Feeding only dry food??

[aeroflot57]

Regarding venting about the hubby--in my personal experience, most of the men I know don't seem to be as sensitive to the needs of animals as women are, because of the fact that we are the child bearers, I guess, and always are more intuitive when caring for others. Men have their uses, (after all, someone had to go out and slay those dinosaurs back in the day) but most women with children or pets seem to be naturally more nurturing. So, in my situation, I've had to accept that my husband is not going to be as understanding about the needs of our animals as I am. When we were raising children, it was the same. He seems to think if you meet the basic needs, then that's good enough--he doesn't understand that "good enough" is not good enough for me--or most Moms. We want the best for our babies. So listen to your instincts, and smile and nod when he gives his advice, but keep doing what you're doing. Mama knows best when rearing babies (in most cases--I know there are a lot of men who are true cat lovers also.) 

Perhaps your husband thinks he's being helpful, trying to get you not to worry. Men want to "solve" problems--not necessarily discuss them. )

 

[catspaw66]

There are actually quite a few of us men on here. And several of us are advisors.

 

[jcat]

Could the kittens run into stomach problems if I switch brands like diareah and upset stomach? So I should wait a few months and just have them on the one brand and then do a switch of brands? That wouldn't confuse them to switch back and forth? I think I am a bit lost as to how to go about switch between brands and flavours. 

It won't confuse them, and they'll probably appreciate the variety. If you're worried about upset stomachs, take it slowly. It won't take a few months to introduce a new food. You can get them used to one brand and flavor for a couple of weeks, then start adding a second by giving them just a teaspoonful of the new mixed with the old for two days, then two teaspoonfuls for the third and fourth day, etc., and see how they do. Usually it's easier for them to take a switch in wet food than in dry, as Willowy said, and they might not have any trouble at all. That depends on the cats.

It's easier if you buy small cans at first, but you can store a large can in the fridge for several hours to a day with a plastic lid (from pet stores/sections). If it's going to be two or three days, you can use glass jars with plastic lids, or those plastic containers used to store baby food, which are cheap, safe and usually about the right size.

 

[ldg]

Because kibble is so concentrated without much water, it can be hard on their stomachs with a quick switch.

But canned food has so much moisture in it, it's usually not a problem to switch flavors and brands as often as you want. In fact, it's better for the cats to have that variety - and safer in the event of any future recalls that they're used to different brands already.

Would you want to eat only the same flavor and brand of canned stew for months at a time? IMO, it's like that.

 

[newkittyowner]

Okay so we switched our two kittens to a healthier dry cat food which at first I wasn't sure they liked it but now they eat it no problem. Today I gave them a tsp each of wet canned food a Wellness brand, chicken flavour. This evening they came downstairs from going to the bathroom in their littler box which is in the bathroom upstairs and they stunk to high heaven! I went upstairs and the bathroom stunk too so I scooped the poop and opened a window to air it out. Do they and the poop smell so bad because of the new food or should I be worried? Of course reading on the internet you get all sorts of bad news as to what it could. I don't want to go worry but it's in my nature to be concerned if something is different.  Right now I have a content kitty purring away on my lap and needing with paws so they are acting fine. All I want to know is if it's normal for them to smell more and their poop when they start a new food? Oh and their littler box poop/pee didn't ppseem to look any different than when I have changed it before it was just the smell was terrible. It had a smell before but this was a lot worse.

opps didn't mean to post twice the same thing. Oh and I just read the comment above didn't see it before about the dry food it switched too soon. They are eating it but could that be why their poop and them are smelling so bad? Now I fee bad I switched them too suddenly as I did it in a day or so. Could I have upset their tummy. They are acting them selves though and seem very happy! 

o

Thanks!

 

[ldg]

It's probably the quick switch of the dry food. Hopefully it will stop smelling so much in a few days!

 

[ravencorbie]

I just wanted to clarify on the different brands/flavors. When I started feeding my cat canned food, I took the list of foods from Dr. Pierson's site (she has each food listed along with their carb, protein, fat, etc. numbers -- actual numbers from talking to the companies), and got one of each brand/flavor that had 10% or less carbs, and just rotated. So, my cat was getting a different one every 2-3 meals. She was 8 months old at that time, and now she's pretty much used to anything. The only ones she wouldn't eat were venison and beef . . . and when I tried her on beef/salmon raw, she threw it up, and later ate, and then threw up some wet beef-flavored food . . . so obviously red meat is a problem for her, which is why she didn't take to those kinds. I think if your cats are young enough, they will get used to different flavors of wet food fairly easily. Just watch for food allergies/intolerances.

 

[newkittyowner]

Thanks and I hope it smells less too. Airing out the bathroom has helped and a lot less smelly!
As for the wet food I am having difficulties finding different flavours of wellness and blue other than chicken that says its for kittens. I only noticed this brand in my pet smart and pet valu that is grain free. Any suggestions cause if I am to switch up protein how if there are only chicken kitten flavours?

 

[ravencorbie]

This is what I used:

http://www.catinfo.org/docs/FoodChartPublic9-22-12.pdf

It's the Protein/Fat/Carb chart at Dr. Pierson's site: www.catinfo.org

Unfortunately, they're listed alphabetically, and not by, say, carb count (which is what I was looking at), so you have to switch pages frequently, and if the store isn't laid out alphabetically (mine wasn't) it can be a struggle. What I did is I took the list, but I went by the store. So, I started at the end of the section and looked at THAT food.

She also has an article discussing what to look for in commercial food and why.

http://www.catinfo.org/?link=cannedfoods

One of the key parts of that article is that grain free doesn't necessarily mean low carbs, and some non "grain free" foods might actually have fewer carbs. If Petsmart has Nutro Natural Choice, that's not on her list (the ones on her list were an older formulation and have different sub-names), but there are many different flavors and textures. Wellness also has a new line out: Signature Selections. That stuff is great: it looks and smells like real people food. I had a chicken/chicken liver one and a chicken/turkey. I know there's still chicken in them, but they're still slightly different. Obviously, protein variety is the most important, but even just varying brand will be better than giving exactly the same food all the time.

Hope that helps!

 

[mservant]

Well done for making a start on the food changes. The smell must have given you a fright as well as not being very pleasant for any of you! Hope the smell's cleared. Not sure why the kitties would smell bad as well as the litter unless it was a bit softer than usual and maybe a bit on one of their paws?  Just keep an eye on the texture of the poop but I wouldn't panic unless it was a lot softer / runnier than their normal texture, or the kitties them selves continue to smell bad as that would be unusual. 

 

[newkittyowner]

Thanks! There is still a smell but it has lessoned thank goodness. I have a question  which I am think might have been addressed here or somewhere else but I can't seem to find the answer. I am currently feeding my kittens wellness kitten in chicken flavour. There is only this flavour in the kitten. I got a beef and chicken one in the same brand and 3oz can like the chicken but it doesn't say kitten on it. It just talks about "for adult cats feed ...) can I feed my kittens this even though it doesn't say kitten on it and just follow the feeding guidelines on the kitten can or am I stuck on just the chicken kitten flavour?

Thanks

 

[ldg]

Ah, yes, deciphering cat food labels...

I just looked it up (http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/product-details.aspx?pet=cat&pid=4#feeding-guidelines), and the Wellness Beef & Chicken is for "maintenace," which means adult. You can feed it, but intermittently. It won't hurt the kittens to have it a couple of times a week, but it shouldn't be fed all the time.

The foods you're looking for will be labeled either "growth and maintenance" or "All life stages" for feeding kittens.

 

[newkittyowner]

Oh okay then thanks LDG. I ended up buying it because the lady at the pet store said she knew about kitten/ cat health and said it was fine. I think I will take it back for now and get more kitten stuff. I have another brand two cans of it but its also chicken. Maybe I won't find different flavours.

 

[goholistic]

Oh okay then thanks LDG. I ended up buying it because the lady at the pet store said she knew about kitten/ cat health and said it was fine.

Hold on...is this the same sales lady that told you that an all dry diet was best for your cat and would help with teeth issues?

Wellness Core and Triumph both have a kitten formulas.

 

[newkittyowner]

No it's not the same lady and also different pet store. But to me it made sense what she said but I can see the difference now in what she said and what I am told here. I am going to take the two cans back and get more chicken kitten. Thanks!

 

[newkittyowner]

Hi there

Currently I am feeding my two kittens about 3 to 4 tsp of a 3oz can of kitten Wellness wet food ( this is close to most of the can gone) and they have dry Purrfect Bistro kitten Grain free out at all times.  I am only feeding the wet in the morning when I get up. I was wondering if for the canned wet food if this is an okay amount they were born in April. I find the smaller of the two kittens (sister)  eat a lot more than her sister. She finishes hers and then goes over to her sisters. Yesterday I noticed some looser stool in their littler box. Was also wondering if this is to do with too much wet too soon or all at once. I know the ideal is to spread out the wet food feedings but I am unable to do this. 

Also what are signs of an allergy to a food? My kittens sneeze a lot and the loose stool yesterday. I noticed the little kitten was sneezing right after eat the wet but this may just just coincident. Oh and sometimes their poop really smells bad! 

Got to run got a kitty mewing and trying to climb my leg for attention!

Thanks!

 

[goholistic]

I saw that no one has responded to you, yet, so figured I would chime in. To be honest, I do not have much experience with kittens and so I can't give you sound advice on how much to feed them, although I remember reading somewhere that active, growing kittens should be given as much as they will eat. 

I wouldn't think that wet food would cause chronic loose stools if that's what you give them every day. Loose stools are typical at first if they are not used to the wet food, but that usually subsides as their bodies adjust. Loose stools can be a symptom of many things not related to the food.

Sneezing could be an airborne allergy or foreign body in the nose, such as hair, but typically is not related to food. Sneezing can also be a sign of a cat "cold" or upper respiratory infection. I would keep an eye on this.

 

[newkittyowner]

Thank you for your extensive response. We are holding off on the vet visit as they are full of energy and eat and drink. We will see in a couple days!

 

[sweetie24]

THANK YOU FOR ALL THE INFROMATION I AM GETTING WORRY ABOUT THE CAT I ADOPTED I AM GIVING HIM THE SAME FOOD A SHE USE TO CALL FANCY FEAST BY PURINA DRY AND MOST OF THE TIME WHEN I GIVE HER WET FOOD ETHER FANCY FEAST OR SHEBA SHE THROW UP?  WHAT CAN I DO?

 

[newkittyowner]

Hi there,

I know this is an old thread that i started but thought it was a good one to ask a quick question. I am going to continue feeding my fur babies wet and dry. Yes wet is better but it's not possible and they do find one what we  are doing. From what I read back from when my two fur babies were little and I had just got them a few of you said that feeding grocery store brand wet was okay and you mentioned a few brands. So I just want to make sure that I can go to a cheaper canned food and be okay with that. What I am thinking is when they turn one in April I will get a high quality dry food and then a less expensive wet food. We are currently feeling them Healthy Advantage Kitten from the vets. It's expensive so we have to go cheaper although I can't stomach the idea of feeding dry from the grocery store that my husband said to do as it's cheaper. So I want to try and compromise with him and at least go cheaper on wet. Would this be find to do? hopefully this will save some money. Thanks!

Was in a pet store last night and she told me that wet is bad for them causes teeth problems and mostly or all wet is best. She went on and on about some other things and I listened when hmmm and said thank you for her help and walked out. I don't agree but that is my personal thoughts. I might be going back there for the dry food though. Anyways that is that.