Starting them out the right way?

[SaraMV]

Hi, I was wondering how you all feed kittens when you get them, to try to avoid issues in the future?

I have not had a kitten in almost 5 years (she was 3 months old at the time) and up until my Taz was diagnosed with diabetes, she was mostly eating dry food. I would like to do things better this time around. Up until yesterday, I had no idea that kittens needed to be on kitten food for almost a full year. Back when Taz was a baby, I didn't have easy access to the internet and we just fed all of our cats/kittens normal dry food.

I have access to Fancy Feast kitten, Special Kitty kitten, and limited Blue Buffalo kitten. I have no idea what the carbs are like in any of them. I'm looking for advice, experiences, etc. Should I avoid all dry food or look for a carb free one? Do they even make carb free for kittens?

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

I would avoid all dry food so they don’t get a taste of it. I have never fed my 2 cats, now aged 6, any dry food at all and when I tried to get them to eat the healthy freeze dried food they didn’t recognise it as food and only played with it.
I feed an exclusively raw diet to my two.
I fed them several times a day when tiny, as kittens need more food until they are 1 year old.
If you are going to feed canned food I would use the kitten formulas as they have the extra nutrients that kittens need in the first year of their life. I don’t think you need a carb free diet but I would feed a low carb diet.

 

[Suzanne & Darcy]

I have eight foster kittens here right now of various ages. I am feeding Royal Canin Mother and Baby Cat Mousse (wet food) and Wellness Complete Health Kitten Pate Chicken formula (also wet food). I do not feed my kittens any dry food. Now, having said that, the prices are outrageous and have gone up so much this year. I order from Chewy.com as it's the absolute cheapest price I can get on autoshipment. In previous years, when I've had even more foster kittens and even less money, I have used Fancy Feast Kitten food as well. I do not buy the fish flavors, but I'm pretty sure that Fancy Feast also sticks fish in all of their formulas (I'd have to check). Just get whatever you can pay for and try not to worry. I've also often (in previous years) had to switch my kittens over to Friskies classic pates, and they all did great. Just make any dietary changes very gradually. PM me with any questions about kittens at any time! My daughter and I rescued two very sickly 4 week old kittens a couple of weeks ago. At first we had to syringe (with nipple) feed them every hour on the hour (we took turns through the night hours) to keep them alive. Now they are doing just great and eating like little piggies (the Royal Canin Mother and Baby Cat Mousse). Do you have a kitten now?

 

[SassyCat04]

My oldest are now both 14 and youngest is 11. Even with the "best" foods and vet care I don't think you'll avoid every heath issue. You'll always have those cats that ate pure junk, never once saw a vet and lived to be 20+ years old. Amazing right? But I believe strongly that good food and good care gives you the best shot you've got for them.

I've always researched foods - never wanted any Purina products or grocery store brands etc in my house. I keep up with recalls and co packers of brands etc. And what did it get me? Well arguably healthy cats. But in the end a year and a half ago my 14 year old girl (now gone) got intestinal lymphoma and dropping weight so we were stuck feeding her whatever she'd eat and what she would eat was Fancy Feast and Friskies canned - it killed me -LOL but of course the other three stopped eating their "good stuff) and only wanted that. This was in August 2021 Fast forward to now. And October 5 my 14 year old Tonkinese was diagnosed in stage 2 kidney disease and my 11 year old Siberian has diabetes. Coincidence - probably but who knows.

In any case mine were always free fed and always fed kibble with some wet. I would never do that again but many years ago with my first cat no one told you about the importance of wet food or special kitten foods etc. No one stressed the importance of not free feeding cats the way the do with dogs. When the ones I have now are gone and if I ever have more there will not be kibble in my house and meal times will be a priority over free feeding.