Kitten Eats Off The Floor

[Daisy6]

She got bad bowls from it and our vet said to take her off it so we did.

I assume you meant bowels. The "it" is important to know because it could be a food allergy or sensitivity. Keep track of this from now on.

Vets know very little about feline nutrition. Most of them only took one nutrition class that was about all pet species, not just cats. If you want real advice on how to feed a kitten see this site owned by a feline nutritionist: Feeding Your Cat: Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition – Common Sense. Healthy Cats.

 

[Holtby70]

It depends on the ingredients, but it's probably okay as a treat.

The two things that caught my eye were soy and salt. Here’s the full list: Chicken of the Sea Pouched Skinless & Boneless Pink Salmon, 2.5 Oz
My older cat eats this every other day and she’s pretty healthy. She’s around 13yo

 

[Holtby70]

I assume you meant bowels. What is "it" that your vet told you to stop feeding?

The wet food that caused the diarrhea

 

[maggiedemi]

It sounds okay as a treat. I would try to find a salmon can or pouch cat food, since the salmon didn't give her diarrhea. Maybe she's sensitive to a different meat like chicken or beef.

 

[Daisy6]

So you need to do an elimination trial. Cut out that animal protein from her diet if you know what she ate that cuased diarrhea. If it clears up, you know not to feed that ingredient.

 

[Azazel]

Cats need moisture in their food. Unfortunately many vets have little understanding of feline nutrition. I would try a different brand of wet food. Urinary problema and kidney disease are common in cats.

 

[Daisy6]

Urinary problema and kidney disease are common in cats. . . .

often because their cats were kibble addicts.

You can literally prevent urinary tract issues just by feeding all wet food. CKD also is much easier to prevent with an all-wet diet. Azazel knows more than I do about how good raw feeding is, but that takes a lot of work if you make it yourself.

 

[mekkababble]

Sorry to contradict some of the wonderful folks on this board, but for a kitten I don't think you need to worry too much about kidney and urinary health. My vet tells me a wet/dry combo is generally the best for cats (and most financially sound for me). My cat who lived into her 20's ate exclusively dry food early in her life.

I think if you're concerned about your kitten getting sick, sticking to she's used to and does well on is fine. As time goes on, you'll want to introduce wet food into her diet (for her health and to make mealtime more interesting).

 

[Daisy6]

Actually urinary issuss can occur in young cats. If you click on threads about UTIs and blockages, you will notice the cats being discussed are in a wide age range. It is a result of eating dry food too much for too long, not just getting older like CRF ofren does. By only feeding kittens wet food, you drastically decrease the risk of a urinary tract problem from developing in several years.

 

[Azazel]

Sorry to contradict some of the wonderful folks on this board, but for a kitten I don't think you need to worry too much about kidney and urinary health. My vet tells me a wet/dry combo is generally the best for cats (and most financially sound for me). My cat who lived into her 20's ate exclusively dry food early in her life.

I think if you're concerned about your kitten getting sick, sticking to she's used to and does well on is fine. As time goes on, you'll want to introduce wet food into her diet (for her health and to make mealtime more interesting).

Kittens can develop urinary issues just as easily as adults. Kittens have an extra need for moisture and high animal protein given that they are high energy, growing quickly, and can become dehydrated quickly. Many vets recommend dry food not knowing that kibble is not very healthy for cats. Unfortunately these vets don’t consider that dry foods are too low in moisture and animal protein and too high in carbs for cats and kittens.

 

[maggie101]

My cat was on hill's prescription z/d canned and got diarrhea from it so I switched to a different canned food with no issues. May have been the corn starch. Canned food is all my cats eat now. A few years ago, when I was on vacation for 11 days, I left out dry food for my cats. A week after I came back I took my cat Peaches to the vet. She was dehydrated from having a stool stuck in her and high temp. She was on meds for 2 weeks. My cat Maggie is 8 pds but eats tons of food very active. My other cats eat less. How much protein does the dry food have?

 

[maggie101]

 

[maggie101]

Could be she simply needs some chew toys

 

[Holtby70]

My cat was on hill's prescription z/d canned and got diarrhea from it so I switched to a different canned food with no issues. May have been the corn starch. Canned food is all my cats eat now. A few years ago, when I was on vacation for 11 days, I left out dry food for my cats. A week after I came back I took my cat Peaches to the vet. She was dehydrated from having a stool stuck in her and high temp. She was on meds for 2 weeks. My cat Maggie is 8 pds but eats tons of food very active. My other cats eat less. How much protein does the dry food have?

There’s packeaged salmon we buy and it’s wet. All it contains is salt salmon and water. Can I use that as her food?

 

[Azazel]

There’s packeaged salmon we buy and it’s wet. All it contains is salt salmon and water. Can I use that as her food?

No, that’s not a complete meal with all the vitamins and nutrients that cats need. You should stick to canned cat food that states it meets the AAFCO guidelines for a complete meal (either for kittens or for all life stages).

 

[Holtby70]

No, that’s not a complete meal with all the vitamins and nutrients that cats need. You should stick to canned cat food that states it meets the AAFCO guidelines for a complete meal (either for kittens or for all life stages).

She reacted badly to canned food and my mom says the vet say dry food is fine and our previous kittens have done fine with just dry food so she won’t feed her wet food.

 

[maggie101]

Whenever I switch foods my cat Peaches reacts bad. Instead I have to mix her new with old for a few days slowly adding more and more. My other cats can handle immediately switching foods

 

[Hellenww]

Buying cat food can be overwhelming. So many brands then each brand has many types. A grain-free dry kitten or all stage food out all the time. The pouched salmon would have too much sodium and would be missing some of what he does need so it's better as a treat. If he's eating the salmon with no ill effect look for a kitten food with salmon.

At 4 months he is getting his permanent teeth and could be teething until 6 or 7 months old.

 

[maggie101]

Fish is a treat. High mercury. Not good for a regular diet.

 

[Azazel]

She reacted badly to canned food and my mom says the vet say dry food is fine and our previous kittens have done fine with just dry food so she won’t feed her wet food.

If your mom isn’t willing to try another canned food then dry cat food is better than just a can of salmon. The salmon doesn’t have the proper nutrients for cats and can lead to malnourisment. Also, it sounds like it has too much salt for a cat to handle.

If you can, convince your mom to try a different brand of wet food for kittens and introduce it to your cat very slowly. Kittens have sensitive stomachs and all new foods have to be introduced very slowly.