When to put a kitten on dry food

[Tathlow]

Ok, we got a 6-7 week old kitten on Wednesday (so 5-days ago). We got him from an individual that had a couple adult cats that picked on him.

Anyway, we are doing quite well. We were able to spend Wednesday evening, and all day Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday with him. He is real good at using the litter box so that is not an issue.

Here is what the issue is: Dry cat food.

I have read the arguments of dry vs. wet kitten food. The argument is moot since he will need to eat dry cat food. If I didn't have to work and could feed him wet cat food all day long, then that would be just dandy, but it ain't happening. I will suppliment dry cat food with wet in the evenings perhaps and of course have lots of water available. At least he will not lose his teeth (like some other cats that eat solely wet cat food - and cats do die from gum disease). Yes, there are strong arguments for dry cat food vs. wet also...

So here is the question: How do I get him to start eating dry food? I have fed him this morning with wet food and have dry food available, but I will not be back until after work. I have heard adding a little water to the dry food, mixing the dry food with wet, adding cat milk sub to the dry food, and even adding cow's milk to the dry food. Up until now I have only added water and mixed the food. Nothing is working yet. I know, his teeth might not be ready for it also...

What do you think? Well, other than the, "You should just give your cat wet food for life!"

 

[TifffanyD]

Ok, we got a 6-7 week old kitten on Wednesday (so 5-days ago). We got him from an individual that had a couple adult cats that picked on him.

Anyway, we are doing quite well. We were able to spend Wednesday evening, and all day Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday with him. He is real good at using the litter box so that is not an issue.

Here is what the issue is: Dry cat food.

I have read the arguments of dry vs. wet kitten food. The argument is moot since he will need to eat dry cat food. If I didn't have to work and could feed him wet cat food all day long, then that would be just dandy, but it ain't happening. I will suppliment dry cat food with wet in the evenings perhaps and of course have lots of water available. At least he will not lose his teeth (like some other cats that eat solely wet cat food - and cats do die from gum disease). Yes, there are strong arguments for dry cat food vs. wet also...

So here is the question: How do I get him to start eating dry food? I have fed him this morning with wet food and have dry food available, but I will not be back until after work. I have heard adding a little water to the dry food, mixing the dry food with wet, adding cat milk sub to the dry food, and even adding cow's milk to the dry food. Up until now I have only added water and mixed the food. Nothing is working yet. I know, his teeth might not be ready for it also...

What do you think? Well, other than the, "You should just give your cat wet food for life!"

So you added water and he still won't eat it? Sounds like he likes the wet better. I would continue mixing with water and only giving him that (or mixing with wet and only giving him that). When he is hungry enough - he will eat. But if he knows what he likes better is coming, he will just wait.

 

[ADisneyQueen]

I would just have both dry and dry mixed w/water out all the time and give her canned food 1-2x a day. Make sure the dry is small pieces kitten kind. I use science diet for kittens.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

With the kittens we've had we mixed the formula (we've raised many from tiny kittens) with dry cat food. We did that for a few days and also kept dry cat food out. When they started eating the dry cat food we stopped giving them milk. Wet cat food is a rare treat for our kitties.

 

[si-am]

We have to feed canned food only since one of our cats has diabetes (which he probably got from eating dry food all his life. It's really not very good for them.)

We have no problems with it interfering with work. They usually eat most of it before it really dries out and looks yucky anyway! You can also leave out frozen canned food and it will defrost over the course of the day, so they have a "fresh" meal.

 

[Tathlow]

I went through a drive-thru on the way home and got a small milk.

I put a LITTLE milk with the dry kitten food (like half a tea spoon) and swirled it around and gave it to our kitten. He didn't eat it.

I picked up the kitten and held the food close. He didn't eat it.

I got a spoon and put a little bit on the spoon and held it for the kitten. He didn't eat it.

I put some on his nose and my finger so he could get a taste of the stuff. He then started to eat it. It was tough for him to crunch it up though, but he managed.

I will need to not give him wet food for a bit so he doesn't "wait" for it.

I have had a bunch of cats in the past, but none this young. They have all lived well off dry cat food. The one cat that we did have issues with was one that only would eat wet cat food. The vet said that he was about to lose his teeth unless we get him on dry food.

 

[Aetheline]

I thought you weren't supposed to give cats or kittens cow's milk. It can cause stomach upset or diarrhea.


Your kitten may need to get used to the taste of the dry food. You can put a little hot water into it to soften it up a little for him, at least for the first few days. Then I would start mixing dry crunchy bits into the softened stuff to introduce the new texture for him. A few days of this, with a bit less of kibble being softened each day.

Then, I am sure in no time, he'll be crunching away at the dry stuff with no softening needed.

We feed our girls dry food all day long, with a half a can of wet each night to try and balance their nutritional needs and keep them around for a long long time.

Congratulations on your new furry overlord.

 

[shortbun]

He's still a bit young to switch to fully dry. You can stir the dry into the wet food-get the pate kind of wet. If the dry has the wet on it, he'll get used to munching the dry after a while. Be patient, it won't take that long, maybe a few weeks. He needs to develop strength in his jaw and also get used to drinking water for his fluids. Also, milk is for baby cows, not cats. It gives lots of cats intestinal distress which is the last thing you want to deal with. Get him a high quality dry food so he gets his fats and greens from that. You can also grow wheat grass inside for him to munch on as additional greens. The best thing would be to continue to feed him what he was eating with a little of what you want him to eat later stirred in.

 

[snarlingcoyote]

Get some Royal Canin Babycat 34.

The stuff is super pricey, but you should only need one bag of it. Try your kitten on this. If he/she won't eat it, soften it up with a little water then gradually reduce the water and mix in dry. Once you have the kitten on Babycat, start mixing in regular dry kitten food, just a little, and gradually reduce the amount of Babycat while increasing the amount of dry kitten food. When you have the kitten off the Babycat, go to a cat rescue and donate the rest - they will cheerfully accept this stuff!

I've successfully used this method, and was told this trick by a woman who has fostered up thousands of bottle feed baby kittens and sent them off to adoption.

ETA: Whoops. Left this out. There are timed feeders you can get for canned food that have a little ice packet in the bottom. You just set them to go off at X hours and the babies get fed at that time. We've had ours for a while, always works! (If you get this model - put some tape to make sure the battery stays in. This won't make sense until you see the feeder. ) http://www.amazon.com/Ani-Mate-Inc-Cat-Feeder/dp/B001KAIGH8/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1335222042&sr=8-7

 

[Aetheline]

Get some Royal Canin Babycat 34.

The stuff is super pricey, but you should only need one bag of it. Try your kitten on this. If he/she won't eat it, soften it up with a little water then gradually reduce the water and mix in dry. Once you have the kitten on Babycat, start mixing in regular dry kitten food, just a little, and gradually reduce the amount of Babycat while increasing the amount of dry kitten food. When you have the kitten off the Babycat, go to a cat rescue and donate the rest - they will cheerfully accept this stuff!

I've successfully used this method, and was told this trick by a woman who has fostered up thousands of bottle feed baby kittens and sent them off to adoption.

Oh dear. I think I use facebook too much, I kept looking for the "like" button on this post!

 

[StacyMarie]

I fostered a mom and her 6 kittens last summer. When we got the kittens, mom was just a kitten herself at 8 months old. She was sickly skinny and the kittens were draining her dry. She was nothing but a bag of bones. I weaned them much faster off of mom because she was so skinny and sick. I would soak the dry food in very warm water for about 3 or 4 minutes, to get it good and soft but still with a little bit of a crunch (not completely mush). The warm water would soften the food and also release the smell. I would give it to them warm. Another trick I learned was tuna water. Soak the dry food in tuna water for a few minutes.

 

[tasha99]

When you do switch, make sure your kitty is pooping enough. Provide plenty of water, possibly even from a kitty fountain. I have a new cat who came from a rescue, and it turns out that dry cat food makes her extremely constipated and dehydrated. Over $700 and two enemas later, we've decided she's on only wet food that has fiber and laxatives mixed into it.