Best overall kitten food?

Re: Best overall kitten food?

Mary Lyle — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 18:10:19 GMT

I too have a kitten found in a warehouse by some German friends. I started him on Royal Canin kitten but now he is on Tonus kitten. I am not sure if you have this in the UK but he is looking fabulous.

I have also put one of my adult cats (Mr Bryan Trubshawe) on the same although Gnasher is on the Roayl Canin Young Male due to urinary problems in the past.

I never feed wet cat food nor de we recommend it to our clients due to the high temperatures here it goes off too quickly and attracts the flies.

Re: Best overall kitten food?

Anonymous — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 13:11:05 GMT

even being 'natural' and what ever meat content it does have in it. if it's packed full of rice and cereals the cat won't be able to absorb the taurine properly. so looking for the right ratio of meat to cereal is important too. there seems to be this need to pack cat foods with carbs and cereals when they don't need them in their systems and it really isn't good for them either.

Re: Best overall kitten food?

Vicky RVN — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 12:47:44 GMT

We are a Royal Canin practice, each full time member of staff is given a bag a month of dog/cat food of their choice (not the presc diets) so that we can promote it! I still choose to give my dog James Wellbeloved though, i think some people think i'm mad paying for that when i could get RC for free. But i just think i'd rather feed something more natural and hypoallergenic.

Re: Best overall kitten food?

ginny — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 12:39:03 GMT

The fittest cat i have is the one who hunts. Unfortunately, he's the hardest to catch and worm. In addition to his self sufficiency he has pro plan or Hills dry and occasional tin or pouch like the others.

Re: Best overall kitten food?

Anonymous — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 21:16:40 GMT

[quote user="ginny"]

Have to admit I havent researched kitten food in detail recently and havent yet encountered Applaws or Hi Life but at the risk of sounding like I'm trying to teach grandma to suck eggs - I take it you are baseing protein % on quality rather than quantity? It doesnt matter what % protein a pet food manufacturer says a food is if the protein is of poor quality and low bio value. I often get clients showing me the protein % on a bag of food but with little info on what the protein source is. It could look the right amount for a kitten but isnt as good if the cat cant digest and utilise it all - if you see what i mean[:)

[/quote]

I base mine on quality and quantity. I actually feed a lot of raw to my girls as well. they have a very varied diet. They have a dry combo of Orijen Dry-JWdry-T/D down all day to graze and Bozita wet, Nature diet Kitten, Hi life, Applaws and scraps of raw :chicken, beef, rabbit and fish.

they're a lil spoiled... lol

Re: Best overall kitten food?

Noodle — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 21:14:13 GMT

[quote user="STRVN"]

One of the practices I worked in we got free hills pet food for a year, but only for 1 pet, but hey never look a gift horse in the mouth as they say.

[/quote]

I wouldn't be complaining either!

In the case I heard about it was defiantly all pets, as the locum was totting up the cost of one staff members food bill which came to over 2k!!!

Re: Best overall kitten food?

ginny — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 21:01:21 GMT

Re: Best overall kitten food?

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 20:59:44 GMT

[quote user="Noodle"]

i heard a story recently off a locum (no idea if it is true or not), that hills provided a whole practices' staff with free pet food, so that they could market as saying 'all the staff feed their pets hills'

if it is true, then its maybe worth phoning the rep and putting the idea to them if you are in a hills practice??

[/quote]

One of the practices I worked in we got free hills pet food for a year, but only for 1 pet, but hey never look a gift horse in the mouth as they say.

Re: Best overall kitten food?

Noodle — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 20:48:17 GMT

if it is true, then its maybe worth phoning the rep and putting the idea to them if you are in a hills practice??

Re: Best overall kitten food?

Anonymous — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 01:22:18 GMT

Nature's Menu do a lovely kitten food, but they only have one flavour. Hi Life has a nice one too with a good protein %, Applaws also do a kitten food but it's more difficult to find but you can get it online. There are some good ones like Bozita from zooplus.co.uk and petplanet.co.uk. James Wellbeloved are good dry diets, i find the Hills make them a bit polydipsic not sure if it's the cereals, sugars or sodium but my girls had it for a little while and they drank soooo much! worried me a bit.

Re: Best overall kitten food?

Saskia Quinn — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 22:50:09 GMT

[quote user="STRVN"]

[quote user="SaskiaVN"]

I have also started the dog bowl thing too Sandra, so much easier! The only problem I have is Rosie, my GSHP stalking them until they are either finished or 'forced' to finish eating

[/quote]

I have a table specifically for the cats, its a little one that fits in the corner next to my fridge, and the dogs cant reach the food.

[/quote]

I have now resorted to feeding the cats 'under the table'!! Rosie can't get in there with the chairs!!

Re: Best overall kitten food?

Siobhan Steven — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 22:40:33 GMT

My Ragdoll & Chinchilla are on Hills Oral Care, after a dental each a couple of years ago, and its brilliant. The little orphan kitten I took home at Xmas isn't into the tinned Hills Kitten food, but I caught him gnawing at the Oral Care last night! So will try Hills kitten dry on him.

My mum took in two stray brothers, jet black, we have done an experiment with 'em ,I wanted to put them onto Hills kitten and are now on the Adult foods to see just what kind of differance it makes, they are incredibly healty looking and so shiny you can almost see your reflection in them!

Re: Best overall kitten food?

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 22:29:51 GMT

[quote user="SaskiaVN"]

I have also started the dog bowl thing too Sandra, so much easier! The only problem I have is Rosie, my GSHP stalking them until they are either finished or 'forced' to finish eating

[/quote]

I have a table specifically for the cats, its a little one that fits in the corner next to my fridge, and the dogs cant reach the food.

Re: Best overall kitten food?

Saskia Quinn — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 22:23:31 GMT

I have also started the dog bowl thing too Sandra, so much easier! The only problem I have is Rosie, my GSHP stalking them until they are either finished or 'forced' to finish eating

Re: Best overall kitten food?

Saskia Quinn — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 22:21:57 GMT

Maria, no need to feel guilty. Just because your practice promotes Hills, it doesnt mean you have to buy it. Quite frankly, I would love to, but cant afford it. I do buy the odd bag though of kitten and feline adult light for my older cats but the majority of the time they are fed on samples with a mixture of kitten (tesco's own) or adult cans, again tesco's own brand. When I do buy Hills, its a real treat for them and they love it, bless!

Re: Best overall kitten food?

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 22:17:47 GMT

I have a kitten, Tommy, he is 12 weeks old and he gets whiskas complete, and I feed him ad lib, as I do all my cats.My cats graze on average 16 times a day, and thats a lot of filling of bowls, so now I have a dog bowl, so less filling needed.

Re: Best overall kitten food?

Vicky RVN — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 15:20:06 GMT

Yep they do. They do kitten, adult and senior/light in turkey, lamb, duck and white fish

Re: Best overall kitten food?

Caro Laithwaite VN — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 15:18:10 GMT

But JW do not do cat food do they?

Re: Best overall kitten food?

Vicky RVN — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 15:04:34 GMT

I like James Wellbeloved, it's what i feed my dog on. I like the fact there aren't all the additives that are in some foods.

Re: Best overall kitten food?

Maria Mahon — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 15:02:14 GMT

I'm starting to feel a little less guilty now!

I was worried I'd get looked down upon if I fed her anything less than Hills etc. due to my line of work! As long as it's tasty and has decent nutritional value (and doesn't leave me totally broke) then I guess I can play a bit of trial and error..

Re: Best overall kitten food?

S-J — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 14:56:53 GMT

we are a Hills practice too, my dog gets thier large breed dry food but my cats get "cough" wilkinsons cat food "cough" in my defence they do like it except the white biscuits they always leave them.

Re: Best overall kitten food?

Maria Mahon — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 14:54:00 GMT

Forgot to mention we reckon she's about 6 months.

Im sure we do..I'll ask nicely hehe. Cool I went to Tesco yesterday and had a browse, I'll have a better look once I've actually got her (don't want to count my chickens....!)

Re: Best overall kitten food?

Caro Laithwaite VN — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 14:50:21 GMT

I like hills dry kitten food. You do not need much and can feed free choice if started as a kitten by far the best way to feed and avoid obesity.

Re: Best overall kitten food?

Saskia Quinn — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 14:48:05 GMT

I also have a kitten, she is about 5 months now, we promote Hills as well but way too expensive for me as I have 3 cats in total. I buy the odd 2kg of Hills kitten and also feed her on Hills samples - does your practice have any samples? I also buy Tesco own brand kitten food, its in a small pouch and costs £0.22. I reckon so long as its a complete kitten diet, and a brand whose name you know, you can't really go wrong.