again is that we need to find a vet we can trust and watch our animals carefully. Like I said, in the course of 25 years I have never had a vet recommend soft catfood. My most recent vet has only been out of school for two years-- same advice. In other words, the vet colleges are still recommending that cats be fed kibble.</p> <p>Kapaxiana, I think, if nothing else, you should feel free to ask your vet lots of questions and, if the subject concerns you, do a little research. Since all my cats have lived to old age (one with diabetes) on dry cat food (but lots of water, love and too many treats) I wouldn't personally worry beyond making sure that the brand you are feeding is balanced. One thing I know for sure-- you will not easily get a cat to eat something it doesn't want to eat! </p> http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/topic/13978#post-327775 Sun, 01 Feb 2009 18:27:16 +0000 Lacey and Moki's Mom 327775@http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/ <p><a href="http://www.catinfo.org" rel="nofollow">www.catinfo.org</a> will tell you a lot of information about dry food/canned food. </p> http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/topic/13978#post-327772 Sun, 01 Feb 2009 18:20:40 +0000 Lacey and Moki's Mom 327772@http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/ <p>I understand that the latest studies show that cats do NOT do well on just dry food. Dogs do, cats do not. Dry food only can lead to kidney disease and diabetes, and it does NOT keep the teeth clean--just the opposite. Besides, it's very addicting. Cats do not need all those carbs, either. They are obligate carnivores. Obligated to be meat-eaters! It's hard to get cats off the dry food, though. Please try to keep feeding your kitten more canned food than dry, it'll be better for its health. At least give it some canned food, if you can't restrict the dry. A lot of vets will not tell you this, but do your research.I will post at least one website where I got this information. </p> http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/topic/13978#post-327739 Sun, 01 Feb 2009 17:34:33 +0000 Kitten Whisperer 327739@http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/ <p>My two indoor kits only get dry food. They free feed on it all day and seem just fine. I know that it is important that meat be the first ingredient listed and that cats need taurine in their diet which is included in commercially prepared cat food whether wet or dry. </p> http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/topic/13978#post-327734 Sun, 01 Feb 2009 17:24:25 +0000 AZDEBRA 5/27 & crew 327734@http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/ <p>Welcome to TDK Tapaxiana, some cats just don't like wet food. Their food tastes are as varied as ours can be, as long as she drinks water and eats a bit she should be fine. If you want to see how much she eats, set feeding times and then you can tell. I have six of the furry ones and I free feed their dry food and they get 1 tsp of wet food each morning and evening, sometimes they eat it, and sometimes they don't. </p> http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/topic/13978#post-327728 Sun, 01 Feb 2009 17:07:36 +0000 Kapaxiana 327728@http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/ <p>Thank you for sharing your expertise Lily, Tiaa does drink water and I live in UK so that might be why the brand doesn't ring the bell! i will check with her vet though just to make sure the brand is well balanced, Thx </p> http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/topic/13978#post-327725 Sun, 01 Feb 2009 17:02:42 +0000 Lily 327725@http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/ <p>Does she drink water? If she does, the kibble is fine. In fact, in 25 years of cat ownership, I have never known a vet who preferred wet catfood to dry. Half of my cats will not eat wet food, either. The others eat it a little but mainly eat dry. I am not familiar with the brand you have named but your vet can tell you if it is a balanced brand.</p> <p>Really, the only reason I know that you might need to give a cat wet food is to increase its fluid intake. As long as your cat drinks water (I had one many years ago who <em>never</em> drank fresh water. Her only fluid came from canned cat food. Needless to say, she died of kidney trouble. </p> http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/topic/13978#post-327712 Sun, 01 Feb 2009 16:44:35 +0000 Kapaxiana 327712@http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/ <p>Tiaa is 6 months now and for a while she has been eating less and less wet food. She loves dry food though and I free feed her Go-Cat dry food for kittens. I try giving her some wet food (whiskas) but it seems such a waste as she only nibbles a little and I end up throwing the rest away.<br /> I have read that kittens need to eat wet food, but is it really necessary? I am thinking on stopping the wet food altogether as it seems pointless. Read somewhere today that you can mix some wet food with the dry food.... Tiaa is my first cat so would appreciate some advice!<br /> Thanks in advance!..<br /> Gabi </p>