We just adopted a 7month old kitten who is used to wet food. We want to put her on dry food but are unsure about how to do so and still have her eat the appropriate amounts. Suggestions please. (never had a kitten before)
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Kitten Food wet/dry ratio?
- Thread starter nekomia
- Start Date
For her health, it's actually best to keep her on the wet food only diet: http://www.catinfo.org It will most likely save you vet bills long term. :nod:
If cost is an issue, perhaps we can help you identify healthy affordable canned food?
If feeding times are the issue, we may be able to help with ideas there too.
If cost is an issue, perhaps we can help you identify healthy affordable canned food?
If feeding times are the issue, we may be able to help with ideas there too.
Hi nekoMia
Personally I would prefer an all wet diet but sometimes that is not possible. Can you elaborate on why you want to switch from wet to dry? There are economical wet foods out there that you may not be aware of that would be fine for your kitten. If you need to stick with kibble, try to buy the kibble with the best possible nutrition your budget can afford.
Let us know a smidge more information and there will be lots of help for you! Again, congrats on the new kitty
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #4
Thanks for the reply, I guess I'd always heard that it was better for a cat to be on Dry food as opposed to wet. Right now We're using Fancy Feast as a wet canned food. Our little baby seems to like Tuna the best
. I want to make sure we can feed our Mia the right amount she needs so if you have any suggestions about which wet food would be best I'd really appreciate it.
Thanks again!
Thanks again!
I would use tuna very sparingly, fish isn't a complete diet for a cat.... I know there are links around here somewhere, here's one- http://catnutrition.wordpress.com/2007/09/22/eight-strikes-against-fishy-feeding-for-cats/
I would try to get her interested in something besides the fish. FF is not a bad food and the classic is really on par with some of the pricier foods ingredient wise. You can check out the Nutro Max Cat line. It's one of the more economical of the premium food lines. You can find it at http://www.nutro.com/natural-pet-food/natural-cat-food.aspx. I would definitely keep her on the wet diet since she's already on it and your budget can handle it. Dry tends to be calorie and carb dense and if the cat isn't drinking enough water, UTIs can result as well as diabetes and other problems. Wet food provided required hydration for you cat if they don't drink much out of the water bowl.Thanks for the reply, I guess I'd always heard that it was better for a cat to be on Dry food as opposed to wet. Right now We're using Fancy Feast as a wet canned food. Our little baby seems to like Tuna the best. I want to make sure we can feed our Mia the right amount she needs so if you have any suggestions about which wet food would be best I'd really appreciate it.
Thanks again!
My cats all have a diet of 90% wet to 10% kibble. Their wet is Nutro that I mentioned above and several other premium brands that I mix up to give them added texture and flavors.
My plans for feeding the wee ones, when they arrive at Christmas (they will be 11½ weeks old), is to give them:
http://www.zooplus.dk/shop/kat/kattefoder_vaadfoder/hills/kitten/182236
http://www.zooplus.dk/shop/kat/kattefoder_vaadfoder/royal_canin/kitten/182253
and for the dry food (until they are 4 months old):
http://www.zooplus.dk/shop/kat/kattefoder_toerfoder/royal_canin/health_kitten/182064
After New Years I will be away at the office again all day, so free access to wet food, kept for 8-9 hours in room temperature, is not an option, IMO.
I trust that if one is very diligent at changing their drinking water 2-3 times per day, they will drink sufficiently. If dry food was really such a hazard to their health, I am sure it would be more widely known.
- 1 portion bag of wet food to share in the morning
- Dry food available all day (R.C. BabyCat 34) - and water, of course
- 1 portion bag of wet food to share in the evening
- Twice a week a little raw fish, meat or chicken
- A daily small dose of Hunter salmon oil (very small in the beginning) for skin, fur and mucosa membranes
http://www.zooplus.dk/shop/kat/kattefoder_vaadfoder/hills/kitten/182236
http://www.zooplus.dk/shop/kat/kattefoder_vaadfoder/royal_canin/kitten/182253
and for the dry food (until they are 4 months old):
http://www.zooplus.dk/shop/kat/kattefoder_toerfoder/royal_canin/health_kitten/182064
After New Years I will be away at the office again all day, so free access to wet food, kept for 8-9 hours in room temperature, is not an option, IMO.
I trust that if one is very diligent at changing their drinking water 2-3 times per day, they will drink sufficiently. If dry food was really such a hazard to their health, I am sure it would be more widely known.
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But dry food not being ideal for cats IS widely known. Read some of the stickies in this section and you will see it being mentioned numerous times. Cats originally being desert creatures, don't have a high thirst drive and glean most of their water from their prey.
I've left wet food down for up to 12 hours (in room temp) and it has never harmed my cat. If it was "rotten" or "spoiled" my cat would not eat it.
Cats have been known to kill prey, go back to it hours later, and consume the remainder of the animal....
On this note, it seems vets are rarely aware of this. But recently there was an article in the local paper about "what to feed your pet" written by 2 local vets. All the usual yada yada, and of course a plug against raw. . .but they did say that cats should have at least half canned food, all canned if possible! I was pleasantly surprised.
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Hmmm....... I hear what you say. Perhaps I will increase on the wet food, but it will not be left out in their bowls during daytime.
But why would there be so many cat owners (me included) who will spend sizeable amounts of money on the "high-end" brands, if it's so unhealthy for the cat ? Surely, it can't all be marketing tricks and lies.
But why would there be so many cat owners (me included) who will spend sizeable amounts of money on the "high-end" brands, if it's so unhealthy for the cat ? Surely, it can't all be marketing tricks and lies.
[quote name="Pariscat" url="/t/250988/kitten-food-wet-dry-ratio#post_3275882]
But why would there be so many cat owners (me included) who will spend sizeable amounts of money on the "high-end" brands, if it's so unhealthy for the cat ? Surely, it can't all be marketing tricks and lies.
[/quote]
Cats aren't designed to eat dry foods. I guess if you get down to it, no creature is, really :tongue2:. But it's convenient and easy for the owner, like cereal for humans. Except at least humans eat cereal with milk, usually. Some dry foods are better than others, certainly, so it's not all "marketing tricks and lies". But they're still. . .dry. And there have been very few cat-specific nutrional studies---most studies are done on dogs and they extrapolate the info to apply to cats :/. And since dogs are more scavengers than hunters, and most will drink enough water to keep themselves hydrated while eating kibble, kibble isn't nearly as bad for them. But you gotta know something's wrong when nearly every older cat in the country has some level of kidney failure, and urinary issues are incredibly common. . .maybe it's the food?
But why would there be so many cat owners (me included) who will spend sizeable amounts of money on the "high-end" brands, if it's so unhealthy for the cat ? Surely, it can't all be marketing tricks and lies.
[/quote]
Cats aren't designed to eat dry foods. I guess if you get down to it, no creature is, really :tongue2:. But it's convenient and easy for the owner, like cereal for humans. Except at least humans eat cereal with milk, usually. Some dry foods are better than others, certainly, so it's not all "marketing tricks and lies". But they're still. . .dry. And there have been very few cat-specific nutrional studies---most studies are done on dogs and they extrapolate the info to apply to cats :/. And since dogs are more scavengers than hunters, and most will drink enough water to keep themselves hydrated while eating kibble, kibble isn't nearly as bad for them. But you gotta know something's wrong when nearly every older cat in the country has some level of kidney failure, and urinary issues are incredibly common. . .maybe it's the food?
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OK, I get the point. But as most persons I have a full time job, and have to go away to the office at 7:00 and don't return till 17:30.
I can give them breakfast (wet food) and dinner (wet food again) - but in between they will just have to make do with the kibbles. And water.
Are there any tricks to make them drink more water ? Add a little liquid from the tuna cans ?
I can give them breakfast (wet food) and dinner (wet food again) - but in between they will just have to make do with the kibbles. And water.
Are there any tricks to make them drink more water ? Add a little liquid from the tuna cans ?
Congrats on the new kitten.
You could buy a timed automatic feeder, the kind that accomodates ice packs, so the kitten can get some food mid day. You could also put out an appropriate amount of FROZEN canned cat food; by the time it defrosts, it will be mid day.
Some cats go crazy over pet fountains, especially if they are "fresh flow". I'd be careful about adding a little liquid from the tuna cans--most contain way too much sodium for cats.
I am gone for 11 hours during the work day, but Ritz is an adult cat, and is use to eating at 3:30 a.m.; 6 a.m. and when I get home around 6:30 p.m. (18:30). During the weekends, I do give her a mid afternoon snack.
You could buy a timed automatic feeder, the kind that accomodates ice packs, so the kitten can get some food mid day. You could also put out an appropriate amount of FROZEN canned cat food; by the time it defrosts, it will be mid day.
Some cats go crazy over pet fountains, especially if they are "fresh flow". I'd be careful about adding a little liquid from the tuna cans--most contain way too much sodium for cats.
I am gone for 11 hours during the work day, but Ritz is an adult cat, and is use to eating at 3:30 a.m.; 6 a.m. and when I get home around 6:30 p.m. (18:30). During the weekends, I do give her a mid afternoon snack.
