ghkitten answers:

This is not the first time i have heard of this! Never buy over the counter flea or worm meds., my vet. Said some can do more harm to your pet them the fleas or worms! It cost more from the vet., but they are allot safer! Make sure the vet. Know what kind it is, just in case! Sound like the kitten may be allergic to some thing in it! Sorry to her of your bad experience, just keep in mind the kitten is OK. Don’t feel to bad, it could happen to anyone! I would have never know about this over the counter stuff if i had not fostered stays!!!!:)

ghkitten answers:

WTF? Garlic can KILL a cat. Why on earth did you buy a kitten from a PET STORE? They’re notorious for selling kittens from mills – places where the animals are churned out with all the focus on profit and none on the well being of the animals.

This kittens needs a vet NOW. With “finances being what they are” why in the hell are you taking on a pet you can’t afford? Take it back or better yet to a no-kill shelter so it can at least get the care it needs and be adopted by someone with the means to care for it.

ghkitten answers:

REPORTED for repeatedly posting the same question and for filing false “Reports” on others.

ghkitten answers:

Dont be fooled. Hes trying to kill you. Have you ever walked into a room and he ran out as soon as u came in? Well, it was actually a failed ambush. Have you ever seen him hide under something and stare at you? Well, hes studying you in your natural habitat. Do you know why cats bury their poop? They’re practicing burying you! Beware! You have been warned.

ghkitten answers:

Change her food. It’s that simple. You should look at getting her some higher quality food, like Wellness or Blue Buffalo instead of Purina Kitten Chow or a store brand. These are lower grade cat foods and contain a lot of filler that cats are not able to digest. Just like us, when they have trouble digesting their food, they cat gas. A friend just got a cat 2 months ago and he had the same problem. I went with her to Petco and she got him Blue Buffalo. He stopped having gas and farting.

The initial purchase price on high quality foods is going to be higher then foods from your local grocery store. But, because the better food has more meat and less filler, they keep cats more satisfied so you won’t have to give them as much. You save money in the long run. And feeding better foods keeps your cat healthier, so you end up with fewer vet bills.

ghkitten answers:

Yes you can. I’ve had to do that with a few kittens that I’ve had. I had one kitten whose mother had been killed before it was weaned so we fed it milk or baby formula. Eventually we worked our way but to gerber’s baby food then to soft kitten food.

ghkitten answers:

I’m not absolutly sure but I think it’s normal, both of my cats have thin hair in that area. However i didn’t really get to notice this thinning on my cats because I got one as a year old and the other 2months old (he was found in a dumpster).

ghkitten answers:

I wouldn’t go for the soft carriers as in an car accident, they HOLD NO protection, I wouldn’t also go for a folding carrier as they also will colapse in car accident, i would go for a hard plastic cat carrier.

Something like this-Strong latch-easy to open and close in a hurry, plenty of air holes

not something that going to break within a couple of months

http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q248/encouraging_angels/pet%20cages/01062008014-4.jpg

http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q248/encouraging_angels/pet%20cages/01062008020.jpg

http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q248/encouraging_angels/pet%20cages/01062008019.jpg

Designs I dislike as there hard to open, or have limit air available,latch is easy to break
Latch is easy to break!

Http://www.petsupersavers.com.au/?page=139&item=4698

Not latch

http://www.itsadogshop.com/category162_1.htm#1628

hard to open and close quickly

http://www.vetproductsdirect.com.au/mmVETPRODS/Images/atlas10.jpg

hard to open and close quickly

http://www.oo.com.au/Pet_Carry_Cage_-_Blue_P10147C943.cfm?AFID=15

Door easily broken

http://www.petsupersavers.com.au/?page=139&item=4450

latch easily broken

http://www.cat-alog.com/carriers/pet_carrier_cayman1.jpg

Latch easily broken and hard to open and close

http://www.chinatraderonline.com/Pet-Supplies/Plastic-Pet-Carrier-234718488/

Hard to open and close

http://www.7gadgets.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/pet-carrier-322261zz1.jpg

latch is easily broken

http://www.laclass.com/files/stage/AT42369-144719_pet_carrier.jpg

hard to open

http://www.pet-dog-cat-supply-store.com/shop/shop_image/product/d05ece2c9bd024e585e6e7b3b70efe35.jpg

latch is easily broke

http://decomodo.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/08

/komfortkennel.jpg

Latch is easily broken

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41Kl66PPwJL.jpg

latch is easily broken

http://www.pet-gift.net/petcages/petcarrier.jpg

Bottom part doesn’t look secure-to feed the cat water-looks like a cat could push it open with its paws and let itself out!

Http://www.pickyguide.com/files/CatCarriers1_1806175.jpg

Places you can get cat carriers are any retailer, vets, shelters/pounds, pet supply stores-such as Petco & Petsmart

ghkitten answers:

Innova EVO is an excellent choice 50% protein 34% fat exactly what cats need. It is equivelent to a raw diet in dry form.

I also use Felidae and Chicken Soup for the cat lovers soul. All are great foods with meat based protein and no grains

ghkitten answers:

Call your local ASPCA or Humane Society. If they can help the kitten, they will — and I don’t *think* they will charge you anything. You will have to talk to them to be sure.
.

ghkitten answers:

Put a muzzle on her

ghkitten answers:

He sounds cute. I wouldn’t judge a book just because the condition of the cover. The story migh be great inside. I’m not always nice and outgoing when I first meet someone. He just needs time to get to know you and to trust you. Well more like time to get to know your mom and trust her. He seems like he’s starting to be comfortable with you. Tell your kitty I said hi lol!

ghkitten answers:

Yeah… My neighbours cat which is 10 is a little smaller than my 8 month old kitten.. Its just her… And because she is a girl shew ill tend to be a little bit smaller.. Have you taken her to the vet see what they say

ghkitten answers:

Some times when my cat eat a human hair and poops it out, the hair hangs out of him and irritates him. He tries to get it out by scooting on the floor.

Is his poop runny? Poop or cat litter is probably stuck to his bottom when he poops and he cleans it by scooting.

If there is poop stuck to its bottom you can wash it off with a warm, damp washcloth.

Changing your kitten food might cause runny poop.

ghkitten answers:

There are several things that can cause these symtoms in kittens, ranging from parasites to infections, viruses and intestinal bacterias.

Pregnant woman are advised to avoid coming in contact with cat feces (cleaning litter boxes or other areas like sandboxes, garden soil) that could be contaminated with cat feces. This is due to Toxoplasmosis, a rare but serious parasite. It is advisable that a non pregnant family member clean the litter box daily. If you must do this chore, wear gloves and wash your hands frequently.

Most disease/viruses cats have are not zoonotic (passed from pet to human, human to pet) so I wouldn’t be too worried about you or your toddler catching something from the kitten.

Be sure you wash your hands and your toddlers hands frequently. Kittens usually have some type of intestinal parasite that can be trasmitted to humans and other pets usually via “fecal oral route” (eating poo) since toddlers have the tendency to constantly stick their hands and other objects in their mouths, I’d be sure he/she gets their hands cleaned frequently at least until the kitten receives a clean bill of health.

Definitely take her to the Vet asap, diarrhea can make a kitten dehydrate rapidly. If you have some pedialyte around the house (preferably non flavored) dilute it with water 50% and use a syring or eye dropper to give to the kitten. This should hold her over until you can get her to a Vet. Water is not sufficient enough to keep her from dehrating since she has diarrhea.

I forgot to mention, you and the kitten can be have a titer run to detect Toxoplasmosis. A positive titer means there is no risk of contract the parasite.

ghkitten answers:

“Solid” food does not mean “dry” food. Get some canned kitten food right now. Don’t wait! At 6 weeks the kitten should still be with his mother. I’ve fostered kittens for years, as young as 2 days old, and I would DEFINITELY not be giving a 6-weeker dry food. Hell, I still add KMR (Kitten Milk Replacer) to the canned food of kittens up to 8 weeks old. If you don’t get your kitten eating right now, and I mean in the next hour, then you’re looking at bottle feeding him for at least 24 hours to make up for the ounces he’s losing. At 6 weeks he weighs less than 2 pounds and should be fed at least 4 times a day. If he really hasn’t eaten for 24 hours, TAKE HIM TO THE VET. RIGHT NOW! I’m serious.

ghkitten answers:

At our local humane society i believe it is around 100 bucks. Pure bred persians go for 350 or more!

For that price tho, if it is from a local breeder, you may want to get papers. And make sure they have been tested for feline leukemia, especially if they are from a farm or the parents or other cats they have been exposed to are allowed to roam outside. This is an incurable and devastation blood disease that can spread thru shared food.
Also, get the paper documents from the vet they go to and call the vet to verify that it is all legitamate.

ghkitten answers:

I found mine under the shed too but Tinker was a little older about a week and 1/2 old. Take it to a vet they can show you how to care for it but will recommended finding a shelter that already has mother cats nursing baby kittens or maybe even the vet may have clients that have newborn kittens too and they can just put that baby with the mother. The first 2 weeks is so important that a kitten get the mothers milk because the antibodies in her milk help ward off diseases. If there isn’t any in your area be prepared for feeding it every 2 hours day and night for the first 3 weeks and then you can make it a little longer as it gets bigger. You will need to get cans of Kitten Milk replacement at either the vets or a pet store and kitten baby bottles or a eye dropper will work too. It’s a messy job but worth it.. Keep it warm at all times. I put Tinker in a arm sling and kept her close to my body most of the day at night put a heating pad under her/his blanket but never to high or on it bare skin. You will need to rub it’s little butt with a warm wash cloth to stimulate it to go potty. Tinker is now 4 months old and a real joy to have. She is unlike any cat I have ever seen. I never told her she wasn’t human lol.. Good luck to you and the baby kitty.

ghkitten answers:

This could be a serious problem so you need to take her to the vet immediately. Also buying an animal only supports backyard breeders and the horrible conditions these poor animals live in.
Next time I suggest adopting a cat from a shelter and save a life instead of supporting someone that treats animals like money makers.
Lots of animals suffer from all kinds of conditions due to the breeders so you may end up losing this kitten or having many vet bills.
Don’t Breed or Buy While Shelter Animals Die!

ghkitten answers:

Vet! Or some animal professional person

ghkitten answers:

First, you need to take him to the vet ASAP. The vet then can determine how old the kitten is and what he may need as far as nourishment. Young kittens need warmth and need to be placed on a heating pad (on lowest setting and with a towel on top) or placed next to a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel. Also, depending on how old the kitten is, you may need to buy kitten formula (can be found at any pet supply store or, I think, even Wal-mart in the pet section) as a supplement. Also, if he is very lethargic, you can either buy a special high-caloric paste from any pet supply store (which you give a tiny amount placed in his mouth) or even give him a little thick maple syrup. The higher calorie paste (or syrup) will “jump-start” his appetite. The Vet will also determine whether or not the kitten has parasites and/or needs antibiotics (which in most cases, they do need).
Don’t worry too much about how much he is eating, rather what he is eating. Fluids (ie, kitten milk) are the most important followed by good, immediate veterinary care!

ghkitten answers:

Mix the dry food in with the pouches and leave out plenty of water for him,he is just being a greedy little thing don’t worry,he isn’t starving or anything,too much could be bad for him,please dont worry,once he sees he is not getting his own way he will stop,i promise
hope that helps
lorrxxxxxxx

ghkitten answers:

God that is so sad I really don’t know, but this is so typical of pet store kittens and puppies. I am very sorry this happened, and I hope you report that pet store for selling unhealthy pets. This is exactly why we protest against pet stores that sell kittens and puppies, this is so common its absolutely tragic.

Twilighter, pet stores are disgusting places and their kittens/puppies are most likely taken from mills, which are the most disgusting places on earth. Buying from pet stores is your way of inadvertently supporting puppy and kitten mills. Please choose adoption if you decide to get another pet. NEVER get another pet from a pet store, or a backyard breeder. You will run into similar problems, and I am sure you don’t want any more heartache.

ghkitten answers:

#1….your mom signed the contract, so legally it is your cat.
#2….if she will not give it back to you, call the cops. She has
legally taken YOUR pet and carrier. Even though you were helping out your friend, it is legally yours.
#3….her mom has to be gone sometime….have her bring the cat back to you and you keep it, or find a better home.

ghkitten answers:

I have 2 cats and due the a recent brake up i now have my sisters 3. All girls thankfully. It does take time A Lot of time but it will happen. Give each one the same amount of attention and treat them the same. One cat sees you with the other cat and will want the same love and attention. At first it was all cat fights and claws and blood now its been 5 months and its a hiss or a growl here and there. It just takes time. But it will happen. Best of luck

ghkitten answers:

Tell your parents you want to rescue a kitty from the humane society. Go to their website or call and see if you can get a picture of a kitten who needs a home and show it to them. If your parents can say no to a poor little homeless kitty they must be heartless!

Plus, shelter kitties usually come spayed/neutered so you don’t have to bother with that.

ghkitten answers:

6 weeks old is too young to be eating hard food, even if you soak it in water. You should be feeding your kitten cat milk from the pet store until she is old enough to start kitten food like kitten chow (which is not until the kitten is at least 2 months old and even at that point, you should start SLOWLY introducing it). The kitten milk comes in a formula or you can buy the powder kind to mix with water (it is cheaper). Once your kitten is doing well eating the kitten milk, in a few weeks time you can start slowly mixing in canned cat food and gradually add more canned food and less formula. Then, you can start slowly introducing dry kitten food (not adult cat food… Kitten formulas are formulated with softer pieces and kitten milk which your kitten needs…also, the pieces are softer on your kitten’s baby teeth) Also, at 6 weeks, a kitten is too young to be taken from its mother and at this age would still be nursing milk. Do not give it hard food yet! Its insides are not developed enough to break down solid foods and that is why your kitten is straining to poop, because at this age, they can’t yet! Stop giving it dry food now and go to the store and buy kitten formula! You’re going to wreak havok on your kitty’s insides!

ghkitten answers:

First of all: it’s not your fault because you were sleeping and you have no control over that.
Second, can you get a job shoveling snow, babysitting after school and on weekends? Walking dogs? Are you old enough to get a job at mcdonalds?
Call all vets in yellow pages and explain your situation and you might find one that will take him for either free or minimum payment and work out a payment plan. Or you can cut down on your expenses and talk it over with your mum. Say if you cut your expenses if it would help?
Can’t you ask you dad or uncles to loan or give you money?

ghkitten answers:

They might make it, but you wont. The screaming will be unbearable. Kittens scream for mom when cold, hungry or lonely.
If you search the internet you will find recipies for emergency formula. If you dont have a bottle, you can try a saucer, but they may be too young. If they wont drink from the saucer, dip a dish rag in the formula and they will smell it, think it is a nipple, and suck on it.
You will also need a hot water bottle or heating pad to replace mom’s warmth. 3 week olds can not regulate thier own body heat. And, you need to help them go to the bathroom. 3 weeks can not go on thier own.

ghkitten answers:

There is nothing in the food that’s commonly associated with diarrhea – that is most often corn and by-products, and there are none in this food. Most likely she’s got parasites, coccidia, or giardia. Pet stores are really awful places to buy animals – they aren’t cared for very well, and come from horrible places, which often means a bad case or parasites of more than one type. The best thing you can do is take her and a stool sample to the vet, and ask them to check for worms, and coccidai and giardia (they aren’t part of the normal ‘fecal float’ and require specific antibiotics, not a wormer, to treat). And whatever she gets treated for Chanel should be also, unfortunately, as these things are all passed through the litter box.

ghkitten answers:

Hi,

If she is generally healthy and is active, there is absolutely no need to give her any kind of supplement. Over supplementing might even cause toxicity and you would want to avoid that at all cost. If she is already eating a balanced meal, her body will not be able to absorb all the additional vitamins and that is how the toxins can build up in her body over time.

ghkitten answers:

If you got any paperwork from the pet store, bring it with you so the vet knows which vaccines he’s had and when. Your kitten will have an exam to make sure he’s healthy, and if he needs it, at least one shot. At the clinic where I used to work, this kind of visit would cost $35-60, depending on what shots were due. He’ll probably need to go back for booster shots in a few weeks. If you have any questions for the vet, write them down so you don’t forget to ask!

ghkitten answers:

This happened to my kitten when he overate. Maybe he ate too much?…
If you’re lucky, he just overate. If he did overeat, try to get him to vomit by GENTLY pressing his stomach. DO NOT force him to vomit. Just try to stimulate him to. If he hasn’t eaten in the past 4 hours, though, sadly this might be the end for him. Take him to an EMERGENCY vet clinic, not your local vet or any of the vets you have visited. If you took him to an emergency vet clinic, take him to a different one. They will monitor him for the next 24-48 hours to make sure he doesn’t have a seizure like this. If he dies on the way, wrap him in a warm blanket. If he doesn’t make it, look on the bright side. He won’t have to suffer anymore. I hope your furry friend survives this crisis. Now get to the EMERGENCY VET!

ghkitten answers:

What on earth possessed you to buy a kitten from a pet store? What you’re seeing is most likely a temporary “fever coat”. Silver or white hairs can appear in a kitten or cat’s coat when it’s been very sick. They’ll most likely disappear in a few months.

Good luck with this kitten surviving. Kittens from pet stores come from backyard breeders – horrible “mills” that churn out kittens with all the focus on making money and NONE on the well being of the animals. Why on earth are you supporting this by buying one of these kittens? You should have instead called your local animal control and reported the sickly animals this store was selling – not given them your money.

Edit: well then you adopted him from a SHELTER that had cats at a pet store – you didn’t buy a pet store kitten. BIG difference. How was I supposed to know this was a SHELTER animal? My answer stands about the fever coat but I take back saying you shouldn’t have bought this kitten. I’m all for adopting from shelters as I’ve volunteered with them for over two decades!

ghkitten answers:

Hi. I’ve been there several times. Luckily, it has always worked out for me but it takes time. Since DAZ has been an only child her whole life, it’s very nervewracking and confusing for her. She probably feels like ya’ll got tired of her and wanted someone new to play with and love on. What we always did was buy some treats or use something that the cat loved to eat. Then, we would spilt up. I would be with the kitten and my mom would stay in the other room with the older cat. I would tell her when, and she would bring in the older cat and put her down next to the kitten and everytime she would lower her down to the ground-IMPORTANT: before she was completely on the ground, I would go ahead and put the treat in front of her nose and get her attention on the treat-then when she was completely on the ground, I would give her the treat and have my mom take her away again and we would repeat this until the older cat saw the kitten as a rewarding thing. It worked wonders for us and I hope it works for you. But it may take more than 10 days, just depends on DAZ. If you truly love the little kitten though, give it time for his sake.

Hope this helps!

ghkitten answers:

You had better call the pet shop where you purchased the kitten. They are know for buying kittens from kitten mills (yes just like a puppy mill), where they breed sick cats and kittens. Did you get the vets name who checked the kitten before you got it?

R P CAT

ghkitten answers:

Id have to say she is either under abit of stress thanks to the new environment, or shes finding something to eat which she shouldn’t be!! My cat chows down on some grass in our courtyard which gives him diarrhea… Yet he never stops? Animals are strange but funny.

Hope she feels better soon!!!

ghkitten answers:

Ugh. It’s probably closer to 5 weeks or so.

The problem is, when they’re that small, you have very little time to resolve it. Voming and diahrrea can kill very quickly.

You need to check wth a vet asap and find out how to bottle feed. And i do mean asap.

ghkitten answers:

Hi Angela…I hope I can provide some helpful suggestions to get your kitty to improve his potty habits. Because questions can limit the ability the learn as well as share all the necessary details to determine the problematic causes and to provide solutions I will try to assume any possibilities to consider likely reasons as well as some helpful retraining ideas.

My first concern would be to determine if there’s a likely chance that a medical reason is the cause for the inappropriate soiling. A veterinarian can take a urine sample to see if your kittens could have a urinary tract infection (UTI)/bladder infection, which isn’t uncommon. I strongly encourage by having this test done soon because if left untreated it could develop into a kidney infection which is very painful and at times could cause lifetime problems with inappropriate soiling habits. Therefore, the sooner he’s treated it may stop the inappropriate soiling habit as well.

But for now in order to control the inappropriate soiling and retrain your kitty it is best to isolate them into a small room with their litter box (food and water as well) until they consistently uses the box. Please don’t fret by keeping them in this small room for awhile (such as a bathroom). As long as you provide them with food, water, fun toys and attention they will not become bored or neglected.

While they are confined to the small room it’s imperative to remove the urine odour stains with a urine neutralizer product such as Nature’s Miracle (PetSmart or Petco). If any hint of the odour remains a cat will continue to mark this area to cover it up repeatedly especially male cats. Ideally these areas will need to be soaked deeply and thoroughly in order to remove all of the urine scent as animals can smell even the slightest lingering odours which humans cannot detect. This product is considered to be environmentally friendly and effective if used as instructed.

As a feline trainer I have found that any time a cat has an accident it is best to not scold or punish a cat in any manner. The reason is that they will associate that whenever they need to go potty they will be punished for the act that nature intended rather than understanding it is WHERE they are going potty that is bad. Cats are unable to separate these two ideas so it’s best to quietly clean up the accident and reward the kitty with favourite food treats whenever you catch them using their litter box. This way they learn that the box is a fun place because they’ll be rewarded with yummy treats. This method can also be applied to train cats to scratch appropriate places versus bad places…whenever they scratch somewhere you do not want touched pick them up quietly and place them to the scratch post/toy and reward with food treats.

Finally, I didn’t see any information in regards to your kitty’s age and wondered if they have been spayed/neutered? At 12 weeks they are at the minimum age which can safely be altered. Male cats “at the earliest” (average being much later) can begin feeling the hormonal urge to spray at 5/6 months and females go into heat. So if they are not altered just yet and is over 5/6 months old this could also be a possibility.

Aside from the above suggestions there are also products such as Feliway to help calm stressed felines, which sometimes may or may not work. Dietary needs can also play a small role. These additional ideas however don’t control the inappropriate soiling effectively as well as isolation into a small space and having a UTI exam. They are only supplemental in nature.

It’s wonderful that you are trying to learn how to best resolve the inappropriate soiling quickly. I hope you will take into consideration some of the above suggestions.

ghkitten answers:

Try the Pet Finder site:http://www.petfinder.com/index.html

When you adopt a kitten from a shelter it usually has all of its initial veterinary work done: spay/neuter, de-fleaing, de-worming, testing for FIV/FeLV, vaccines etc. So the $100.00 – $200.00 you spend on such a kitten makes it a “bargain”. It would cost far more than that for you to have all that done at the vet’s.

If by “train” you mean litter box training, you have nothing to worry about. Kittens begin learning to use a litter box on their own and from watching their mother when they are about a month old. By the time they are old enough to go to a new home they are generally 100% litter trained.

Whether a kitten is very friendly or not depends in part on its individual temperament and in part on its upbringing. One environmental factor which greatly influences a kitten’s future personality and sociability is the time it has spent with its mother and litter mates.
Kittens need to learn their first social skills from their cat family so be sure that any kitten you adopt is at least 10 weeks old before it is taken from mother and siblings.

You should seriously consider adopting two kittens of about the same age at the same time. Kittens are very rambunctious and really need another kitten to play with.

ghkitten answers:

Here is a link explaining what Kitten Glop is, and the recipes.

Http://www.hdw-inc.com/glop.htm

ghkitten answers:

Adult cat food shouldn’t hurt your kitten as far as sickness goes. Kittens specifically need to eat kitten food for developmental reasons. Changes in the food your cat eats such as formula or the brand can upset their stomachs. If the poop is like diarrhea make sure your kitten gets enough water so it doesn’t become dehydrated. Watch your cat closely and if your cat seems to be in pain or it continues, call your vet as soon as possible.

ghkitten answers:

Nutro is a low medium grade food so it’s good to switch to a higher quality food. I’d also recommend switching from dry to wet.

Not all pet food is made equally. A lot of it is full of corn, by-products, dyes, unhealthy preservatives, filler grains and all sorts of nasty stuff. A lot of pet food companies are perfectly happy to dump cheap leftovers in. Will it kill your cat? No, it has to be nutritionally complete and safe to even be marketed. Is it healthy? Not by a long shot.

Corn is a low quality ingredient you never want to see in your pet food. Corn and low quality grains are two of the biggest culprits when it comes to food allergies in our pets.

Thankfully, there are some excellent cat foods being made these days that include organic, human grade ingredients rather than trash not fit for human consumption.

Examples of low quality foods to avoid: Anything you can find in a grocery store will be low end, Purina, Iams, Eukanuba, Science Diet, Royal Canin, Whiskas, Fancy Feast, Friskies, Meow Mix.

Examples of high quality foods to look for: Innova, Wellness, Solid Gold, Felidae, Fromm Four Star, Merrick, GO Natural, Nature’s Variety Prairie, Nature’s Logic, Artemis Fresh Mix, Timber Wolf Organics.

Although the high quality foods are more expensive, you’re getting what you’re paying for. Less filler material means more concentrated nutrients… This means you typically need to feed far less of the high quality food than you would of the low quality one. Which also means less poop!

A great option is to go with an entirely grainless diet. Diets high in grain have been attributed to problems with diabetes in cats. Cats are obligate carnivores, so why should there be grain in their diet? Many of the high quality foods now put out grainless formulas. Some good grainless diet’s include: Innova EVO, Wellness CORE, Blue Wilderness, Nature’s Variety Instinct, Orijen, Fromm Surf & Turf, Now!, and Sold Gold Indigo Moon, Taste of the Wild.

Some of the high end foods can be found in common pet stores. Petsmart carries Blue Buffalo products (such as the excellent grain free diet Blue Wilderness). Petco carries Wellness and Solid Gold. If you can’t find a food, most of the high quality food brands have websites with store locators on them.

Remember that foods should be switched gradually, especially when switching to a higher quality one, so as not to upset tummies.

Another option for feeding cats is to feed raw. This is something that should be thoroughly researched before being attempted:

http://www.barfworld.com/

http://www.rawfedcats.org/

http://www.rawfed.com/

http://www.wysong.net/controversies/rawmeat.shtml

Now the question is, do you feed wet or dry? Wet is the correct answer. The reason is, in the wild, cats normally get most of their water content directly from their prey items and drink very little. Domestic cats are no different, and because of the fact that they are designed to take in water with their meal, they have a very low thirst drive. Cats often just don’t drink enough. This leads to urinary tract infections and crystals. The bit about dry food being better for teeth is a myth and has not been proven in the least. Canned/wet food is better because it more closely mimics the cat’s natural diet. More on why canned food is best:
http://www.catinfo.org/ (Excellent cat nutrition information by a vet)

http://cats.about.com/cs/catfood/a/canned_food.htm

http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?action=library&act=show&item=whycatsneedcannedfood

Another option to get cats to drink more would be a cat fountain. Cats tend to like to drink from running water and cat fountains see to that need, encouraging cats to take in more water.

More:
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/ (Dog food reviews. It’s for dogs, but most of the high quality brands also put out excellent cat foods. Anything with five or six stars is a great food.)

ghkitten answers:

Darn, that cat needs food! Feed him small pieces of meat. Feed the cat anything it will eat out of the fridge.
If you are unwilling to take car of an animal, give it to someone who will

ghkitten answers:

No, they will not. PetSmart doesn’t sell cats and kittens – they give space to shelters to put their adoptable cats/kittens in.

Why do you have a NEWBORN kitten that you have to “give away”? Where is it’s mother? A kitten needs to stay with its mother until it’s at LEAST eight weeks of age. If this is a kitten you found then contact a local shelter and see if they can take it.

ghkitten answers:

Take her to a vet! That is better.

ghkitten answers:

Go to a pet store and get kitten formula. Don’t let him go. You took him away from the place where he was. So even if his mother came back she’d be gone by now because he’s not there. Take him to the vet. OR call the vet. I know it s a lot of money, but cats are so worth it. You probably saved his life. Now save it again by keeping him. Some people abuse animals. Don’t let that happen to him too! But kitten formula should be good for now. And Get his something warm to sleep on thats soft it will be comforting so he feels like he’s with his mother and a liter of kittens not alone. So but like a small stuffed animal with him too.

ghkitten answers:

What is this newborn kitten doing outside? Get the kitten and the mother cat indoors NOW! Then, call a vet! Call the ASPCA, call the local animal shelter, call them all and explain that this is an EMERGENCY! Almost all vets will work with you on a payment basis. Also, you need to get the KMR (Kitten Milk Replacement) formula NOW! You can buy this stuff almost anywhere, even Wal-Mart and some grocery stores. If you can’t get the proper bottles for newborns, use an eyedropper and feed this poor baby. I hate to say this, but it sounds like it may already be too late. I surely hope not–I hope this little one will pull thru, but this is going to require vet care. Good luck to you.

ghkitten answers:

Unfortunately, those things do exist in excess. No one does anything about it because the people in power are not encouraged to do anything about it nearly enough. Funds are limited, but you know they do exist. The humane societies depend on people’s time and efforts…

Most animals people own are the result of puppy or kitten mills and the smaller companion animal equivalents (including exotic animals).

You can educate yourself and get involved in your community. There are some online petitions you can sign right now too! You can write letters of support for animal advocates (the humane society, aspca, etc) and google the animal societies in your area. You can write letters of dissent/disproval to the bad guys, and you can attend events in your area.

You can educate your friends and refuse to go to certain stores or unofficial breeders/suppliers.

You can make a difference and help a lot of animals in the process! Good luck! Don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise! We have to speak up for the animals since they can not speak for themselves!

ghkitten answers:

I had a similar situation when I got my kitten from a pet store, she wound up having coccidia (internal parasites, i.e. Worms) and conjunctivitis (pink eye). Your kitty sounds like he has the same. The diarrhea is likely caused by worms and is very dangerous, in fact life-threatening, for young kittens because they can quickly become dehydrated and die. You need to bring him to the vet asap for treatment. As for his eyes, it is probably conjuctivitis, this can cause inflamation of the membrane, which sounds like what you described. Both issues can be treated by prescription medication, usually Albon for the worms and an antibiotic ointment for the eyes. It took us a few months of steady meds to get our kitten healthy, but she is almost 3 years old now and just fine. Her conjuntivitus does reoccur occassionaly because it is due to an underlying herpes virus that she will always have.

Unfortunately, these issues are common with pet store kittens, which is why I will never buy from another one again.

I also had all the vet bills covered by the pet store because there is a pet lemon law in NY state that requires pet stores to cover med bills if a vet determines the pet was unfit for sale. Check into that option, our vet bills were well over $600. You may also have the option of returning the kitten, which we could not do because after one day of having her, I already loved her.

Good luck and get that little kitty to the vet!