Kittens / Best type of Food?

[Auntie Crazy]

Kibble is an unhealthy "food" for cats regardless of the ingredients (CatInfo.org, Feline-Nutrition.org), however, in canned products, generally-speaking - the lower the carb content, the more easily digested and nutritious the food.

AC

[Beth_Laubenthal]

Originally Posted by noladeb

I see that Natural Choice has the following "rice" ingredients:

Beef Broth, Beef, Chicken, Chicken Liver, Turkey, Beef Liver, Ground Rice, Cod, Natural Flavors, Rice Bran, Tricalcium Phosphate, Guar Gum, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Carrageenan, Taurine, Ferrous Sulfate, Vitamin E Supplement, Choline Chloride, Sodium Ascorbate (source of Vitamin C), Zinc Oxide, Copper Proteinate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Niacin, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Potassium Iodide, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid.

And Blue Wildnerness has the following potatoe ingredients:

Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Potato Starch, Fish Meal (source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids), Fish Oil (source of DHA-Docosahexaenoic Acid), Potatoes, Peas, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Flaxseed (source of Omega 3 and 6 Fatty Acids), Natural Chicken Flavor, Sunflower Oil (source of Omega 6 Fatty Acids), Alfalfa Meal, Whole Carrots, Whole Sweet Potatoes, Cranberries, Blueberries, Barley Grass, Dried Parsley, Dried Kelp, Taurine, Yucca Schidigera Extract, L-Carnitine, L-Lysine, Turmeric, Oil of Rosemary, Beta Carotene, Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Niacin (Vitamin B3), d-Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Biotin (Vitamin B7), Folic Acid (Vitamin B9), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Calcium Ascorbate (source of Vitamin C), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Choline Chloride, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate, Salt, Caramel, Potassium Chloride, Dried Yeast (source of Saccharomyces cerevisiae), Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, Dried Bacillus subtilis fermentation product, Dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product.

Are these still ok foods to feed?

Okay, first thing first. What ever you do, do not feed the Nutro. Period. I was doing some research and found out that DL Methionine (an amino acid used to treat urinary PH in both cats and dogs) should not be given to kittens. Doing my research, only 3 kitten foods that I looked at (I looked at several low end to high end kitten foods) had DL Methionine in them: Nutro, Meow Mix and Purina ONE. Blue Buffalo Wilderness does not contain DL Methionine. DL Methionine can be toxic to kittens (check out the following two links for proof: http://www.kvsupply.com/kvvet/assets/html/METHIONINE.pdf
and http://www.drugs.com/vet/dl-methionine-tablets.html ) Both websites state that it should not be given to kittens.

Secondly, your kitten is a carnivore, not an omnivore. If you do not feed raw for whatever reason, you should try to find a grain free canned food with the least amount of plant matter in it. A lady at a holistic pet food store told me that when it came to pet food, Blue Buffalo was probably "in the middle of the pack" when it came to quality foods that actually matched what nature intended our pets to eat.

Good luck. What ever your choice in feeding your pet, remember to avoid products with DL Methionine in it. Even many adult foods don't contain it. Also, try to aim for canned foods. Raw is better, but canned is the next best choice.

[noladeb]

Just wanted to give a quick update on switching my kitties over to better food. All I can say is WOW, what a difference - already!

My little one, Hats (the white one with grey spots), his coat is so much healthier, its smoother and much much softer. Before it was always kind of stringy, no matter how many times I brushed him. My other little one, Toby (the grey tabby), has even shown signs of a healthier coat. Even though he has a shorter and courser coat, he's shiny and I can tell its softer. Now, if I can just get Toby to stop splish-splashing in his water bowl it'll all be good

Thanks everyone... I really do appreciate the advice. Great forum!

[Beth_Laubenthal]

Awesome!