think ive finally got it right with what they like, just need a few more suggestions :)

[stacydc83]

So the other day, I finally realized Lily prefers chunks and slices, to pate. She will not eat pate anymore. She is just about 6 months now. Here are the foods she and Callie will happily eat:

Royal Canin kitten 4-12 months

Friskies Plus turkey Giblets

Platefuls

Wellness chicken and salmon packets

Fancy Feast chicken & cheese 

Fancy Feast beef grilled

Purina Pro One beef braised

Soulistic Good Karma tuna and pumpkin/chicken and pumpkin/tripe harmony

IAMS Kitten hard food

They get each a half a can, or packet, three times a day. I do realize these are small cans (except for the Friskies Plus), but they also eat their IAMS kitten food. Plus they get Whiskas kitten treats, and Greenies Smart bites treats about twice a day. Now, my last issue, is how do I get a little more fat in their diet? Most of their food is for adults,and since they refuse all kitten food, their not gettng as much fat. I just need a little more fat/Omega 3-6-9/DHA in their diet and I'd be happy. Are there any good supplements or treats that will help? Thanks for listening and any responses. Im so close to having found everything they like :-D

 

[archerbaby]

Hi~

I don't have any suggestions as I'm new here, and my kitty is the first one I've had since I was a kid.  I'm having to relearn everything  But I just wanted to say it's funny that you mention that your girl, Lily, will only eat chunks now & refuses pate because my Archer was the exact opposite.  When we first brought him home, at 4 months, he adored the chunks & hated the pate.  Then when he hit about 6 months he started to refuse the chunks & ever since then will only eat the pate!  I think kitties are such funny little creatures  And some, like mine, are so picky whereas the kitty I had growing up would eat anything...well except Meow Mix, but now knowing what's in that I can't blame him! 

Anyway, I just wanted to say hi & I know someone will come in & give you great advice like someone did for me recently when I asked how to transition from kitten to adult.  The people on this site are wonderful!

 

[stacydc83]

this is my first kitten too,since I was a kid! My last cat Sadie (r.i.p) I got her as an adult, and she lived for  10 years here, plus however old she was when we got her. then my first cat Nippy, I was only 2 when we got him and he was a kitten. So now at 29 years old, I'm new at this kitten stuff I know how to take care and feed a grown cat, but kittens are a whole different territory I've learned!

 

[just mike]

Your diet for them looks good. I put my 6 month old kitten on adult food but I got advice from my veterinarian. Before adding supplements etc. I would check with your vet first before doing anything. Swiffer did fine on adult food but like I said, she was 6 months old. She, along with my other cats get Nutro Max Cat and Nutro Natural Choice wet foods along with a couple of the brands you mentioned plus some others. She had no issues or side effects from going on the adult formulas at that age. Give your vet a call and see what advice they will give you regarding supplements etc. :nod:

 

[archerbaby]

Haha, I'm 29 too & we had an adult kitty from when I was like 4, my brother's cat, that lived to be, at least, 19 (we're not sure how old she was when we got her either, but she was an adult).  And then my cat, Boo, who we got as a tiny kitten when I was about 10 & who unfortunately ran away when I was doing a study abroad semester in England

.  I'm sorry about your Sadie

We got Archer as an older kitten, but it really was like having to relearn how to properly care for a kitten.  So I definitely see where you're coming from about it being new territory!

 

[tammyp]

Hi StacyDC83

I've written a bit of an essay - for which I do apologise, but its good info!  For the short answer on what fats to supplement with, choose meat based fats. ( I have also read that butter (or cream) is good, also pure coconut oil - sorry, can't remember the chemistry).  I'd highly recommend some chunks of fresh meat with some fat/skin still on it. A sardine or two each week is also great (fish can't be fed all the time due to lack of Taurine and in raw fish, the enzyme that destroys Thiamine).

Now here's the reasons and some background to the 'quandry' of 'kitten' vs 'adult' food....

Ok, so in the natural world, there's no such thing as food for life stages.  These things, eg: kitten food, adult food, senior food, hairball control food etc etc are marketing gimmicks.  Just check the labelled ingredients.  But, as you mentioned, kittens need more nutrition to cope with their growth.  In the natural world, they just eat more!  So one way to feed your kittens is a balanced raw diet with lots of meals

In our commercial world, AAFCO established nutrient profiles recognising the fact kittens need more nutrition - so they have 'growth stage' and 'adult' regulation.  Unfortunately, in a profit driven world, this just serves to make sure kitten food is not the absolute crap that can be adult cat food.  Its not 'extra' nutrition, its trying to safeguard the nutrition that should be in all cats food.  So if you give your kitten adult food that is 'for all life stages' (check the ingredients - it should be a lot higher in actual meat content), then this is great!

In your situation - I don't know those brands as not in your part of the world - check the labels for ingredients.  You'd think AAFCO has it all safeguarded but its not so.  For example, when they test for minimum levels of protein, they only test for Nitrogen (as this is part of the protein molecule).  I'm getting a bit hazy on the exact chemistry, but the test was simple (cheaper) and so pet food profiteers thought, awesome, I just have to pass the Nitrogen test...plants are cheaper than meat...I'll put plant proteins in.  This is a problem as cats need meat protein, but wait, it gets worse...Then the suppliers of the plant proteins (gluten) thought awesome, MELAMINE has a positive test for Nitrogen...we'll fraudulently fill our 'gluten' bags with MELAMINE.  And that's how so many animals died in 2007.  (There has been some update on the protein tests - not everywhere - but I think for human products, as this same loophole saw melamine also go into pharmaceuticals, and as everyone knows, infant formula).  

The other thing is that some kitten foods are calculated on energy - and yet to give a high energy reading, they pump the food full of carbs, and this just doesn't do it for a cat.

So, as I was saying, check the ingredient list.  You want MEAT ideally as the first ingredient.  Be suspicious of cans that list 'gluten' (or maize, corn or other grains) or Omega 3s from plant sources (eg Flax).  Cats don't access plant stuff.  Their bodies only have enzymes to extract nutrition from animal sources.  So, once you have some good wet food that is grain free and meat-full (it's a hard find!!), then awesome.  Hopefully your listed foods get the tick.

And finally...like many people, I don't at all like kibble.  Looking at the quantities you feed, I think you need to boost the wet food serves and rely less on the carb-full 'junk' foods.  There's not much nutrition in treats (unless freeze dried meat or dried meat - always avoid grains as you are just feeding biscuits), or obviously in kibble (its a biscuit, with a little meat MEAL if you are lucky, and sprayed with rendered animal digest for that super palatability that cats get addicted to).

And while you're thinking about supplementing the diet, so you get good teeth health, how about some RAW boney things; cutlets, chicken necks (chopped into smaller bits), chicken ribs, wings etc.(Human grade, freeze for 3 days, and all is safe).

Enjoy your lovely kittens!

 

[kittylover23]

So the other day, I finally realized Lily prefers chunks and slices, to pate. She will not eat pate anymore. She is just about 6 months now. Here are the foods she and Callie will happily eat:

Royal Canin kitten 4-12 months
Friskies Plus turkey Giblets
Platefuls
Wellness chicken and salmon packets
Fancy Feast chicken & cheese 
Fancy Feast beef grilled
Purina Pro One beef braised
Soulistic Good Karma tuna and pumpkin/chicken and pumpkin/tripe harmony
IAMS Kitten hard food

They get each a half a can, or packet, three times a day. I do realize these are small cans (except for the Friskies Plus), but they also eat their IAMS kitten food. Plus they get Whiskas kitten treats, and Greenies Smart bites treats about twice a day. Now, my last issue, is how do I get a little more fat in their diet? Most of their food is for adults,and since they refuse all kitten food, their not gettng as much fat. I just need a little more fat/Omega 3-6-9/DHA in their diet and I'd be happy. Are there any good supplements or treats that will help? Thanks for listening and any responses. Im so close to having found everything they like :-D

Maybe you could try them on the Royal Canin BabyCat cans? It comes in chunks and it was what I fed my Cookie when she was a kitten before I switched them to raw.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Just want to add that if you feed her canned sardines, be sure to get the ones packed in water, not oil, and with NO sodium added.

To add Omega 3/DHA, I give my furkids Krill Oil every day.  Mine are adults, so I give them a 500 mg capsule every day (I poke the capsule and squeeze it on top of their food), but I'd say it mainly depends on her weight as to how much to give her.  I know Catnamedpanda gives krill oil to one of her babies who has a specific issue, and think she gives 300 mg daily because Delilah is pretty tiny.