Conference misery::feline_v1

    I actually only put fresh food down twice a day for my kittens.
    
    I give the kittens some canned food in the morning and evening when
    I get home from work.  The rest of the time, I leave softened (with
    hot water) IAMS for them to pick on.  
    
    I think your "creating" a fussy eatter!!!  ;-)
    
    cin...
    

    As for the water, canned food is 75 - 80% moisture.  When my cats
    were on total canned food, I never noticed water missing from thier
    bowl.  Now that I switched to dry, I can see that they do drink
    water.  
    
   I wouldn't worry about the limited water consumption as long as thekitty
    is eating the canned food.
    
    	-Nancy

    I feed canned twice a day also - morning & night.  I would leave
    a small bowl of kitten chow down beside the canned food & water
    dish and just not worry too much.  She will eat when she is
    hungry.  I have an 11-week old baby, and she doesn't seem to
    feed very many times during the day.  I thought she would snack
    4 or 5 times a day, but she fooled me!  It has been over a year
    since I had a tiny baby - Malinka was 11 months when she came
    home, Misha was 6 months when he came home, and Pashenka was
    about 3 1/2 months when he came home.  Victoria was 7 weeks 
    when I brought her home, so I really had to reach back to
    remember what to do.  She really fooled me - she settled 
    down beside the crunchies and went to town!!  
    
    Funny thing is that Victoria will sleep all night (once she
    settles down and stops running up & down me after I'm in bed) -
    I couldn't understand how she could go that long without having
    to go wee!  She must get up during the night and go down to
    the pool and then she must put herself back in the same place 
    just to fool me!
    
    E.T.

    
    
    	RE: .0
    
    	Boy has this little kitten got YOU trained!!!!   :-)
    
    	Seriously,  just feed the baby twice a day.   You can't let
    	the cat control you like that.  I just put the food down and
    	if my cats don't eat it tough!  Of course, I am aware if they
    	don't eat it and start to worry if this trend continues.  Just
    	don't let the little one be picky.  They will soon realize
    	who is the master and who is the pet....
    
    	So you don't have to worry about food going bad, feed the little
    	creep IAMS kitten food.   Its very good for them.
    
    	Karen
    

    Bearing in mind this is an international conference, is there a
    UK version of IAMS ???
    
    Or more to the point are there any other UK noters on this 
    conference ??

>    	Boy has this little kitten got YOU trained!!!!   :-)
 
I thought that always happened !! :-)
   

>    	Seriously,  just feed the baby twice a day.   You can't let
>    	the cat control you like that.  I just put the food down and
>   	if my cats don't eat it tough!  Of course, I am aware if they
>    	don't eat it and start to worry if this trend continues.  Just
>    	don't let the little one be picky.  They will soon realize
>    	who is the master and who is the pet....

I don't think you've ever come across cats like mine. The immediate effect
of food they don't like is one more savaged rubber plant. Then of course
they, being somewhat sneaky, spend the whole day whilst I'm at work hiding
the stuff so I think they've eaten it. Usually it's behind the VCR, sometimes
it's in my bed, either way I usuallly find it. :-(
As far as explaining to them who is boss, well I tried that. A friend suggested
that the way to approach this was to hold the offending animal in front of a
mirror and explain slowly and clearly to it that it's only a cat and shouldn't
have such a high opinion of itself. Unfortunately rather than pointing out to 
the kittens that they were only cats, it only served to make it completely 
obvious to them that I wasn't. And as for who's boss....Beleive me they know.

Kit-e-Kat in the UK do some kitten food which seems to go down quite well
with them. However, watch out for the liver flavour, that's a dead cert to
turn up in the VCR.

Mark

    
    My two are very fussy eaters but as previously mentioned if that's
    all you put down for them they will soon learn.  I just feed mine
    canned food (either Whiskas or Kattomeat) twice a day (morning and
    night) and leave biscuits (such as Go-Cat or Meow Mix) down for
    them all day and a fresh bowl of water each time I feed them (although
    they don't usually touch it!)
    
    Get out of the habit of jumping every time she cries for food or
    you'll spend the rest of your life (and your money) feeding her...and
    she'll burst!!!
    
    Good luck
    Sharon
    

    Re 1659.5   
                
    Hi CHEFS::ALLYS - no you're not the only UK noter.
                
    What is your name by the way?  Isn't it annoying the way everyone
    in the US seems to swear by IAMS and we can't get it here.  I think
    I read something about dried food not being suitable for kittens
    below a certain age - the warning's on the packet - if it isn't
    then its ok to feed.
                
    I agree with the others, she's having you on.  Kittens can only
    eat small meals often, she may genuinely not want it.  If she is
    being fussy - let her get on with it.
                
    Best regards
                
    Kate        
    (Millennium)
    
    PS - re .6
    
    Hi Mark - nice to see you here.

    Bear in mind the choice of cat food, otherwise you may encounter
    problems like I did with Tabby.
    
    Our new kitty, about 12 weeks old now, was fed small amounts of
    ordinairy cat food (Kitekat, Kattomeat, Sainsburys etc) but kept
    getting diarrohea and a sore tummy.  Apparently according to our 
    vets, (Cathcarts in Farnham, highly recommedable) the cat food 
    wass too strong for the kitten's stomachs and can cause entiriteus
    in extreme cases.
    
    I don't mean to alarm you but do be careful on the choice of food.
     I think it may be safer to stick to a kitten food (Whiskas do a
    good one for about 27p per small tin) until the kitten gets a little
    older and can take the adult food.
    
    And if it does get diarrohea, feed it chopped chicken, rabbit or
    fish for a few days until it goes away.
    
    Good luck
    
    Julia & Tabby & Fred & Sukie
    CSC, Viables, Basingstoke

    
    Re:9
    
    Funny but my little kitty does'nt seem to like Whiskas Kitten Food,
    since I've had her, I've fed her on Whiskas (adult food), Kattomeat
    and Sheba with no problems.
    
    She going for her first injections tonight so I'll ask the vet about
    her diet.
    
    
    Regards           
    
    Shaz
    

    
    IAMS _is_ available in the UK. While I was home in England last
    weekend I saw an advert in the Times for IAMS (personal ads page)
    from a firm in Brighton who are the only official UK importers from
    the US. They then supply shops or other suppliers. I phoned them
    to get the nearest place to my home and the lady was most helpful.
    Unfortunately, I don't have the number any longer but I am sure
    the advert is either still going or a back copy of the paper can
    be found (my issue was Friday 12th August).
    
    Good luck
    
    Brian
    

    in the U.S. the number for information about IAMS is:
    
    800-best cat
    
    cin
    

    Well, my problem with a fussy eater is that Figaro has had constantly
    recurring bladder infections causing us to put her on CD prescription
    food available only at the vet.  She tried their canned food - no
    way.  We're now trying the dry food and she's turning her nose up
    at it.  
    
    Any ideas on how to make this work?  The only other alternative
    is to keep giving her Ammonil twice a day for the rest of her life!
    We'll do anything NOT to have to fight with her over the eyedropper!
    
      ^_^
     (>.<)
      ) ( Jeannie

    Either tough it out with the CD, or ask the vet if another food
    is just as good.  I am uncertain as to whether or not IAMS, Science
    Diet are acceptable.  I know they say they are, but I would ask
    the vet.  Sweetie and Holly love Science Diet dry, but they just
    get it as a little treat with the canned CD, until I get a chance
    to ask the vet about it myself.
    

    re: .13
    
    How long have you tried using the C/D?  Figaro is not going
    to starve herself, although she will no doubt try her best to
    convince you that she will waste away to nothing if you continue
    to feed her THAT STUFF!  Cats usually do prefer fresh food, so
    while you are toughing it out, why not try placing small portions
    several times a day (small enough that you won't feel too wasteful
    throwing it away if it is not eaten).  When Figaro gets hungry
    enough, and especially if the food is kept fresh...she'll eat.
    What about a tiny portion of dry plus a tiny portion of dry at
    each serving so she can choose whichever she feels is the lesser
    of the two evils!  To help her switch rather than fight, maybe
    a tiny frosting of babyfood meat to entice her (then slowly
    add less and less baby food...). 
    
    Just be sure to keep LOTS of fresh water around for her.  She needs
    it for her bladder condition, and all the more so if she is
    temporarily not getting much (or any) moisture from her food.
    
    

    I now have three cats afflicted with FUS and its problems.  I asked
    the vet about giving them Iams or Science Diet Maintenance instead
    of C/D since they are all getting and staying fat on C/D.  He said
    that only one of mine could be switched.  Reason - Iams and Maintenance
    are low in magnesium but not low enough for cats with severe problems.
    
    I second the baby food idea.  I find it so hard to understand why
    some cats like it and some hate it.  Mine gobble it up so fast that
    my husband accuses me of forgetting to feed them.  Joui is not an
    FUS cat, but she thinks that she should get to eat it too.
    Unfortunately, C/D doesn't have enough calcium to support a pregnant
    queen on.
    
    Jo