kitten
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- dijitaq
either the mother or someone left a 2 or 3 day old kitten near my house. the sound it made annoyed me at first but now i can't bare to leave it to die.
what's the best way to feed it??
- quack0
to a snake.
- quack never fails to dissappointdijitaq
- i appreciate thisiCanHasQBN
- lajj0
regurgitation
- quack0
What to Feed a Kitten
How to Choose and Prepare Foods for Cats Under One Year OldGood nutrition is critical to the health of young, rapidly-growing cats. Kittens require a different diet from adult cats order to thrive.
Nursing kittens don’t need solid food for the first several weeks, though their mother will require far more food and water than usual while she is nursing. Pregnant and nursing cats should be fed kitten food, as it has more calories per serving.
Nursing kittens should approximately double their weight over the first 2 weeks. Failure to gain weight is a sign of illness.
Provide Kitten Mush with Kitten Milk Replacer at 4-5 WeeksStarting at around 4 or 5 weeks of age, kittens will begin to show an interest in solid food, imitating their mothers by experimenting with whatever food they are eating. When owners notice that the kittens have begun to try solid food, they can create kitten mush by blending a high quality food formulated for kittens in the blender with a combination of hot water and liquid kitten milk replacer to the consistency of baby food (when served, the mush should be warm but not hot). Initially, kitten mush should be provided 4 times daily, and the mother cat may eat some of the kitten mush as well.
When making kitten mush, the milk replacer and water can be decreased by increments each week before blending so that when the kittens are about 8 weeks old, they are eating solid food on its own. Remove bowls of mush after the kittens eat - don't leave leftovers lying around.
During weaning, the amount of kitten food offered to the queen can also be decreased, and the amount of adult food increased, until she is eating only adult food.
What to Feed Kittens After They Are Weaned
Kittens should be given high-quality food formulated specifically for kittens, with meat, poultry, or fish listed as the first ingredient. Owners should not feed kittens adult cat food until they’re a year old.
When selecting kitten foods, wet canned foods, dry kibble, or a combination may be chosen, but avoid bargain brands. Cheap foods are not really a bargain because they're often nutritionally incomplete and filled with empty carbohydrates, which means the kitten will eat far more and will still be undernourished. Many dry foods in particular are made up mostly of filler, such as corn. Read the label carefully, or ask a veterinarian for a kitten food recommendation.
Many people choose to leave a bowl of dry food out at all times so that kittens have access to food as needed, and then provide wet food at intervals. If feeding mostly dry food, it’s important to keep in mind that the kitten will need to drink far more water. Locating water bowls in a different area from food bowls (most cats prefer to eat and drink in separate locations) or investing in a flowing cat water fountain can encourage the kitten to drink more fluids.
How Often to Feed KittensAt 8 weeks, kittens should be eating solid food regularly, though they may still nurse sporadically for a while longer. A young kitten needs to be fed far more often than an adult cat, and at least 5 feedings per day is recommended for kittens under 12 weeks of age, then 4 between 12 and 16 weeks, and 2-3 after that. Keeping a bowl of dry food available enables kittens to eat as much as they need between feedings of wet food.
Owners who are out in the daytime may wish to invest in automatic cat feeders, particularly for canned wet food. These automatic dishes keep the food covered and then open automatically at preset times. Food should always be served at room temperature, as cold food may be rejected because cats can’t smell it as well.
If Changing a Kitten’s Food, Do It GraduallyNever change the brand or type of food abruptly, as this can cause digestive upsets. If the diet must be switched, make the change gradually, mixing increasing amounts of the new food in with the old food until the kitten is eating only the new diet.
Kittens Don’t Need Cow’s MilkKittens that have been weaned don’t need to drink milk. After weaning, kittens can no longer digest lactose, and so some will suffer digestive troubles if given milk. Even if the kitten doesn’t appear to suffer stomach upsets, cow’s milk is unnecessary, and water is a better choice for fluids.
Where to Locate Food and Water BowlsCat food and water bowls must be placed in a quiet, low-traffic area of the house, and nowhere near the litter box. Each cat should have his or her own food and water bowls to reduce the likelihood of competition.
- quack0
What to feed your pet duck
This is our recommendation for a domestic duck diet, based on input from Avian Veterinarians, Wildlife Rehabbers and Ducksperts all over the globe. We list food choices that are readily available to consumers.
Avoid commercial diets designed to grow ducks fast for meat or commercial egg production. These diets often contain medications that prevent communicable diseases in large duck communities, and may be harmful to your duck. NOTE: Most newer formulations have improved - still best to be cautious.
Ducks do well on non-medicated pelleted mash as a staple, supplemented with fresh vegetable trimmings, chopped hard-boiled eggs, tomatoes, cracked corn (keep out of ponds if you have fish), garden snails (NOT if you use snail bait or pesticides), worms, night crawlers, bloodworms... They enjoy floating coy food occasionally. Most items are available at pet and grocery stores.
Protein levels are very important to your duck's stage of growth.
Don't forget adding oyster shell to the diet - especially if you notice thin shells in the waterfowl's eggs
Ducklings need starter feed with 20-22% protein for 3 weeks.
Adolescents do best on 16% protein.
Adult ducks need 16-18% when they are laying and 14-16% if they aren't laying.
Too much protein can cause a condition called "Angel Wing" where the feathers on the wings protrude upwards. Too little can cause nutritional deficiencies and serious health problems.
Generally a mixed diet of commercial pelleted food such as Layena supplimented with green forage (or lettuce or other greens if forage is not available) and scratch grains or cracked corn will provide for a healthy flock.
- e-pill0
give this guy a call..
- sea_sea0
ok, here's what i've found true and has worked in the past without all the fuss...
just put a small plate/bowl with soft kitten food and or some milk diluted with water. regular water too. if it wont eat put some in it's mouth with your finger. once it realizes it's food, it will eat and survive.
if your keeping it indoors i quickly suggest a litter box. they sell cheap ones that come with a tray included. it really is not that big of a deal. if you don't have a litter box... it will poop in mysterious places you might never ever find. after it eats immediately walk him over to the box, put him in it and let him figure out the rest. their pretty smart.
good luck. kitties are cool. after 6months it will need to be spayed or neutered.. otherwise: if it's a boy.. it will spray it's territory and that = not good. if it's a girl... it will reproduce. fast.- thanks for the non-qbn-ish advice hehedijitaq
- no problem, someone has to be the voice of reason in this joint. lol, i kid.sea_sea
- since it's super small you might have to get something similar to a baby formula and bottle feed it for the first week or so.. not sure. try a pet shop.sea_sea
- try a pet shop. ask for help.. lolsea_sea
- elahon0
Do you have any animal shelters in your area? I'd see if you can scoop the little guy/girl up and bring to a shelter.
- sea_sea0
plus you might also want to wash it with mild soap and warm water in your sink. who knows where it's been. dry him with an old towel.
and in about 6 weeks you should get it vaccinated. i know it sounds like a lot, but cats are pretty independent, plus it will love you and be a warm companion on those long working nights. they love the computer (that's if you keep him of course).. good luck! :)
- eating_tv0
Do you lactate? You can test by having it nibble on your tit.
- BuddhaHat0
keep it! keep it!
- dijitaq0
i gave it a bath and fed it milk. i found it easier to feed it when i pour some milk on my finger then it would lick it off.
it's only at least 3 days old. i don't think i would take it to a shelter; they probably would just let it die. i'm already attach to it. i'm keeping it, for awhile at least.
- slinky0
go to a vet immediately/
- quack0
i already touched on this...
Kittens Don’t Need Cow’s Milk
Kittens that have been weaned don’t need to drink milk. After weaning, kittens can no longer digest lactose, and so some will suffer digestive troubles if given milk. Even if the kitten doesn’t appear to suffer stomach upsets, cow’s milk is unnecessary, and water is a better choice for fluids.
- stoplying0
I have nipples, Greg. Can you milk me?