Yes it does, but compared to outrageous vet bills for thousands of dollars or pounds because of blockages, it is a better deal plus your cat is with you longer.
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Getting a 8 week old kitten to eat hard food
- Thread starter morganalefae
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Are you buying in store or on line? I have found choice and price much more favourable on line and would certainly buy on line if I were able to move back to feeding Mouse a wet diet. Generally best buys are for bulk purchases which means initial outlay is higher while you find out which ones your diva prefers and crossing all fingers and toes that she doesn't change her mind once she sees a lot of same design can or pouch, but it does settle down once you have a better idea what they will eat. If you have any GCCF cat shows near you they also tend to have some good pet suppliers attending who also carry a good range of foods (and other cat stuff). That is the cheepest source yet that I have found for Mouse's freeze dried fish snacks.
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- #23
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I don't buy online as because I have heard of horror stories where food received was very out of date. Plus some online places charge a small fortune to ship so one u add shipping to the price of the food sometimes ur paying more then if you drove to the store and got it. as for cat shows I have no clue if any even go on in my area here in the UK if they do I would not be going to one as my cats are not registered or anything. I have never had problems with hard food with any cat I have ever had i.e no running to a vet or anything cuz of hard food.
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I have never heard of a cat being rushed to a vet because of hard food and I sure as heck don't think wet food helps them live longer either. I think that is purely down to the cat's breed/genes, indoor or outdoor life style, how much or how little you feed your pet plus if they have had their shots worming flea treatment and the lot etc. The only blockages I have ever heard of is the cat has eaten something it was not supposed to or it was feed something it was not supposed to be feed. That's not including hair balls which I'm pretty sure cats have period on wet or dry food..
I think bonepicker was referring to urinary blockages which are common in cats who eat only dry food. Dry food results in a dehydrated cat which means little water content in the body for the urinary system to work at its optimal level and that results in very concentrated urine that waste products and bacteria tend to clump up in which causes blockages. A urinary blockage is a serious condition. A back up of wastse in the kidneys can be toxic to the body.
Many cats who eat nothing but dry food have lived long healthy lives with miminal to no health issues. There are also many cats who develop health issues later on in life due to dry food. Catinfo.org is a good place to learn about cat nutrition in general.
Most canned foods are complete diets just like dry foods. Some are not, they are "supplemental" foods and meant to be given as a treat or alongside dry food. The general rule is if there are no vitamins or minerals listed in the ingredients list, the food is likely only supplemental. There may be a teeny tiny statement somewhere on the label that says the food is supplemental. If you are unsure, either don't buy the food or feed it only as a treat.
Ultimately what you choose to feed your cat is your choice and you should not feel bad about it
Zooplus.co.uk is a popular online store for pet food.
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I have heard of wet only eating cats having urinary blocks as weel I think it just comes don to the cat and the breed/genes. and most all wet food short of the ones u find at pet food stores seem like treats to me
@Morganalefae please read the links posted above about why most of us recommend feeding wet food over dry food.
Feeding dry is a legitimate choice and many cats thrive on dry food and reach a ripe old age without any urinary issues. There are no lifetime studies to show us which feeding system is the right one at this point in time. Some of our more active members certainly prefer wet/raw over dry and that's a great choice too. If you choose to feed dry, we have a great article with tips about how to encourage your cats to drink more water -
Tips to Increase Your Cat's Water Intake
Personally, with a kitten that young, I would feed her whatever she wants, dry or wet and think about switching later on. She is adorable! Let us know how she's doing and please do share more pictures
here or in the Fur Pictures forum or Galleries.
Tips to Increase Your Cat's Water Intake
Personally, with a kitten that young, I would feed her whatever she wants, dry or wet and think about switching later on. She is adorable! Let us know how she's doing and please do share more pictures
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Well she gets plenty of wet food what she does not eat Sheamus helps himself to then eats all of his hard food. She is a right baby and meows all the time till you put her on your shoulder and walk around with her. I have added more water to the wet food tho as most of the wet food I have is like jelly so at lest she is getting a little more water. I think she prefers wet to dry is because the lady I bough her from did not even try to get her to eat dry after all she was nursing off one of the lactating cats when I got there (should have been a red flag). as for more pics I have loads! guess that's what happend when ur waiting to get married on a UK fiancé visa and have nothing else to do other then eat sleep and poo lol.
I think I could be a pirate next year for halloween lol!
I think I could be a pirate next year for halloween lol!
@Morganalefae Banshee is one super cute diva.
I think you will loose any battle you have with this little one, she is just too cute to push over. She looks SO teeny in that shoulder shot. I'm in love...
As for on line suppliers, I have used Zooplus for about 4 years now and had no problems at all whether buying food or anything else. I don't think they supply freeze dried raw but do carry a good range of other cat and kitten foods. I buy Mouse's prescription dry food there for less than I can get from the vet and dates and condition on delivery have always been fine.
As for on line suppliers, I have used Zooplus for about 4 years now and had no problems at all whether buying food or anything else. I don't think they supply freeze dried raw but do carry a good range of other cat and kitten foods. I buy Mouse's prescription dry food there for less than I can get from the vet and dates and condition on delivery have always been fine.
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I found some wet food on zooplus.co.uk called Schesir anyone ever try that brand? she is very tiny that's why I'm so worried about her eating.
I don't have experience of that food @Morganalefae but for her size, do you know how big her mother is? It may be her mum was tiny too. I know with the queens where I found Mouse some of the female Russian Blue cats are really dainty little things (not his mum hee hee) and I'd be scared to pick them up! As Banshee is an Oriental she could be a pretty dainty little thing naturally.
Was she spayed before you got her? If not and her hormones kick in that can 'worry' her too and make it difficult to put weight on.
Was she spayed before you got her? If not and her hormones kick in that can 'worry' her too and make it difficult to put weight on.
Ide give that cute kitty a few more weeks and then I'm sure the dry food will be eaten.When my Maggie May was that old she didn't eat dry food either.I think their teeth can't handle the hardness.Once Maggie turned 3 months she began eating the dry.
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Her mom was thin but not overly so. No she is not fixed and I don't plan to have her fixed either. as for health she had her first vet visit and he says is about the smallest little girl he has seen for her breed but cuz of her small size her weight is fine. he gave me another food to try other then that as long as she is eating she is ok.
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neither of my cats are fixed. I have had fixed cat in the past that before I had them fixed were sweet as could be but after the OP they were mean as hell. and would maybe like to have one littler with them in 3-4 years time I know the warning signs of a female cat in heat and already have a place set up for her when she does go into heat. I'm not some kitten mill if that's what ur asking I would not breed my cats just to sell kittens and if we do have kittens the babies will have a claus that they must be fixed by 6 months and they will have their first shots before they leave me. I don't like the idea of getting any cat fixed before the age of 1 anyway.
It is your decision whether to have them spayed/neutered. However, you will need to keep them completely separated once Banshee reaches 16 weeks of age. I know several kittens/cats that have not shown the typical signs of a heat cycle, so don't count on that.
And, if you choose to breed them, best to do it sooner rather than later (4 yrs is too long a time to wait.)
And, if you choose to breed them, best to do it sooner rather than later (4 yrs is too long a time to wait.)
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I have had quite a few cats in my short life but I have never had a problem with unfixed males and females staying together past 16weeks as long as I move them when they are in heat. but that is my personal experience with cats
All mine are fixed and just as sweet as they were prior to it. Actually I take that back, Sally is WAY more sweet since being spayed. She was a little hellion before that.
Cats can go through silent heats just like dogs can only they come into heat more often. After 4 months (16 weeks) I wouldn't let them around each other unless you have their full attention. I've seen more than one 4 month old preggo kitten and it's heartbreaking. I wouldn't risk any chance of it happening so best they live seperate from each other.
Cats can go through silent heats just like dogs can only they come into heat more often. After 4 months (16 weeks) I wouldn't let them around each other unless you have their full attention. I've seen more than one 4 month old preggo kitten and it's heartbreaking. I wouldn't risk any chance of it happening so best they live seperate from each other.
I would never breed a tiny undersized cat.
