Can someone help with finding a good food?

kitcatmeow

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I have 2 kittens, one is 5 months old, one is 10 weeks old. Right now hey both eat science diet, because my oldest cam from the spca and that is what he was being fed, and they gave me coupons. They have had a few different brands of canned food some they like some they don't, but not on a regular basis. My first cat that I had a while ago, was picky and she didn't like any canned food I tried so I never bothered and she only got dry food. Since I have been reading threads on this site I have noticed most of you feed canned food and seem to feel it is healthier.
Can someone explain (simply) why canned is better? Also could you list a few that are affordable. I am also having a hard time finding canned food that is mad for kittens, does that matter too much? I would like to grab them some to try and start figuring out what they like best so I can feed it to them regularly. I would like something healthy and good for them. however my husband just lost s job and we have 3 young kids too, so nothing that will be too expensive.
Also how often should I feed the canned and what size? Im afraid to leave canned food out to long, I don't want it to spoil. Right now I do about a cup of dry food, in both thier bowls twice a day, they don't always eat it at once. they also drink quite a bit of water.
 

pinkdagger

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If you haven't been through them already, there are some articles on TCS that can offer some insight:

Choosing The Right Food for Your Cat and you

What Makes the Best Canned Cat Food?

And a lot of us recommend Dr. Pierson's website for a good read about comparing the quality of foods available for cats, comparing the wet vs dry and her experiences with issues related to diet:

http://www.catinfo.org/

http://www.catinfo.org/docs/FoodChartPublic9-22-12.pdf

There are also many, many existing threads where people have asked the exact same question. The long and short of it is that most cats typically don't drink enough water, so they're chronically dehydrated, which can lead to things like kidney problems, which is hugely prevalent in cats. Evolutionarily, they learned to survive by getting their hydration directly from their food source (smaller prey animals), so it's out of their nature to go out of their way to find water, especially still (which would mean stagnant) water.

Some affordable but still decent wet foods would be Sheba, Friskies, Fancy Feast, and I think Grreat Choice is an alright food too, and they're all very affordable and readily available. If you're interested in any of those foods, aim for the pates. They're lower in carb, and in the case of Fancy Feast, the Classics line is  even grain-free.

Some other threads if you want more food for thought:

http://www.thecatsite.com/newsearch?search=wet+food+vs+dry+food
 
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maureen brad

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Feed grain free canned food. The Fancy Feast Classic is grain free and very affordable. If you feed grain free I don't think you have to worry if it specifically a food labeled for kittens. Fancy Feast comes in very small cans. If you have EVO brand in stores near you the cans are bigger and not to expensive. Their Cat/Kitten foods have been my cats favorite before I switched to raw. Often ordering by the case saves money.

I see ankitty referred you to Dr. Pierson's article. That is the best explanation I have ever read on the reasons cats should never eat kibble.
 
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kitcatmeow

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Thank you, I read some articles. How much should I give them 2 cans a day? A few canned foods I tried before made my oldest kitten smelly. I though what I got was grain free but maybe it wasnt and that's what made him stinky?
 

ankitty

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From FF Website:

"SUGGESTED DAILY FEEDING

Feed an average size adult cat 1 can per 3 ½ pounds of body weight daily. Feed up to twice this amount to kittens. Pregnant or nursing cats may require two to four times their normal feeding."

Do you remember which food made your kitty stinky? Do you mean kitty's poop got stinky?
 

pinkdagger

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Bear in mind that kittens have a lot more energy and generally what I've seen recommended (as I've never had a young kitten) is that they be able to eat as much as they want. As you wean them onto your desired food, you can wean them off of Science Diet. With wet food, meal feedings work better to avoid spoilage so maybe offer them the dry food all day, and put down a tablespoon or two of the wet food several times a day.

Was the cat itself smelly, or just their poops? It could be an ingredient like fish or a certain protein that wasn't agreeing with the kitten.
 

lokhismom

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Thank you, I read some articles. How much should I give them 2 cans a day? A few canned foods I tried before made my oldest kitten smelly. I though what I got was grain free but maybe it wasnt and that's what made him stinky?
Yours are still kittens so feed them as much as they want until they are around 1 yrs old.   Try and feed them small meals spread thru out the day.   I have 2 kittens not yet 1 yrs old and I feed them something like a 3 oz can each in the morning( cats tend to be most hungry in the morning).  Lunch I split a 3 oz can between them(I often have to skip this meal when I'm at work).  

When I get home from work  they each get a 3 oz can.  Then before I got to bed I split a 3 oz can.   So my kittens get about 7 to 8 oz's a day depending on my schedule, their appetite.  As they get older that should go down. I hope so.  Most cats seem to eat about 5 to 6 oz's a day. That's 2 of the smaller cans or 1 of the larger cans.   But each cat is different.  You just have to watch their weight.    

As you can read from all the articles feeding them a grain free wet diet is much healthier than any kind of dry.  I'd cut out the dry.  Sometimes feeding dry tends to have cats preferring that to their wet and refusing to eat wet. 

If you go to placeslike Petco or Petsmart there are many grain free wet options to choose from.  Or if you go supermarkets or Walmart there are cheaper alternatives like Fancy Feast Classics (make sure its the 'Classic" cans because those are the ones that are grain free)  or Sheba. 
 
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kitcatmeow

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We went to target and got a few cans, right now they share half a can in the morning and night. When I get more I will give them wet more and more. I may bulk order from Amazon or something, but I'd like to be able to order a variety. Neither Target, or tractor supply had much of a selection. I ended up with some purinea beyond, and fancy feast.
 
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