Hello. I was wondering if anyone had any advice on what to feed a kitten. Since finding out one of our cats was diabetic we have switched over to can food for all of our cats. We were wanting to get a kitten for the family and are only use to feeding kitten chow. Does dry kitten chow pose the same dangers as any of the dry cat foods? We currently have 2 cats on can food, one of which is diabetic but has been off the juice since April of this year. We were wanting to know if there is a food that will fit the needs of all 3 cats. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks
What to feed a kitten
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Jen & Squeak
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I believe that canned kitten food would be appropriate but I believe that kitten food is similar to what you'd be feeding your diabetic only with more calories so it may be that what you are already feeding is fine...
According to Max's House (a great nutrition reference site), kittens need more protein than adult cats but if you look up kitten food on Janet's charts you may find that some regular adult canned foods are sufficient. http://maxshouse.com/feline_nutrition.htm
According to Max's House (a great nutrition reference site), kittens need more protein than adult cats but if you look up kitten food on Janet's charts you may find that some regular adult canned foods are sufficient. http://maxshouse.com/feline_nutrition.htm
MommaOfMuse
Very Active Member
Hi,
Not sure if this is what you are "suppose" to feed kittens but our two are doing very well on the diet they are getting here. Since we have 10 cats ( 8 adults, 1 of which is diabetic (OTJ), and 2 8 month old kittens) everyone gets the same thing the diabetic eats, I just supplement the kittens' diet with steamed chicken breasts or a little boiled beef. Both of the kittenshad a pretty rough start in life as they were both part of a litter that was born premature and still born. All the kittens where revived and are doing great now. But we got our twins when they were only 6 eeks old due to them coming down with an URI and since they were at the time part of a feral colony they were taken in to get them treated. But they are now some of the shiniest sleekest kitties on the block and are normally swinging from the curtains. So their diet certainly seems to be working for them.
Mel, Max & The Fur Gang
Not sure if this is what you are "suppose" to feed kittens but our two are doing very well on the diet they are getting here. Since we have 10 cats ( 8 adults, 1 of which is diabetic (OTJ), and 2 8 month old kittens) everyone gets the same thing the diabetic eats, I just supplement the kittens' diet with steamed chicken breasts or a little boiled beef. Both of the kittenshad a pretty rough start in life as they were both part of a litter that was born premature and still born. All the kittens where revived and are doing great now. But we got our twins when they were only 6 eeks old due to them coming down with an URI and since they were at the time part of a feral colony they were taken in to get them treated. But they are now some of the shiniest sleekest kitties on the block and are normally swinging from the curtains. So their diet certainly seems to be working for them.
Mel, Max & The Fur Gang
squeem3
Very Active Member
mrsd4ever said:
Dry food is dry food, regardless whether it is for kittens or adults.
I believe Dr. Lisa's web site, or perhaps Dr. Lisa herself, says that in the wild there is no "kitten food". Kittens, once weaned, eat the same food as adults. Household kittens and cats can also eat the same diet. Low carb canned food is fine for your kitten. The regular EVO canned is for kittens/cats but whatever brand you are currently feeding the diabetic cat is just fine. You may or may not need to supplement the kitten with extra protein or vitamins/minerals to ensure good growth.
Larry and Kitties
Very Active Member
In accordance with the AAFCO standards, kitten food has to contain more protein and some other things than adults food. However, Many available cat foods are formulated to meet the requirems for both adult and kittens. THe label will then say suitable for all life stages. AAFCO standards are here:
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm ... 99&aid=657
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm ... 99&aid=657
Lacie
Member
The Innova EVO canned cat and kitten formula is a good canned food but is higher in phosphorus then the other EVO canned foods. There's a thread in the Think Tank about not giving high phosphorus foods to cats with kidney issues. The 95% meat canned food from the EVO line is great for both kittens and adult cats because it's grain free and the carb % is 2 or 3. The 95% EVO tends have a higher fat content compared to protein than other canned foods, but the grain free is a good trade off for me. Wellness is another good brand, but check the ingredient chart on this site first; some are quite high in carbs:
http://binkyspage.tripod.com/CanFoodNew.html
I alternate cans of EVO cat/kitten with EVO 95% chicken/turkey to keep the phosphorus lower while still making sure they get enough protein and no nasty carbs. You can also mix or alternate Friskies Supreme Supper Pate style canned food with any of the EVOs if you're looking to save a bit of money. The Friskies Pate is fairly low carb; the only real difference is it contains meat "by-products" while the EVO is human grade meat.
The reading I've done says to avoid feeding food containing fish on a regular basis--something in the chemical composition is bad for cats except as a treat. I've forgotten exactly what it was.
My adolescent boy Osky found me when he was 7 weeks old, so I had to study up on kittens fast. I found that even advocates of a low carb diet recommend free-feeding kittens because they're growing so fast and packing on so much muscle. That makes for interesting times if you have adult cats in the house. Anyway, it must have worked, because Osky is a little powerhouse. I've started calling him Spuds because he's white and has powerful shoulders like Spuds McKenzie.
http://binkyspage.tripod.com/CanFoodNew.html
I alternate cans of EVO cat/kitten with EVO 95% chicken/turkey to keep the phosphorus lower while still making sure they get enough protein and no nasty carbs. You can also mix or alternate Friskies Supreme Supper Pate style canned food with any of the EVOs if you're looking to save a bit of money. The Friskies Pate is fairly low carb; the only real difference is it contains meat "by-products" while the EVO is human grade meat.
The reading I've done says to avoid feeding food containing fish on a regular basis--something in the chemical composition is bad for cats except as a treat. I've forgotten exactly what it was.
My adolescent boy Osky found me when he was 7 weeks old, so I had to study up on kittens fast. I found that even advocates of a low carb diet recommend free-feeding kittens because they're growing so fast and packing on so much muscle. That makes for interesting times if you have adult cats in the house. Anyway, it must have worked, because Osky is a little powerhouse. I've started calling him Spuds because he's white and has powerful shoulders like Spuds McKenzie.
Lisa dvm
Active Member
squeem3 said:
Very true and this is why I have no use for dry food for ANY feline at any age. A cooked-to-death, water-depleted diet is not a good choice for any cat or kitten.
squeem3 said:
Correct.
We don't see mice or lizards or birds running around with "kitten", or "adult", or "tartar control"....etc...stamped on them
I have had over 550 foster cats and kittens go through my foster room and I have never bought a can of 'kitten' food yet. They have always eaten *adult* canned Wellness - Chicken or Turkey (I don't feed fish) and have thrived from bottle feeder kittens being weaned onto canned food....to adults/seniors.
Now...while I would rather see a profile like Merrick Cowboy Cookout (higher protein/lower fat) for all cats - including growing kittens - I stuck with Wellness because I could buy it in 12 oz cans and could get it wholesale....which was important since our rescue group does not have a money tree growing in our backyards.
Keep in mind that a kitten eats MUCH more on a per-pound basis than an adult. A 2-3 lb kitten often eats as many calories as a 10 lb adult.
Lisa dvm
Active Member
Lacie said:
My foster kittens had canned food in front of them 24/7 which is why I had to build a creep feeder for them when I had Bennie (my second obesity project) in with my foster kittens. I had to cover the creep cage in towels so that poor Bennie could not see the food. He could still smell it...which I could not do anything about...but at least he could not see it to cause him mental stress.
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