topic Re: Suggestions needed for new kitten in Community Spirit

Suggestions needed for new kitten

sandypas — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 23:03:32 GMT

Hi everyone.

I am excited to be getting a new little kitten in a couple of weeks. It is a little grey tabby and is the runt of the litter so very small. We have called her Misty.

It has been a long time since I had a kitten and times have changed.

What do you feed tiny kittens these days? I don't think you give them milk anymore - or is that just puppies? They are in the unit

next door and she is feeding them some type of cat feed in a tube??? I thought fresh food, maybe chicken mince or such might be better.

Also, what is the best kitty litter? I have just bought a tray until she is larger then I will get one with a flap as I didn't think she was big enough to push it open.

Any suggestions or advice would be appreciated.

Re: Suggestions needed for new kitten

sandypas — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 23:04:34 GMT

Meant to mention that I am at craft for the rest of the day so I'm not ignoring you if I don't reply .

Re: Suggestions needed for new kitten

debra9275 — Mon, 03 Mar 2014 00:10:04 GMT

Congratualtions Sandy!

no not milk, just water. I feed mine fresh beef mince that I buy from the refrigerated pet section at Woolies and they lke Friskies dried food. Just recently i tried using the crystal type kitty litter, It's more expensive but it stays cleaner and lasts much longer. I think it's better than the others, so will be sticking with it

Raw chicken wings are said to be good for their teeth if you can get a cat to eat them

BTW when you get the kitten, don't forget we want to see photos

Re: Suggestions needed for new kitten

the*scarlet*pimpernel — Mon, 03 Mar 2014 00:24:34 GMT

yep, what Debra said.

The crystals are my favourite kitty litter. They last for ages, and absorb smells really well.

My cat loved friskies, but she was eating them like lollies and getting fat. If you can afford it, Hills Science dried food is really good. Their poos are smaller and don't smell. Although a bag costs a heap (40 bucks for my cat) it lasts for ages as they don't need as much. The Vets stock it, as do pet shops.

I cut the tips off chicken wings for my cat when she was little, (the dog got the left over bigger part) and then gave her whole wings when she was big. The vet advised me to do it for her teeth. She's a bit of a feisty wee thing and the vet did not want to have to clean her teeth EVER .

Yes, pictures! we want pics

Re: Suggestions needed for new kitten

purple_haize — Mon, 03 Mar 2014 00:40:25 GMT

Sandy,

You use to be able to buy milk for kittens in pet food isle of supermarket. It is/was in a tetra pak, made especially for kittens. I have had kittens and cats since I was little.

My kids were forever bringing cats and kittens home, & I use to get this milk for the kittens.

I ended up at one stage with 10 cats, thanks to my kids & had to get a permit from the council to keep that many as well.

Re: Suggestions needed for new kitten

punch*drunk — Mon, 03 Mar 2014 00:46:42 GMT

I havent had a cat for a long time, but I feed my dog BARF which is all natural product, raw meat and vegies. It comes frozen in individual sized patties.

This is the cat version http://www.barfaustralia.com/Products/BARFFlavours/BARFforCats.aspx

Re: Suggestions needed for new kitten

the*scarlet*pimpernel — Mon, 03 Mar 2014 00:50:08 GMT

I've heard good things about Barf.

Re: Suggestions needed for new kitten

punch*drunk — Mon, 03 Mar 2014 00:57:57 GMT

pimpy I wouldnt feed my dog anything else, in fact on the odd occasion where I ran out an couldnt get it easily I tried other supposedly natural foods and they made her sick. Now she just gets plain mince if I run out.

A friend of ours had a staffy with terrible skin problems, it was always itchy, smelly and on edge because of it. I told them for years to change foods, they didnt believe me. Recently their daughter started working in a pet food store and they changed to barf and the dogs skin has completely cleared up.

God only knows what they put in that supermarket slop.

And I know that dry food is supposedly full of vitamins and minerals etc, but to me its a bit like a human living on vitamin tablets. Animals need real food.

*steps down off soap box 🙂

Re: Suggestions needed for new kitten

the*scarlet*pimpernel — Mon, 03 Mar 2014 01:37:20 GMT

my SIL bought pet meat from a supermarket. It was supposedly 100% raw minced meat meat. She fed it to a young maggie. The bird died after a couple of weeks. She fed it to her Cavalier. It slowly killed the dog too. It was because of whatever that preservative is they stick in it to make it look red. Sulpher dioxide is the stuff. My animals get human grade roo meat. Well the dog does, Miss Fussy Pants doesn't like roo.

Sorry for the high jack Sandy

Re: Suggestions needed for new kitten

k0llectable5 — Mon, 03 Mar 2014 01:40:15 GMT

Hi Sandy 🙂 I agree with the others that the crystal type litter is definately the best for absorbtion and odour control. I've been using it for years and I swear by it.

In terms of food I think the best tin food from the supermarket are those little tins. Some of the seafood mixes actually look really appetising. You can see the tuna flakes and shrimp/sardines ect I would steer clear of whiskas brand products personally, they look and smell like slop.

I think keeping the kitten inside for a few weeks too is very important. The last thing you want is to put it outside and then it runs off somewhere to hide and then cant find it's way back.

Good luck with the new addition.

Re: Suggestions needed for new kitten

my2cuddlycats_not — Mon, 03 Mar 2014 01:49:01 GMT

My girls get rump steak, they won't eat a cheaper cut of meat. Fresh meat is best, had been giving them a pet one from supermarket and vet said he wouldn't feed his animals any meat he wouldn't eat. I give them a little bit of the Coles Applaws tiny tin meat with the rump too.

Their stools should be small dry and dark, and that is what they are on this diet.

Being a kitten, I'm not sure I would use the litter crystals, she might eat them, which is a bad bad thing.

Can you consider making her an inside cat only, with maybe a safe secure enclosure outside? Far safer for her, and legally cats are not allowed off your property, although show me someone who can make that happen! lol

Re: Suggestions needed for new kitten

jenni200011 — Mon, 03 Mar 2014 02:05:05 GMT

Congratulations on new kitty adoption..Always so exciting to get a new baby...My tips for a happy healthy kitten are..Feed her a kitten diet for first 12 months.I use Royal canin baby cat and then progress to older kitten ..That is my choice for dry .The pieces are very tiny and easy for a small tiny kitten to chew on.The wet food is a personal choice but mine do also like royal canin kitten in small trays..as previously mentioned Raw chicken wing tips are wonderful to cleaning the teeth and later when bigger a chicken neck ( full of marrow)..Avoid milk ( even pet ones) Fresh water is always best..Small amounts of Grated cheese given occasionally is also a great source of calcium..Crystal cat litter is a cleaner option but avoid the perfume varieties as some cats do not like the smell..I also use breeders choice ( its a recyled paper pellet ) and is not dusty at all..Some of my cat show friends use Oz pet which is great for the envoiroment and even has its own sifter tray..Try to stay with a balanced kitten diet as feeding raw meat only can in time lead to varied serious problems ..In the wild a cat eats an entire carcass not just selected parts so all the esssenitial vitamins.minerals will be absorbed and he will benifit but when we offer fresh meat it is not properley balanced..Take your baby to the vet for an overall assesment..As he is a runt be careful he is of a healthy weight and continues to grow..The vet will also check his eyes are bright and bottom clean..Coat free from parasites and mouth free of ulcers ect..He will need to have been microchipped & have his vaccination program started..A safe worming treatment and future desexing..Ypu may like to even train him from the start to play in his travel box by hanging toys and feeding him it for short periods to get him used to feeling safe in it ..then he will have no issues being placed in it for vet trips..ect and you can do the same with a big dog crete..place some toys and put a bed in it and he will learn to sleep in it at night instead of getting up to mischief and jumping all over you while you and your family sleep......Boy is he going to be fun...

Re: Suggestions needed for new kitten

purple_haize — Mon, 03 Mar 2014 02:28:18 GMT

@jenni200011 wrote:
Congratulations on new kitty adoption..Always so exciting to get a new baby...My tips for a happy healthy kitten are..Feed her a kitten diet for first 12 months.I use Royal canin baby cat and then progress to older kitten ..That is my choice for dry .The pieces are very tiny and easy for a small tiny kitten to chew on.The wet food is a personal choice but mine do also like royal canin kitten in small trays..as previously mentioned Raw chicken wing tips are wonderful to cleaning the teeth and later when bigger a chicken neck ( full of marrow)..Avoid milk ( even pet ones) Fresh water is always best..Small amounts of Grated cheese given occasionally is also a great source of calcium..Crystal cat litter is a cleaner option but avoid the perfume varieties as some cats do not like the smell..I also use breeders choice ( its a recyled paper pellet ) and is not dusty at all..Some of my cat show friends use Oz pet which is great for the envoiroment and even has its own sifter tray..Try to stay with a balanced kitten diet as feeding raw meat only can in time lead to varied serious problems ..In the wild a cat eats an entire carcass not just selected parts so all the esssenitial vitamins.minerals will be absorbed and he will benifit but when we offer fresh meat it is not properley balanced..Take your baby to the vet for an overall assesment..As he is a runt be careful he is of a healthy weight and continues to grow..The vet will also check his eyes are bright and bottom clean..Coat free from parasites and mouth free of ulcers ect..He will need to have been microchipped & have his vaccination program started..A safe worming treatment and future desexing..Ypu may like to even train him from the start to play in his travel box by hanging toys and feeding him it for short periods to get him used to feeling safe in it ..then he will have no issues being placed in it for vet trips..ect and you can do the same with a big dog crete..place some toys and put a bed in it and he will learn to sleep in it at night instead of getting up to mischief and jumping all over you while you and your family sleep......Boy is he going to be fun...

The kitten milk didnt harm my kittens and it was the vet who told me to use it...........and they thrived.

Re: Suggestions needed for new kitten

fourandsixpants — Mon, 03 Mar 2014 02:43:33 GMT

Hi Sandy:)

How exciting!

My babies are just over a year old now and sooo much fun:)....

For kitty litter tray indoors (I use a large paint tray, where the cats use the deep end and I clean regularly) I find the most economical and smell free method is to buy a bag each of the clay pellets/chips to line the bottom 1" at the deep end and buy a big bag of the recycled paper/cardboard pellets to 2/3rds fill the rest. The clay absorbs the urine smell. The 2 diff 'natural'/no chemicals litter products last a few weeks with cleaning the tray out every 2-3 days and are nowhere near the ridiculous price of the crystal/gel litter product.

When the kittens were only a few weeks old I did give them a tiny few dribbles at night time of full cream milk with a squirt of hot water to make it slightly warm. Their stomachs and digestive systems are fine with this when little but they will become lactose intolerant as they quickly grow and I wouldn't give them normal milk once they are about 5-6 months old. As other posters have said-you can buy lactose free milk products for cats if you wish. I prefer and choose to offer my cats plenty of fresh water daily. I have bowls near their food, one at the other end of the house, another outside near the cat flap.

One thing I found helpful when they first came home was a couple of sachets of a product that I bought(not expensive) from the vet for diarrhoea-not caused from drinking milk! I mixed 1/2 a sachet of this with her food for a couple of days and all came good. One of my kittens was suffering from stress (pet shop stated they were both 6 weeks old-they were much much younger!) with it's new environ and prob missing it's mum plus guessing intro to solid food was a big event.

While your kitten is growing it will need 2 wet meals a day plus supervise access/amount to dry biscuits. A vet once told me that cats can develop hardened kidneys if they eat too many dry biscuits especially as they get older. Wet and fresh food is best for them and biscuits to exercise/clean those teeth.

I have found that the brand Gourmet Delight is top quality can food. It is rich and nutritious and has lots of varieties. I mix a couple of teaspoons in a saucer with a teaspoon or 2 of chopped lamb's liver. Liver really helps give the cats a beautiful sheen to their coats and builds up their immune systems. I buy the lambs liver and pre-chop into wee parcels to freeze. 15-25 secs microwave blast is all you need to defrost before feeding a bit, then in the fridge with the rest for the next fresh feed. Add to this freshly chopped chicken -also buy bulk and make parcels to freeze or use leftovers from human prep meals. The odd offering of beef for variety and once a week I open a can of sardines in oil.....YUUuuum!! and full of those omegas. To help with the odd furball issue I have a tube of delicious(!) tasting, white paraffin/cod liver oil based feline laxative laced with malt syrup which I smear about 1/2 a teaspoon firmly into the fur on front of each front leg above their paw from my finger.Too much or applied lightly and they WILL 'flick' it off!They simply lick and clean up and fixes the furball prob easy-peasy.

I keep my babes in at night and supervise their goings on outside regularly during the day. We play with them regularly-and we love them sooo much

Enjoy!

Re: Suggestions needed for new kitten

jenni200011 — Mon, 03 Mar 2014 02:46:16 GMT

Yes the kittens will require additional milk replacement when they are very small or very young and not performing well or without thier mum until weaning time..The milk that is offered by the vet's such as Di vetalac ect are absolutley brilliant..I have saved many young animals using them..I really was referring to a normal kitten that is over the age of 10 -12 weeks and can do without additional pet milks you find in the supermarkets such as Pets own..Whiska's ect..they are used by some who love to give milk to thier pets but there are a few animals that are even intollerant to them even being lactose free.

Re: Suggestions needed for new kitten

the*scarlet*pimpernel — Mon, 03 Mar 2014 03:00:38 GMT

Yep, it can do bad things to their kidneys, but I think this is related to the cheaper no-frills,generic branded,and go-cat type supermarket dryfood.

The best thing anyone can do is ak the vet for advice when you take your new pet for it's vaccinations/checkup. Their is much more emphasis on pet diets in their ongoing training then there was years ago.

For raw food my kitty likes lizards and mice, unfortunately they don't agree with her and I usually have to clean the partly processed remains off the floor. Horrible animal she is

edit: forgot to say. Too much soft food long term can be bad for their teeth, hence the chicken necks, and wings (and mice and lizards)

Re: Suggestions needed for new kitten

fourandsixpants — Mon, 03 Mar 2014 03:05:49 GMT

forgot to mention 'veggies'!!......I regularly add/mix in a little cooked-steamed in microwave CARROT and smooshed green PEAS or well cooked shredded spinach or finely chopped broccoli to their food .

For a weekly treat they get a teaspoon sized piece of toast with butter and vegemite:)

.......a teaspoon of natural (non-flavoured) Greek yoghurt every now and then is healthy and much appreciated too.

Re: Suggestions needed for new kitten

fourandsixpants — Mon, 03 Mar 2014 03:10:10 GMT

Hi Pimpy.....do you give your kitty chicken wings and necks partly cooked or raw?

Re: Suggestions needed for new kitten

the*scarlet*pimpernel — Mon, 03 Mar 2014 03:13:08 GMT

ummm raw. and only small ones. Doggie gets the big ones.

She's fussy though, some times she loves them, other times she won't touch then. I rely a lot on the mice and stuff she eats, to clean her teeth.

Re: Suggestions needed for new kitten

the*scarlet*pimpernel — Mon, 03 Mar 2014 03:15:10 GMT

I gave mine a small piece of toast and vegemite last week. She refused to touch it! First cat I've met that didn't at least lick the vegemite off the toast. Even the dog turned his nose up at it. And yet they eat rotten road kill and blerky lizards.