What is the best type of food for cats & kittens?
Question by Kity M: What is the best type of food for cats & kittens?
There is a cat in my neighborhood, who recently had kittens in my backyard. They are sweet, but the mom won’t let us near the kittens. Also, the mom doesn’t like to leave the kittens long enough for her to get food. I want to buy her some cat food, but it has to be really good. She is very hungry. Also, will the kittens need cat food? The mom is a young calcio cat, who we are pretty sure has her shots.
Can you help? Leave your own answer in the comments!
9 Responses to What is the best type of food for cats & kittens?
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i like cats but i would start them on some dry food first. you can get special dry food first then if the like it then feed them that. they should eat wetter cat food when they are a bit older.
fishy_009
July 12, 2013 at 8:49 am
Due to the recent news about tainted and poisoned cat food, try Fancy Feast dry food. It does not have wheat gluten in it which is the proposed toxic element found in a lot of cat food. I know it seems expensive for the small package, but it is so packed with nutrients and good taste, that they don’t need to eat that much of it to stay happy and healthy and thus lasts longer than the less expensive brands and so your costs are the same as the cheaper brands. Don’t give them canned food, just the dry with lots of fresh water. For a lactating mom, you could give her some chicken broth too. Keep her hydrated and strong while lactating.
metallic moment
July 12, 2013 at 9:30 am
I’ve always went with “Science Diet” with remarkable results. I just posted the statistics regarding my cat’s health on a question pertaining to the naming of a kitten and will include those at the bottom of the post to back me up here. But first a thing or two!
Good for you for not just leaving them to their own devices; I commend you. Be careful not to intrude TOO much though if they are resistant to the presence of others, particularly momma cat. In that case go slow.
Start putting the food progressively closer and closer until they’re comfortable. In fact bring a pal so they can be recognized in the event you are unable to do the feeding.
Now contrary to THAT, make certain the kittens, if possible, get human contact. This will prevent them from becoming completely feral and will help them find homes. Hold them if possible, but wash up afterwards so you don’t bring parasites into the house…or into YOU!
By the way, did you know the life-expectancy of an outdoor cat is signicantly less than that of an indoor? Ignore those who say “well cats belong outside to blah blah blah…” The cat in your ‘hood is clearly an outdoor type, and now she’s struggling to keep her kittens fed. And that’s just one example of the problems that arise. The quality of life for a well-cared for (NOT spoiled to excess weight, etc.) indoor cat is much better. Ask any Veteranarian.
Below are my cat’s stats to back up my claim as promised. Good luck!
Steve
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My Cat’s name is UZI, and perhaps its a good luck name. He’s 18 years old and in excellent health.
Last time at the vet, he had(and I quote) “not just normal for his age, but PERFECT blood work”. His coat is shiny, and his full set of teeth are clear of tartar and breath fresh. This is attributed to his rarely getting wet food, and given recent events I’m glad he never got into that stuff.
He’s a big boy, weighing in at 17 lbs, but it is not fat. He’s super long and muscled; when stretched out he’s easily 36 inches. The funny part? He’s a ‘fraidy cat when he coulda been a contendah!
Steven S
July 12, 2013 at 9:57 am
The best cat foods you can feed them are Fancy Feast both dry and canned and Sheeba. Sheeba being the best since it’s human grade meat with no additives..just the meat in an aspic type jelly and the Fancy Feast cans have some fish flavors in aspic as well…just the fish, water and aspic which is good for cats since they don’t drink much water but do need it. There’s no meat by products in them as well. Also..believe it or not…rotisserie chickens or turkey from your grocery store is pretty cheap for all the meat you get for the cat & her kittens. My two eat only Sheeba, Fancy Feast & rotiserie turkey or chicken if no turkeys are available daily..they love it all and I didn’t need to worry about that pet food recall since none of them contain that wheat gluten product or any by products. Cats are mainly carniviors but should have a little bit of greens every now and then and Fancy Feast medleys have a little bit of greens in them..my girls love them also. If buying good cat food is too expensive..believe it or not..since these are stray cats and well..probably eat out of trash cans..your dinner left overs are good too…as long as you’re not eating overly spiced foods like tacos and all..but the meats left over, veggies and potatoes are fine. If you buy that rotisserie chicken and want to have it for dinner…break up the carcus..leave meat on it of course and put that outside in the bowl the chicken came in…cats will eat the bones and get enough meat off of them. This is how I get rid of the chicken and turkey bones leftover my girls had…I toss it out in the original container to the stray cats that live in the neighborhood…in a few minutes…piece by piece..the bones dissapear..each seems to grab a piece and takes off with it. Then I just toss the plastic bowl in the trash!
angelsvintageattic
July 12, 2013 at 10:52 am
I would not give anything canned. Unfortunately, most of that type of food has had distasterous results.
Kitten Chow is bite-sized and complete for kittens up to 1 year old and nursing mothers. You can also try cat-sip, which might be good for the mama cat. Science Diet is also a good choice.
spaescape_princess
July 12, 2013 at 11:10 am
I feed and recommend Chicken Soup for the Cat Lovers Soul. It contains no corn, corn meal, corn gluten, or wheat gluten. It is a holistic food, and doesnt contain any chemicals.
krystalakecattery
July 12, 2013 at 11:17 am
kittens? well make sure u dnt feed them adult cat food. feed them this 1 kind of food called kitten royal canine. most cat and kitten foods r having recalls and cats r dyeing so make sure 2 check. dnt get the cheap stuff those have recalls.
Brielle
July 12, 2013 at 11:39 am
Get Kit n’ Kaboodle I have been feeding my cats that since day 1.They never get tired of it.And it is good for kittens because it has vitimans in it so there bones don’t get weak early in life. One cat of mine is 1 year old and the other is almost 2 years old.My 1 year old cat babie loves it so much that she won’t let my other cat misty eat.We have a seperate bowl though.
sammijokool96
July 12, 2013 at 12:11 pm
If the kittens are nursing, than you don’t need to feed them yet. They will get all they need from mama.
If you want to feed the mama, make sure it’s a good quality canned cat food. Read the labels. Cat food should NOT contain corn, wheat, soy, by-products, fillers, dye’s, etc. The first few ingredients should always be meat. Turkey, chicken, beef, venison, duck, etc. Cats are obligate carnivores and need 5 times more protein than humans do. They also lack many of the metabolic pathways to digest grain products. Since dry food contains mostly grains, you should try and avoid it if possible. Cats also benefit from canned food because of the high water content. They are descendent from desert animals, so they’re bodies have adapted to getting the water they need from their prey. As such, they have a very low thirst drive. Cats on a constant diet of dry food are always in some stage of dehydration. Lastly, dry food does not keep their teeth cleaner. Once they take the initial bite, it shatters into pieces and is swallowed.
Chances are, most of the food you can find in grocery stores, or pet stores like petco and petsmart are not good quality foods. Foods like Innova, Wellness, California Natural, Eagle Pack, Solid Gold are all high quality cat foods, they contain what a cat needs, and were NOT involved in the recent recall. Try a locally owned pet store or feed and grain supply store for these brands.
Jenn
July 12, 2013 at 12:55 pm