a few more kitten questions :)

[ukphd]

hello

I've got a few more cat/kitten questions

Currently I'm feeding my 21 week old kittens Science diet for kittens. As recommended by the breeder they get half a pouch of wet food each in the morning, then I leave a bowl of the dry food down for the day so they can graze on that when they please. Sometimes I have to top it up again late afternoon but often it's just about right for them.

So my question is - how long should I be continuing this feeding regime?

Our old cats that we had when I was still living with my parents some years ago were just fed standard supermarket tinned food - half a tin each morning and night, with biscuits on the side. With these guys I've decided to keep using Science diet (unless people can recommend other good brands?) but am unsure whether to stick with wet and dry food or just use dry food?

If I stick with wet food and dry food should I be increasing the amount of wet food yet to 2 meals a day or half a pouch? and should I stlil leave dry food down all day?

I don't want them to over eat and get fat, but don't want them going hungry too...

What do other people do?

Also I wanted to ask about dental care!
We never really did anything for our old cats and as I was still young it wasn't really my place to tell my parents to change things, but I'm aware that it's important to look after their teeth so want to know the best way to do it.

I know you can get "toothbrushes" but does anyone actually manage to use them? I have tried, when my kittens are relaxed, gently raising the lip and touching their teeth but they're not that keen on it and I can't imagine them letting me brush them at all!

Are any of the dietary dental products actually any good? or are they just a con?

Sorry for the long rambling questions but I'd appreciate knowing what other people do

thanks
Nancy

[Emmaj]

with the food you can wean them onto other food anytime as long as you still use the kitten brand its reccommended to use kitten until they are around a year old

just use the current food and mix in some of the new food making it less of the old food over time you should be able to to that over a period of 2 weeks

its alot more gentler on their tums doing it that way as sudden change can give them the squits


my kittens have kitten biscuits down all the time and they get a pouch of kitten meat each for breakfast and one each for supper and mine are around the same age as yours

[feorag]

Emma is right you can use any good quality cat food, but they need to be on kitten until they are about a year old and change it over graduallly just like she says, so they don't end up with an upset tummy.

At 21 weeks they should be on 3 meals a day, or feeding the way you are by leaving out unlimited dried food for them and giving them their 1 wet meal.

Cats rarely ever overeat the way dogs do, but some have more of a tendency to become overweight, so unlimited food can be a problem.

Once our cats outgrew the kitten stage, we've never left out unlimited food. We feed twice a day. First thing in the morning they get a good quality dried complete meal mixed with a small amount of wet food and then in the evening they get a plate of wet food. They are fed a specific amount, which we think is the right amount for them and very rarely do they clean the plates. What is left is put on one plate for them to 'snack' on through the day or night and it's usually empty by morning. Funnily enough, the only time they ever clear their plates at every meal is when we are away on holiday. I think the Scottish air gives them an appetite!

As far as teeth are concerned, I've never successfully managed to use one of those cat toothbrushes or the finger thimble style one. The dental food is designed not to crunch into crumbs when they bite, but to sort of stick to the teeth, and that's supposed to scrape off the plaque when they eat. I've used it, but haven't found it made a significant amount of difference, but then my cats are older and this type of food came onto the market when some of the damage had already been done.

[ukphd]

Thanks

I may try increasing the amount I give them in their wet meal slightly - at the moment the half a pouch disappears in seconds!

I do find it funny that all kitten books etc recommend teeth brushing and I'm yet to meet anyone that's managed it with their cats!
I might look into dental care treats perhaps?