What food etc best for a kitten

emka1984

OK, so here it goes... yet another post about kittens i noticed though that most of them are about a specific issue... I would like a little bit of a kitten-guide by those with experience

I am most probably getting a little girl in two weeks... Read LOADS about caring for a little kitty (+ when it grows up as well), but now looking for some experienced advice. The issue that interests me most is the food. I believe that after all I have read so far I will go for mostly dry food, but am not sure if it's good for a little one? Any recommendations?

Going to do some online shopping for scratch posts, toys etc as well... Hope not to spend too much at once, but on the other hand I want my kitten to be at least a little bit spoiled

Oh, and if anyone's from the Ranelagh area or close to it - any good & recommended vets around here?

Many thanks!

lost in my own head

dry food is defo a no no for a kitten, it is great for older cats as their teeth are stronger and it helps their teeth as well. For a kitten however it's really not great. you can buy canned food for kittens, plenty of meat and vegetables in it. Also they would eat leftovers after dinner as long as it is all soft with some milk in it. They love the milk. really young kittens mostly need milk at the start and eat very small portions, but often, so try to leave out a small drink of water a just a little bit of food if you'll be away for a few hours.

emka1984

lost in my own head wrote: »

dry food is defo a no no for a kitten, it is great for older cats as their teeth are stronger and it helps their teeth as well. For a kitten however it's really not great. you can buy canned food for kittens, plenty of meat and vegetables in it. Also they would eat leftovers after dinner as long as it is all soft with some milk in it. They love the milk. really young kittens mostly need milk at the start and eat very small portions, but often, so try to leave out a small drink of water a just a little bit of food if you'll be away for a few hours.

Many thanks, that's what i thought - that canned food might be necessary for the start

GAAman

lost in my own head wrote: »

dry food is defo a no no for a kitten, it is great for older cats as their teeth are stronger and it helps their teeth as well. For a kitten however it's really not great. you can buy canned food for kittens, plenty of meat and vegetables in it. Also they would eat leftovers after dinner as long as it is all soft with some milk in it. They love the milk. really young kittens mostly need milk at the start and eat very small portions, but often, so try to leave out a small drink of water a just a little bit of food if you'll be away for a few hours.

Man my kitten was the polar opposite to pretty much everything you said there lost, she wouldnt touch wet food she was on (and i was going to suggest to the op) go cat kitten food up to 1 year old and she wouldnt touch anything else

She was also somewhat lactose intolerant, she could have a half a capfull of milk here and there (almost weekly) and would still have a bit of the runs now she can handle a capfull no problem but i have heard it is common for kittens to not be able to handle milk

In short for the op mine was on go cat kitten food and plain water, i gave her pate i got from tescos for like 12p a tub and she loved that so it was a treat for her and occasional milk

Oh and lastly op, its the law around these parts to put up a pic when you do get her!

tatabubbly

I'd strongly advise againsy wet food. Full of moisture and added preservatives which aren't the best for a balanced diet. Most dry kitten foods can be soaked in a little bit of warm water to soften them up when they are younger. The dry food also helps prevent tarter build up on teeth, esp. food like royal canin which has added ingredients to encourage healthy growth and good bone structure.

Milk is very bad for cats in general, it contains naturally occuring acids which can over time build up in the joints, leading to pain in joints when the cat is older (like gout in humans). I'd advise water or the likes of whiskas cat milk, which is specially formulated.

On the toy section, little light balls (which you can make from scrunched up tin foil) are loved by cats and also any teaser which has feathers will be well apprechiated! Hope it helps!

lost in my own head

no worries,

Hope all goes well for both of ye, cats are very affectionate, they could be really great company if you're feeling down.

lost in my own head

I had cats most of my life, got a kitten when I was very small and she had a lot of them over the years, always gave them wet food and milk, and they loved it, never had any problems.

tatabubbly

lost in my own head wrote: »

I had cats most of my life, got a kitten when I was very small and she had a lot of them over the years, always gave them wet food and milk, and they loved it, never had any problems.

Some people don't have probs. I work in a pet shop so in doing my research for nutrition, i talked to a vet and that's what they recommend

Acoshla

lost in my own head wrote: »

I had cats most of my life, got a kitten when I was very small and she had a lot of them over the years, always gave them wet food and milk, and they loved it, never had any problems.

Most cats and kittens react somewhat badly to milk, obviously I don't mean a drop or two but when they get to drink it all the time, they are lactose intolerant and it mainly gives them upset stomachs and dodgy poos, for want of a better description. The same can happen with scraps and wet food. If you want to give her milk buy Kitten Milk, don't give her regular milk.

OP have a look at www.zooplus.co.uk, they have dry food specifically for all ages of cats, including kittens, it is full of nutrients and is small enough for young teeth. Maybe mix wet and dry food if you want to, but make sure it's good quality wet food and not too much, or else they start to get picky and won't eat just the dry food when they're older.

Whenever I order from zooplus.co.uk they have offers of little rattly feather toys for about 2 pounds stg, great little toys. Also Petworld and any other pet shops have little plastic balls with rattles in them and feathers sticking out, they love them.

emka1984

Spadina wrote: »

OP have a look at www.zooplus.co.uk,

Believe it or not, that's exactly the website i want to buy from just looking at it now and I am going completely mad... TOO MANY THINGS!!! :eek: Dunno which scratch post to choose... Do i really need a special cat bed? which one is best? bowls - i heard ceramic or metal ones are best? Litter locker - sounds like a good idea... AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! I am getting all lost, and I thought I was ready for this

And yes, I will show off with pictures once I have them, of course!

Acoshla

My cat has a plastic double bowl that I got in Tesco for 2 euro, he's had it for a year and it's perfect, not too big so he doesn't get huge portions.

http://http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/cats/dry_cat_food/royal_canin/kitten/13561

That's the one I bought/now buy in adult form, never had any problems with it at all, cat always healthy and always ate it. Keep an eye in Lidl etc for cat toys, no need to spend a fortune, you'll buy all these things and then she'll find something else random to play with in your house, like a ball of paper or a bottle cap

My cat has a scratching post with a hidey hole underneath and a platform on top with a rattly ball dangling, he loves it, got it in Aldi or something.

Edit: I got a bed in Dunnes for 10 euro, he loves it.

april99

Hi Emka,
Would suggest a well known catalogue shop ( beginning with A ends in OS ) Not sure if we can name drop here! Anyway, they have a whole section of kitten care, inc scratch poles, litter trays . Good value, you can always have a look in local pet shop for things as well. My best buys for my guy were a hooded litter tray ( prevents litter all over floor, decreases smell, looks nicer!) I got a shoulder bag too, keeps him nice & close so he feels more secure & a lot easier to transport him in. It also has a clasp to attach to her collar for added security.
Re food, it was recommended to me by my vet not to feed my cat the pouches/ sachets that are widely available. They have found that some cats can experience behavioural difficulties when on them. In that they were stressed and anxious waiting on their next feed & became more demanding . My vets ( 5 in one vet hosp) compare them to giving the cat one pringle everyday! They are never satisfied & get upset. Am sure other people & their cats have no prob with the sachets , but just thought \i'd mention it! My guy is on dry " complete" food, with 1/2 tin cat food every pm. He is a healthy weight & has no problems. I use metal dishes, can get 2 that sit inside a metal holder thing! Very handy coz u can bung the used ones into dishwasher if needs be! I'd get a few spare, coz u can potentially use 4 dishes - wet food, dry food, water, cat milk He he !! PS, don't forget pet insurance, not too expensive but could save u a fortune! Best of luck !!

The Sweeper

lost in my own head wrote: »

dry food is defo a no no for a kitten, it is great for older cats as their teeth are stronger and it helps their teeth as well. For a kitten however it's really not great. you can buy canned food for kittens, plenty of meat and vegetables in it. Also they would eat leftovers after dinner as long as it is all soft with some milk in it. They love the milk. really young kittens mostly need milk at the start and eat very small portions, but often, so try to leave out a small drink of water a just a little bit of food if you'll be away for a few hours.

Sorry, lost in my own head, but a lot of the information you have given is out of date or incorrect.

Dry food - various dry food manufacturers now make kitten kibble brands, with smaller pieces that are easier for kittens to eat.

Tinned food with 'meat and vegetables' - cats are obligate carnivores. They're not like dogs. They don't need vegetables. In fact, cats will die without the amino acids present only in muscle meat. Cat foods have these amino acids added to offset the fact that they use vegetables like corn and maize as a cheap filler.

For this same reason, don't give your cat the leftovers of your dinner. It's not a balanced diet - the vegetables are fillers without the added amino acids that AAFCO approved petfood contains, and meat leftovers have much of the goodness cooked out of them. Cooked bones can also splinter and cause major health problems if eaten.

Many cats are lactose intolerant, and giving them milk will give them diarrhoea. A kitten with diarrhoea can dehydrate very quickly. A dehydrated kitten is at serious risk of health complications and even death.

'Back in the day', when pets were fed the leftovers of human dinner, cats were also allowed roam indiscriminately. They regularly supplemented their diet by killing and eating rodents, birds and insects, which is the most species-appropriate diet for them. Unfortunately people looked at the thriving cat and thought it was down to the food people were feeding them. It was more down to the hunting and eating the cat was doing in its own time. The human diet gave it energy to hunt, but the hunted diet took care of its nutritional needs - so it had the best of both worlds. An equivalent diet these days, on a cat kept mostly indoors, will not be balanced by the cat's own hunting and over time, the cat will begin to suffer deficiencies caused by an unbalanced diet.

A kitten that's been left with its mother for the right amount of time - at least eight weeks - will have suckled all the natural cat milk it needs for calcium and to boost its immune system. All cow's milk does is give it a treat that could cause chronic diarrhoea and dehydrate the kitten. Humans are the only adult animal that continues to drink milk after weaning - the whole purpose of weaning is to put the offspring off milk and onto solid food.

OP, look at a mixed diet of dry food designed for kittens, raw meat, raw chicken necks or wings (you may have to smack these with a hammer first to help kittens chew them up - and always supervise feeding with chicken necks) and commerical wet food designed for kittens. When you're feeding raw meat, observe scrupulous hygiene practices, the same as if you were preparing carpaccio or steak tartare for human consumption! Never feed raw meat that smells old or that you wouldn't eat yourself.

Always keep a supply of fresh water for the kitten - change the bowl daily, and more than one bowl in different places in the house is also a good idea to encourage them to drink water. A moisture rich diet containing raw meat and commercial wet food will help keep the kitten hydrated.

Three or four small meals a day is a good start for a young kitten, but feed just one food at each meal - kibble, or commercial wet, or raw.

If you feed a small kitten a varied, but balanced, diet, it'll help you to continue feeding a varied diet through to adult life so you won't have a fussy cat.

The Sweeper

tatabubbly wrote: »

I'd strongly advise againsy wet food. Full of moisture and added preservatives which aren't the best for a balanced diet. Most dry kitten foods can be soaked in a little bit of warm water to soften them up when they are younger.

Moisture is actually very good for cats, who are used to getting most of their moisture from their food and subsequently don't drink enough water for the most part. You can buy wet foods that aren't full of preservatives and colourings and additives, but you have to shop around and do your homework, and it's usually the more expensive brands that use better ingredients from more regulated sources. It'll be on the ingredients list on the tin. It's best to choose a wet food where the first and second ingredients are animal protein, (not animal derivatives), and not maize or corn.

Be careful when soaking dry food - it can facilitate the growth of bacteria very quickly on the food, which can be worse if the kitten doesn't eat all of the food at once and it sits there for a while.

Zapperzy

I wouldn't reccommend dry food alone for any cat unless you want your cat to potentially develop struvite crystals. Cats by nature do not like drinking water, they prefer to get their water from their food so when they are on a completely dry food they cannot do this, they will drink water but not nearly enough, especially from a bowl as they don't like drinking still water. This isin't as much of a problem for outdoor cats as they will have access to puddles or streams to drink out of, but for indoor cats their only option is to drink out of a bowl, this results in the cat being nearly always slightly dehydrated and making the urine less dilute which will result in the formation of struvite crystals.

Your best off feeding an all wet diet or a wet/dry diet but there has to be some sort of wet food in there. Also don't waste your money on kittens foods, they are only a gimmick to make you pay more, if its wet food your feeding just mash it up if the chunks are too big. The idea that dry kibble keeps their teeth clean is only a myth, your far better off feeding a good quality wet food and getting your kitten used to a small toothbrush when she's young. Imagine you were eating just biscuits or some similar hard food all day, your teeth wouldn't be too clean would they?
Someone mentioned that cats become addicted to some wet foods, thats interesting because I have noticed cats becoming addicted to the likes of whiskas and kitekat, in my opinion anyways I think they are adding something to them to make them addictive.

Some good brands to look at would be bozita, smilla, porta 21, animonda carny or yarrah organic. You need to check if it says it is a complete food, if it says it is a supplementary food (applaws or almo nature) then you need to feed a good quality dry food and mix around the flavours to make up for the vitamins and minerals it doesn't contain. You need to check the phosphorus and calcium levels in it, they should be in the ratio of 1.1 : 1 with slightly more phosphorus than calcium. Then just look at the ingredients it contains, avoid it if it contains sugar as cats don't need sugar, (as to whether sugar has any effects on cats health or teeth it is still being looked into), companies such as whiskas add it to make the wet food look more appealing to us humans, it improves the consistancy and gives it a shinier look.

Avoid cows milk, cats are lactose intolerant, some cats get used to it as they get older. Iv met two cats that could drink bowls of it and it would have no effect, but when my cat was a kitten even the tiniest drop would cause her to projectile vomit. Whiskas cat milk (I think there are other brands too) is ok the odd time but I just find it is fattening and expensive.

If your putting a collar on her, make sure it has a quick release mechanism because if it gets caught on something she can choke if it doesn't release. A litter tray is a must if you plan to have her in the house, clumping litter is good but id avoid it until she's older, kittens like to explore things with their mouths and if she ingests enough of it it can clump in her gut and cause blockages, wood based litter is good, but you need to just try a few and see what she prefers, some cats are picky and don't like the texture of some litters under their feet. You can get covered litter trays or uncovered ones, personally I use an uncovered one with a lip around it that catches any litter skitted out. It also needs to be placed in a quiet area as they like privacy when using it!
Buy a carrier and get her used to it now, it will prevent rows in the future when putting her in it for trips to the vet, you can even just use it as a bed for her. You can go as big or small as you like for scratching trees and posts, it depends on your budget.
I wouldn't spend too much on toys, kittens will find anything to play with, scrunched up balls of paper or dangling string, I used table tennis balls as they are light for little paws to hit around, also cheap to buy in multipacks.
It doesn't really matter about bowls, plastic can over time scratch and harbour bacteria in the scratches, but as long as they are washed regularly it doesn't matter whether its ceramic, plastic or metal, just make sure its got a wide base and doesn't move around or tip over easily.

Is the kitten going to be allowed access outdoors? And what age is the kitten? Has she been vaccinated yet or will you be bringing her to be vaccinated? Neutering is a must do for both males and females.

Think thats all your questions, any more just ask away! Pics are a must!

The Sweeper

Zapperzy wrote: »

Also don't waste your money on kittens foods, they are only a gimmick to make you pay more

Kitten food is actually usually higher in calories and protein than an equivalent weight of cat food. That's not necessarily a good thing - if they've increased the protein ratio by using non-animal protein (e.g. if the kittens food ingredients are corn and cornmeal; maize; rice; chicken derivatives, in that order, it's a crap food to be honest).

Saying that, a good quality kitten food can make a difference to kittens who've had a hard start though - the extra calories helps them get their weight up without getting into the bad habit of leaving food out 24x7 in the hope that they eat constantly. (The grazing habit can be hard to break and can contribute to obesity in adult cats.)

I agree kibble doesn't help clean their teeth per se unless it's a forumlated tooth cleaning one, in which case the kibble pieces are usually huge - giving them strips of raw meat or chicken necks or wings does a lot more to clean their teeth.

emka1984

thank you guys so much! All comments very helpful!

I like the idea of giving the cat the wings etc at some stage as well, but is that not dangerous? I mean, would the bones not be risky? and should they be with the skin on them, or should i take it off?

Also, I was just told today by the kitten's owner that she's keeping all the little ones, so I have NO kitten now will need to have a look around again... but taking into consideration it's still over 2 weeks before i can take it - maybe i will find some lovely creature in time keep your fingers crossed!

Zapperzy

Have you tried any of the shelters? Its kitten season at the moment so there's dozens of the little 'uns being handed in because people don't think to neuter their cats. I think the dspca regularly have kittens. Im from over the other side of the country, so maybe others can suggest some rescues that deal with cats in the dublin area.

emka1984

Zapperzy wrote: »

Have you tried any of the shelters? Its kitten season at the moment so there's dozens of the little 'uns being handed in because people don't think to neuter their cats. I think the dspca regularly have kittens. Im from over the other side of the country, so maybe others can suggest some rescues that deal with cats in the dublin area.

I will have a look, but I actually might be able to find a kitten somewhere around me as well... Through some other forums or sth... I've heard it's pretty difficult to get a cat from the rspca... We shall see, I am sure plenty of opportunities will come up As you mentioned yourself - kitten season!

Did some shopping online today, so next week should be rougly ready with the basic stuff... and then some food etc and the kitten can arrive

Zapperzy

emka1984 wrote: »

I will have a look, but I actually might be able to find a kitten somewhere around me as well... Through some other forums or sth... I've heard it's pretty difficult to get a cat from the rspca... We shall see, I am sure plenty of opportunities will come up As you mentioned yourself - kitten season!

Did some shopping online today, so next week should be rougly ready with the basic stuff... and then some food etc and the kitten can arrive

The rspca is the english version, we have the ispca here. Also not every rescue is ispca affiliated, there are some independant ones.
I have heard of people being turned down on rehoming dogs, but as regards cats unless you live right beside a busy road and plan on letting him/her out, then I don't see any reason for them turning you down. You'l never know anyways unless you try, you won't lose anything by applying.

You usually pay a donation, which varies in price Iv seen it as low as €30 but €50 seems to be the average for most places, which might seem a bit much for a kitten considering you could get one for free in the papers but actually the rehoming donation doesn't cover half of what you'd pay if you got a free kitten from someone. The kitten will usually have at least one course of vaccinations, will have been wormed, been seen by a vet and neutered depending on age, if its not already neutered you'l usually be given a voucher which will entitle you to free neutering or at a lower cost. Neutering alone can be very expensive and can cost a lot more than your donation covers, add on top of this the cost of vaccinations and you have a very expensive 'free' kitten. Also you will be saving a little life!

The Sweeper

emka1984 wrote: »

I like the idea of giving the cat the wings etc at some stage as well, but is that not dangerous? I mean, would the bones not be risky? and should they be with the skin on them, or should i take it off?

Fresh, raw chicken necks and raw chicken wings are very good for cats. Raw, meaty bones form an essential part of an all-raw-food diet for pets, but if you're not confident switching your pets to raw, a chicken wing or a chicken neck are very good to keep your cat's teeth clean.

It can take a cat a while to get used to eating a raw chicken neck or a raw chicken wing, but starting them on a variety of food when they're kittens is great, because kittens are game to try anything.

You should never feed cooked bones, because they're hard and can splinter. Raw bones are softer and better for teeth - chicken necks in particular. If you ever watch a cat eating a chicken neck you can really see the action at work that cleans the teeth and strengthens the jaw.

My local supermarket and butcher both sell chicken necks -they have no skin on and are about 2-3" long. Wtih kittens, you can fold the neck in some greaseproof paper and smack it with a hammer to make it easier to chew through, with adult cats you can just throw it down for them and they'll have a go.

I occasionally feed my cats chicken drumsticks. I slash the meat with a knife in a few places to help them get a hold, and then just put the fresh, raw drumstick down on a plate. At first they weren't too sure, but these days I return to pretty much carnage - a few chewed bones with scraps of meat left on them (and usually pulled all over the floor - if you feed your cat raw meat, be prepared for it to try 'killing' its dinner all over again.)

emka1984

Zapperzy wrote: »

The rspca is the english version, we have the ispca here.

Sorry, I am not Irish, for me all those names seem the same

In the Dublin's one a cost of a kitten/cat is €80 but I was never afraid of that price, as I do realise that the first months treatments will cost me more than that... I will definitely try with them as well...