Wanting the best for my kitten - what do you feed yours?

[harleysdad]

Hi everyone,

I'm just wondering what you guys think the best dry and wet food is to feed my kitten? It seems wrong to feed him a food that lists CORN as it's main ingredient, he needs meat! I don't mind spending money on quality food to ensure my Harley's health and happiness however there's not as much choice in Australia. I've got a friend that swears by Fancy Feast Classic - apparently his cat is addicted and won't eat anything else, but I don't know if that's a good thing!

I'm liking the look of the commercial raw food in the fridge at the pet shop as I know it has the protein and moisture he will need. I'm thinking the occasional chicken neck or wing too. So maybe a little dried, but mostly wet and occasional raw - does that sound good?

Although it is convenient to leave out, too much dried food has a bad reputation for causing health issues in the long run, that's why I want to limit it. Has anyone experienced this?

Ultimately I'm wanting to choose a food that is made from decent quality, species appropriate sources. Has anyone in Australia found an easily available healthy canned option that I can try?

Thanks guys

 

[2cats4me]

Hi everyone,

I'm just wondering what you guys think the best dry and wet food is to feed my kitten? It seems wrong to feed him a food that lists CORN as it's main ingredient, he needs meat! I don't mind spending money on quality food to ensure my Harley's health and happiness however there's not as much choice in Australia. I've got a friend that swears by Fancy Feast Classic - apparently his cat is addicted and won't eat anything else, but I don't know if that's a good thing!

I'm liking the look of the commercial raw food in the fridge at the pet shop as I know it has the protein and moisture he will need. I'm thinking the occasional chicken neck or wing too. So maybe a little dried, but mostly wet and occasional raw - does that sound good?

Although it is convenient to leave out, too much dried food has a bad reputation for causing health issues in the long run, that's why I want to limit it. Has anyone experienced this?

Ultimately I'm wanting to choose a food that is made from decent quality, species appropriate sources. Has anyone in Australia found an easily available healthy canned option that I can try?

Thanks guys

Ideally , you should go with grain free and mostly wet food . As for the "the best" food , that will be different for all cats . I think your plan for a diet sounds good  , try to  find a good quality food that your kitty does well on and of course likes ..  I  see you are not in the USA so I cannot recommend  any foods for you ..   I agree about the Fancy Feast . It is a decent food but that is all my cats would eat , My fault not theirs ..  I took it away and  now I am in the process of  finding different foods they like ..

 

[bonepicker]

I believe one of the best foods comes from New Zealand called addiction, can you get that?

 

[harleysdad]

Addiction isn't available in Australia bonepicker, which seems strange when it is made so close. I'm definitely looking for grain free 2cats4me, and after a big search have just found two that look good and are available in Australia.

"Fussy cat grain free" is a dry food, nearly 40% protein and has had some excellent reviews online. It was voted "product of the year" in the pet care category of the consumer servey of product innovation. They also have quite a large range of fresh premium grade cat mince, frozen cat meat and also trays, pouches and treats.

Another company that caught my eye is "Natures Gift". Their kitten food consists of:

Fresh Australian Chicken (contains no red meat), Sardines, Krill Oil (Essential Omega 3, 6 & antioxidants), Gelling agents, Calcium,Vitamins B1, B3, B6, C, E, D12 & D3, Folic Acid, Taurine.

That sounds pretty good to me. Some company's fill pet food with all sorts of unnecessary crap. Another example of ingredients are:

Fresh Australian Kangaroo, Krill Oil (Essential Omega 3, 6 & antioxidants), Gelling agents, Calcium, Vitamins B1, B3, B6, C, E, D12 & D3, Folic Acid, Taurine.

They are the first company in Australia to release ACO approved organic pet food, currently just for dogs but planning to introduce organic cat food too soon!

Out of all I could see were available, these seem the healthiest options

 

[2cats4me]

Addiction isn't available in Australia bonepicker, which seems strange when it is made so close. I'm definitely looking for grain free 2cats4me, and after a big search have just found two that look good and are available in Australia.

"Fussy cat grain free" is a dry food, nearly 40% protein and has had some excellent reviews online. It was voted "product of the year" in the pet care category of the consumer servey of product innovation. They also have quite a large range of fresh premium grade cat mince, frozen cat meat and also trays, pouches and treats.

Another company that caught my eye is "Natures Gift". Their kitten food consists of:

Fresh Australian Chicken (contains no red meat), Sardines, Krill Oil (Essential Omega 3, 6 & antioxidants), Gelling agents, Calcium,Vitamins B1, B3, B6, C, E, D12 & D3, Folic Acid, Taurine.

That sounds pretty good to me. Some company's fill pet food with all sorts of unnecessary crap. Another example of ingredients are:

Fresh Australian Kangaroo, Krill Oil (Essential Omega 3, 6 & antioxidants), Gelling agents, Calcium, Vitamins B1, B3, B6, C, E, D12 & D3, Folic Acid, Taurine.

They are the first company in Australia to release ACO approved organic pet food, currently just for dogs but planning to introduce organic cat food too soon!

Out of all that were available, these seem the healthiest options

Wow , that is great . It  sounds like you found some excellent food choices . You are going to have one happy kitty ..

 

[bonepicker]

Fussie cat chicken flavors in tins look pretty good sold on chewy.com

 

[harleysdad]

I agree bonepicker ... I've spent so much time online :hi: trying to find cat food which is high percentage MEAT and this fussy cat brand looks good.

I've read some negative reviews about their fresh kangaroo meat going off too quickly but apparently that problem has now been remedied.

Do you guys feed raw meat like chicken necks and wings too?

 

[bonepicker]

I do not feed raw just canned. For me, it is easier. I lhave a good rotation down. I try not to repeat a food in one week. This helps with recalls, boredom, and recipe changes. By the way Harley is adorable!

 

[2cats4me]

I do not feed raw foods either .. I feed a combination of grain free  kibble and canned ..  It is what works for us ..

 

[chromium blues]

We start all of our foster kittens on Royal Canin, and offer a variety of canned foods. I think, when it comes to canned food, its better if the cat will eat a few different recipes and brands.

 

[snowkat]

Most of my cats get raw plus chicken wing tips once a week, only one eats canned food. I've fed Nutripe, Fussie cat, Addiction and Zealandia to her.

If I'm not wrong, there are a few choices for commerical raw in Australia, I've gotten BARF formulas made by Big Dog Barf and Dr Billinghurst. They come frozen and packed in individual serving portions, really convenient but I'm not too thrilled by the amount of vegetables in them. Just came across this website http://www.organicpaws.com.au/our-story/ Their products looks good and if you're looking to start a raw food diet for your cat, this might be a good place to start.

 

[harleysdad]

I agree Chromium Blues, I wouldn't want him addicted to one thing! Thanks so much snowkat, that food sounds great and there's a shop that stocks it not far from me. I'll have a look at it in more depth. There are some people that I've chatted to about raw diets and they are very against it, quoting scientific research about harmful microbes or Salmonella. They can get quite argumentative and I've been told if I feed my kitten raw then I will be potentially harming him. I guess it's a personal choice. I'm planning on giving him as varied a diet as possible... if he'll let me.

How are your cats doing on raw and how come one is on canned? Do you see any difference in their health/energy/appearance?

2cats4me - your fur family are adorable! Great pics!

 

[2cats4me]

I agree Chromium Blues, I wouldn't want him addicted to one thing! Thanks so much snowkat, that food sounds great and there's a shop that stocks it not far from me. I'll have a look at it in more depth. There are some people that I've chatted to about raw diets and they are very against it, quoting scientific research about harmful microbes or Salmonella. They can get quite argumentative and I've been told if I feed my kitten raw then I will be potentially harming him. I guess it's a personal choice. I'm planning on giving him as varied a diet as possible... if he'll let me.

How are your cats doing on raw and how come one is on canned? Do you see any difference in their health/energy/appearance?

2cats4me - your fur family are adorable! Great pics!

Thank you so much ........

 

[snowkat]

Before switching to raw I was feeding a variety of different canned foods, even though I followed the feeding guidelines, my cats seemed to be always hungry, they'd open cupboards and tear bags of food. The litter boxes would smell when they pooped and they were shedding quite a bit. I found my cats always scratching themselves even though they had monthly doses of Revolution and baths so I did a bit of reading on diets for cats. I decided to try a raw food diet after going through various websites and forums. I started out with BARF because I wasn't too sure about buying meat and supplementing it on my own. Lucky for me the cats had no problem eating BARF, they looked forward to meals and one would even steal the plastic packaging out of the bin and bring it under the bed to lick and chew. After a few months, their fur got softer and looked much healthier, they had a lot more energy and I could barely smell the litter box.

The BARF diet that I could get from pet stores here cost quite a bit so I decided to try feeding raw meat with a commercial supplement. On that diet, their poop were even smaller than when they were eating BARF, they stopped stealing and begging for food. Their fur got fluffier and they became more affectionate somehow. There are a lot of people who don't agree with feeding a raw diet because of bacteria in meat or raw eggs but with proper food handling the risks of contamination are low. The vet I used to bring my cats to recommends a dry and wet food combo for feeding and wasn't too happy when I said I feed a raw diet. When he gave the cats an examination, he'd remark how lean, muscular and bright eyed they are.

The third cat he was on raw for a while but I think she has a sensitivity to red meats. She'd eat a meal of and an hour or so she'd throw it back up. Even if I incorporated the red meats with white, she'd still throw up. After a while, she refused to eat raw and I had to give her wet food again. Lately though, she has been sneaking bites of chicken from the others so I will start a gradual switch for her soon.

 

[lisahe]

We feed our cats a combination of canned and commercial raw foods. That seems to work out well for the cats, who are grazers, and the humans, who work at home and can feed the cats about small five meals a day. It took us some time, @Harleysdad, to come up with a rotation of canned foods the cats would consistently eat... even more than a year later, it's something of a work in progress because their tastes seem to change. We seem to feed about 60% raw food and 40% canned food, though one cat eats more canned, the other eats more raw. 

Personally, I think the most important thing is that the diet be high-protein and low-carb, without grains, potato, peas, and carrageenan. Every household and every cat is different, though, and it can be a bit of an adventure to find what works best for you! Good luck!

 

[pinkdagger]

I feed two meals of wet to our adult cats, but there are days when I mix both homemade and commercial raw into their wet. I also have a rotation of wet foods, around 6 or 7 brands and different recipes/flavours within those. When I was switching our 9 year old cat from free-fed to meals, I went from 6 meals to 4 meals to 2 meals over the course of 2 months so he didn't freak out and cry and whine (though he does anyway, just not for food).

In the evening, the cats get 0.5 oz of grain-free, high protein, low carb kibble (Petcurean Go! Free + Fit and Simply Nourish Source) in a rolling ball that they have to bat around to get the food out of. Sometimes I hide kibble around the apartment too, inside cubby holes, different spots on their towers, on chairs, on the door knobs of closets, etc. They have to work for their beloved kibble!

If you can introduce a kitten to a variety of foods, this would be great so they have the exposure. It's also a good way to gauge what the cat prefers!

 

[lisahe]

If you can introduce a kitten to a variety of foods, this would be great so they have the exposure. It's also a good way to gauge what the cat prefers!

We did this, too, when we first adopted our cats. We had all sorts of food left over from our previous cat -- she'd been sick and I'd bought anything and everything to try to get her to eat, and I probably never would have bought such a variety of foods otherwise. The "new" cats' tastes have changed a little over the last year (cats!) but it was great to see what they liked and didn't like and, even more important, what disagreed with them.

 

[stewball]

I free feed GO. Dry food grain free. I have been feeding them an Italian wet food called OK. I'm thinking of switching them to me merrick grain free wet food but I'm very I'm very limited with flavour. Meat, chicken, two sorts of tuna and one of salmon. I need advice.

 

[stewball]

Who knows anything about techni can?

 

[chromium blues]

Techni-Cal? Unfortunately its long gone.