i have a kitten that was given to me by my sister because the owner was gonna put them to sleep, shes only 7 weeks now and i got her at 5 weeks which i heard was too earlier but i couldn't just let her get put to sleep like that. Anyways she can't really eat dry food even the kitten food i get her, she eats maybe one or two and meows while she eats so i thought it was hurting her teeth, i was wondering is it okay to just give her wet food because i don't want her to get hooked on it. I had another cat before but he was 2 when i got him so dry food wasn't hard to get and it's cheaper.
2006-09-18 19:38:50 · 11 answers · asked by chronictwister2001 1 in Pets ➔ Cats
yes
2006-09-18 19:40:23 · answer #1 · answered by JD 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A seven week old kitten still needs soft food although you can start introducing dry food meant for kittens about now. Soak the dry food in water or something like KMR and gradually start adding dry food a little at a time. Most kitties like to crunch on things like they crunch on bones naturally, Dry kibble can reduce tartar on the teeth as well.
You want to be sure the wet food is kitten food as well. Your kitten is very young and should be getting more calories and protein than an adult cat needs. And you realy should consider feeding a premium food right from the beginning. Yes, it cost more but the difference in your cat is considerable.
My adult cats are fed only premium food, like Eukanuba, and I have not had a vet bill for an illness in over eight years. They simply don't get sick, other than an occasional hairball, and are now 10 and 11 years old and as active as kittens.
Cats can be fussy about what brands they will and won't eat. Many vet's offices and pet stores have small size packages or even free trial packets for you to try. Try major food manufacturer websites for samples as well. But please avoid the really cheap food. It generally costs you in the long run with vet bills and a miserable pet.
2006-09-19 02:49:02 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Wet Food is not the best thing nutritionally for a kitten especially one that was taken from the mother so soon. The best thing to do would be to take the kibbles and add boiling water to them so that the water just covers the food and let it soak for 5/10 minutes. You will then be able to mash it up so that it is soft for the kitten. This way she will get used to the taste of the kibbles and you won't have trouble changing her from wet to dry food when she is older. Good Luck
2006-09-19 03:02:07 · answer #3 · answered by nkate14 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Wet food is quite OK for everyday food for all cats.
Actually, even though dry food is cheaper, I would not recommend switching to it - it causes dehydration. Especially for kittens, that is bad; as cats grow up, it can lead to plenty of problems. Home-made raw meat food is best for cats (www.catnutrition.org, for more info, including price break-down); good (not necessarily the most expensive, but you have to watch the contents) canned food is OK.
Generally, the cheapest canned food is better than the most expensive dry food.
Oh, and canned food does not cause diarrhoea. Actually, it causes smaller amounts of very compact stools - because canned food is much better digested. MUCH better.
2006-09-19 03:00:29 · answer #4 · answered by AlphaOne_ 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you only give the kitten wet food, then she will have diarrhea, or really loose stools. Why don't you get some of the dry food and crush it up into smaller pieces and mix it with a little bit of the wet food. This way she gets used to having to eat solid food, and its not so hard for her to chew.
2006-09-19 02:45:33 · answer #5 · answered by sexydragonfly 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Yes wet food is fine for a young kitten. Also maybe some warm milk once in awhile too would help her.
2006-09-19 02:45:15 · answer #6 · answered by sammy 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I always have kittens and I always start them out soft then start adding a little dry to the mix.......than start adding even more when you are sure they can eat it. Before you know it he will be eating dry food.
2006-09-19 02:41:56 · answer #7 · answered by WitchTwo 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes , you're thinking eight ..
When my Cat got babies , first each food i was giving them had to be wet until they reach for their mother food and starts to eat it , then i knew it was the time to stop the wet food ..
2006-09-19 02:45:12 · answer #8 · answered by shady 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Like all babies....they need their mothers milk..Pet stores sell milk replacements for orphaned kittens. Mix that milk in with a little kibble so your kitten will get the nutricion it needs at this stage of its life.
2006-09-19 02:49:47 · answer #9 · answered by spaceytracey3 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it is okay for a while i mean i still give my adult cats soft food sometimes but you need to get them on to a hard food so that the teeth will harden the way they are supposed to
2006-09-19 13:45:21 · answer #10 · answered by babygirl_wif_angelwings 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
or you could water down the dry food
2006-09-19 07:02:57 · answer #11 · answered by macleod709 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋