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Original poster

Food for new kitten arriving Saturday!! And any other tips please

24 replies

taffetacat · 22/04/2010 10:54

Collecting our 9 week old kitten this Saturday from a local shelter. They have been feeding him a mixture of wet and dry food - Whiskas kitten pouches - about a third to two thirds of a pouch three times a day plus dry food out all the time.

Having read a few of these threads, it seems lots of people recommend just dry as its better for dental health. I have had some great recommendations for dry food.

I'm in a quandary about what to do for the best re the wet food. Should I keep giving it to him so he's not upset by the change or should I switch him to dry?

We're going to keep him in one room to start with so its not too much for him, we have all the bits incl scrathching post and toys. DC (3 and 6) have had instruction not to wake him from sleep. Any other tips?

OP posts:
ShinyAndNew · 22/04/2010 10:58

Switch slowly. Mix mainly wet with just a few dry biscuits. Over the course of a few weeks gradually increase the amount of dry food and decrease the wet, until eventually kitty is just getting the dry food.

Switching suddenly is not good for their little tums.

Is the litter tray in the room he will be spending the most time in? You can move it later but for now he should have easy access to it.

Microchip asap. Our kitten escaped and some one stole her.

Original poster
taffetacat · 22/04/2010 11:10

Shiny - thank you. Thats awful about your kitten, so sorry.

He's coming from Battersea and will be chipped. Litter tray is in the room, along with bowl for food and water, scratching post and basket/carrier with blankets in ( tip from MrsL123 ).

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DontCallMeBaby · 22/04/2010 18:06

You'll find some people are keen on just dry food as there's some evidence it can lead to urinary problems. Plus the dental thing isn't guaranteed - my two eat only dry food (plus the occasional scrap) and have just been diagnosed with gingivitis. Hm, so finding out sooner rather than later how to care for a kitten's teeth would be my tip.

Keep the litter tray and food/water well apart, they don't like to eat where they poo. It seems to be accepted wisdom to keep food and water apart as well, but mine don't mind having them together. Although that could be the reason they seem to prefer to drink from the most stagnant puddle they can find, come to think of it ...

Get him insured! Mine have been insured from the start, but one got ill before the insurance was actually effective, it got a bit expensive.

Enjoy, kittens are a hoot!

Original poster
taffetacat · 22/04/2010 19:33

Thanks for the tips. Do you brush a kitten's/cat's teeth??!

OP posts:
FabIsGoingToGetFit · 22/04/2010 19:42

Yes, you do. The toothpaste is chicken flavoured.

Give both wet and dry food. Biscuits are good for their teeth.

Original poster
taffetacat · 22/04/2010 19:54

Thanks Fab.Chicken flavoured toothpaste eh. Its like Alice in Wonderland.

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blackmilkofdaybreak · 23/04/2010 02:45

I recently picked up my one year old cat from the RSPCA and their info. strongly advises against dry food only. I think there is a lot of doubt over it being good for their teeth tbh. They are not adapted to eating cereals and the dry food is full of them. It goes out the other end without doing any good iyswim.

A wet diet is closer to what a 'wild' cat would eat. I'm now feeding mine hilife pouches that you can get from Sainsburys, I switched to this when he was hungry all the time on felix pouches and I read the label and saw it has only got 4 percent meat . hilife has about 60ish percent and he is now not constantly mewwing for food. Also, much less poo (tmi). HTH.

Original poster
taffetacat · 23/04/2010 11:38

oooh very interesting blackmilk thank you will get some wet food now

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JodieO · 23/04/2010 14:29

Our cats have arden grange dried and also have nature's menu wet now and again. We got kittens on Wednesday and I'll be moving them slowly onto the arden grange kitten food and nature's menu kitten food too. It's really good quality and you can tell the difference between that and the "normal" cat foods like whiskars which are not as high a meat content. One thing, their poo is better and far less smelly.

RatherBeOnThePiste · 23/04/2010 14:32

Give them plenty of quiet times away form the DC

Our rule was never to play with them if they were eating or sleeping.

I am I love kittens, they are mad

Iklboo · 23/04/2010 14:36

We feed mix wet & dry to our two & occasional scraps. Give him plenty of time to explore & settle (although our two were coming for a cuddle by the end of the second night)

Original poster
taffetacat · 23/04/2010 14:45

Thanks - great tips all. We were not sure whether to ban him from upstairs - some people say its awful, let him have free roam, others say never let him upstairs he'll wake the DC etc. Any views?

Just back from Pets at Home with some Hills and own brand Purely range which have 40-50% meat content.

OP posts:
JodieO · 23/04/2010 15:23

naturesmenu.co.uk/products/Pouches_for_Cats/Cat_Food_Pouches/

www.ardengrange.com/Pet-Food/kitten-food.asp

Those are the ones we'll be moving them onto slowly but we use the adult cat ones for our cats and they love it. I think the wet food is 70% meat content.

We let ours all over the house and they rarely wake the dcs. They ony wake ds2 (3 years old) occasionally and that's only with their bells hehe. They often sleep on dd's bed

JodieO · 23/04/2010 15:24

Forgot to say, we bought in bulk so it was cheaper from Berriwoods, 15kg bad of dry cat food was about £29 and has lasted ages.

Original poster
taffetacat · 23/04/2010 18:42

Thanks Jodie. I am so excited don't think I'll sleep tonight.

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Attenborough · 23/04/2010 21:09

Loads of good advice here. One more thing to remember though - they'll be full-sized really quickly so don't teach them bad habits now. Things like biting at your toes or chasing your fingers are ludicrously cute from a kitten but no fun at all when there's a big lump of a cat gnawing on you.

I'd recommend that you buy some feathery wands - it's a great, safe way for the DC to play with the kitten and you'll be able to tire him out too - as he's a single kitten rather than coming in a pair, you may find that useful.

Also - think about what he's known so far. If he's never been on his own for any length of time, locking him downstairs for his first night will probably cause some upset. Personally, I have no qualms about cats sleeping on our bed, but if you're determined that he shouldn't, an old soft toy to snuggle and a lukewarm hot water bottle will make his first night easier.

DontCallMeBaby · 23/04/2010 22:03

Ours go where they like, but bedroom doors are shut when people are sleeping. It's actually been a huge bonus, as DD insisting on sleeping with her door open was driving me a bit mad (door 'falls' open, so we had to wedge it with a sock) and as soon as we got the kittens she insisted on it being closed. I let them sleep on the bed when DH was away with work, they were lovely until they came to sit on my head at 4 in the morning! They kip on the beds in the day while we're out - DD has a quilt on her bed that stays there in the day and comes off at night, while we rely on a sticky defluffing device from Lakeland!

Like kids, they won't have read the manual - one of the reasons we haven't bothered with wet food with ours is that one will NOT eat it. They got a bit dehydrated once and he still wouldn't touch it, had to put water on the dry food, which he DID eat, weirdo. He also looks affronted if you offer him a bit of chicken or tuna.

Original poster
taffetacat · 23/04/2010 22:07

Thank you both. Attenborough - thats such a good point about his first night. He's been snuggled up with his 3 sisters, he was when we saw him and I was worried thinking of him downstairs on his tod.

DH is away til Sunday. I am unsure what to do now about his first night.

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Attenborough · 24/04/2010 09:08

Ah, let him sleep with you! It won't fix the habit in stone if you decide after a couple of nights that it isn't working, and it will help him loads.

(Yes, I am a big softie).

You could put a dining chair next to your bed with an old towel on it and settle him on that. We foster kittens and the last one we had as a singlie did need to be snuggled briefly in the middle of the night once he'd been separated from his mum and siblings. It wasn't a hassle for me at all as I'd just lean over and barely wake up, but I think it made a big difference to him.

Original poster
taffetacat · 24/04/2010 20:38

He's here! He's currently on the keyboard, excuse me......

I am soooo in love. He's used the litter tray, had a good scrape up all around it, used the scratching post loads and chramed the children especially DS(6) who had difficulty going to bed and leaving him./

+He likes forward slash/////////////

OP posts:
AvadaKedavra · 24/04/2010 20:45

Welcome home kitty we need pictures!

Re food - wet complete meat meals or raw food are best. I've learned that dry dehydrates them, is full of pointless fillers and carbs (cats are carnivores) and also makes smelly poops and not proven about the teeth.

Tescos Luxury pouches are 50% meat and very affordable since switching poops are not at all smelly, once every two days or so and a lot more solid.

Have fun with your new addition!

PickUpYourPants · 24/04/2010 20:51

We have fed our rescue cat a Super Premium Dry Pet Food exclusively since we got here aged 1. 15 years later she is still healthy and active. My best advice to you is not to feed cheap supermarket wet food as it will not give your kitten the balance nutrition she needs. Talk to your vet and ask for their recommendation.

Original poster
taffetacat · 24/04/2010 20:55

I have taken some pics on my phone and camera but have no clue how to get them on here ( hopeless technophobe and DH away, but he's not much better tbh ).

Battersea gave me some Whiskas dry and wet which they have recommended he has for a few days. I will then switch him onto the higher content meat stuff I've bought, thanks to everyone's advice on here.

He's asleep on my lap

OP posts:
AvadaKedavra · 25/04/2010 10:01

Vets will just recommend whatever they get a commission for and not necessarily the best thing for your cat

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