Starting kitten off with wet food

Ravynn

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Hi,

I'll be getting a male kitten that will be around 8-10 weeks old in a few weeks. I'd like to exclusively feed wet food to get him accustomed to it from the beginning. Is there a certain amount of wet food a kitten should be eating in a day? I'm nervous I won't feed enough due to how much energy and growth they have. Also, does it matter if it's pate or chunks/flakes?

Thank you!
 

nancyjoel123

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A kitten that age does burn off quite a bit of energy! I would give him a third to a half of the can (a 3-ounce can) 3x a day. As for texture of the food, I suggest asking the current pet parent about the kitten’s preference. Each kitty has his own personality. Congratulations on your new friend ❤
 

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Kittens should be fed both dry and canned. Most people free feed dry and offer canned food meals several times a day if possible. Kittens should be allowed to eat as much as they want since they need a lot of food for growth. Kittens won't get fat from eating nearly their weight in food. When the kitten reaches a year old, you can reduce / eliminate the dry and feed only canned.

Kitten food typically only comes in pate form. You can offer "all life stages" food that are textured. Offer a variety of textures and pate so the kitten doesn't develop a preference for one type.

Can the kitten be kept with mom until 12 weeks old? That way the kitten will be fully weaned and has learned how to use a litter box and other cat things from mom. How Old Do Kittens Have To Be To Leave Their Mother? – TheCatSite Articles
 

She's a witch

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I used to free feed the kittens the wet food only, it’s possible if you’re home often enough. It’s totally ok to leave the wet food out for couple of hours or more if your place isn’t too hot. As for the amount, sometimes they would eat tons, sometimes less, usually around 1.5 of big can a day pet kitten, but sometimes two cans, sometimes one. They settled on two cans for two cats a day when they reached adulthood and that’s what I’m feeding them now when I feed canned. It really depends so you’d need to improvise, start with lest say 1/4 of big can and add more if required. It’s better to overfeed a kitten (is this even possible?) than under feed him imo.

just be sure you know what food is he currently fed so that you don’t change it too quickly.
Edited to add: and yes, I second LTS3 suggestion about keeping him with his family as long as possible so the risk of behavioral issues will be smaller. This is especially important if he’s going to be the only cat. Or maybe you can consider adopting one of his siblings as well? Kittens are so much better in twos!
 
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Ravynn

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Kittens should be fed both dry and canned. Most people free feed dry and offer canned food meals several times a day if possible. Kittens should be allowed to eat as much as they want since they need a lot of food for growth. Kittens won't get fat from eating nearly their weight in food. When the kitten reaches a year old, you can reduce / eliminate the dry and feed only canned.

Kitten food typically only comes in pate form. You can offer "all life stages" food that are textured. Offer a variety of textures and pate so the kitten doesn't develop a preference for one type.

Can the kitten be kept with mom until 12 weeks old? That way the kitten will be fully weaned and has learned how to use a litter box and other cat things from mom. How Old Do Kittens Have To Be To Leave Their Mother? – TheCatSite Articles
Interesting. I have no problem buying dry and wet and letting him eat as much as he wants. Is it okay if i feed wet food 2-3 times a day but leave the dry food out all day? Do I have to track how much he's eating if I do it like that?

I'm getting the kitten from a rescue, they came in at 6 weeks old without the mother. This is them:


I used to free feed the kittens the wet food only, it’s possible if you’re home often enough. It’s totally ok to leave the wet food out for couple of hours or more if your place isn’t too hot. As for the amount, sometimes they would eat tons, sometimes less, usually around 1.5 of big can a day pet kitten, but sometimes two cans, sometimes one. They settled on two cans for two cats a day when they reached adulthood and that’s what I’m feeding them now when I feed canned. It really depends so you’d need to improvise, start with lest say 1/4 of big can and add more if required. It’s better to overfeed a kitten (is this even possible?) than under feed him imo.

just be sure you know what food is he currently fed so that you don’t change it too quickly.
Edited to add: and yes, I second LTS3 suggestion about keeping him with his family as long as possible so the risk of behavioral issues will be smaller. This is especially important if he’s going to be the only cat. Or maybe you can consider adopting one of his siblings as well? Kittens are so much better in twos!
I will be home all the time actually! I work from home. By big can do you mean the 5.5oz or the 12 oz cans? I'll make sure to buy a bag of the food they're currently eating and transition.

I know what you guys mean by behavioral issues but they are not with the mother so there isn't much I can do about that, I don't think...
 

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Interesting. I have no problem buying dry and wet and letting him eat as much as he wants. Is it okay if i feed wet food 2-3 times a day but leave the dry food out all day? Do I have to track how much he's eating if I do it like that?
No you don't need to track food amounts. It's fine to leave dry food out and feed canned when you can. Canned food is a cooked product so you can leave it out all day.

I'm getting the kitten from a rescue, they came in at 6 weeks old without the mother. This is them:
So cute! Yeah, in those situations young kittens may need a bit of extra care and teaching of manners than an older kitten.


By big can do you mean the 5.5oz or the 12 oz cans? I'll make sure to buy a bag of the food they're currently eating and transition
Either of those sizes. I'm not sure if kitten canned food comes in a 12 oz size?
 
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Ravynn

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Either of those sizes. I'm not sure if kitten canned food comes in a 12 oz size?
What brands can I feed? Does it have to say it's only for kittens? Seems like Fancy Feast is better than Friskies and i'd like to have some sort of "staple" brand before I order online and get some different brands. Am I able to feed FF as a kitten?
 

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You can feed either kitten specific food or "all life stages" food. There is a statement in teeny tiny print on the can label that will indicate what life stage the food is for. You do not want to feed adult or senior food or food that is intended for a specific purpose like weight control or urinary issues. Fancy Feast Kitten canned food is just fine. You can also include a few other brands as well. Pet stores will have at least a few different brands with kitten varieties such as Blue Buffalo, Wellness, and Nature's Variety Instinct.
 

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Only problem with dry food is becoming easily addicted to it so feed both or almost 2 cans fed 3 separate meals. All 3 of my cats eat different amounts. Depending on what kind of kitten. When my cats were kittens they ate canned. They are healthy 7,8,9 pds. No fish. Try to find food with protein as the first ingredient.
 
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Ravynn

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Only problem with dry food is becoming easily addicted to it so feed both or almost 2 cans fed 3 separate meals. All 3 of my cats eat different amounts. Depending on what kind of kitten. When my cats were kittens they ate canned. They are healthy 7,8,9 pds. No fish. Try to find food with protein as the first ingredient.
I wonder if getting the dry food that they are on right now and mixing it into the wet food for a little bit until the kitten transitions would be a good idea rather than feeding both dry and wet food separate? I do want the kitten just on wet food in the future. I'm just not sure the best way to go.
 

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Hi Ravynn,
I'm so glad you're getting a new kitten, I have just adopted one also, and bringing this new little life home has really helped me come back to life. She's got a distinct personality! Robin- she's 4 1/2 mos old- forgot how "energetic" they are, and so glad I'm home to be with her. I decided after Gem who was almost like a Science Diet addict- when I adopted her thats what she ate- and I tried so many times to switch- that I would feed mainly wet food- and try a variety of flavors- lamb, duck, turkey. Gem did eat some wet food- but I think had that been her main diet things might have been different. Protein not grain.
I am also giving Robin some dry on top of her wet- they have some pretty good dry at this point thats grain free- as LTS3 said Blue Buffalo, Wellness and Natures Variety are all good brands that make wet and dry.
After talking to the guy at my local pet store I tried Stella and Chewy's freeze dried, but just crumbled it on top of the wet. You have the option of adding water but its expensive so I'm just adding the top. I feed her at least 5 times a day at this point whenever she wants it.
I'm making sure I read these forums in case anyone has any other advice as well. Robin Sept 10 2020 3.jpg
 

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I wonder if getting the dry food that they are on right now and mixing it into the wet food for a little bit until the kitten transitions would be a good idea rather than feeding both dry and wet food separate? I do want the kitten just on wet food in the future. I'm just not sure the best way to go.
Mixing would be better though the benefit of dry is you can leave it out longer. My work hours very,sometimes short and I live 10 minutes away so just feeding wet multiple times a day was no problem.
 

maggie101

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Hi Ravynn,
I'm so glad you're getting a new kitten, I have just adopted one also, and bringing this new little life home has really helped me come back to life. She's got a distinct personality! Robin- she's 4 1/2 mos old- forgot how "energetic" they are, and so glad I'm home to be with her. I decided after Gem who was almost like a Science Diet addict- when I adopted her thats what she ate- and I tried so many times to switch- that I would feed mainly wet food- and try a variety of flavors- lamb, duck, turkey. Gem did eat some wet food- but I think had that been her main diet things might have been different. Protein not grain.
I am also giving Robin some dry on top of her wet- they have some pretty good dry at this point thats grain free- as LTS3 said Blue Buffalo, Wellness and Natures Variety are all good brands that make wet and dry.
After talking to the guy at my local pet store I tried Stella and Chewy's freeze dried, but just crumbled it on top of the wet. You have the option of adding water but its expensive so I'm just adding the top. I feed her at least 5 times a day at this point whenever she wants it.
I'm making sure I read these forums in case anyone has any other advice as well.View attachment 351670
My cats love stella freeze dried. Just wish it didnt have so much bone in it. So I also use as a topper and add water. The company is planning on providing a different food with less bone in the future.
 

LTS3

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I wonder if getting the dry food that they are on right now and mixing it into the wet food for a little bit until the kitten transitions would be a good idea rather than feeding both dry and wet food separate? I do want the kitten just on wet food in the future. I'm just not sure the best way to go.

Personally I'd keep dry food separate from any kind of wet food unless you crush the dry food up and use a little bit as a topper and the cat eats it all up right away. Dry food is not meant to be moistened in any way. Doing so and leaving the mixture to sit out for hours can result in bacteria growth. Someone on another cat board some years ago accidentally left wet dry food out for a day and the result was dubbed "cocoa mold" because the dry food was mush and actually had mold growing in it.
 
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Ravynn

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Hi Ravynn,
I'm so glad you're getting a new kitten, I have just adopted one also, and bringing this new little life home has really helped me come back to life. She's got a distinct personality! Robin- she's 4 1/2 mos old- forgot how "energetic" they are, and so glad I'm home to be with her. I decided after Gem who was almost like a Science Diet addict- when I adopted her thats what she ate- and I tried so many times to switch- that I would feed mainly wet food- and try a variety of flavors- lamb, duck, turkey. Gem did eat some wet food- but I think had that been her main diet things might have been different. Protein not grain.
I am also giving Robin some dry on top of her wet- they have some pretty good dry at this point thats grain free- as LTS3 said Blue Buffalo, Wellness and Natures Variety are all good brands that make wet and dry.
After talking to the guy at my local pet store I tried Stella and Chewy's freeze dried, but just crumbled it on top of the wet. You have the option of adding water but its expensive so I'm just adding the top. I feed her at least 5 times a day at this point whenever she wants it.
I'm making sure I read these forums in case anyone has any other advice as well.View attachment 351670
I didn't recognize your username at first -- then I read Gem and I realized it was you from Kitty's thread!! It's been really hard not having a cat in the house. There has always been a cat in the house for the past 28 years -- crazy to think about. I'm very excited about getting another little kitten after 14 years. It's been great planning everything out!

Mixing would be better though the benefit of dry is you can leave it out longer. My work hours very,sometimes short and I live 10 minutes away so just feeding wet multiple times a day was no problem.
Yes, I see what you mean. I'm home all the time and if i'm out doing errands, there's always someone else home too.

Personally I'd keep dry food separate from any kind of wet food unless you crush the dry food up and use a little bit as a topper and the cat eats it all up right away. Dry food is not meant to be moistened in any way. Doing so and leaving the mixture to sit out for hours can result in bacteria growth. Someone on another cat board some years ago accidentally left wet dry food out for a day and the result was dubbed "cocoa mold" because the dry food was mush and actually had mold growing in it.
I just didn't know if switching straight to wet food after being on a specific dry food would upset the tummy or not. I never leave wet food out longer than the cat takes to eat it... it starts to smell bad fast, plus the top gets hardened after a little while. It looks quite disgusting, lol.
 

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Canned food does dry out but it's still fine for the cat to eat. It's a cooked product. Add a little water to moisten the canned food.

Leave a bowl of dry food out and canned food when you are able to. Start with maybe half a 3 oz can to start and increase slowly as long as the kitten isn't having litter box issues. Changing food too fast can cause diarrhea in some cats.

 

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The kittens are sooo cute! Which one did you pick? I’m another proponent for getting 2 kittens Especially since they have not had the benefit of being with mom Reading the threads on this site convinced me how much better it was for the kittens and me.I truly believe their kitten hood was a lot less work for me because they had each other to play with and learn from And they are never lonely My boys are 15 months old now and much calmer but having a buddy in my case a sibling is still a big plus
I also think having Kibble available 24/7 is important They have multiple eatery bursts through out the day and can snack afterward
Please post pics once you bring him/her home It’s such a fun time Enjoy
 

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I didn't recognize your username at first -- then I read Gem and I realized it was you from Kitty's thread!! It's been really hard not having a cat in the house. There has always been a cat in the house for the past 28 years -- crazy to think about. I'm very excited about getting another little kitten after 14 years. It's been great planning everything out!



Yes, I see what you mean. I'm home all the time and if i'm out doing errands, there's always someone else home too.



I just didn't know if switching straight to wet food after being on a specific dry food would upset the tummy or not. I never leave wet food out longer than the cat takes to eat it... it starts to smell bad fast, plus the top gets hardened after a little while. It looks quite disgusting, lol.
Yes I know what you mean, I didn't think I'd be able to get another cat after Gem and I will be heartbroken about her forever, but Robin came into our lives and we decided to adopt - it was the best decision because I was beyond sad. Your kitten is much younger so I would probably like others have said start with wet, try to make it primary over dry. At the shelter I got her from Merrick wet and dry was what they gave her thats a good brand also. I will make wet primary but give her some freeze dried and dry as well. I'm really happy for you!
 
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Ravynn

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The kittens are sooo cute! Which one did you pick? I’m another proponent for getting 2 kittens Especially since they have not had the benefit of being with mom Reading the threads on this site convinced me how much better it was for the kittens and me.I truly believe their kitten hood was a lot less work for me because they had each other to play with and learn from And they are never lonely My boys are 15 months old now and much calmer but having a buddy in my case a sibling is still a big plus
I also think having Kibble available 24/7 is important They have multiple eatery bursts through out the day and can snack afterward
Please post pics once you bring him/her home It’s such a fun time Enjoy
I haven't picked yet! The 2 dark ones are girls and the others are boys. They go to the vet next week and the week after I can go to the foster home to pick one out since I was the first to get approved for one of the boys. If it's any benefit to the kittens, the foster home that they are in already has 5 adult cats and a few dogs so they may learn manners from them as well. If i'm being honest I am a little nervous of getting 2 kittens.. I'm 100% certain I can afford any unexpected/routine vet bills for my senior dog and the new kitten but I am not sure if I would be able to swing it if there was something wrong with all 3 at some point in time. I might get another in a few years.

Yes I know what you mean, I didn't think I'd be able to get another cat after Gem and I will be heartbroken about her forever, but Robin came into our lives and we decided to adopt - it was the best decision because I was beyond sad. Your kitten is much younger so I would probably like others have said start with wet, try to make it primary over dry. At the shelter I got her from Merrick wet and dry was what they gave her thats a good brand also. I will make wet primary but give her some freeze dried and dry as well. I'm really happy for you!
The kitten kind of came to me that way too. I had previously messaged the rescue about a different cat that they had that already got adopted when I messaged. A week later they messaged me back to tell me they had a litter of kittens in their care, so I just had to send an application in. I'm definitely going to prioritize the wet. Also not doing temptations with this kitten. Kitty was addicted to temptations so i'm just going with freeze dried like Purebites this time. :lol:
 

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my advice would also be 2 kittens ... you will never regret it ( even in the unlikely scenario that all of them need vet care at the same time . Having a playmate and friend for life is priceless for a cat. Getting another cat in a few years is not easy and will require careful introductions and there is never any guarantee that they like each other. Two sibling kittens will cry less, always have each other, even on trips to the vet or while you are on vacation/ out of town. Two cats can be moved easier and keep each other entertained while still bonding to you. I foster kittens - usually singletons because my cats seem ok with accepting new babies ... and ... kittens crave company of other cats ... they sleep, groom and play together. There is about nothing cuter than to watch two kittens play and sleep together ...
As far as wet food goes ... we like some of the fancy feast varieties, Purina beyond grain free foods, Nutro, tiki cat and have tried many other varieties- stick with one source of protein for a few days and then go to something else! Babies eat about 1/3 can a meal three times a day BUT as it has been said before we free feed kibble ( in our case it is adult kibble) - transition the babies slowly to new food. personally like to feed a mixed wed/dry diet because ... at times when we do need a petsitter or travel... dry food is a lot easier ... it can sit out all day and I don't have to worry about food spoiling. My cats free. feed even as adults on dry ... so far with no ill side effects ... they drink plenty and get wet food once a day ... consider getting a cat water fountain ... most cats loves those ( mine cannot have them as they tip them over and want to play in puddles but most cats are not that water loving lol )
 
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