Favorite wet food and other feeding questions

[vikeup]

We are bringing home our Himalayan baby right before Christmas.  I'm not sure what type of food the breeder will have it on but I've been reading about the benefits of wet food so plan to gradually transition the little one.  What is your favorite brand of wet food?  I'm assuming it is better to break feedings up into 2-3 meals.  Should we offer dry food during the day also?  This is probably a silly question but when you put left over food in the fridge, do you put it in a tupperware container or do they make lids for the cans?  What are your favorite treats and are there any that we should stay away from?  Sorry for posting so much today but we just want to make sure we are doing the best possible for our new baby.  We have 4 kids ages 16, 14, 8 & 5 and I feel like I did before my first child

 

[LTS3]

 
We are bringing home our Himalayan baby right before Christmas.  I'm not sure what type of food the breeder will have it on but I've been reading about the benefits of wet food so plan to gradually transition the little one.  What is your favorite brand of wet food?

I personally like Nature's Variety Instinct and the Weruva brands of foods. Neither has kitten specific food but you can feed the food to a kitten, just more of it.

Several small meals daily is plenty for most kittens. You can use a programmable timed feeder to provide meals during the day. It's good to let a kitten have a little dry food as a treat so it learns what dry food is. There may be a time later in life where dry food has to be fed for some reason (like an emergency evacuation situation) and if your cat doesn't know what dry food is, it'll be hard to convince the cat to eat. Canned food is healthier for cats so if your kitten will readily eat it, then feed just that and leave the dry for the occasional treat.

Pet stores sell lids for canned food

You can find lids at places like Wal Mart and Target, too, in the pet section. Some people like to transfer the can of food into a glass or plastic food storage container because of concerns of the inside lining of cans possibly containing BPA.

The best treats are those that are 100% meat or fish with nothing else. These are typically freeze dried treats. Popular brands include Halo Liv A Littles, Pure Bites, Salmon Paws, and Bravo. If you buy Pure Bites, buy the one for dogs. The bag is bigger and there are more treats inside. You just need to break the treats into smaller pieces for your kitten. Freeze dried raw food can be given as treats, too. Plain cooked chicken or turkey (poached in water or baked, no salt or seasonings) is also a good treat.

Adding some links you may find helpful:

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/246787/best-canned-kitten-food

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/298825/kitten-food

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/218528/how-much-canned-food-for-kitten

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/choosing-the-right-food-for-your-cat

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/choosing-the-right-food-for-your-cat-part-2

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/grain-free-cat-food-what-does-it-mean

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/what-makes-the-best-canned-cat-food

 

[paiger8]

It just kind of depends what your kitten will eat. Some cats like shredded food, some like pate. Wellness Core Kitten is good, they also have a dry kitten food. Kittens should be allowed to eat as much as they want as they grow pretty quickly. 

I put leftover canned food in the fridge and just microwave it for 10 seconds before feeding it. You can also stir in a little warm water to heat it up. My cats won't eat it cold. 

 I just leave it in the can in the fridge and use a silicone lid over it. They make lids that fit multiple can sizes. Then transfer it into their ceramic bowls to microwave. 

Congrats on your new kitten! I had a Himalayan cat growing up and they're gorgeous!  I will tell you to invest in a good brush! And possibly some hairball paste/treats. 

 

 

[vikeup]

Thanks so much for the replies!  Our Yorkie won't touch any type of wet food so we have no experience with it as when we tried she turned up her nose & sighed.  

 

[mollyblue]

I second what Paiger8 said, it really depends on what the kitten will eat. There are so many different kinds of food out there, and a lot are high quality, but if the texture, consistency or flavor isn't right, your cat will likely turn up her little nose... It doesn't mean she doens't like wet food, it means she doesn't like THAT wet food.  My cats like chunks in gravy and cannot stand pate.  Our kitten doens't care for  kitten food, but eats really well when you let her have what the other cats are eating.  None of them like fish.  They go crazy for temptations treats.  I have a long haired cat and she will not take any of the hairball remedies, but she does like a little butter now and then.  I don't know if this is recommended, but I do know that if she starts throwing up a lot and I let her have some butter, it seems to help.  Speaking of throwing up, I hope your kitty doesn't have a sensitive tummy, but that is another thing to consider when picking a food.  Cats have lots of sensitivies and grain free is best, so if you having gassy issues or smelly poo issues you might want to look at the food you are serving.

Another treat you might want to consider is cat grass.  You can have an indoor planter, and there are several kinds cats can eat.  Oat, wheat  and barley just for example.  They like catnip while it is young, but when the plant gets to big, they start ignoring it. But I would save the cat nip for when your kitten gets bigger, I guess baby kitties don't react to it as much.  And cat grass is healthy for your kitten too.  Some cats throw up when they eat grass, but even this is supposed to be good for them as it helps clear out the digestive track.  Mine only throw up if they eat grass from outside.  The danger associated with eating grass is that the grass could get stuck in kitty throat and pose a chocking hazard, but having it available should help keep the cat away from other house plants that might be toxic, so you know, you have to weigh the pros and cons.