Wanting the best for my kitten - what do you feed yours?

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harleysdad

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Thanks to everyone who's replied, I've loved reading about what you feed your kitty(s). :)

I believe what you feed your cat has such a direct effect on their long term health, I want to make sure I get it right!
 

chromium blues

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Definitely. It makes a huge difference in the overall health of the cat when they're fed a good quality diet. I've fostered several cats for animal control who came to me on "shelter mix." After a month on good food, their dull coats were shiny, their digestion improved, and their body odor was gone. I'm seeing that change now in a cat we took in just before Christmas. Its amazing what good food can do. I'm glad you're starting your little one out right!
 

raintyger

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Isn't Ziwipeak a brand from New Zealand?

If you feed raw, make sure you don't combine raw and dry. The dry slows down the digestion and increases the likelihood of bad bacterial growth in the colon.
 

lokhismom

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I free feed GO. Dry food grain free. I have been feeding them an Italian wet food called OK. I'm thinking of switching them to me merrick grain free wet food but I'm very I'm very limited with flavour. Meat, chicken, two sorts of tuna and one of salmon. I need advice.
Merrick is a good brand.   I'd go with the chicken.    Very good choice. 
What other brands do you have access to?
 

horatiothecat

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Hi.

Horatio eats Hill's science diet as an staple.


And as treat he eats some snacks that I prepare him as follows.


One and a half pound of ground beef.
Two little cans of sardine in olive oil.
4 chicken livers and 5 chicken hearts.
An small beetroot the size of a big lemon if you don't find it that size buy a bigger one and cut a piece about the size needed.
One small carrot.
Five spinach leaves.
4 or five egg shells previously washed ans milled.

Preparation.

Boil the vegetables but just not too much because they would loose their nutitional value, same with the chicken livers and hearts.

Once boiled let them to get cold and chop the vegetables, hearts and livers into very little pieces, you can use a food processor I dont have any so I do it the old way, I chop them.

Once chopped add them to the ground beef along to the two sardine cans and the milled egg shells, mix it alltogether with your bare hands.

One mixed make little balls the size of meatballs and wrap them with Cellophane and get them into the freezer.

Feed the cat once or twice a week one of those balls, you previously have them thawed, never serve them cold wait it to be room temperature.





Horatio eats them as an snack twice a week but never misses staple of dry food.

I also give him every once in a while a little can of cat food as an snack, he doesn't really need to eat cans because he drinks a lot if water everyday.



Cheers.
 
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stewball

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Merrick is a good
brand.   I'd go with the chicken.    Very good choice. 

What other brands do you have access to
I'm going to go to another animal shop that has as larger selection.
They don't like merrick .
 

rupertoooo

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What brands are available to you in Australia?  I am pretty certain that Purina, Hills, Nutro and Royal Canin are available in Australia however I would recommend Canidae (grain free varieties only) and ZiwiPeak  which are probably available to you (in canned of course).  I would take a strong look at the ZiwiPeak because they offer a Venison protein source as well as a Rabbit/Lamb.  

However with that said maybe other brands are available to you with Wellness Core and Natures Variety coming to mind.  
 

chwx

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Coming in a bit late but figured I'd throw in my 2 cents. :)

I feed my cats a huge variety of things. Mostly canned and kibble because it fits my budget and space the best but mine do get some homemade and raw. I try to stick with raw but they are crazy over my dogs homemade food so sometimes they get a spoonful or two of it, though not often since I don't add taurine and I puree veggies in it. I rotate kibble brands every 1-2 bags (I use big bags because I have several kitties!) and I have a cabinet in my kitchen specifically for their canned which I try to keep at no less than 6 different brands and 15 different flavors, though depending on sales I catch and coupons I get there can easily be double that. I try to feed a different flavor every day and sometimes my cats won't eat the same food twice in a month when I'm really stocked up. I feel variety is the key to the best nutrition, it helps round it all out over time. I also feel that it helps prevent pickiness, wouldn't you hate to eat the same stuff every day?? I do however try to stick with pate foods since they're typically lower in carbs.

I'd go pick out a few different foods to start with. Read the labels and try to pick those that are grain, fruit and veggie free. (Fancy Feast Classic would fall under this!) -Personally- I have no issues with byproducts but that is left up to personal opinion. I'd rather my cats eat byproducts that come from an animal than spinach or sweet potato. Starting off different foods and textures (including raw) now will help kitty see them as actual food, a problem which tends to occur when adult cats are fed one or two things their entire life and don't realize new stuff is "food". My Oliver is a prime example of that. :lol3: My two that I started feeding raw foods to as kittens will happily chew up a chunk of meat but Oliver has NO CLUE what it is and won't touch it! He was fed kibble for the first 5 years of his life though with only a little canned once or twice a week as a "treat". It took me FOREVER to get him to eat larger amounts of wet food and even now (a year later) has a strong preference for kibble.
 

chwx

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Oh and I add extra (warm) water to their canned meal. Helps bring out the aroma of the food and ensure they are hydrated. :)
 

chromium blues

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I can get it here but it's not grain free. Advice please.
If you can still get Techni-Cal, check your best before dates, because that stuff's been discontinued for quite awhile now. I fed that one for ages. My cats loved it, I was happy with it, and we were all upset when it went. Grain-Free? I don't think I'm the best one to answer that, as I really don't feed grain-free diets. However, look for something balanced with enough fibre. Merrick makes a good product, for instance.
 

siold

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I ONLY feed Hills. My 21 year old cat can attest that it is the best food. I would never even consider feeding another brand. All my cats eat their grain free formula and I couldn't possibly ask for anything better.
 
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harleysdad

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Hi everyone :wavey:

I've decided to get a couple of different wet food options. All premium, and as healthy as I could find.

"Wellness" has a kitten food which has had amazing reviews, and also "Natures Gift" too - both sound and look to be high quality and grain free. They are also both available to me here in Australia although "Wellness" is only available through PetBarn, "Natures Gift" can be found at the pet shop or a supermarket.
I've also found a high protein grain free dry food which I'm glad about. I pick him up on Saturday, so currently getting everything ready...


As you can see my bedroom is getting a little cluttered hahaha! The breeder sent me another picture of Harley yesterday... Here it is


To say I'm excited is an understatement!

Thanks to everyone, I'm sure I'll be on here with more questions once I bring him home :nod:
 
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2cats4me

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Wow !  That is awesome .. Congrats  to you on your new addition .. Harley is one lucky baby ..  He is adorable ..
 
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harleysdad

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Thanks 2Cats4me :D I'm the lucky one, getting such a gorgeous fur baby on Saturday! :clap:
 

bonepicker

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Lucky little Dude, only child you can tell![emoji]10084[/emoji]️[emoji]128062[/emoji][emoji]10084[/emoji]️[emoji]128062[/emoji][emoji]10084[/emoji]️[emoji]128576[/emoji]
 

lisahe

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What kind of kitten is Harley? Beyond, that is, very cute! (He has the Siamese-ish points but long fur... I don't know much about all this...)
 
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harleysdad

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Thank you :D Harley is a Ragdoll. They are a relatively new breed started in the 60's in California. They are called "Ragdoll" because when you pick them up, they go totally limp like a ragdoll. There are different colours and markings, Harley is what they call a "Blue Point". The Ragdoll breed is a slow maturing cat and he won't reach full size and markings until he is about 3 or 4 years old, and end up looking something like this...


They are the second largest domesticated cat after the Maine Coon, with the males growing considerably larger than the females. Take a look at the size of these!




I've wanted a Ragdoll for years ever since I met one at a friends house. I was amazed how friendly she was, how confident she was around people and how beautiful her blue eyes were. Harley is going to be a great companion for many years, I'm so pleased he's coming home soon :)
 
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purrsngrrs

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Its so good to see so many ideas related to cat foods. I think members of this forum are really good cats owners.
 
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