Needing advice, 11 week old kitten nutrition.

We adopted a lovely kitten from the shelter about 4 weeks ago. He has quickly became our world.

We've taken him to the vet.. Got his shots, had him tested for the pesky diseases (FIV and leukemia - both neg.)

Our vet has wormed him twice now.

The shelter sent us home with a bag of Hills Science Diet for adults and said that was what he was used to eating.. I was suspicious but we tried it anyway. Needless to say, after he was not eating we rushed to the store to get a kitten food. We ended up getting Purina Kitten chow.

He seems to like it quite well. But, I've read some not so favorable reviews about it. We have been feeding him about a half a can of soft food once a day. Have been trying some different brands from Petco. Fancy feast, Wellness, Purina Pro Plan, and Hills Science Diet for kittens.

Today he threw up what seemed to be partially digested soft food. I understand that throwing up can sometimes be no cause for alarm. But, having not had a pet in quite some time.. And wanting to give this cat the best life possible.. I would like suggestions on the absolute best nutrition for indoor kittens.

Budget isn't an issue. However, I do not have a Petsmart in my area.. But a petco. If needed I am willing to order online.

Any suggestions would be so much appreciated. Thanks so much.

elle918 said:

We adopted a lovely kitten from the shelter about 4 weeks ago. He has quickly became our world.

We've taken him to the vet.. Got his shots, had him tested for the pesky diseases (FIV and leukemia - both neg.)

Our vet has wormed him twice now.

The shelter sent us home with a bag of Hills Science Diet for adults and said that was what he was used to eating.. I was suspicious but we tried it anyway. Needless to say, after he was not eating we rushed to the store to get a kitten food. We ended up getting Purina Kitten chow.

He seems to like it quite well. But, I've read some not so favorable reviews about it. We have been feeding him about a half a can of soft food once a day. Have been trying some different brands from Petco. Fancy feast, Wellness, Purina Pro Plan, and Hills Science Diet for kittens.

Today he threw up what seemed to be partially digested soft food. I understand that throwing up can sometimes be no cause for alarm. But, having not had a pet in quite some time.. And wanting to give this cat the best life possible.. I would like suggestions on the absolute best nutrition for indoor kittens.

Budget isn't an issue. However, I do not have a Petsmart in my area.. But a petco. If needed I am willing to order online.

Any suggestions would be so much appreciated. Thanks so much.

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Petco has lots of good stuff .  A few  kibble brands that  you could look at are  Wellness Core Kitten , Solid Gold Kitten , and Wellness has a new formula out called Tru Food  . It comes in wet and dry formulas . It looks pretty interesting . 

http://www.petco.com/product/127822...en-Lentils-And-Chicken-Liver-Kitten-Food.aspx

http://www.petco.com/product/127834/Wellness-TruFood-Tasty-Pairings-Grain-Free-Wet-Cat-Food.aspx

elle918 said:

. We have been feeding him about a half a can of soft food once a day.
 

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That's not much food for a kitten. Check with your vet that you are feeding the correct quantity.  I was advised by my vet to feed mine as much as she will eat. I did this until she was about 7mths old and had stopped growing as much.

Grrr Cat said:

 
That's not much food for a kitten. Check with your vet that you are feeding the correct quantity.  I was advised by my vet to feed mine as much as she will eat. I did this until she was about 7mths old and had stopped growing as much.

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It is in addition to the Purina Kitten Chow that I leave for him to at as he pleases. When I asked my vet about nutrition, he recommended that I add a daily treat of soft food.  

Did you transition his food slowly or was it a fast jump thing? I know that can cause a cat to vomit and had to do it slow myself recently with my new kitten (was taking him off Purina One kitten and put him on Canidae grain free chicken). Always find the "wet food as a treat" thing strange though.

The thing is, I don't believe he was actually eating the Science Diet for adults. We tried blending it with the Purina Kitten Chow. Although I appreciate the work all shelters do... the lady who handled our adoption seemed to just not really care about the well-being of the animals. For example, HE had a tag listing him as a female. She set  us up an appt for HIM to be spayed. My vet said there is NO way he was eating the adult Science Diet food at 7 weeks old. 

I just talked to a co-worker who recommended the Merrick grain free healthy kitten food. She owns 3 cats and swears by this brand. 

elle918 said:

 
It is in addition to the Purina Kitten Chow that I leave for him to at as he pleases. When I asked my vet about nutrition, he recommended that I add a daily treat of soft food.

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Thats good.

I would recommend

http://www.petco.com/product/118400...Brown-Rice-Kitten-Food.aspx?CoreCat=LookAhead

Mine doesn't like allot of dry food but loves this

elle918 said:

 
The thing is, I don't believe he was actually eating the Science Diet for adults. We tried blending it with the Purina Kitten Chow. Although I appreciate the work all shelters do... the lady who handled our adoption seemed to just not really care about the well-being of the animals. For example, HE had a tag listing him as a female. She set  us up an appt for HIM to be spayed. My vet said there is NO way he was eating the adult Science Diet food at 7 weeks old. 

I just talked to a co-worker who recommended the Merrick grain free healthy kitten food. She owns 3 cats and swears by this brand. 

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I was given the science diet as well, mine didn't eat it either.

I would recommend buying from a store that allows you to return dry food if the cat won't eat it. I spent about 100 dollar and gave the food away because she wouldn't eat it.

Grrr Cat said:

 
I was given the science diet as well, mine didn't eat it either.

I would recommend buying from a store that allows you to return dry food if the cat won't eat it. I spent about 100 dollar and gave the food away because she wouldn't eat it.

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The Petco in my area gives money back guarantee on foods that your cat won't eat/can't tolerate. Perhaps all Petco's do, but I do appreciate that.