Dry Food Recommendation For Two Kittens

AnnieLu

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I'm going to have two abyssinian kittens(three months old) in October so now looking for some suggestions of food.
1) Now my choices narrow down into Orijen Tundra and Dr. Elsey's cleanprotein. Orijen has more ingredients while Dr. Elsey's only has one main ingredient but it contains higher protein. Any suggestions on which one is better? Or other brands?
2) Is Dr. Elsey wet food is as good as its dry food? I'm considering feeding Dr. Elsey dry and wet food for them.
3) Is it too early for feeding freeze-dried food?
 

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Are you getting the Abys from a breeder? If so, what does the breeder recommend / suggest for food? Abys are known to have super sensitive tummies. It would be best to feed the kittens mostly canned food until they are adults and then feed canned food exclusively.

Freeze dried raw food is fine for the kittens. Just know that you're supposed to rehydrate the food in water before serving. It can be fed dry, though. Just make sure the kittens are getting plenty of water from canned food and they're not having constipation issues.

I feed my Aby a commercial raw food. It's what the breeder fed at her cattery and recommended that I continue to feed. My Aby is 9 years old now and the vet always comments how great he looks. My Aby does have IBD now because his tummy just got super sensitive over the years despite a raw food diet.
 
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MissClouseau

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I'm not sure if there is one right answer but personally I would give my vote to a diet of BOTH wet and dry food simply because it's better to get the kitten get familiar with both so if one is absolutely needed in the future they will have easier time adopting.

I like going with two different brands for wet and dry. If there is a problem with one brand, the other might do better.

My adult cat eats Acana Wild Prairie for adult cats & kittens as her dry food. The other versions of Acana (and I bet Orijen too as they are from the same Champion Pet Foods)--- their phosphorus level is higher than their kitten food and the average amount in grainy kibbles. That seems to be issue with some other grain-free dry foods as well. I suggest going with a food that doesn't have more than "min. 1,1% phosphorus." I just checked Orijen's Canada website and their Cat & Kitten says 1% phosphorus, Tundra 1,4%.
 

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Dr.Elsey's it’s much lower in carbs and higher in animal protein. I also feed this to my kittens who are now 1 years old. I would also suggest feeding some wet food. As it’s better for them.

Feeding them different textures of wet food helps them not become obsessed with just eating dry food. Which can become an issue if you ever need to change their diet. Something I have the horror of now doing since my mother in-law passed away and now I have her 12 year old cat. Who ate dry food her entire life. She’s newly diagnose diabetic and she had pancreatitis some months ago. It’s been 6 months and she’s still transitioning to wet diet. While my cats are happy eating both because I made sure to give them different things as kittens. Kittens imprint on their moms as what’s food. That means they will look to you as to what to eat. A cat that eats dry their entire life doesn’t see wet food as food. It’s a pain. Best of luck.
 

Neko-chan's mama

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I also recommend both wet and dry food. Many cats don't drink much water and wet food helps get them enough water. I'm by no means an expert, but I also rotate the brands and flavors of wet food just in case one gets recalled or changes formulas.
 

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Just my two cents,my two were raised on wet food since they were weaned, they do get kibble as a snack in a treat ball or a food puzzle when we leave the house for the day. I like wet food for the urinary health benefits of provides for male cats which both of mine are
 
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AnnieLu

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Are you getting the Abys from a breeder? If so, what does the breeder recommend / suggest for food? Abys are known to have super sensitive tummies. It would be best to feed the kittens mostly canned food until they are adults and then feed canned food exclusively.

Freeze dried raw food is fine for the kittens. Just know that you're supposed to rehydrate the food in water before serving. It can be fed dry, though. Just make sure the kittens are getting plenty of water from canned food and they're not having constipation issues.

I feed my Aby a commercial raw food. It's what the breeder fed at her cattery and recommended that I continue to feed. My Aby is 9 years old now and the vet always comments how great he looks. My Aby does have IBD now because his tummy just got super sensitive over the years despite a raw food diet.
Are you getting the Abys from a breeder? If so, what does the breeder recommend / suggest for food? Abys are known to have super sensitive tummies. It would be best to feed the kittens mostly canned food until they are adults and then feed canned food exclusively.

Freeze dried raw food is fine for the kittens. Just know that you're supposed to rehydrate the food in water before serving. It can be fed dry, though. Just make sure the kittens are getting plenty of water from canned food and they're not having constipation issues.

I feed my Aby a commercial raw food. It's what the breeder fed at her cattery and recommended that I continue to feed. My Aby is 9 years old now and the vet always comments how great he looks. My Aby does have IBD now because his tummy just got super sensitive over the years despite a raw food diet.
I get them from a breeder. The breeder feeds them both science diet wet and dry. But wanna change a brand as there are controversial reviews about science diet. Does it work if I feed two times a day of wet food and dry food as free choice?
 
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AnnieLu

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At three months old they may benefit from more frequent wet meals. They don't have the developmental growth going on like when they were younger, but their tummies are still small.

The Essentials Of Kitten Nutrition
Thank you for your advice~ And I also wanna ask if too much protein content in dry food will cause a problem for kittens. I also order Wysong Epigen 90 and appreciate its 63% protein content. But it seems that it may cause digestive disturbances due to protein amount.
 

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I don't know, but you could try small amounts at first and see if your babies can tolerate it.
 

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I get them from a breeder. The breeder feeds them both science diet wet and dry. But wanna change a brand as there are controversial reviews about science diet. Does it work if I feed two times a day of wet food and dry food as free choice?

Science Diet definitely isn't one of the preferred brands to feed. It's pretty low quality.

Kittens eat a ton of food. Small frequent meals work best for small kitty tummies. I suggest feeding mainly canned food and leave maybe a cup or two (use a measuring cup) of dry food out for snacking on. You can also use a programmable timed feeder to provide canned food meals when you are not at home. Canned food is a cooked product so it won't go bad if left out all day.

Why not fed any good quality kitten specific dry food for now and then slowly change to a high protein dry food when the kittens reach a year old? You can give occasional high protein treats like raw or plain cooked meat or freeze dried meat treats.
 
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AnnieLu

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Science Diet definitely isn't one of the preferred brands to feed. It's pretty low quality.

Kittens eat a ton of food. Small frequent meals work best for small kitty tummies. I suggest feeding mainly canned food and leave maybe a cup or two (use a measuring cup) of dry food out for snacking on. You can also use a programmable timed feeder to provide canned food meals when you are not at home. Canned food is a cooked product so it won't go bad if left out all day.

Why not fed any good quality kitten specific dry food for now and then slowly change to a high protein dry food when the kittens reach a year old? You can give occasional high protein treats like raw or plain cooked meat or freeze dried meat treats.
I've heard that kittens need those high protein food and the protein amount of some dry food brand is higher than kitten dry food. I guess it may work if I feed them all life stage high protein dry food now. If kitten food still works better than those high protein food, I'd try wellness core kitten.
 

Lranders29

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Science Diet definitely isn't one of the preferred brands to feed. It's pretty low quality.

Kittens eat a ton of food. Small frequent meals work best for small kitty tummies. I suggest feeding mainly canned food and leave maybe a cup or two (use a measuring cup) of dry food out for snacking on. You can also use a programmable timed feeder to provide canned food meals when you are not at home. Canned food is a cooked product so it won't go bad if left out all day.

Why not fed any good quality kitten specific dry food for now and then slowly change to a high protein dry food when the kittens reach a year old? You can give occasional high protein treats like raw or plain cooked meat or freeze dried meat treats.
hi there,
Can you help me understand why Science Diet is low quality?
I grew up in a family where dry Iams is all that was fed, and I want my little ones to have better. They’ve had a rough go if it after being picked up as sick strays and I want to give them the best start. Vet recommended 1. Royal Canin 2. Science diet 3. Purina pro plan. Can you offer some suggestions? I’m reading the forum now but in case you see this, I’d appreciate advice.
 
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AnnieLu

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hi there,
Can you help me understand why Science Diet is low quality?
I grew up in a family where dry Iams is all that was fed, and I want my little ones to have better. They’ve had a rough go if it after being picked up as sick strays and I want to give them the best start. Vet recommended 1. Royal Canin 2. Science diet 3. Purina pro plan. Can you offer some suggestions? I’m reading the forum now but in case you see this, I’d appreciate advice.
Hi,
What I think is that science diet contains lower amount of protein, higher amount of carbon and wheat or brown rice etc. than other brands. Personally, I feel it strange as almost every vet recommends Science Diet, which makes me feel like doing advertising. But that’s just my personal thought.
 

Lranders29

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Hi,
What I think is that science diet contains lower amount of protein, higher amount of carbon and wheat or brown rice etc. than other brands. Personally, I feel it strange as almost every vet recommends Science Diet, which makes me feel like doing advertising. But that’s just my personal thought.
Yeah my vet recommended it. It’s so hard to find one top choice!
 
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AnnieLu

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Yeah my vet recommended it. It’s so hard to find one top choice!
Yess. I think It will be a good choice if your cats like it and you like the ingredients and nutrition amount!
 

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hi there,
Can you help me understand why Science Diet is low quality?
I grew up in a family where dry Iams is all that was fed, and I want my little ones to have better. They’ve had a rough go if it after being picked up as sick strays and I want to give them the best start. Vet recommended 1. Royal Canin 2. Science diet 3. Purina pro plan. Can you offer some suggestions? I’m reading the forum now but in case you see this, I’d appreciate advice.
Science Diet is full of cheap fillers. Some vets recommend Science Diet because they get paid by Hills for selling the brand in the vet office 😒 Many of the big name companies sponsor veterinary education conferences and stuff so some vets feel they have to support the brand.

Here's what the Science Diet Adult Chicken dry food contains:

Chicken, Whole Grain Wheat, Corn Gluten Meal, Chicken Fat, Chicken Meal, Dried Beet Pulp, Brown Rice, Chicken Liver Flavor, Calcium Sulfate, Lactic Acid, Potassium Chloride, Fish Oil, Soybean Oil, Iodized Salt, Choline Chloride, vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Taurine, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Oat Fiber, Mixed Tocopherols for freshness, Natural Flavors, Beta-Carotene, Apples, Broccoli, Carrots, Cranberries, Green Peas.

What, corn gluten meal, brown rice, veggies, fruit. Cats don't need any of those in their diet

The canned isn't much better ingredient-wise. Science Diet Adult Tender Chicken Dinner:

Water, Chicken, Pork Liver, Wheat Flour, Wheat Gluten, Dextrose, Modified Rice Starch, Oat Hulls, Egg Whites, Chicken Liver Flavor, Soybean Oil, Titanium Dioxide color, Dicalcium Phosphate, Fish Oil, Potassium Chloride, Guar Gum, Choline Chloride, L-Lysine, Calcium Carbonate, vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Ascorbic Acid (source of Vitamin C), Niacin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid), Taurine, Iodized Salt, Calcium Chloride, Caramel color, minerals (Zinc Oxide, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate), Beta-Carotene.

Wheat flour, wheat gluten, oat hulls 👎

There is no perfect commercially available dry or caned / wet cat food so you just have to choose the best quality food you can afford and your cats will eat. Many people choose a grain-free brand with a high protein content and as few fillers as possible.

Some people choose to feed a raw or home cooked diet but it's not as simple as giving a bowl of meat. Supplementation is required unless you feed a commercially available complete balanced raw diet such as Stella and Chewy's. It's best to read up on raw and home cooked diets and how to do both properly before taking the plunge.

Here are some resources on choosing commercial cat food and general cat nutrition:


And remember, you do not need to feed whatever brand the vet recommends. It's YOUR cat and you make the decisions. The vet can't force you to feed X brand and refuse to care for your cat. If a pediatrician told you to feed a child fast food and junk food instead of healthy nutritous foods, you certainly wouldn't listen to that.
 

Lranders29

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Science Diet is full of cheap fillers. Some vets recommend Science Diet because they get paid by Hills for selling the brand in the vet office 😒 Many of the big name companies sponsor veterinary education conferences and stuff so some vets feel they have to support the brand.

Here's what the Science Diet Adult Chicken dry food contains:

Chicken, Whole Grain Wheat, Corn Gluten Meal, Chicken Fat, Chicken Meal, Dried Beet Pulp, Brown Rice, Chicken Liver Flavor, Calcium Sulfate, Lactic Acid, Potassium Chloride, Fish Oil, Soybean Oil, Iodized Salt, Choline Chloride, vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Taurine, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Oat Fiber, Mixed Tocopherols for freshness, Natural Flavors, Beta-Carotene, Apples, Broccoli, Carrots, Cranberries, Green Peas.

What, corn gluten meal, brown rice, veggies, fruit. Cats don't need any of those in their diet

The canned isn't much better ingredient-wise. Science Diet Adult Tender Chicken Dinner:

Water, Chicken, Pork Liver, Wheat Flour, Wheat Gluten, Dextrose, Modified Rice Starch, Oat Hulls, Egg Whites, Chicken Liver Flavor, Soybean Oil, Titanium Dioxide color, Dicalcium Phosphate, Fish Oil, Potassium Chloride, Guar Gum, Choline Chloride, L-Lysine, Calcium Carbonate, vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Ascorbic Acid (source of Vitamin C), Niacin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid), Taurine, Iodized Salt, Calcium Chloride, Caramel color, minerals (Zinc Oxide, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate), Beta-Carotene.

Wheat flour, wheat gluten, oat hulls👎

There is no perfect commercially available dry or caned / wet cat food so you just have to choose the best quality food you can afford and your cats will eat. Many people choose a grain-free brand with a high protein content and as few fillers as possible.

Some people choose to feed a raw or home cooked diet but it's not as simple as giving a bowl of meat. Supplementation is required unless you feed a commercially available complete balanced raw diet such as Stella and Chewy's. It's best to read up on raw and home cooked diets and how to do both properly before taking the plunge.

Here are some resources on choosing commercial cat food and general cat nutrition:

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And remember, you do not need to feed whatever brand the vet recommends. It's YOUR cat and you make the decisions. The vet can't force you to feed X brand and refuse to care for your cat. If a pediatrician told you to feed a child fast food and junk food instead of healthy nutritous foods, you certainly wouldn't listen to that.
Thank you! I appreciate you taking the time to find those links. I have an unopenedbag of SD so if I can find something better before opening, I’d love that!
 
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