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Old August 12th, 2008, 07:26 PM
mackenzie noel mackenzie noel is offline
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Transition to self-feeding?

Hi,
I have two five month old kittens. Right now they eat twice a day and are a healthy weight.
I'd like to be able to leave their food out all day (dry science diet kitten food) instead so they can eat when they need to, as I've done with all my previous cats.

How can I make the transition?

thanks
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Old August 12th, 2008, 07:41 PM
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LavenderRott LavenderRott is offline
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The transition shouldn't be too hard - just fill the dish and leave it out.

You might want to do some research here in the nutrition section though. Science Diet is considered by most to be a "garbage" food, peddled by vets who make money from the company to sell it in their offices.
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Old August 12th, 2008, 08:48 PM
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sugarcatmom sugarcatmom is offline
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Ditto what LavenderRott said about the Science Diet . I'm also going to add that you might want to think about feeding canned food instead. Kibble is actually not that great for cats (and if you have male cats, that applies 10-fold). You can read lots about why that is here: http://www.catinfo.org/
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Old August 12th, 2008, 10:15 PM
mackenzie noel mackenzie noel is offline
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Ravenous

What worries me about the transition is that right now when they first get the food in their bowls they're super ravenous. I'm worried they'll end up making themselves sick the first couple times I leave the bowl full. Any thoughts?
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Old August 13th, 2008, 02:49 AM
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badger badger is offline
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Kittens are ravenous by nature, they need those calories. Don't worry about overfeeding at this age, they will self-regulate. But I agree about the food, with what you pay for Science, you can do way better, nutrition-wise. In fact, a more concentrated food (ie more meat, preferably without corn and fillers) will satisfy them more quickly.
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Old August 13th, 2008, 06:48 AM
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Love4himies Love4himies is offline
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Kittens should actually be fed 3 times a day until they have finished growing, not twice, it is too long between feedings for them.

I have seen the difference between kittens who have been fed a diet of poor quality kibble and high quality canned/raw and it is amazing. Kittens need a lot of moisture and high quality protein to grow healthy bones, muscles and organs.

I feed my foster kittens Kitten Wellness, canned in the morning (left out all day while I am at work) and raw feedings after work and at bedtime. I have not had a problem with food going bad doing this. I have had a vet comment on the amazing health and muscle mass my foster kittens have compared to kittens fed Royal Canin.

If you find Kitten Wellness canned too costly, then even Wellness grain free canned, Natures Variety Instinct, or Ogranics by Nature (better yet, a raw diet) are all very good foods that your kittens will thrive on. Try it for a month, I guarantee you will find a difference in them and will never go back.

I have added links so you can compare the ingredients between the food:

http://www.bynaturepetfoods.com/prod...nedcat.php#ttl

http://www.naturesvariety.com/instinct_cat_can

http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/cat_w...n_chicken.html


http://www.hillspet.com/hillspet/pro...tProducts.hjsp

Have you ever seen a cat in a corn field eating corn?
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Last edited by Love4himies; August 13th, 2008 at 06:50 AM.
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Old August 13th, 2008, 02:04 PM
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RUSTYcat RUSTYcat is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mackenzie noel View Post
What worries me about the transition is that right now when they first get the food in their bowls they're super ravenous. I'm worried they'll end up making themselves sick the first couple times I leave the bowl full. Any thoughts?
Two things hit me when I hear this........

I suspect very strongly that they are "super-ravenous" because:

1. They are not getting frequent, small meals. They are on a "feeding schedule" which is in conflict with their nature and metabolic needs.

2. The food itself is not meeting their instinctual needs. Cats are carnivores... translation, they MUST eat meat. They obtain energy from fat and protein, not carbohydrates.

Have a look at the Ingredients list for Hills Kitten Dry:
Chicken By-Product Meal, Ground Whole Grain Corn, Animal Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), Corn Gluten Meal, Brewers Rice, Chicken Liver Flavor, Fish Oil....

Well the only thing in there which MIGHT have a MEAT connection is the chicked by-product meal. I wouldn't want to turn your stomach by describing what by-product meal is likely to contain, but in any case, it hardly qualifies as meat. Frankly, I second the opinion that it is not fit for a cat. High carbohydrate diets are the cause of most common and numerous chronic feline health problems.

We are telling you this with no disrespect to you. Most people have no idea of the ongoing scam these petfood manufacturers are pulling off. People are scammed by all the glossy ads and trendy TV commercials describing the oh, so 'healthy naturals'.

Don't worry about them making themselves sick...once that natural craving is satisfied, you won't see that happening. And, if you're feeding high fat and protein, low carb food (that's what a mouse is!) neither will they over-eat nor will they be overweight.

If you want to hear a Vet tell you about Science Diet - and about some healthier alternatives...have a read here.
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