Kitten feeding question? Noob Alert!

Question

I am going to get my very first kitten , also very first pet, I want to ask how often do i feed it and what kind of food i should feed it?

please make your chart like this so It would be easier for me to understand( if you want to)

Time: Type of food: Amount

My kitten is 9 weeks old

Any other tips?

Answer 1

Hello! Congratulations on your first kitten! I am sure you are very anxious on getting started so I am going to help you the best I can.

I will first address the type of food to feed.

When you are choosing food, it is important for you to learn how to read ingredient labels. They tell you a lot about what kind of meat is being used and whether the food has any cheap fillers which does not benefit your cat/kitten.

You want to feed a food which is high protein - meaning the meat source must come from wholesome muscle meat. Make sure to select only food that list chicken, lamb, rabbit, beef, turkey, venison, salmon, whitefish, herring or a combination or those and not one that says by-products (chicken by product, meat by product, fish by product)

Stay away from too much fillers like corn, corn gluten meal, wheat, wheat gluten, soy, oatbrans, etc. These are all cheap filler which help reduce the cost of manufacturing but brings little to no benefit to your kitten.

You would also want to stay away from preservatives like BHA/BHT and Ethoxyquin which are proven to be harmful to your kitten. Also you do not want other artificial preservatives such as propylene glycol and propolyneglycol .You need natural preservatives such as Vitamin C, Vitamin A or Rosemary.

Your cat need an essential amino acid called Taurine. Cats can only receive this from eating wholesome meat. Choose a food that contains ample amount of Omega 3 sources - Salmon Oil, Flaxseed Oil or Canola Oil.

When you are well educated in learning how to read pet food ingredients, shopping for the best food for your kitten would be easier.

Wet vs Dry

I only feed 100% wet. I came to this conclusion after doing my own research and getting to know pets that suffer dire consequences as a result of being fed exclusively dry. These websites has great information if you are interested in learning more about feline nutrition and the proper diet for a cat.

http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?ac...

http://cats.about.com/cs/catfood/a/canne...

http://cats.about.com/od/catfoo1/tp/tpca...

http://www.catinfo.org/

http://www.naturalmatters.net/article.as...

http://www.traciehotchner.com/cb/QandA.h...

I love to say this whenever someone ask this question.

Look at your cats. They are majestic animals, with their wild ancestors blood still running through their veins. They are predators, equip with sharp canine teeth to shred through meat. Now, imagine a lion or a tiger, feasting on a bowl of dry kibble. Does that sound right to you? Well, now you know why it is so ridiculous to feed your cat dry kibbles!

Domestication only changes the way the cats live but not the way the cats eat. If we cannot guarantee their wellbeing, we have no right to invite them into our home.

Amount of Food To Feed

Young kittens are powerhouse when it comes to eating. They have a small stomach and can't eat her whole meal at one or two seating. Kittens usually self regulate their food intake and will only eat as much as needed to fuel their daily energy needs. Therefore, it is important to feed as much as kitten will eat. You can use the recommeded feeding guideline on the food label to begin. The general recommendation is 6oz for cats weighing 6-8lbs and double the amount for kittens. Therefore, your kitten might eat as much as 12oz a day, but you will need to start with less - 8oz is a good yardstick. Divide her meals up to 6 times and gradually decrease until she is older - about 6 months of age, you can feed 4 times and from one year onwards, you can start feeding 2-3 times a day. If kitten seems hungry still, upped her intake, if there are a lot of leftover after each meal, decrease. Measure her weight routinely so you can keep track.

Other helpful info:-

Food/Water Dish

(Kittens and cat like to eat and drink from shallow bowl. Dog bowls are not suitable because they are deeper and cats do not like to get their whiskers wet or soggy. Stainless steel and ceramic are the best. Avoid double serving dishes - keep a separate dish for food and water)

Most cats are lactose intolerant so giving them milk is not a good choice. Some might develop diarrhea and some will be fine. But it is better not to take any chances since cats do not need milk in their diet. If you like, you can purchase cat milk instead as a treat but the kitten has to be over 6 weeks old to drink them.

Some brands to try:-

Whiskas Cat Milk

http://www.whiskas.ca/catmilk.html

Vitakraft Healthy Milk/Yogurt Snack Drops for Cats

http://www.vitakraft.de/en/ar/kt/ktprme....

Catsip

http://www.akpharma.com/catsip/default.h...

Milky Flakes Um Treats for Kittens

http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/prod/239...

Make sure you get your kitten spayed (female) / neutered (male). Consult your vet for the best time to do it.

Scratching Post and Play Structures

(This is very important to get for your kitty because you do not want her to learn to scratch your furniture. Scratching is a natural habit and you shouldn't punish er. When you buy a scratching post, make sure it's one that is sturdy and will not tip off easily. All cats love to climb and getting her a nice cat tree of playhouse will allow her to exercise her natural talent without ransacking your house)

Litter and Litterbox

(She will need at least one litterbox for your kitten. To begin with, choose a smaller one where the sides are lower so she is able to climb in and out easily. Remember, not all cats like a covered litterbox. It is only convenient for the owner.

There are many kinds of litter to choose from and I personally prefer clumping litter made from natural biodegradable ingredients like corn, wheat and pine)

Hope I've offered enough information for you. If you need more help, feel free to readdress this. :)

Answer 2

Canned food, but keep dry food available at all times.

canned fish.

cook up some chicken livers and gizzards occasionally.

Answer 3

Any brand of kitten food with no corn,wheat,soy,gluten,animal by products,or beet pulp. I reccomend checking out petco or petsmart. I know petsmart has by nature organics kitten food which is excellent. I know petco has natural balance and wellness brand foods which are also top quality brands.   Supplementing with raw meat(never ground up) twice a week is good for their oral health too. Always freeze pork and chicken for 3 weeks before feeding.  Raw beef is the safe as long as it isn't spoiled. I like to buy raw beef strips meant for making stew Raw meat contains phytonutrients,and enzymes that are not found in kibble do to the baking proccess.

Answer 4

As the person above me said, no grains! This will be difficult to look for since most animal foods contain grains but you can find them. The first ingredient on the list should be pure meat. It should say either chicken, rabbit, duck, etc. Not chicken liver, chicken broth, or chicken by products. Stick with animals with feathers (chicken, duck) or long ears (rabbit). Avoid beef flavored things. Also, feed your kitten mainly wet food. He will need the water contained in it. Unlike dogs, your kitten won't be lapping up tons of water so he needs to get it from the food he eats. This will also help you to avoid some chronic diseases that may develop later in his life time and subsequently the high veterinary bills.

If you cannot feed him/her 4 times a day try putting down half a can of wet food in the morning and the other half at night. You can also leave a small amount (1/3 cup or less) or dry food out during the day for him to nibble on. Make sure the food you pick up is kitten food because kitten food is made with more protein and calories for a growing baby kitty.