New Kitten

I am getting a new kitten in 3 days. He'll be about 11 weeks old.

Currently, he is eating Kitten Chow. The person who is holding him for me says he loves it. But I have always fed my cats Science Diet. Obviously, I know Sci Diet is the healthier choice. Do I need to switch my new kitty over to Sci Diet gradually? And what do I do if he doesnt like it and won't eat it?

Also, can I get some opinions on giving kittens/cats canned food? My cats love it, but I only started giving it to them recently just for a treat, maybe once or twice a week. Now they want it all the time! I personally prefer giving them dry food because if they don't eat all the canned food, it goes bad fast.

Thanks for your help.

Dry food was largely invented to use up byproducts and to be convenient for us. It's nowhere near a natural food for cats, and is heavily implicated in feline obesity.

An adult cat should really be fed wet, one meal in the morning, one at night, and the cat should only get as much food as they can eat in 15 minutes.

Wet food is much healthier.

And, if you want a suggestion that might save you money, try the "Authority" brand at PetSmart.

I'd start out with whatever the kitten is eating currently and, should you decide to change, do it slowly, so his tummy doesn't get upset - and so that he has something familiar around as he gets used to his new home. I feed wet and dry (prescription Hills, as my boy had some crystals). Anyway, I give them a bit of wet morning and evening, and store the remainder, in the original can, with one of those snug tops, in the fridge. The food seems ok for 2-3 days, anyway. I was able to figure out how much they'll eat in 20 minutes or so, so I usually don't have much left in the bowl - and that I'll throw out if it's out there too long.

I often bring the cold wet back up to room temperature by mixing in some warm water - however, my two seem to love wet food and will often jump up and start eating before I'm done!

IMO, a kitten should be free fed - wet when you are home and can pick up the small amount you're feeding in 20-30 minutes, and dry just out for him to nibble at as he wants if you're often away from home for hours - like working . Vet can help you determine correct amounts should the kitten start getting heavy as he matures.

If he doesn't like whatever food you switch too, maybe buy another brand and, again, gradually offer the new stuff along with the old stuff. For myself, I always keep some of whatever kitty really enjoys as a back-up, just in case they decide to go on strike!

Good luck with your new baby!!!

Actually, according to people on TCS who have done some research into dry cat food, Science Diet is not better than Kitten Chow. Both are fairly low on the quality scale.

mrblanche suggested the PetSmart Authority brand, which is pretty good for a mid-range cost. If you want to go grain-free you can try Taste of the Wild or Wellness Core. I think the Core is more expensive. Whichever way you decide to go, you still need to make a gradual change over at least a week or two.

For wet food I put out about a tablespoon apiece for my cats. Shareena usually takes two or three bites and is done while the others will eat most of theirs. Merlin is my vacuum cleaner. He goes behind the others and scarfs up anything they've left behind. Or sometimes he dives in under their noses and practically eats the food out of their mouths. I have to keep him in a cage until the girls are through eating. You can put out small amounts to start with and add some if the kitties still seem to be hungry. Whatever they don't eat you can put in the refrigerator for another time so it doesn't go to waste.

Thanks for your input, much appreciated.

Originally Posted by mickeycat

Thanks for your input, much appreciated.

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Since you are going to get your kitten in a little while, spend some time in here doing some research... there is tooooonnnns of information!

Yes, if you can afford to feed and all wet diet, and are available to do so, this is the way to go.... Sorry to say, but IMHO Science Diet is pretty much very expensive junk food, unless it is prescription, and even so there are often better options... It is just full of fillers, by-products, and stuff that your cat really doesn't need...

I personally like a mixed diet, especially for a kitten - free-feeding dry at all times, and feeding wet 2x/day. If you feed a high quality dry (IMO the best way to go is a grain free, no by-products, I recommend Orijen, Wellness Core, and if you are in a budget, Taste of the Wild), you can go down a bit on the wet food - Authority is a good choice....

A good solution not wasting wet food: open a can, and divide the content into an ice tray (since kittens only eat a little bit, fill the cubes 2/3 way to the top) - put it into the freezer for a couple of hours... Take the cubes out of the tray and place them in a freezer ziplock bag - this will keep it fresh, prevent freezer burn, and save a BUNCH of $$$. I always keep the left overs in the freezer - it keeps it fresh this way.
For some reason my cats don't like food kept in the refrigerator, but they have absolutely no problem with frozen food - i think it does keep it fresher...

Good luck, and welcome to the forum!!!

I when having young cats and kittens always free feed dry and gave three wet meals a day ... I actually dont move to two wet meals till about 18 months of age and then measure free feed ( ie measure 1/2 cup morning and night ) they get food access all the time but I know Exactly what amount they have ...

I like Carolinas wet food freezer trick....

Where are you planning to shop ? this will make it easier to give options based on your budget