What to feed a 5-month-old kitten?

nwfn

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I got a kitten yesterday :) She is 3.5 lbs at 5 months old, which seems small for her age, but she's active and eating. She was eating Performatrin before I got her, so I got a bag of that, plus some cans, but it doesn't seem like the healthiest brand ever. What canned food should I switch her to?
 

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The best comparison chart for canned foods is on www.catinfo.org. Dr. Lisa Pierson has broken down the foods into protein/fat/carbs. Basically, you want high animal protein / moderate fat / low to no carbs. For a growing kitty, a higher fat percentage is fine especially if underweight. Some brands that I would recommend are Hound & Gatos, EVO, and Nature's Variety Instinct.
 
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nwfn

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Thank you, that is just what I need! 
 
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nwfn

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Well, I tried Nature's Variety Instinct today. Kitty was NOT impressed. Refused to touch it. Good thing I only got one can.

Back to the pet food store tomorrow to find something else!
 

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I've got a very picky cat when it comes to food. He was a kibble addict for 15 years and I tried for years to get him to eat wet canned cat food. When I finally did, he liked Nutro Natural Choice in the sliced and minced texture flavors of chicken, turkey, cod and chicken & tuna since he won't touch pate.

Recently, I found out he also likes Sheba wet canned cat food again, only in the slices texture and flavors of chicken, tuna and mixed grill.

Both brands are grain free too. I buy both NNC and Sheba at Petsmart. The NCC normally sells for $1.19 for a 3 ounce can, but it's on sale now for $1.00 a can. Sheba normally sells for $0.59 for a 3 ounce can, but it too is now on sale for $0.50 for a 3 ounce can since I went yesterday to Petsmart to "stock up".
 
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nwfn

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I couldn't find Hound and Gatos at any store near me, and EVO has got carrageenan, so I've moved on to some other picks from catinfo.org. I checked Tiki Cat; it looks good and is readily available at nearby pet stores. So tonight Miss Chloe will try their Succulent Chicken and hopefully like it!

Hmm Nutro Natural Choice looks like an okay pick, though higher in carbs than some others. I *think* I spotted it at one store nearby, so that might be an option if Tiki Cat doesn't work out. Weruva is another good looking option.
 
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nwfn

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Another thumbs down to Tiki Cat :( Back to the pet food store(s) tomorrow.
 
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nwfn

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I found a better pet food store today, and I got a variety of stuff to try:

Hound & Gatos

Nutro Natural Choice

Pride

Weruva

Murr (too expensive for a regular diet, but I'll try anything once at this point)

I gave Miss Chloe some Hound & Gatos at dinner tonight, but she didn't bite. One down, four to go before I tear my hair out.
 

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Have you tried any of the transition tips listed here? http://www.catinfo.org/docs/TipsForTransitioning1-14-11.pdf

Most kibble addicts take some persuading before they can be convinced that canned food is good. Most kibbles are sprayed with animal digest which makes it very tasty. One trick is to use Fortiflora (marketed as a probiotic but has animal digest as first ingredient) as a topper. Just sprinkle a little on top of the canned you want her to eat. Other toppers to try are crushed kibble, bonito flakes, parmesan cheese, crumbled freeze-dried meat and organ treats, etc. Hey, you are smarter than your cat. You will outwit her.
 

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Weruva is good choice, another brand they make is Soulistic (exclusively for petco) Its just as good! My kitten actually prefers it for some reason XD And on the plus side its cheaper x3 You could also try Wellness my kitten loves wellness. She also loves Evo, I tend to find this at local pet stores and online. For some reason thats all I can think of at the moment....I'm drawing blanks XD haha time for bed.
 
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nwfn

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She's not a kibble addict per se; she will eat her Performatrin canned food and prefers it to the kibble when it's fresh. I'm not crazy about the ingredients in the Performatrin, though. It's got carrageenan and some other poor dietary choices; overall, not as bad as grocery store brands, but it could be better. Right now she's about 50/50 dry/canned. I'd feed her more canned if I could, but she tends to eat in smaller meals right now. My end goal is to find a GOOD canned food she will eat and then transition her to two canned meals a day with zero dried.

The fortiflora is a good idea though. If the rest of my canned selections fail to entice her, I will try that next. I was thinking of catnip as a topper even though I'm not really into drugging my kitten, especially since she already runs around like a nutcase most of the time! The fortiflora sounds like a healthy alternative to that.
 
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nwfn

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Miss Chloe went to the vet today. Since she's a little skinny, I got talking with the vet about food. She gave the usual spiel about how dried is better than canned because "it's crunchy and it cleans their teeth", followed by a plug for Royal Canin. I smiled and nodded. No use arguing with vets who think they are nutritionists. But if I told a human that they should eat crunchy foods to clean their teeth, I would sound like an idiot. Why is this claim taken seriously for cats? Sigh.

Anyway I'll probably skip giving her a new food today because she's zonked from the vet. Tomorrow: Nutro Natural Choice!
 
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nwfn

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Nutro Natural Choice is the winner! I gave her the soft loaf kitten food this morning, and she was even licking it out of the can before I could serve her! It probably helps that the texture is closer to the Performatrin she likes. Mission accomplished. Thanks so much for your help.

Oh wow, and she even finished a whole 1.5 oz of the stuff within 1.5 hrs! She has NEVER licked her bowl almost clean before. I'm sooo happy because she needs to put on weight. Thank you thank you.
 
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nwfn

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The chicken flavor. It's the only one for kittens I think, though I'm sure the adult food would also be fine.

Went back to the pet food store this morning and bought every tin of the stuff they had :)
 
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nwfn

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Argh, I just realized that the adult Nutro cans contain carrageenan! Thankfully the kitten ones don't. At least I'm okay for six months. Maybe I can switch her to raw by then :)
 
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