Feeding

Your kitten has been raised on a high quality, raw beef with bone diet with an added supplement. We use and recommend Blueridge Beef since it is derived from healthy, government inspected cows, and processed where human grade beef is processed. Visit their site to locate a supplier nearby. Alternately, Darwin’s brand of raw (purchased online, not available in stores) offers auto ship delivered to your door, conveniently packaged in individual packages. Raw is offered twice daily. We do not feed any dry kibble since new evidence was reported last year indicating that the process used to create the kibble has been linked to cancer. Rather, as an in between snack, we use Dr Marty’s freeze dried (not reconstituted) in place of kibble. We have done extensive research to ensure that our kittens are receiving a nutritionally balanced diet. It is our opinion that your cat should be on a high-quality vitamin supplement for life, in order to plug up any holes in the nutritional value of whichever diet you should decide to feed your kitty. In a marketplace where products are always “NEW AND IMPROVED” and subject to recall, we wholeheartedly endorse NuVet Plus as well as Kitty Bloom and believe them to be superior to other products on the market. Both supplements are derived from natural sources and are made in a US pharmaceutical plant. Most vitamins sold in pet stores are manufactured in China and are derived using synthetic chemicals. We stock and offer for sale both vitamins that we use and recommend. To educate yourself on good feline nutrition, you will find useful information at http://www.catinfo.org/ as well as http://www.felinefuture.com and YouTube videos produced by Mercola.

You may want to offer a home cooked food for your kitten. In a large pot, place fresh skinless chicken, 2 bouillon cubes, and enough water to cover. Simmer until meat can be removed from the bones. Remove ALL bones. Add 2 eggs and cook slightly. Remove from heat. Cool. Add vitamins (specifically NuVet) and a small amount of uncooked oatmeal to thicken. Refrigerate.

Remember, cats are carnivores, and all dry and canned foods are inferior to a raw diet.

Because a new environment is stressful, offer several feedings a day for the first 2 weeks. At four months, reduce the raw feeding to twice daily. Ensure fresh water is always available. Please contact your veterinarian or me if your kitten does not eat for more than 1 1/2 days when you first bring it home.

When selecting your bowls, always use ceramic, glass or stainless steel. Plastics retain bacteria that can lead to several health issues including dermatitis. We highly discourage automatic feeders and waters. These become a breeding ground for bacteria. We have found drinking fountains to be more sanitary as well as convenient.