New Kitten

Hi everyone! I am new to this form and am interested in everyone's opinion. My husband and I will be new owners to a wonderful Ragdoll kitten in about a month. I am trying to educate my self and get educated on feeding my new baby. Growing up we had many cats but fed whatever was on sale and mostly dry food. I know it was not the greatest for their nutrition. For our new cat i was thinking of feeding a can of Weruva in the AM some kibble about 1/2 a cup of Orijen in the afternoon and another can of Weruva in the PM. I would like to for go dry all together but I was reading that Weruva is very lo cal and want to make sure that my growing kitten will be happy and full. I am trying to stay away from fish as much as possible and also plan on switching up the food every couple of months. Does this seem good? Any other suggestions? Thanks in advance   

Hello! congrats for your new kitty!

If you want to be sure the food is good for your kitten, check the nutrition label and pay attention to the protein levels. The protein is one of the most important things for kitten development. They need at least 30% of protein in their food, so be sure the food has 30% or more of protein. Also if it has meat by-products, a lot of grains (such as corn, rice etc) is not high quality. You can give him some dry food but be sure he drinks plenty of water.

I don't think changing the food every 2 months is a good idea, it can upset his stomach, better to keep a routine and see how he reacts to this food. If you notice some lose stools or if he pukes, you should consider changing the food. Not all cats are the same in this matter so some cats would prefer certain brands than others.

Thank you so much. I appreciate it. i will definitely make sure to keep an eye on the protein. As for changing up I thought that it would be good so he don't become to finicky. 

I'm of the thought that it's good to use 2-3 different brands of canned food in a rotation. For the most part I stick to Nature's Variety, BFF/Weruva and Fromm. I do throw in the occasional Nulo and Natural Balance. Dry food is consistently Nature's Variety Instinct (LID Turkey formula) and Pride (Diva Duck formula.)

I would start slow with the kitten to make sure each protein/brand you choose is tolerated well. I would pick one protein first try that in a few brands (maybe feed one brand for a week and, if kitten is doing well, add in another brand for a week, etc...)

Now that I know what my cats tolerate and like, I feed the 3 different brands several times a week. (They're currently liking the BFF and Fromm more right now, so I feed that more than the other.)

I definitely will stick with each food for about a month or 2. Natures variety instinct seems to be another highly recommend food as well. I just want to make sure my little one doesn't become super picky but can tolerate change.

Have you considered feeding him only wet food and not the dry?  Its much healthier for kitties. 

I have and that is what I initially wanted to do. I'm looking for a good wet food that has a good amount of calories as well as protein. Weruva looks awesome but I would have to feed approximately 1 1/2 to 2 cans per feeding which will be costly. 2x a day. Any suggestions on a good wet?

Nature's Variety Instinct is good (both the canned and the dry.) It has a good caloric value as well.

Wellness is a decent option as well, though does contain carrageenan...not sure if that matters to you or not. Wellness comes in several texture options (pâté, sliced and minced.)

Evo is another good option...high protein, low carb...also contains carrageenan

Wild Calling uses some different proteins..chicken, turkey, duck, rabbit, salmon and buffalo

Also, how old will the kitten be when you get it? For really young kittens (under 4 mo) they will need around 4 meals a day if only feeding canned.

I personally feel that kittens 6-12 months do best on 3 meals a day and once they reach a year, you can see how they do on 2 daily meals.

Thank you so much CatPack. All the food will be something I look into. The only one I will probably stay away from would be Evo as they have a ton of recalls. May I ask what is carrageenan? I have read bits here and there but have not been educated on it. Many thanks!

jwilliamson said:

I have and that is what I initially wanted to do. I'm looking for a good wet food that has a good amount of calories as well as protein. Weruva looks awesome but I would have to feed approximately 1 1/2 to 2 cans per feeding which will be costly. 2x a day. Any suggestions on a good wet?

Click to expand...

I feed to my 7 month old kitty

ZiwiPeak rabbit, lamb.   (Expensive but I think worth it)

Natures Variety chicken, rabbit.  They also have a Pride line he also enjoys.  

Nutro Natural choice chicken and turkey loafs he loves

Weruva 

Tiki Cat - the 2 chicken flavours which are the only ones not fished based

Wellness grain free pouches

These links may be helpful

http://www.catinfo.org/docs/Feeding Your Cat - 4 pages 11-13.pdf

http://catcentric.org/care-and-health/how-often-should-you-feed-your-cat/

Carrageenan is a thickening agent that is used in many canned pet foods (and many human products as well.) It is made from seaweed. It is a controversial ingredient because there is question as to whether is it a carcinogen or not. You'll have to do your own research on it and decide if it's an issue for you.

I avoid it (Agar-Agar...which is similar to carrageenan) because my IBD kitties cannot tolerate it.

Thanks so much for the info on the feedings. I want to make sure my lil boy is full and content. After reading up on carrageenan I believe I will definitely stay away from it. it seems easier to avoid rather than regretting later down the road.