>>I want to make sure I do everything right for this little guy. I'm not sure if I want to go the raw-food diet path, I'd still like something in kibble form. Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Hi, congrats on your new kitten!

Since you said you're not SURE if you want to go the raw food path, but didn't absolutely rule it out, let me put in a plug for it.

I've fed my cats and dogs raw now for almost 20 years. I started with my cats, one of whom was very ill, and was just blown away by the benefits it had for all my cats... which is what motivated me to make the switch for my dogs, too, despite that fact that their much greater size made it much more expensive.

I would never even consider going back and think it is the absolutely best way to feed a cat (assuming you have a good diet, of course - not all raw diets are equally good!).

There is also a lot of ground between kibble, which is the worst thing for cats (I'll say why in a minute) and a complete raw homemade diet. There are canned foods, cooked homemade diets, and raw commercial diets. Each of those is better for a cat than kibble.

The problem with kibble is that, in order to hold its kibbled shape, it needs a certain amount of starch. Your cat, however, has no dietary requirement for starch, or carbohydrate in any form, at all. And research suggests that feeding kibble to cats may contribute to kidney disease, urinary tract disease, and diabetes in cats. (Debra L. Zoran, DVM, PhD, DACVIM, "The carnivore connection to nutrition in cats," Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, December 1, 2002.)

So I'd encourage you to consider foods other than kibble, and to minimize or eliminate all grains in the diet. Nature's Variety makes a canned cat food that has only 5 percent vegetables in it, no grains, and is complete and balanced. That might be a good choice. And of course there are raw frozen formulations that are good for cats as well, with a small amount of vegetables and no grains.

If you decide to pursue the idea of feeding a homemade diet, I highly recommend the book Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats.

I wish you all the best with your new kitten and your decision!
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Christie Keith
Caber Feidh Scottish Deerhounds
Holistic Husbandry since 1986
Meet the Felines!

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