is it true that dry food is the best food for kittens ?

Question

also plz any advice on how to keep my kitten hair from falling ........someone adviced me to feed her dry food which stops the hair to fall ? is it tue ?

Answer 1

I've never heard that but dried food is good for their teeth, so I was told...make sure you always have fresh water available for the cat to drink from if you change to dry food

Answer 2

Dry cat food is simply the most convenient food for owners to feed their cats and a diet of totally dry food is inadvisable for a cat or kitten. All grocery store cat and kitten foods are poor quality. Purina and Science Diet are also poor quality as they use by-product meat (meat treated with chemicals, some of which are known carcinogen, and label by law as "unfit for human consumption". Also the meat protein in those foods make up only 30% of the diet, the remaining being carbohydrate fillers such as corn.

Cats and kittens need a diet that is 60% meat protein and it should be from meats that are wholesome and "human-grade". For dry foods that meet this criterion consider Eagle Pack, Blue, Solid Gold, Natural Balance, Felidae, CA Natural.

Foods labeled "kitten" food are simply a marketing ploy. A mother cat does not wean her kittens on special "kitten" mice supposedly having higher protein or special vitamins necessary for a kitten. No qualified feline nutritionist will tell you that (though you will get that comment from many posters here)

As to the proper diet for a kitten or cat you can go to www.catinfo.org or catnutrition.org to read about what cats should eat. At www.littlebigcat.com Dr. Jean Hovfe (another veterinarian) has an article in her article library titled "Why Cats Need Canned Food". She also has one titled "Selecting a Good Commercial Pet Food."

I don't know why your kitten has "falling hair" and it could well be that the food you are giving her is inadequate.

Answer 3

I cannot believe the answers you are receiving re: dry food being best for a cat. A cat is an obligate carnivor. They need PROTEIN as the main ingredient in their food. Take a look at the ingredients in a bag of dry food and tell me if it looks like you're feeding a cow or a cat. Corn? Wheat? Rice? Do cat's in the wild eat grains? Of course not. They eat fresh protein.

I lost my cat last year at the age of 15. For the last 7 years of her life, she was diabetic and I gave her two insulin injections a day. That opened my eyes about alot of things re: feline nutrition. I have no doubt in my mind that it was from my years of feeding her a dry-only diet that she developed diabetes. I also have no doubt in my mind that the IBD turned lymphoma which ended up kiling her came from those years of a dry-only diet. A cat's gut tract is not the same as a humans.

Cats are normally not big water drinkers. Feeding a cat nothing but dry food puts them in a constant state of dehydration. How many cats do you know of that died as a result of renal failure? It's the leading cause of death in cats. Do the math.

As far as dry food being better for a cat's teeth -- it isn't. The research is out there -- you just need to read it:

http://www.softrain.com/natpaws/drjudy2.htm
http://www.littlebigcat.com/?action=library&act=show&item=doesdryfoodcleantheteeth

Those are just two articles addressing dry food and a cat's teeth.

The main reason people feed their cats dry food comes down to one word: convenience. And the pet food companies capitalize on that convenience to push their dry food. There is more research out now than there was years ago re the benefits of a wet food only diet for a feline. Just do some Googling and you'll find it.

ps - re: the cat's hair falling out, that sounds like a food allergy and I wouldn't be at all surprised if it's one of those grain ingredients in the dry food that is causing the problem. Check to see if wheat gluten is an ingredient -- that's a cheap filler that is in both dry and wet food that many cats have problems with.

Answer 4

Once kittens are old enough to chew the dry food, it is a good idea, since it is better for their teeth.

There isn't really much you can do to keep cat hair from falling out. Unfortunately all cats shed (except the hairless ones!).

You can get your cat groomed regularly though, and that will help. Also brush the cat at least once a week.

Answer 5

A diet of both dry and wet food is best for cats. The dry food, like others have already stated, is good for their teeth, keeps them strong. The wet food is good for their digestive tract.

I feed each of my cats a quarter of a can of wet food in the morning and a quarter of a can in the evening. I keep their bowls filled with dry food at all times which they snack on throughout the day.

I've never heard about dry food preventing a cat's hair from falling out so I'm sorry, I can't help you out with that one.

Answer 6

Don't know about falling fur. Have you had your kitten checked out to make sure it is healthy? I have fed all of my cats Purina
Kitten Chow. Then switched to Purina Cat Chow when they
turned 1. In my opinion it is the best food on the market. Dry cereal does cut down on tarter build up. It is balanced and
nutritionally sound.

Answer 7

dry is easier to feed them and has many good points from less smelling stools ,a good pet store will stock a wide range of dry foods and some can help with the cats coat and even better smelling breath lol

Answer 8

I don't know anything about hair falling out however dry cat food is always best. It helps your kitten/cat to get rid of plaque. Soft cat food is probably more tasty, and is good for an occasional treat. I used to feed my cat of 10 years mostly soft cat food, and my vet said she developed gingivitis on her gums because of it. He said that it caused her to have weak gums and her teeth would bleed at times.

Answer 9

We've found that dry cat food is best for our cats - it's better for their tummies and teeth. You can buy specialised cat food for kittens that might have with your problem. But definitely make sure that there's fresh water at all times for her.

Answer 10

we fed our cat the dried science diet since she was a kitten. it must certainly be good for her, as she is twelve now and is still as fit as a kitten of two years. all my friends who have cats remark on it. keep plenty of water down, and i would keep the loo seat down too as every cat i've known who eats dried food tries to drink from the loo! also, we give her meaty treats every now and then. a completely dry diet seems 'samey' to me, and a few prawns or some chicken as a treat makes her extremely happy. we find its much easier to give her meat that we eat rather than buying treats, its cheaper and she enjoys it much more.

with regards to hair, i'm afraid i haven't heard anything about this, but all i can say is that my cat doesn't seem to moult as much as cats who eat wet food do, so maybe there is something in it.