Just looking for some kitten diet approval?

[theresa.rose]

I’ve never owned a cat, and we’re about to be getting a 12-week-old kitten (I’m aware of the potential detriment of owning a single young kitten, so we’re still currently deciding what to do about that). Admittedly without much prior research, but with a little bit of what we hoped was good advice from a few people, we went out to buy supplies. We definitely want the best food possible for our little guy, and we were told that chicken is preferable for kittens as it’s easier than other meats to digest. So, we ended up getting:

Dry food - Redford Naturals Chicken Recipe for kittens (free of corn, soy, and wheat)
Wet food - Royal Canin for Kittens, thin slices in gravy (it doesn’t say on the package but it’s definitely chicken based, however we were recommended the wellness brand version of this for next time, it happened to be sold out)
Treats - Temptations MixUps (Tuna, Shrimp & Salmon Flavor), this is the one we’re a little skeptical about because it‘s not specifically for kittens and it isn’t chicken based, but being occasional treats are they okay? How occasional should they be, and is there something better?

Thank you so, so much for any input! Possibly including how often we should feed him each? Should be around 3 times a day right?

 

[LTS3]

I'd avoid Temptation if possible or limit it to very rare treats. Temptations has a reputation of being so addicting that some cats will refuse to eat anything but those treats. Healthier treats to feed, but still limited as occasional treats, are those that are freeze dried 100% meat treats such as the PureBites brand and small pieces of plain cooked or raw meat. Cats don't need treats anyways so you don't even need to feed an at all. Some cats aren't even into treats.

https://thecatsite.com/ams/is-your-cat-addicted-to-treats.33929/

Seafood needs to be limited as well, both as treats and meals. Too addicting to some cats, can possibly cause urinary issues in some cats, mercury concerns, etc.

Can I Feed My Cat A Fish-based Or Fish-flavored Diet? [Answered] - TheCatSite

It’s a question that often comes up in our cat nutrition forums. Many cats adore the flavor of tuna, sardines, or just plain old “fish” and will happily eat nothing but fish flavored meals. But is it good for them? What’s the Harm in Fish? Fish may contain an enzyme called thiaminase. As its...

thecatsite.com

Royal Canin isn't a popular brand among TCS members. It's full of poor quality ingredients. You're better off feeding another brand or two or three. It's also ok to feed a kitten food that is labeled as "for all life stages". There is a teeny tiny AAFCO or other statement on the label that will indicate what life stage the food is for.

I'm not familiar with that brand of dry food but do keep some good quality dry food out for the kitten to snack on.

Kittens are hungry eating bottomless pits. Feed a kitten as much food as it will eat several times a day. It would be ideal to feed mostly canned food and leave dry food out for snacking on between canned food meals. Canned food can be left out all day. Using a programmable timed feeder works well. I like this one. Throw out any uneaten food at the end of the day, both canned and dry, and wash the bowls out. Adjust the amount of food you offer for each meal so you're not throwing away too much.

 

[theresa.rose]

I'd avoid Temptation if possible or limit it to very rare treats. Temptations has a reputation of being so addicting that some cats will refuse to eat anything but those treats. Healthier treats to feed, but still limited as occasional treats, are those that are freeze dried 100% meat treats such as the PureBites brand and small pieces of plain cooked or raw meat. Cats don't need treats anyways so you don't even need to feed an at all. Some cats aren't even into treats.

https://thecatsite.com/ams/is-your-cat-addicted-to-treats.33929/

Seafood needs to be limited as well, both as treats and meals. Too addicting to some cats, can possibly cause urinary issues in some cats, mercury concerns, etc.

Can I Feed My Cat A Fish-based Or Fish-flavored Diet? [Answered] - TheCatSite

It’s a question that often comes up in our cat nutrition forums. Many cats adore the flavor of tuna, sardines, or just plain old “fish” and will happily eat nothing but fish flavored meals. But is it good for them? What’s the Harm in Fish? Fish may contain an enzyme called thiaminase. As its...

thecatsite.com

Royal Canin isn't a popular brand among TCS members. It's full of poor quality ingredients. You're better off feeding another brand or two or three. It's also ok to feed a kitten food that is labeled as "for all life stages". There is a teeny tiny AAFCO or other statement on the label that will indicate what life stage the food is for.

I'm not familiar with that brand of dry food but do keep some good quality dry food out for the kitten to snack on.

Kittens are hungry eating bottomless pits. Feed a kitten as much food as it will eat several times a day. It would be ideal to feed mostly canned food and leave dry food out for snacking on between canned food meals. Canned food can be left out all day. Using a programmable timed feeder works well. I like this one. Throw out any uneaten food at the end of the day, both canned and dry, and wash the bowls out. Adjust the amount of food you offer for each meal so you're not throwing away too much.

Thank you so so much! I’ll definitely try to avoid temptations, then. As for the canned food, we’re going to switch to wellness as soon as it becomes available if that’s supposedly better? Do you think he’ll be fine on canin for the first few days to a week?

 

[LTS3]

Royal Canin will be fine for now until you are able to slowly switch to another brand. Wellness is a good brand and there are many others. Try a few different brands to see what your kitten likes.

 

[She's a witch]

Make sure you know what the kitten eats right now and feed him the same food, then slowly transition him to something better if needed. If you change his food abruptly, you may have to deal with diarrhea.
And as a side note, having two kittens would be beneficial for him as well as for you: the risk of going after your legs/hands would be smaller and the entertainment of watching two kittens play is not comparable to anything else imo )
Enjoy the little one!

 

[theresa.rose]

Royal Canin will be fine for now until you are able to slowly switch to another brand. Wellness is a good brand and there are many others. Try a few different brands to see what your kitten likes.

Gotta thank you again on the purebites, seems much healthier and he loved them! Luckily i was able to get the wellness i was looking for before I picked him up today

 

[LTS3]

Tip on the PureBites and many other brands of freeze dried 100% meat treats: Buy the dog ones instead of the cat ones. The dog treats are the exact same as the cat treats. The pieces are much larger but you can easily break the pieces up for a cat so you get like at least 3 times the amount of treats than a cat bag. The large dog bag costs just a little bit more than the little cat bag. Some brands are labeled as for both dogs and cats. I use the Northwest Naturals treats.