how long will it last

Yes, sometimes going from grained dry to non-grain wet can cause soft stinky stools. (Dry to wet in general can as well.) Sometimes it lasts a few days, sometimes a couple weeks. As long as there is no blood or no straining, you'll have to hold your nose and push through it, but in the end when you have a bright eyed, fluffy coated, happy, active cat, it'll be worth it.

Yes, I know he's still on his dry.

Was it mentioned to you to start feeding meals instead of freefeeding? If he's actively taking some wet, now is definitely the time to start. He knows the dry is always there, so thats why he won't take more than a tiny bit of wet, there is tastier dry just around the corner. I think you said you already knew how much dry he was eating, right? Divide it up into 3 portions, one to give before you leave for work (if you are gone more than 8 hours, leave whatever is left down), one to give as soon as you get home, and one to give at night. Then, slowly decrease the amount of dry (and no sneaking him any more, we will find out ) and leave his only other choice of food to be wet. And then comes the battle, just leaving less dry and giving more wet until, TADA, wet only cat!

IMO, tell your vet what you're trying to do and see what she says. And watch your kitten carefully...some cats truly will resist eating certain foods and I'm not of the school that any cat will eat once they're hungry enough. Some won't, and then you're in trouble big time, health wise.

Especially with a kitten I'd be very vigilant about any possible weight loss and I'd totally keep the vet in the loop.

Also, some foods seem to be too rich for many cats, and you end up with soft stool, etc.

Since it's a kitten I would continue the free feeding for a while longer. It would be different if it was an adult. I wouldn't worry too much about the soft stools yet either. Some cats just have sensitive bellies and will react to any little change. It could take a few weeks for them to get used to the new food.

You could try adding some fiber to her diet to firm up the stool. I've read that using Psyllium Husk Powder as fiber in a cat's diet works very well. You may want to check that out. There are several articles about it if you google it.

http://pets.webmd.com/cats/guide/fee...ood-and-treats
http://www.cat-behavior-explained.co...g-kittens.html
http://www.catsofaustralia.com/care-new-kitten.htm
http://www.best-cat-tips.com/CatFood.htm
http://www.catster.com/kittens/feeding-kittens

Nowhere online can I find the suggestion to free-feed. At all ages cats should be fed meals, to establish a routine and keep the cat happy and out from under your feet.

As long as the OP knows how much her cat is already eating and puts out that much 3 or 4 times a day, then her cat will be just fine.



Cyndersmom - If you feel more comfortable talking to your vet about it, that's fine, but they need to be a certified cat nutritionist because otherwise the only training they've had is from Hills or Canin. (Yes, the food companies.) Same reason why you would go to a dietician about weight loss and not your regular M.D.
Either way, it's good to get meal times established when he's young because it'll be harder when he's old and set in his ways.

you know, the internet is great, but it's no substitute for professonal medical care...and even the WebMD site (which is the only one I'd even bring to my vet for review) says:

"Young cats need more frequent feeding,” Bough says, “But as they get older, they can go to twice-a-day feeding.”

Larsen agrees that it’s fine for young kittens to “free feed,” by making unlimited kitten food available to them all day long, and then to transition to meal eating around four to six months of age. Free-choice feeding has the additional benefit of reducing stomach distention resulting from rapid meal eating. It also helps underweight or slow-growing kittens. Of course, it’s not the best option for overweight or obese kittens. For these kittens, measured portions offered as meals or until gone is a better choice. Check packages for suggested amounts. Even with the energy needs of kittens, overfeeding can become a big problem.

“Especially control intake around the time of spaying and neutering, which increases the risk for obesity,” Larsen says. “Preventing obesity is preferable to addressing it once it’s already occurred.”

Again, IMO, when you're talking about a kitten and thinking of making a big switch in foods (especially if the kitten doesn't seem to want to eat the new food), it's imperative to keep your own vet very much in the loop. And, yep, not so many certified feline nutritionists out there in general - especially on the web.

Now, maybe if the OP is at home all day long, every day, that might make timed feedings somewhat do-able in the case of a young kitten. If not, well, free feeding a kitten is not a bad idea assuming weight increases as it should. The vet can also help figure out portion sizes if you want to do measured feedings while you're not home.

Also, I'm not a big advocate of leaving wet food down more than 20-30 minutes (just like I'm not big on leaving human food out terribly long). Other people have different opinions, but I've had food poisoning myself, and am not willing to risk it in my house, for anyone living there. Besides, dried up wet food isn't very appetizing to anyone or any cat, I think.

The key thing is, I think, that a cat both thrives and enjoys his food - doesn't make a bit different what rating that food gets on the internet when it comes right down to it.