Soon-to-be NEW Maine Coon owner needs advice!

New to this board & soon to be the new Daddy of a female Maine Coon.
I grew up having dogs, never owned a cat...EVER, so I need some advice here. Can someone please explain to me the differences in dry & wet food (other than of course the texture). Are there benefits to one over the other? Also, is there one brand of wet or dry that seems to be above the others on the market? I want to be the perfect owner/dad that I can be, but my knowledge is somewhat limited (like most new fathers...hahahahaha). Any opinions and information would be greatly appreciated.
thanks, dave

I now see Purrs question. Sorry guys. D'OH!

any brands you prefer? purrs question only mentions 1-3 brands....any more? thanks

Congratulations on your soon-to-be addition! Main Coons are so cool!!

There are a lot of threads on the dry versus wet debate on this website. I would offer the synopsis that most folks in here feed dry, with supplemental wet as a treat each day.

Concerning which foods to buy - you will also see a lot of opinions on what is best (look in Health and Nutrician forum). If you buy more premium brands, you will find that they are more easily digestable, therefore reducing the amount of waste that you will ultimately scoop out of their litterbox. I'm a personal fan of Science Diet (kitten, maintenance, senior, etc) - partly because they are just used to it, and you can find it at most pet stores and vet clinics.

Find out before you pick up you new baby what kind of food they are eating now. Some cats will get diarreha from a rapid change of diet. If you choose to switch to another brand right away, gradually introduce them to the new over a 30 day period. For the first week, mix 25% in the old, second week 50-50, third week 75% new and finally switch them to the new the last week. Some cats don't have problems, but it's not worth your worry if they come home and get sick within the first week.

I encourage you to browse thru the Health and Nutrician site, as well as the Behavior site. In Behavior, you will see a number of threads on new cat behavior (yes, many stress out and need some additional TLC when you first bring them home).

You do realize that we want pics when you bring him home????

I only get Nutro for my cats , it has no by protuct in it . I don't know where you get your cat/kitten from . But if it is from a breeder I would ask her/him what they use .

I also would like to welcome here at TCS and hope you enjoy your stay .

As a former Maine Coon owner, I can give you some hints. Start brushing the kitten early. Maine coons get matts, esp around their neck. If you get the kitten used to being handled and brushed, these will be easier to deal with. They're a high energy cat who love to play and stalk. Laser lights, feathers, stuffed animals are all good bets.

Don't be surprised if your kitty will want to be in the same room with you ALWAYS. Maine coons are extremely loyal and dedicated. They will bond closly with 1 person in the house. The others will get her attention, but that person will get personalized love.

Here are some nutritional links to get you started :

http://www.messybeast.com/cat-food-industry.htm

http://www.maxshouse.com/feline_nutrition.htm

http://www.api4animals.org/doc.asp?ID=689


From my research I am leaning to more of a wet food/raw based diet than a dry based for my cat. Here are two links, including a 2003 AVMA conference that discusses the benefits of a wet food diet for cats.

http://www.avma.org/convention/recap/news/tuesday16.asp

http://www.blakkatz.com/dryfood.html

I would stay away from any food that is sold in your regular grocery stores since they are usually the cheapest foods and instead buy your food at a pet food store. There is a large selection of foods to choose from. I currently feed Nakita Wellness (wet and dry)but have used Royal Canin and Innova in the past as well.

You can also look at past food discussions by clicking the search button at the top of your screen for more info.