How old should a kitten be before giving it dry cat food?
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M$3 Answers
Veterinarians are seeing an increase in feline obesity, diabetes and urinary tract stones. Nutrition research shows these conditions directly related to eating a diet rich in carbohydrates.
This site, written by a veterinarian, is a must read for all cat owners: http://www.catinfo.org/
The following photos are from case studies documented on the above site. These two cats went through the rescue organization I volunteered with for over a decade. The veterinarian who authors http://www.catinfo.org consults with cat owners around the world who have cats suffering the effects of poor quality diet.
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M$
Lifetime of cats.
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M$
We got our cat at three months old. She's been eating dry food since then. We supplement by dry treats, and once in a blue moon, canned cat food.
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M$
I believed that cats needed dry food in their diet to promote good dental health too. After volunteering alongside Lisa A. Pierson, DVM, owner of http://www.catinfo.org website I learned differently. She addresses the feline dry food for good dental health myth on her site about halfway down the first page. I encourage you to consider her point of view.
It took me quite some time to get used to the idea that the pet food companies did not always have pets species specific dietary needs in mind when they formulated their products. I also learned that veterinarians get little education in pet nutrition while in school and are heavily reliant on the pet food company representatives data. While the FDA has governance over the pet food industry, the mostly work in a reactive mode rather than preventative mode. The burden of figuring out what is best for our pets rests on us.
http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/Products/AnimalFoodFeeds/PetFood/UCM2006475
Dental disease in cats is more often attributed to genetics and poor dental care. Cats more susceptible to dental disease should have daily brushing at home with veterinary approved products and regular dental cleanings at a frequency that you and your vet agree is best for your pet.
http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/dvm/Feline+Center/Feline-dental-problems/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/99217?contextCategoryId=10738
I feed my cats raw chicken necks and one of my cats has no teeth at all. I just bash the necks for her just a bit - I used to feed them tinned food but their teeth and breath are far nicer with the fresh meat...
I stopped buying dried food when one of them had problems with his bladder, and since not buying dried food they are much happier too! Might not be as chubby but they look and smell great!
Lisa has some good guidelines for preparing raw cat food. There are some commercial preparations that come frozen. I have tried them out a few times, and my cats do enjoy the raw meat. They get very primal when the raw food hits the bowl. When its not raw, it is Wellness canned Turkey or Chicken.
http://www.wildkittycatfood.com/index.htm