I just adopted an orange tabby Saturday early afternoon. He’s 4 months old. I was given food 4 him from the shelter. Puriena kitten chow( good 4 kittens first year), was wondering if that’s a good food, i hear cat and dog food has dead cats and dogs in it. I want my cat to be super healthy and happy and I want to know everything I can do to have him live the longest healthy and happiest life he can, within reason, I can’t spend $1000 a week 4 that but I want to do my best so that he can be happy and live long and be strong and all that good stuff. all answers are good, the more detailed the better. this is my first kitten:-)
How to keep your cat healthy to live longer, starting as a kitten.?
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First – Congratulations!! You will never regret getting a kitten. What did you name him? I also have an orange/cream cat. He has beautiful blue eyes. I wanted to name him Marmalade but my ex named him Action Jackson (Jack for short) because it’s a much more masculine name. I have to say he was right because Jack is now 11 yrs old and 16 lbs. He is bigger then some small dogs. Calling him Marmalade now would seem ridiculous. LOL
Second – NO! They don’t put dead cats and dogs into dog/cat food.
Third – I have always fed my kittens and cats IAMS with hairball formula. I bred Birman cats for years and this was the food I used all the time. The cats were always healthy, happy, frisky and their coats were shiny and beautiful. It is reasonably priced.
It is a dry food so I would buy the Kitten IAMS for the kittens. However, I would always moisten the kitten food so it was easier for them to eat. As they got older, I gradually eliminated the water until they were eating dry food completely. I find moist food smells and can overtake your entire home with the scent from it.
Check out this website regarding labelling of pet foods:
http://www.fda.gov/cvm/petlabel.htm
I’ve never checked the ingredients list on Purina Kitten Chow, so I can’t form an opinion on whether or not it’s any good (someone else might be able to). But no matter what food you buy, you want to avoid the ones that have “by-product” and “corn” in the ingredients list. The FIRST ingredient listed should be meat. And soft food is VERY important. I understand some people can’t afford an all soft food diet, but at least one meal a day should be soft food.
This site has a lot of good info on high quality brands, feeding strategies, and dietary guidelines:
http://www.petinfo.org
Good luck with your new kitten:)
First of all, There IS NOT dead cats and dogs in pet food!! Wherever you got that info, it is incorrect. Purina is good pet food as is IAMS. Try not to give your pet too much soft food, the hard is better for them. It helps keep their teeth clean.
Second, keep him happy by caring for him, playing for him and loving him.
Third, Make sure you take him for regular vet checks and keep his shots current!
kitten chow is fine i have 2 healthy grown up cats who both ate it as kittens. the thing with kitten food is the vitamins and minerals that growing little kitties need just like babies so feed it to him till hes a year. but my number one concern is keeping him inside. if you want and him to live a long healthy life only take him out on a leash.t
Congratulations!! A new kitten is so exciting, and good on you for doing some research on what is best for the kitty.
Stop feeding Purina. Iams, Science Diet and Purina is all but poison to pets. Read “Food Pets Die For” by Ann N. Martin if you don’t believe me. It really is shocking.
Look into Innova EVO. I personally think it is the best food out, a little expensive, but worth it in the long run (less vet bills). The same company also puts out California Natural. Also and excellent food that’s not as expensive. Go to naturapet.com for more information.
Others to look up: Artemis, Wellness, and Felidae. Fantastic foods with websites by those names.
Please note: Cats are obligatory carnivores. Meaning they don’t need ANY plant material in their diets. The new “indoor formulas” with “nutritious plants” is just marketing hype to sell (bad) cat food. Some cats like to eat grass and catnip, but none need it nutritionally.
Have fun with your new friend.
Cheers.
EDIT
It is absolutely true that they use dead cats and dogs in pet food. Read the book, it mentions it.
Good food will pay off in $$ by keeping veterinarian expenses down for the kitten’s lifetime. Purina is a terrible food. Read labels on the bags. That and most other grocery store foods are as much as 2/3 corn which is not good nutrition for cats. A male cat should have a diet of at least 50% wet food to prevent urinary tract problems.
The first two ingredients on the label should be a good meat protein source. Chicken, chicken meal — no by-products, that means heads, feet, entrails and even feathers from the chickens.
Don’t feed just chicken for a lifetime either. Natural Balance is doing a venison and pea. So throw a bag of that in once in a while. I rotate among about three different brands. NB also makes good canned meats and they have a lot of “flavors”.
Click on my name at the icon for a “recipe” for switching foods on your cat. Taking it slowly and gradually will prevent tummy upsets and possible diarrhea.
You don’t need to spend big bucks to have a healthy cat. Good quality food is important, I’ve always sworn by Iams but there are other good ones out there. Be sure meat or fish are the first ingredients and not corn or other fillers. Second keep the kittty inside!Indoor cats live years longer than cats that roam. Lastly regular trips to the vet are important, get those first series of shots and know your puddy. Sometimes the only symptom of disease is a change of behavior or eating habits.
Lastly don’t spend a fortune on toys, my boys favorite toy is a paper wad quickly followed by Walmarts 10cent kitty balls. The best thing your little one has is your love and attention to keep it healthy. Good luck!
Oh my, look on the Purina label where it lists the ingredients. Do you see dogs and cats or canine and feline by-products listed? No you don’t. That means it does not have them and I know of no food that does but some foods have horse meat in -usually that is dog food or they may have an ash content and that is particularly cheap foods. Not necessarily does the price have to be cheap but the ingredients are. Ash is not good for dogs or cats and especially not for the male. HE can get what is called crystalized penis and is politely refered to as crystals from it. Those can kill in an extremely short time, So watch your label but any that the vet recommends are good. Purina has kitten chow but food for the adult and senior too-and hard food is great for kitty’s teeth, soft foods and table scraps not so good. Keep kitty up to date on yearly vaccines and among those especially the one the city does not enforce which is the one to innoculate him against the horrible and easily caught disease called feline leukemia. Feline leuk is to cats what AIDS is to people except feline leuk is seldom passed through sex, it is much more easily caught and almost always from another cat that has been around yours-particularly if they eat or drink out of the same bowl, used the same place to relieve themselves or have scratched or bitten the other cat.
THE MAIN THINGS YOU WANT TO DO BESIDES THOSE ARE TO KEEP YOUR CAT AN INDOOR CAT AND IF HE IS NOT ALREADY NEUTERED (SPAYED IN THE CASE OF FEMALES)-GET HIM FIXED ASAP. I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH THO-KEEP YOUR CAT AN INDOOR CAT ONLY.
Kitties like to play so be sure he cannot get ahold of anything like pajamas (some cats like to chew cloth) or silk christmas balls because they have fire retardent on them and it will kill him as will any meds you have around (funny how they fight you if they have to take one but if they see one of yours out, first it is a toy and then it is din-din), and keep him away from styrofoam for the same reason, it is deadly if ingested and cats eat alot of things-you will be surprised. Also keep kitty away from plastic like plastic bags-cats like to chew such things and they are not good for him.
Get kitty plenty of balls with jingle bells inside to chase and a few cat nip toys so he is less likely to be bored or get into things that are not toys. Most cats will use one litter box but prefer to have two and will off leave the solid waste in one and the liquid waste in the other. Use a good litter that is not very dusty when you pour it or it will ruin his little lungs. Try not to smoke around him, it is bad for him. And lastly get him used to brushing and get a nice kitty brush. You don’t need him ralphing hairballs up all over and he does not want to have to. Beyond that, check for fleas but if he is not outside or around other cats or dogs he should not have them. Never let fleas go unchecked because they can overrun your house, bite you and him and they will make him anemic-which can kill him.
If you follow that advice you should have a happy healthy cat and alot of years of fun and devotion from him. Enjoy