New 10 month old kitten ... won't eat dry food

Hello,

I have a new kitten, Whitman, 10 months from the shelter. He is very active, healthy and clean. He left the shelter having had a physical, shots and de-worming.

He pretty much refuses to eat dry food.. He whines for the canned. I'm trying everything. He seems healthy but whines a lot. I believe about the soft food.

He will eat a little dry food at night. He's into everything, a climber and clumsy, knocks things down.

I use a spray bottle to keep him somewhat in check. It's the whining that drives me nuts. He's affectionate, clean and seems healthy. He does have loose stools .... I assume from the rich, canned food.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Tim

The loose stools could be just from a change in diet and surroundings, but I would have him checked if it persists. As for the dry food, many kittens prefer wet. I have just taken in 5 fosters who won't touch dry kitten kibble. What I have done is mix it half and half with the wet and add plenty of water to it, then stir it all in together. It only takes a moment to prepare, the kittens love it and it makes sure they get enough water down them too, as they don't lap much. THey have a bowl of dry too, but it is almost never eaten, but I think that eventually they will learn to like the taste and texture.

Dry food isn't even very healthy for cats. I wish my cats would pine for wet, but since they don't they are on grain-free (and I'm still upset about that). It's too high in carbs and fillers. I'd feed him as is.

Feed him an all wet grainfree/filler free diet. It is much healthier for him!!! You are lucky that your kitty wants to eat only canned food Many people wish they were as lucky as you! Here is a site for you to look over to see that canned is better to feed your cat than dry. Cats require a huge portion of their diet to be moisture/water. Dry food just does not give our cats enough moisture.

catinfo.org http://www.catinfo.org/

Feline Nutrition
http://maxshouse.com/feline_nutrition.htm

What are you feeding your cat now? How much are you feeding him? Kittens are pretty much allowed to eat as much as they want for the first year. Or you can guage what their adult weight will be and feed the correct amount of calories for his adult weight.

Wet food is, in general, healthier for the cat, if less convenient for us.

However, be sure you're putting out a kitten food for him, at least for the next couple of months. It usually has a higher fat and protein content, and it should taste better to him.