Monday, May 24, 2010

My 5 1/2 month old kitten is a very fussy eater, where can I get more of a variety of kitten food?

My 5 1/2 month old kitten, Missy, will only eat two types of kitten food: Salmon %26 Bream or Tuna %26 Chicken.

She will not eat the beef or chicken (or chicken with egg) for some reason.

I want to give her a wider variety of flavours because I don't want her to be a fussy eater when she is older.

She has no problem with eating chicken flavour dry food.

I live in Melbourne, AUSTRALIA (NOT U.S.A). There is only so far I can drive for kitten food.

I am currently feeding her Whiskas wet food and Purina One dry food. Should I try find a better brand of food?

Thanks for everyone's help in advance :)
Answers:
Any canned food is better than the best dry food. Kibble, even the best kinds, contain grains. Which is a very odd thing for carnivores to eat. Ever see a cat ask for a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast? lol

The kibble/dental connection isn't necessarily true either. It's best to clean your cat's teeth with wipes or by brushing, so there's no need to rely on kibble, which they may swallow whole anyway.

Get her used to canned food now, and you won't have to deal with weaning her off dry food later.

I don't know what brands you might have in Australia, but read the labels. You want to see meat - actual meat - listed at the top. Avoid meal and byproducts. Avoid corn, wheat and soy - they are known to be allergens. Avoid all grains if possible, although if they are not in the top three, and not those listed above, some is ok.

This isn't kitten specific, but you've only got 4.5 months to go anyway. I'm sure you can find good brands for kittens.

And what the person said about variety is true too. One of my cats will eat anything I put down. The other will only eat ONE kind of food. I worried for a while, then realized that for one thing, they don't see the same way we do. Just because it doesn't look good to me doesn't mean anything. Besides that, prior to switching to canned, they ate the same dry kibble daily for a year, so there's no reason to think they're going to get bored with the same canned food.

Below are some links to excellent articles about nutrition.
Petco.com
very easy,i have a cat that more fussy then yours.so i finally dun give any food for 2 day..and lock it in kennel..after 2 or 3 day..
I don't think you need to worry about her liking a variety of food. I had a cat
that lived to over 16 years and all she ate was Purina Cat Chow. Dry food
is really good for cats. It keeps their teeth clean. Just make sure you leave
fresh water every day. Canned foods are messy and sometimes cause
crystals in the cat's urine. Stick with the dry food.
Cats are creatures of habit and do NOT like a variety of foods. Select their favorite and stick with it.. humans may think it's boring (not having a variety), but cats do not. They thrive on a stable environment. including what they are going to be fed each day. too many changes in their diet can lead to diarrhea
If she eats the dry kibble with no problem I would not worry about it. She probably just does not like the smell or flavor of the canned food. Most cats are notoriously finicky. Dry kibble is actually better for them. It will help keep their teeth and gums healthy and also, when cats get along on years too much protien can be hard on their kidneys.
I do not know if you have petsmarts there but they have lots of kitty foods.Walmart also has a lot..

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