Hello everyone. I'm new and have nutrition questions.

I have just taken in a Tabby Kitten. He is about 3 1/2 months, I'd guess. I have an appointment for him to be Neutered and get Vaccinations on Monday. He is very sweet and loves to sit on my lab and purr.

I have had cats in the past and fed dry food as I had always been told that was the best option. I am now considering the best diet I can for my new boy. Is a combination of dry and wet with a biweekly treat of raw chicken neck be a good diet?

How can I prepare the chicken neck to make sure it is safe? Any special way to clean it, other than pure water? How old should he be when I start feeding him the raw neck?

Welcome to The Cat Site.
There are LOADS of articles about the best food for cats on The Cat Site.
Wet food is better for cats than dry food, in most every instance. But some people's schedules don't allow for 100% wet food. Here is an article about this.
Here is an article about wet food and one about dry food.
Why did you decide on a chicken neck, just curious. Are you considering feeding 100% raw in the future? There are lots of articles about raw feeding too on TCS. Here is one to get you started. You need to be well informed before you start feeding raw.
Chicken neck might be a little much for a kitten. To build up his/her jaw muscles, you might try chicken gizzards. You could try a chicken wing (the smallest part of the wing). Take the precautions you would take if you were going to eat the chicken (in other words, don't leave it out on the counter for two hours and then feed it to your cat!). Common sense. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES should you feed your cat cooked bone, including chicken neck.
You should also be careful that your kitten doesn't eat too much bone--it can cause constipation.

Hello, and congratulations on your new kitten!

You can find useful resources about raw feeding at stickies on top of this forum. Here's one example:

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/263955/helpful-resources-raw-home-cooked-cat-food-forum

Opinions vary, but my research - including the very convincing case made by a veterinarian at http://catinfo.org/ - led me to believe that dry food would be harmful. The least expensive and most reliable solution for me was raw feeding, which requires that you ensure the food provides balanced nutrition. The links above includes recipes, should you be interested in this option.

My understanding is that almost any canned food is preferable to dry. The resources I linked include information on what to look for in canned food.

The raw chicken neck is an excellent treat, both nutritionally and because it helps clean your kitten's teeth and strengthen his jaws.

I fed my kitten raw wing tips when he was just under four months. I started the chicken necks around five months. I initially smashed the necks with a mallet to make them easier for him to eat. He can handle them as they are now. I don't rinse raw meat, because my understanding (from the CDC) is that doing that spreads more bacteria than it eliminates. Cats are pretty resistant to bacteria, and I have not had any problems with feeding raw, unrinsed meat. That being said, I know quite a few people who soak or rinse the meat with diluted white vinegar.

Thank you both so much. I will read and research all the articles. I guess there is a lot to think about when deciding. I guess I thought a combo of all three might be a good idea, to maybe make sure all nutrients are covered. I had always thought the dry cleaned the teeth. But the chicken necks would serve the same purpose. I don't think a total raw diet is something I can do, as I will be going back to work on Sept 1st after my recovery from a severe arm fracture and surgery. That's why I thought possible a couple times a week would be a good addition to a more conventional diet. And add a more natural experience for him.

Kittens need to be fed frequently and as much as they want, so dry feeding may help you while at work.  Others can help with good choices like EVO, Orijin, and others.

I think introducing raw now is a good idea, when he's young enough to recognize it as food.  You can feed up to 15% of the diet as raw and not supplemented, so that equals one full day a week.  You don't have to feed it all in one day, that just helps you figure out how many meals you can feed raw.  If you feed 2 times a day, then 2 meals a week can be raw.  Some people want to add a little to every meal and while that seems OK, my concern is how do you know you're giving only 15% of that meal as not-supplemented raw?  So, I prefer to tell people to consider whole meals instead, it's easier math that way.  Also, look in the stickies of this forum for premixes.  That might be a way to go too.  You could mix and match any meals then since it will be properly balanced raw with properly balanced canned, whatever. 

As far as rinsing raw chicken, I guess it's a personal choice.  I rinse, but I'm don't splash juices all over my kitchen like a 5 year old taking a bubble bath either.  I rinse because I often have to leave chicken in a clean sink full of cold water to defrost it.  I just feel better rinsing it afterwards.  Maybe it doesn't do anything, maybe it does. 

Keep asking questions as they come up!  Good on you for researching!

Peaches, thanks so much, I like the idea of a couple meals a week, of raw. What would be the very best canned good I could give him the rest of the time?

There's a list of low carb foods at www.catinfo.org, and many of the higher end foods are supposed to be pretty good.  I don't feed canned, so I'm not much help there. 

Thankyou