Kitten feeding advice needed

[DDboothman]

When we brought Leyla home, the breeder recommended feeding Orijen kibble (having it out all day) and mixing some wet food (a purina peditrics vetrinary blend) with kibble a few times. It didn't take long to learn she wasn't crazy about the kibble and preferred the wet food (without kibble pls) but I honestly don't think she's crazy about either...she's spilled her food a few times scratching at the floor like she is trying to bury it I know I'm not crazy about the smell but is it really that bad?? lol Or is this normal?

I'd like to start feeding her real meat but I'm unsure how to introduce it to her, in what amounts, at what age etc. Also, should I be looking for a better brand then Orijen, I didn't see it on the list of healthy commercial foods so I'm guessing maybe its not that great (it should be great..for the price it should play kitty soothing dinner music!)

Any suggestions, especially from people who live in remote areas without access to specialty shops etc, would be much appreciated!

 

[Samber]

I feed my 3 cats all raw food. mostly ground chicken. i started them as soon as i got them (about 12 weeks in age). i get the chicken at Costco and get the organ meats at the Asian super market. the regular grocery store carries organ meat now too. i also mix in supplements like taurine, fish oil vit E, vit B, etc.

If i were you id start with either some commercial ground food or some franken prey and see if your kitten will eat. If you are in a remote location you can always order stuff online. or get stuff from local farmers / butchers.

 

[Kristin]

I feed my cats Orijen, it isn't on a lot of lists because it is a Canadian brand. I like it because it is very high in protein and low on grains.
Zeddie also gets raw 2-3 times a day that I buy from a local raw food store. The brand is Tollden Farms the Next Generation Raw. It has everything in it, so I don't need to get any type of supplements. I just started offering it to her when she came home and she loved it right from the beginning. She eats kibble as well because when she first came home I wasn't home enough to feed her as much as she needed so kept a bit of kibble in a bowl for her.
My older cat's stomach can't handle the raw (he pukes it up no matter what I do to it) so he is free fed Orijen so Zeddie eats that whenever she is hungry too.
Both cats are doing really well on these foods. If you don't have a speciality raw shop, some pet stores carry raw but it is a lot harder to find for cats than it is for dogs. If there is a Global Pets in your area they carry it.

 

[DDboothman]

Thanks for the advice! For the raw food, do you use an actual meat grinder? I don't have a meat grinder but I do have a Vitamix and I'm wondering if that would work. Pretty sure you could puree a Volkswagon Golf with it but I'm not sure if pureed meat is what I'm going for. A couple of pulses would give it a good chopping I imagine.

 

[John Popp]

As you need to include the bones even a Vitamix wouldn't hold up long. A meat grinder would certainly be in order if you plan on going raw, while at the same time you can probably secure a raw food provider to get started ground to your preferences, just add some supplements.

Also, the quantities of food a kitten eats can be quite small and there lack of consumption may not necessarily be an aversion to their diet. The burying of food is often just instinct, hiding it away to come and get it later.

Hope that helps!

 

[Patti]

It is never too early to introduce raw IMHO, I wean my kittens onto raw, although I make sure they are also eating kibble and canned by the time they leave since most new owners aren't interested in feeding raw. If you want to make your own raw you need to make sure to add supplements - this has been discussed a few times on this forum so just do a search for raw and/or supplements, or Google BARF diets online for more information.

I have heard that Orijen is an excellent feline diet but it is more expensive than other high quality brands so I have never tried it.

 

[DDboothman]

Thanks again! I've going to start introducing raw this weekend. I've found a recipe on this site that looks pretty basic and I did a google search and found some good instructions to start slowly working it into her diet. I've also found a few stores in Edmonton that carry raw foods for cats so I can probably pick up something on my next visit there or have my son bring some home to us.

And good to know about the burying John! I've never had a cat do that before so I was puzzled (and amused) to see it.

 

[John Popp]

Watch for some of the pre-packaged raws as they may only include necks or cages. That's a high bone to meat ratio and can lead to constipation.

I have moved from whole chickens with added organ meat to just thighs and organ meat because of the higher taurine content in dark meat and a high meat to bone ratio. My cats definitely seem to have a preference for the dark meat and I am pretty relieved I don't have to dance around with a meat cleaver.

 

[Samber]

That's how one of my Bangals eat. She tries to bury the food then looks at it and sees its not buried, then eats some and tries again, sees that it isnt buried and eats some more. its like damn might was well eat some since i cant hide it. lol