5 Month Old Kitten, Looking For A Good Diet

[Mim]

Hello, the last time I posted on this site I had two kittens, but sadly one passed away a month ago from sever diarrhea and then constipation.

So I am here asking for a healthy diet for my kitten who I have become increasingly protective of. I am feeding her Earthborn currently (hard food and soft) but she seems to be having an issue with the hard food, it is the kitten kind. I believe it is causing her to have very soft stool with a gritty texture. She drinks plenty of water (loves it) and I think the soft food is just fine for her. She has a vet appointment tomorrow and I know the food the vet will recommend will not be grain free. Is there a food anyone can tell me about that is very gentle on a kittens tummy?

 

[Subspace]

Hey,

Wet food is definitely recommended over dry food, therefore I would completely eliminate the dry food and do a strict wet (or raw) food diet. Dry food doesn't have enough moisture, nutrients, etc that kittens need for proper growth. I currently have two kittens, both nearing the age of 4 months and I am also overly protective of them. Currently have them on a rotation of different brands such as Nature's Variety Instinct (don't get the kitten version), Earthborn, and Merrick Back-country Kitten Recipe. I am now looking into a brand called KOHA, which is reasonably priced, contains no Carrageenan or Guar Gum, and Grain-free.

I don't recommend the foods that vets recommend (Royal Canine) since they will try to push the brand with the best margin rather than the healthiest option.

If your kitten is still experiencing soft stool even after switching over to 100% wet food diet, then I would try adding some 100% pumpkin (raw pumpkin) to their food, and also try adding some probiotics to their food. I recommend a brand called Proviable, which is well received among cat owners.

 

[himawari]

I would highly recommend to switching to wet food. S Subspace has the right idea about adding pumpkin since that's really good for digestion. I've never fed Earthborn but they do have wet food -- specifically Chicken Fritcasse & Ranchhouse Stew. Both have pumpkin with the latter having more calories which is good for a growing kitten.

Nature's Variety Instinct LID, Weruva (Paw Lickin' Chicken), Wild Calling, Nutro, Soulistic (Good Karma & Harvest Sunrise (which has pumpkin)), Wellness Core, and Tiki Cat (Koolina Luau) are good and affordable. If you want something even more premium, there's Ziwi Peak and Feline Naturals which are slightly on the expensive side. Doing raw is also an option, but commercial raw is even more expensive.

 

[Mim]

I took the advice on wet food from a few of those brands and she is much better! Thank you!

 

[riley1]

I took the advice on wet food from a few of those brands and she is much better! Thank you!

This site shows the values for wet foods! You want to have high animal protein, medium fat and very low carbs.
catinfo.org

 

[lisahe]

This site shows the values for wet foods! You want to have high animal protein, medium fat and very low carbs.
catinfo.org

This chart is a fantastic resource, I'm glad you mentioned it, riley1!

Here's the direct link: Cat food chart

 

[riley1]

This chart is a fantastic resource, I'm glad you mentioned it, riley1!

Here's the direct link: Cat food chart

You are welcome! You can sort the columns as well.

 

[Neo_23]

Hey guys, I'm bumping this thread because I have a related question. I also have a 4 month old and I'm wondering how you keep your kitten satisfied overnight if they're only getting a wet food diet? How much do you feed and when? Thanks!

 

[orange&white]

I brought my kitten home when she was 4 months old (she's 11 months now), and I have raised her on an all-wet diet. At 4 months, I fed her a minimum of 3 times a day and as much as 6 times a day (normally 4 meals) and let her eat all she wanted each meal. I picked up any food she didn't eat after 30 minutes. She adjusted to my sleeping schedule just fine and never woke me up for food. I think just letting her stuff herself during the day made her realize that there was never going to be a "food shortage" around here. It seems that some cats "worry" about that.

 

[Neo_23]

Hmm maybe I will try cutting out the dry completely during the day and slowly reducing the amount of dry at night until he gets used to it.

How much can would you say you ended up feeding each day? Would you feed a full 5.5 oz can?

My cat is pretty large for his age (almost 6 pounds!) the vet said it was fine and he was healthy, he will probably just be a big cat.

 

[orange&white]

I brought her home Feb 3rd and bought a scale in early March to track her food and weight. She's on a raw diet, but canned food should be fairly similar. She was 4 lbs at 4 months, and almost 6 lbs at 5 months...so she gained nearly 2 pounds that month and then 1 lb per month the next couple of months.

Below is a weekly average of what she ate early on (after I bought a scale). Occasionally she would eat 8 oz in one day , and only 4-5 oz other days. Kittens grow in spurts and their appetite does too. Farrell got fussy a couple days, then ate like a horse for a few. They self-regulate what they need.

Your kitten will eat the most food over the next month or two.


Farrell, Weight, Avg Ounces Food
03/05/17, 5.75, 6.01
03/12/17, 6.19, 6.20
03/19/17, 6.44, 6.46
03/26/17, 6.75, 6.50
04/02/17, 6.97, 6.51
04/09/17, 7.16, 5.5
04/16/17, 7.53, 5.29
04/23/17, 7.72, 5.74

She's 9 pounds now at 11 months, and eats on average 4 ounces a day. She's a small cat.

 

[Neo_23]

This is great, thank you! Also a great idea to keep track of weight and eating habits. I will probably go out and get my own scale too.