New Cat Owner - Tips?

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by Max Cow Disease

Good tips. I'll ascertain what he's been eating already. It sounds like he's 12 weeks old on June 25th.

I see what you're saying regarding the litter box. The lady friend's original intention was to just go with a closed one like you mentioned. As a kitten, are they okay getting in and out of something more elaborate like that?

Oh that should be fine then.

He should be able to get in as long as the one you buy doesn't have super high walls. You don't need a huge one for one cat. You can also leave the door off until he's strong enough to push it on his own. If he does have trouble getting in, you can just put a book or a small box or something in front of the door to use as a step.

[Jacks]

Originally Posted by cupofjoe

a) Get nail clippers and clip nails regular approx every 2 weeks. Start this right from the beginning and reward the little monster with several treats after nails are clipped.

Saw a couple of people refer to clipping it's nails. Make sure you know what you are doing, you can hurt the animal if you clip the nails too short.

[username]

Originally Posted by cupofjoe

+1 on everything Fuzz posted. Vet food can be a scam, I don't think all vets promote particular food or intentionally deceive clients. There are big corporations at play here with predictable results.

Quote for the following link:

"And part of the problem, as a Mail investigation can reveal, is that much of the veterinary industry is inextricably linked to the pet-food manufacturers.
Research into pet food is carried out by the pet-food companies but, more surprisingly, the training of vets at some universities is also funded by pet-food manufacturers.
Crucially, lectures on nutrition at a number of vet schools, and for veterinary nurses at individual practices, are also often paid for - and even taught - by these huge corporations, giving them the ideal platform to promote their products."


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...-vet-rich.html

It is best that you do you own research and draw your own conclusions about which food to buy for your kitten.

So much misinformation in that post regarding food sold at clinics.

To your last point: Doing a google search and coming up with a bs article is not "research". Surprising, talking to an animal doctor with 10 years of school is a better option than what you find on the internet in 5 minutes.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by username

So much misinformation in that post regarding food sold at clinics. Here's a response from my wife who's a vet:

I'm curious because I didn't ask at the clinic I was at. What is the difference between Purina sold at the vet for twice the cost as the stuff I get at Superstore? Is the Superstore stuff really bad for my cat? I'm serious, becuase I've done a lot of reading on pet food and from what I have found, the content is much more important than where it is sold.

From what I have gathered, cats get kidney problems becuase they don't get enough water eating dry food, not because vet food is necessarily "better". And eating just wet food will lead to dental problems.

[Fuzz]

So I look at something like this, which was highly recommended:
http://www.royalcanin.ca/products/ca...at-food/226005

and the ingredients...

Chicken by-product meal, brewers rice, corn, brown rice, corn gluten meal, chicken fat, wheat gluten, powdered cellulose, rice hulls, dried plain beet pulp, calcium sulfate, natural flavours, sodium bisulfate, fish oil, DL-methionine, potassium chloride, L-lysine, vegetable oil, psyllium seed husk, sodium silico aluminate, fructooligosaccharides, calcium carbonate, salt, sodium tripolyphosphate, choline chloride, vitamins [DL-alpha tocopherol acetate (source of vitamin E), L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), biotin, niacin supplement, D-calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), riboflavin supplement, vitamin A acetate, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), folic acid, vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin D3 supplement], hydrolyzed yeast, taurine, trace minerals [zinc proteinate, zinc oxide, ferrous sulfate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, copper sulfate, calcium iodate, sodium selenite, copper proteinate], rosemary extract, preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid.

Now, by product isn't necessarily bad, but regular "chicken" is better. But then ingredient #2 is brewers rice, which is garbage, devoid of nutrients, then more grains. Cats are carnivores, so grains should not be used as filler. So this vet recommended food is actually not all that good for cats.

http://www.second-opinion-doc.com/wh...-cat-food.html

Now, you compare it to something like this:


and what looks better for a cat?

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

As you note, the problem is the volume of grains in there more than anything else. It's the third ingredient in terms of quantity in the bottom food, and second in the top one.

Never made any sense to me how much rice and similar ends up in these things... why would a carnivore eat a bunch of rice? I get that it can't be pure meat, and probably shouldn't, but it also shouldn't be significantly grain. compare to Orijen Cat & Kitten (chicken) food, which has beans about halfway down the list.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Just to chime in real quick on the food debate. I was given a free bag of some food from the humane society in calgary. It was the kind of stuff sold at vets and seemed to be of a reasonably high quality. However after a few weeks I noticed my cat would puke up her food more and more frequently until it was almost every day. I thought this was weird because she'd been eating this food at the humane society (presumably) so I became concerned.

After some searching online and talking to the random cashier guy working at petsmart, we decided to try some "grain free" food, as it sounded like that could be the source of the issue. I switched to blue wilderness indoor cat (blue bag) and not only does my cat love the stuff but it got rid of her throw up habit immediately. A 12lb (??) bag is about $45-55.

I also buy their brand of wet food, which I give about 1 spoonful per day, so a can lasts 3-5 days, and I use their treats, which I've been led to believe are less unhealthy than something like whiskas temptations.

No real point to this other than find what works for your cat and (hopefully) is a good, healthy choice.

Oh, one actual piece of advice. Could be that my cat was a stray and never had enough food but I have to portion feed her like a dog. Some cats just aren't as good at regulating their food intake and will get big and fat if you leave them a full bowl of food at all times. It is annoying at times, like in the morning when she will bite my feet or the back of my upper arms to get me out of bed, but I think it has helped her stay healthy and a good body size.

[username]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

......and what looks better for a cat?

LOL ok Fuzz. You've done a lot of "research" so I'm sure you know better than DVM's with 10 years of education.

[ernie]

Cats are carnivores...sure but that new kitten we have can't get enough of cucumber and carrot peals. Turn your back and she's in the sink stealing them left, right and center.

Seriously unlike dogs, cats need to be on predominantly meat as they have lost the ability to produce some amino acids. Dogs can actually survive on a plant diet whereas cats cannot.

Our cats and dog, right or wrong, get Blue Wilderness and Blue Buffalo. For the cats it is grain (not starch) free. Has the same analysis as that shown above. The beans and other things are in it because they are easy and acceptable ways to provide the necessary vitamins and minerals. Also note that while cats must have meat that doesn't mean they can't or won't eat other things...domesticated or wild. It is well documented that wild cats eat plants every day to get fiber and other nutrients. You know that frustrating habit your cat may have of eating the leaves of your house plant? That isn't bad behavior...it's normal. They eat plants.

[Fuzz]

And see, that could just be a marketing trick on Orijen. It could just say, Chicken, Fish, beans. Are beans good for cats? This says they aren't great as they can lead to obesity:

https://www.wellvet.com/cgi-bin/comm...ey=ART_CATFEED

That's the trick, there are so many different opinions, and no one food hits all the marks.

So I've tended to go with skipping the vet food for now, using the Purina wet because it hits lots of good points(and the vet sells exactly the same thing!) minimize the fish food and using the image I posted above for dry, mostly as a snack for dental health....Oh, that's from Costco by the way. Kirkland Signature Super Premium Maintenance Cat Food.

My previous cat lived to 21 on it, the only mistake I believe being that she didn't get enough moisture. But back when she was young there wasn't a lot of info on that. Other than the kidney issue(which most old cats get) she was the perfect picture of health, never had one dental issue, or any other for that matter. Up to her last days, the vets were amazed at her teeth.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by username

LOL ok Fuzz. You've done a lot of "research" so I'm sure you know better than DVM's with 10 years of education.

Knock off the snark, ok? I asked you a question. I've found it very hard to find good trustworthy info and I do believe the opinion that becuase vets sell the stuff, they do have a bit of a bias. I'm not claiming to be any ultimate source of information, just sharing what I have found and I'm not sold on any one food yet, I'm sharing what I am doing for now. If I could be convinced that the vet stuff was better, I'd buy it. But brewers rice as the second ingredient doesn't inspire confidence in a product.

If your wife has some good info to share I'd love to hear it.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by ernie

Cat are carnivores...sure but that new kitten we have can't get enough of cucumber and carrot peals. Turn your back and she's in the sink stealing them left, right and center.

Out cats and dog, right or wrong, get Blue Wilderness. Grain (not starch) free. Has the same analysis as that shown above.

Yup, I'll end up dropping some veggies for my cat in her bowl when I'm making a salad, she loves peppers! There are some veggies they shouldn't have though, like garlic, onions, tomatoes, avocados or mushrooms.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

And see, that could just be a marketing trick on Orijen. It could just say, Chicken, Fish, beans.

It actually couldn't, considering there's turkey, herring, flounder, mackarel, eggs and a bunch of other types of same in there before you get to the beans. All told the food's 85% meat, and you can see that it's, well, actual meat as opposed to "vaguely described meat substance". Granted, you pay more for it, but the incremental cost doesn't seem like that huge a deal to me. 70 bucks as opposed to 55 for a big bag doesn't seem like an extravagance, plus it's a local company. A quick google search suggests that the Kirkland stuff is just re-branded Friskies. But hey, if you've had success with a particular brand in the past I can't fault you for sticking with it.

[Fuzz]

Where did you get it? I have been looking at other options for dry, which is what led me to the Royal Canin questionable ingredient list...

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

They sell it all over the place here. Pet Planet has it. I usually get it at Fairplay, on Memorial just west of Crowchild Trail.

[Yanda]

Originally Posted by Max Cow Disease

Seems a bit pricey up front, but I guess it beats buying something mediocre and upgrading later anyways. How do these things work exactly?

It is but ive gotten about 10 years out of my Gen 2 Litter Robot with zero maintenance. Cleaning litter is the worst part of being a cat owner.

The machine has a weight sensor that triggers 7 minutes after your cat leaves and it rotates on its pedestal sifting the clean litter. It continues rotating until it opens up a slot to dump into the trash once a week.

The upfront cost will be worth its weight in gold by the time that cats 10 years old and in the last 5 years of its life.

[Max Cow Disease]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

They sell it all over the place here. Pet Planet has it. I usually get it at Fairplay, on Memorial just west of Crowchild Trail.

This is Orijen cat food you guys are talking about? Is it wet or dry? Would this be a good food to start off with?

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

They sell it all over the place here. Pet Planet has it. I usually get it at Fairplay, on Memorial just west of Crowchild Trail.

Thanks, looks like Tail Blazers has it, which is near me. Oh, and the Kirkland stuff is made by Diamond, not Friskies.
https://www.diamondpet.com

[Yanda]

I used to feed my cats mostly dry food until my tabby started getting kidney stones. I switched over to a specially medicated dry food for the condition and he had another blockage. I started using the wet version of that medicated food but it was out of my price range so ive made the switch to generic wet food and hes been blockage free for over 18 months

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by Max Cow Disease

This is Orijen cat food you guys are talking about? Is it wet or dry? Would this be a good food to start off with?

Orijen cat & kitten. It's dry. You can see the details here, if you're curious: https://www.orijen.ca/foods/cat-food...od/cat-kitten/

It's literally the only thing I've ever fed my cat (other than a bit of their 6 fish blend one week when I was away). It was originally suggested to me by a friend, whose female Ragdoll I looked after for about a month a few years back. Everyone from breeder to vet have approved it as a good call, but as you can tell from this thread there seems to be no consensus on what to feed cats.