Kittens and Raw

[oakshimmer]

Hello guys!

It's been a while since I have been to this site and now I am back!

As you all know I lost my dear sweet Kitty a while a go and I was heart broken. It took a bit of time to accept her loss and now I feel that I am ready to open my heart and home again to another fur baby.

Tomorrow is the cat adoption blitz at my local Petsmart, and the adoptions are going for $75.00 per kitten. I am thinking I want to get 2 kittens that are mates so they can have a buddy. Now when I did ask about what these adorrabble kitties were eating, I was told that they are on Science diet kibble.

I really don't want them to eat that junk and I want to know what is the best way to get a little baby to become a raw eater without upsetting their bellies or getting them sick. I wonder if it is no different than getting a old cat to eat it. I have not had a kitten in a long time, so I will have my hands full for a while with everything else, but I really want these little sweeties to eat the best diet for their lifetime. Any pointers would be great.

As soon as I find my new forever friends I will post pics. I am soooooo excited and nervous too if that makes sense.

 

[ldg]

Yes, of course it makes sense, and YAY! :heart2: I'm sorry about Kitty, but I'm sure she'll help you find the right pair. :rub: :heart2:

It really depends on how old they are. Young kittens are incredibly flexible. Yes, they can get tummy upsets from transitions, but there's really no reason not to just transition them straight from kibble to raw. I'd buy the smallest bag of whatever they've been eating, and crush it up and put it on top of a little bit of raw and see what happens! If they eat it, then I'd keep it to a tablespoon or so per meal for a day or two, and just slowly increase the amount of raw vs kibble.

I know people say not to mix raw and kibble, because of the different digestion rates of carbs... but I doubt they'll need the kibble for long. :cross:

Either that or get some Fancy Feast classic cans of food. It's got such a strong smell, most cats love it. And a switch from dry to wet usually doesn't cause any gastric upset. Then you can use the Fancy Feast as a base to mix in the raw, a little bit at a time and slowly increase. :nod: If they throw up, slow down. If they don't throw up and don't have soft poop or constipation... just keep upping the amount. They may take a couple of days - they may take a couple of weeks - they may take a couple of months. :dk: If they're just a few months old, it'll most likely be a few days to a week though. :lol3: (Knock wood!)

I think the harder part will be to transition them to timed meals if they're used to free feeding. It can be harder on you, certainly. How many meals a day do you think you can fit in? The younger they are, the more they'll need - just because of the size of their tummies. If they're at least 10 weeks old, they should do OK on 4 meals a day if you can manage that. :nod:

Aw..... I'm SO happy you'll have kitties in your life again!

 

[katluver4life]

Welcome back!

I was one who followed your posts on your last transition and was so sorry to hear of your loss. I am happy to hear 2 new kittens will now fill your home with purrs again.

And how lucky for them to be getting a great new mommy! You certainly will have your hands full with 2 kittens, but what a joy they will bring you. My sibling pair, brother and sis, were my first kittens in 15 yrs! What a handful, but soooo fun. Your going to love spoiling them!

Your postings about your kitty helped me a lot in deciding to go raw. I now have 3 young adults under 2, and they're transition went pretty quick (switch was in March). As LDG said, I think the younger they are, the easier the transition goes. I have heard that kittens switch VERY quickly.

Can't add anything to LDG's suggestions, just want to wish you good luck with your new babies.

 

[oakshimmer]

Oh my goodness!!!!!

I brought home 2 wonderful little boys.

The names they were given by foster families are Simon and Mumford. Those names may change but for now they seem to like them. Well at least Simon does anyways.

There was so much going on at the adoption blitz that it was really hard to really see their personalities, but I knew they had to be part of our family.

Upon bringing them home they seemed a little overwhelmed but curious to check out their new room. They are both eating Science diet right now, and Simon has gas, and Mumford's stool seemed a little soft.

Could be due to the new home and all that was going on today, but may also be the diet.

I tried them out on a tiny piece of freeze dried raw beef from NV and they both loved it. Little Simon even growled while he ate his!

I think that getting them on the raw should be easy, but because the new home and everything might stress out their little systems, I am going to give the raw as small treats until they settle in a little bit.

Simon is so far the out going little kitten who is not afraid of anything, and Mumford is our timid and shy kitten. I am hoping that in time that Simon will get Mumford to come out of his shell a little. They are both very cute and I can't wait to get on with all the kitty antics!

I will post pics as soon as I can, I have been trying to get some good ones but its been hard to get one of Mumford while he's been hiding under the futon.

 

[ldg]

Aw...................... :heart2: It sounds like the transition won't be any problem (and may be faster than you'd planned LOL). I'm happy for you, sweetie. :heart2: :rub: .... and

 

[oakshimmer]

Wow These kittens are nuts!!!

They were a little cautious last night when they came into my home but now they are into everything! This morning they were up and alert and hungry, I gave them so wet food to start the day and they both really liked that. I still put down some of their kibble, just in case because I don't want to change anything yet, but I do want them to move over to the wet food.

Now, since these kittens are both used to free eating I am unsure how I can get them onto the wet food without having it spoil or having Simon gorge on the entire can. I have not had kittens in a long time so this is a little new all over again. I have heard that kittens need to eat about 3-4 times a day so I could give them the wet 4x but how often should I feed it? Would breakfast lunch and dinner and a late night snack do it? Again I am giving the raw right now as a snack since it is new to them and I am just watching how they do on it for the moment. So far so good.

Mumford, my little black and white seems to be having soft stool, not liquid but soft, and Simon seems to be starting to pass more normal stool since yesterday. The Kitten room  smells awful and I am constantly cleaning out the litter box soon after a little monster uses the potty. So far the 2 of them are quite the handful, but it is fun watching them play.

 

[ldg]

:lol3: Yep, you've got KITTENS!

I think the breakfast, lunch, dinner, before bed sounds like a great plan. :nod: Do your best to make sure you don't feed breakfast as soon as you get out of bed. They'll learn more quickly they can't wake you up for breakfast, and you'll be able to sleep in every once in a while. :lol3: (Eventually - for now, you've got KITTENS. :lol3: ).

As to the stool.... I expect with the better diet this will clear up in a few days to a week or so. :nod:

That said, whenever anyone adopts kitties, of whatever age, from wherever, I think it's always best to take them to the vet for a check-up and a quick look at the stool to make sure there are no parasites. :nod:

Were they already vaccinated? If so, what for? If not, we usually just do rabies and distemper. There's really no need for FeLV - it's the bigger risk for vaccine-site associated sarcoma, and they'll be indoor, and you don't foster rescues....

You might also want to give them a probiotic. :nod: I don't know if you were using an acidophilus supplement with Kitty or not, but for kittens, the dose is 1/2 the adult dose: 5 billion CFU. Any decent quality human acidophilus supplement with bifidobacteria works. I've just switched to this one: I'm giving my adult cats 1/4 of a pill, so if you used this one (with the S. boulardii, it helps prevent clostridium or coccidia overgrowth), for the kitties it would just be 1/8 of a pill daily.

 

[oakshimmer]

View media item 170617
This is Simon my beautiful little Ginger kitten. He is the Brave one and very Independent! View media item 170618
This is my little Mumford! He is my sucky baby. He melts in your arms and loves a good pet.View media item 170619
This is a picture of the first time he sat on my lap. It took him a while before he would come out from under the futon.View media item 170620
My dear Simon taking a nap on the table after playing with Mumford.View media item 170621
These two are the best of friends! I am glad I have them both together. Mumford is lost without his little buddy.

I will post again soon.

 

[stiletto]

Oh my goodness!! SOOO CUTE!!

I transitioned my Harley when he was 3 months old from kibble to raw like a regular cat no problems.  In fact, he took to it almost immediately. I was able to get him fully on raw within a week and then meaty bones after another week or so!

 

[lehighluke]

It sounds like the kittens took to raw quickly, as many suggested, and as was my experience. I made a thread about how much to feed, and how often, with some findings that you should search for. In conclusion, take 7-10% of their body weight, and spread it out over 4 meals. My 16 and 22 week cats are eating 8 oz ea a day now....a while ago they were only eating 6 oz. I don't know what it will be when they get a little bigger. Good luck

 

[ldg]

OMG they are SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO adorable! :lovegrin2:

I'm really glad they're settling in so quickly - and obviously feel great and are doing well!

Yep, kittens are usually easy to feed just about anything. Even stuff that isn't food.

 

[ritz]

Oh they are so cute.  Mumford reminds me of Ritz.

Enjoy, and get some sleep when you can!

 

[oakshimmer]

Good morning my fellow cat slaves!

Well as expected I have been really busy with the kittens. Both of then have me constantly on the go. I am constantly running around keeping them from clawing scratching and biting all my stuff, and also trying to teach them not to climb onto my kitchen table and sofa tables.

It is honestly a lot more work than I thought it would be! I feel like I have 2 kids. I am also covered in little puncture holes and scratches from the kittens scratching and climbing me too, Simon thought I seemed like a great cat tree last night, and proceeded to climb, and chew on my knee.

I think they are both too small to use those soft paws yet, and I am a little on the fence when it comes to those things. I understand that if they are to wear those, they are unable to retract their nails so this might be uncomfortable for them. Any thought anyone on this subject?

I did buy then 2 cat scratches one for each room they are allowed to roam, they like them, but still insist on using me as a climbing and clawing device.

I also would love it if anyone can offer some advice on how to train a kkitten how to not climb counters or tables, I read someplace to place cookie sheets down so when kitty goes to jump up, they will pull the cookie sheet down and scare them from going onto the surface. Do you think this is a good idea?

Yesterday was the last day of feeding kibble to my boys. I am not willing to keep them on kibble because of all the risks that are involved in feeding that to them. I have them on a combo of canned and raw right now. I would like to feed them raw exclusively but I have a little issue. Going away for a weekend or a day trip will result in having no fresh food. Also, Simon is a bit of a pig, and will likely eat all the food before Mumford can eat any. I was wondering if it would be a bad idea to have to the boys eat a diet of mostly raw, but still allow some canned food too for the times when I can not leave raw out for them to eat. I know I can give the freeze dried, but I am a little concerned with the calcium in the NV brand for a full raw transition for the kittens. What should I do?

They are both doing great so far, and of course I want them to have the best life. So feeding a healthy diet is a must and a top priority!

 

[ritz]

Sounds like you're having fun

Yes, you can absolutely feed raw when you're home, and feed canned food when you're away.  Many of us do that; it's called:  we have a life too you know!  Of course feed the highest quality of canned food you can afford that your kittens will eat.

There are automatic feeders that come with mini ice packs; some work better in theory than practice (some don't open at the appointed time).

 

[lehighluke]

As for the scratching issue, are you clipping their claws? If I keep mine clipped they rarely hurt at all...and definitely no punctures.

 

[oakshimmer]

Hey guys!

Sounds like you're having fun

Yes, you can absolutely feed raw when you're home, and feed canned food when you're away.  Many of us do that; it's called:  we have a life too you know!  Of course feed the highest quality of canned food you can afford that your kittens will eat.

There are automatic feeders that come with mini ice packs; some work better in theory than practice (some don't open at the appointed time).

I am having a blast!

The kitties keep me very busy but I love having them around. Home feels more normal again having some cats in it. I am glad that canned cat food is something a lot of you do. It sure makes things a lot easier.

As for the scratching issue, are you clipping their claws? If I keep mine clipped they rarely hurt at all...and definitely no punctures.

Yes I just got their nails trimmed yesterday. It made a huge difference.

Their trip to the vet went really well, and they both got a clean bill of health. I have gotten rid of their kibble and have them now on canned food and raw only. They also get freeze dried meats as treats. They are so far loving anything that I offer them and don't seem to snub anything at this point. I guess it's good to get them started on a variety of foods and hope that they don't become fussy over time.

This morning I had a mild heart attack when I found Simon trying to eat a staple that he must have pulled out of the cat scratcher.

I had to really comb it over to make sure that there were no loose ones. Sometimes I think it is better just to make things yourself so that you know that it is safe. That really freaked me out. I am just glad I was there to see it happen. These little kitties will put everything in their mouths, food or not.

We started training them with mini water guns for kids. They are real great so far. Both boys are responding the way we hoped and both go running when they get hit by some water.

  I was hoping that in time they will learn that tables and counters are a no no, and to keep off.

Other than all that, the boys continue to keep me on my toes, and best of all keep me laughing.

 

[lehighluke]

We started training them with mini water guns for kids. They are real great so far. Both boys are responding the way we hoped and both go running when they get hit by some water.

  I was hoping that in time they will learn that tables and counters are a no no, and to keep off.

The most effective technique I have found at behavioral correction with my kittens, believe it or not, is growling.  Like if they start getting to nosy when I'm eating, or if they go after our orchid, I just get down at eye level and give a little growl...kind of like a deep hum, closed mouth.  They usually respond right away, and if they need a little more encouragement, I use a light but deliberate touch at the hindquarters with my fingertips, sort of the momma-cat equivalent of a bite.

It sounds silly, but just look to how it happens between cats in nature.

LOL, as I was typing this, my little boy was chewing on my router wires (they love wires)...I started growling at him face to face, and he stopped and jumped right down.

 

[r0n1n]

I also would love it if anyone can offer some advice on how to train a kkitten how to not climb counters or tables, I read someplace to place cookie sheets down so when kitty goes to jump up, they will pull the cookie sheet down and scare them from going onto the surface. Do you think this is a good idea?

We keep our cats off the dining table with aluminium foil.  They don't like the sensation of walking on it.  Double side tape is supposed to work too.  

One problem with squirt guns is that they can panic the cat.  We tried it once and ended up with a big scratch on the furniture from our cat's claws.  

Some others have reported that once the cat figures out you're the squirter they start avoiding you but I haven't experienced this personally.

 

[lehighluke]

We keep our cats off the dining table with aluminium foil.  They don't like the sensation of walking on it.  Double side tape is supposed to work too.  

I tried Alum. Foil once, they just started rolling around on it and chewing it 

 

[ldg]

We just removed them, said "NO" firmly, and redirected them with some kind of play. They learn the meaning of the word "no," and eventually pick up on the fact you don't want them there.

The counters were more of a problem. Someone removed EVERYTHING from the counters so they were empty, and acted like they didn't care at all if the cats were up there. They quickly lost interest. We tried that, but didn't work for us. What we ended up doing was putting a cat tree in the kitchen. :lol3: THAT worked - them having their own space. We combined it, at first, with taking as much stuff out of the cabinets as we needed to remove to FILL the counters completely up, so there was no counter space. Yes, it was a PIA for a couple of weeks to use the kitchen, but it worked. They moved to the cat tree - and then when we put the counters back to normal, they didn't start using them again.