Feeding question...

[Samantha Puppy]

I am currently feeding Kirin and Sushi 1/4 can (each) of wet food in the morning and another 1/4 can at night for dinner. I'd eventually like to wean them to once a day for dinner... at what point should I begin doing that?

Thanks!

[moosmom]

Are you leaving dry kibble out for them to munch on all day? If so, you can just cut out one can meal whenever. As long as you know they're drinking water. My vet told me that canned cat food had almost NO nutritional value at all. It's expensive, stinky and my cats used to poop ALOT more than they do now.

I used to split one can between my cats (8 of them!! ) twice a day and then I cut it back to night only. Now I only give it to them as a treat once in a great while, not as a regular diet. They also get 3/4 of a cup each of dry kibble a day. I also have 3 bowls of filtered water AND a filtered water fountain for them (talk about spoiled!!!)

[mina'smomma]

I've never really had the problem because Mina HATES wet food. I tried to get her to eat it when we first got her, but she wouldn't touch it. She loves her dry food and treats.

[Samantha Puppy]

That's interesting! The foster I got Sushi and Kirin from said that cats are desert animals and don't drink a lot of water, so most of their moisture comes from wet food and that I must keep it in their diet.

I do leave out dry food for them to have throughout the day, and they have access to water at all times too, obviously.

[jazzcat]

Originally posted by Samantha Puppy
That's interesting! The foster I got Sushi and Kirin from said that cats are desert animals and don't drink a lot of water, so most of their moisture comes from wet food and that I must keep it in their diet. .

Never heard that one before. Just keep fresh water out for them all the time like you do for Samantha. I never feed my guys wet food. Scout is the only one who likes it and she already has a major weight problem so why add to it. You can get them on a dry food routine with wet only as a treat (if you want) and lots of fresh water available. Since they are kittens they should be fed smaller meals more often. I wouldn't try feeding them just once a day until they are at least a year old and then I'd still break it into morning and night feedings.

That foster lady sounds interesting to say the least.

[catnapper]

Wow, that is interesting what the foster mom said. I've never heard that. My boys get dry food only. And you have to make sure they have a constant supply of fresh water at all times.

I feed the kittens a small handful several times a day (one handfull for both kittens... probably not even a 1/4 cup) kittens need a lot of food because they are growing so much. I probably put out more kitten food than necessary because Allen and Pouncer have taken a liking to it over their food

Cat should eat dry food too because it helps keep their teeth clean and tartar free. Also, it does help their digestion - less poop and its less smelly. Wet food creates the worst litter box smells! P-U!

[catnapper]

Here's a link (I did a quick Google search) that talks about a cat's nutritional needs as a kitten and what wet food does. Not extensively detailed... just baisc info. Hope it helps : cat food

[sirrahbed]

Nobody at my house gets any wet food - only dry. They drink plenty of water that I keep in the PetFlow fountain. My understanding is that dry is healthier and prevents tartar build-up on the teeth. They get the semi-moist treats sometimes but no canned.

[Samantha Puppy]

Very interesting... I will read up on the info the foster mom gave me, as well as the link that cat napper provided, and possibly move them to only a dry food only diet. It'd certainly be cheaper!! I'm just surprised at what a difference between what she said and what you all are saying...

[Christiansmommy]

When I adopted Dandy, she was 1 year old already. Whoever had her before me, must have exclusively fed her wet food, b/c she begged and begged for it, and virtually ate no dry...i had initially started her on Iams dry, but she just didn't eat it, only liked canned food, but I later changed to the Chicken Soup for the Cat Lovers Soul dry, and she loved it...ate it up...and so i weaned her off of the wet...she is a little piggy, and i didnt want her getting over weight...so now i give them some dry in the morning, same time as i feed the dog, and then some dry around dinner time, or later at night...no canned food anymore...only, very occasionally, as a treat. The Chicken Soup food is actually, very well priced...i stopped giving it to Dale, but the cats are doing very well on it...

[Glacier]

My vet recommends that all the cats get some high quality wet food every day. I leave dry kibble out all the time and lots of water. He believes that wet food helps prevent blocking in males, especially those who don't drink enough water. He has the same theory as the foster your babies came from.

[BitsyNaceyDog]

I too only feed dry to my 7 cats. I've never had a problem with them not drinking enough water. I feed each of them 1/4 cup twice a day of Natural Balance. They have virtually no tarter on their teeth whatsoever. Oliver was at the vet for a check-up a few months ago and my vet said he was one of the healthiest and best looking cats he'd seen in a long time. I was a very happy and proud momma at that moment to receive such a compliment.

[guster girl]

I know I'm late with replying to this, but, I'm really curious about where the foster mom got her information about feeding canned food because cats don't drink a lot of water. I've never heard that! I know that most canned food is sugary, too, and, that it doesn't do anything for the health of their teeth and gums. As for dry food, I don't recommend just leaving food out all day, but, I know a lot of people do and their cats aren't fat. But, I know that can lead to the cat eating too much. The last cats I had that I fed cat food to, I measured each of their amounts of food out daily and fed them in separate bowls at the same time. I think one of them got a 1/4 cup and the other got just about 1/2 a cup daily. I would just feed them a few times a day from their pre measured containers. It worked well that way, and, they never had a problem with weight. The cat my ex and I bought (Lock, the bengal, stayed with him when Finn and I moved out) eats chicken, fish, and, beef, so, he gets his water from that, and, the bones help clean his teeth. And, water still stays out all the time! I'm really curious about the desert theory, though. What cats is she referring to? I'm not trying to be a smart alec, I am really curious. I mean, I know cheetahs and lions are found in the desert, but, there are leopards and tigers found in forested regions with plenty of water.