# Kitten eating trash and other stuff



## Konafa (Aug 16, 2009)

Please I need help as well! It's kinda urgent.
My parents found my kitten eating garbage in the kitchen today! :!: It's really odd because we feed her especially clean food.... and UI can't believe she would just end up eating garbage! Is that normal? :!: 
My parents are thinking to get rid of her because they fear that my kitten could have rabies or worms in her stomach.  I also noticed when I was taking out a school file from my bag, she started to sniff it and bit it but once....as it was food. :!: 
And I don't wish to see my kitten go as well.
Do you guys have any ideas about this?
Am I taking this whole thing way too serious?
Thank you! :!:


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## PureMuttz (Jul 3, 2009)

*Re: Some help please!*



Konafa said:


> They can't afford to take her to vet for check ups and stuff like that.


What I have quoted above, is more important than anything else...
It's really unfair to the kitten to live in a household where basic needs like vet care cannot be provided for her.

Getting into trash = just means some scent caught her interest as possible food. The trash should be contained out of her reach (in a closed pantry, closet, etc.)

Biting your book may have been just a gesture of play. Not a sign of rabies or worms.


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

Your kitten's behavior is very normal, many cats will toss the trash can if there's something in there that smells enticing, particularly if they're hungry. Going after trash is not indicative of rabies, but could be of worms. I'm not sure what 'especially clean' food is, I would expect all food fed to a cat to be clean. Given your mention of financial issues, I wonder if this kitten is getting enough food?

Your kitten could very well have worms or other parasites if she hasn't been dewormed/seen a vet. As PureMutzz mentioned, vet care is an obligation you need to meet if you take on the responsibility of a cat. If your parents would get rid of a cat because it has worms rather than take it to the vet and get the needed medication, then your family is not equipped to have pets. 

Chewing your file folder is also pretty normal. I've had 5 cats over the years and 2 of them chew cardboard, paper, labels etc. Some cats are just chewers, especially a kitten who might be teething.


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## Konafa (Aug 16, 2009)

doodlebug said:


> I wonder if this kitten is getting enough food?


Why do you think that we'll starve her? :roll: 



doodlebug said:


> Your kitten could very well have worms or other parasites if she hasn't been dewormed/seen a vet. As PureMutzz mentioned, vet care is an obligation you need to meet if you take on the responsibility of a cat. If your parents would get rid of a cat because it has worms rather than take it to the vet and get the needed medication, then your family is not equipped to have pets.


My parents were only worried that my cat could have something which can't be cured, may grow and infect others by time. :!:


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## Stacykins (Aug 18, 2009)

Konafa said:


> doodlebug said:
> 
> 
> > I wonder if this kitten is getting enough food?
> ...


It isn't that you are starving her, I don't think that was suggested by doodlebug at all. It could be that your kitten has a very high metabolic need, and needs more food than a different cat. Just like humans have different levels of need for food. Your kitten is growing, she has a pretty large need for food. I know my cat has tried to get into the trash when I toss out an empty can of his canned food. He is an incredibly active cat who is also quite lean. I'd consider him an athlete, and he has a higher need for food than my friend's lazy cat that barely moves to play. 

I do find it disturbing that your parents will not take your cat in for veterinary care. Does she have all her shots? Will she be spayed? General veterinary care is imperative for all pets. If she hasn't had her vaccines started and hasn't gotten a 'well kitten exam' yet, you need to do that.


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## PureMuttz (Jul 3, 2009)

Konafa said:


> doodlebug said:
> 
> 
> > I wonder if this kitten is getting enough food?
> ...


It's a valid consideration, Konafa. Many people do not feed the appropriate amount of food for their pets (often, it's too much, but sometimes, it's too little). Also, if you have a lower quality food, they are full of fillers, which will fill the kitten up for a short amount of time, but doesn't fulfill their hunger in the long run.



Stacykins said:


> I do find it disturbing that your parents will not take your cat in for veterinary care. Does she have all her shots? Will she be spayed? General veterinary care is imperative for all pets. If she hasn't had her vaccines started and hasn't gotten a 'well kitten exam' yet, you need to do that.


Agreed.



Konafa said:


> My parents were only worried that my cat could have something which can't be cured, may grow and infect others by time.


This is why vet care is a requirement. It's not only to treat issues when they occur, but to PREVENT issues from occurring with vaccinations and health checks.


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## Konafa (Aug 16, 2009)

Stacykins said:


> Konafa said:
> 
> 
> > doodlebug said:
> ...


  I guess I was being very unspecific and immature in my first post here. I didn't mean to say that we won't be able to take my cat to the vet at all because of money. My cat will be needing another shot so she'll have to see a vet anyway. It's just that she won't see him immediately. 
Again, I'm sorry for being very unspecific in that 'vet' part. I shouldn't have posted with emotions.  
My sibling and I were really worried about the cat...that's all.
Again apologies! 

About this 'feeding' thing, we've figured out the same thing last night. Her metabolic rate must be high. But like I said, we're giving her right amount of food! She eats three times a day! And I don't overfeed her as well like what I have heard.


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## laurief (Jun 22, 2008)

I'm raising two young kittens who were abandoned on my road, and I am constantly amazed by the amount of food these little guys pack away. They eat HUGE amounts of food to keep up with their rapid growth rate and their high activity level. It's very important to feed kittens adequately so that their bodies have everything they need to grow and develop to their full potential. If your kitten gets a little chubby, chances are that any chubbiness will disappear as her body matures. Don't be afraid to feed your kitten more than you think she needs while she is still growing. She needs all of that extra nutrition right now.

If your kitten hasn't yet been to the vet, it's likely that she does have worms. Most kittens do. It's no big deal, though. The vet can provide a safe and effective dewormer for her when you get her into his/her office.

As far as garbage eating is concerned, welcome to pet parenthood. Anything that has any sort of edible smell in my house goes directly into the covered trash can, but if I forget to make sure the lid is secure, the cats will still open it up and dive in. They'll also jump on counters and steal any food I am foolish enough to leave out. They love bread, cantaloupe, and just about anything else they can get their greedy little paws on. It doesn't matter how well I feed them. If there's something else available to them, they ALWAYS want a taste. That's just the nature of the beast.

Laurie


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## melysion (Mar 12, 2007)

Konafa said:


> About this 'feeding' thing, we've figured out the same thing last night. Her metabolic rate must be high. But like I said, we're giving her right amount of food! She eats three times a day! And I don't overfeed her as well like what I have heard.


My Toby is not in any way remotely underfed but, given the opportunity, he would raid my kitchen bin for food any chance he got. Not because he is hungry, but because he is greedy. He is not called the catpig for nothing! :lol: I know she is still growing, but your little lady raiding the bin might have much more to do with greed than need. Just a thought


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

Konafa said:


> doodlebug said:
> 
> 
> > I wonder if this kitten is getting enough food?
> ...


Because you certainly wouldn't be the first person to underfeed a kitten, especially when mentioning that money is tight. Since I now see on another thread that you've fed peas and rice, I think my concern is valid. Cats are obligate carnivores and need a high level of protein. Vegetables, grains, and fruits are not necessary in their diet. They can tolerate some, but if it's too large of a portion of their diet then they will be craving what they need...protein, and seek it out however they can. What else are you feeding besides peas and rice? And how much?


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## PureMuttz (Jul 3, 2009)

laurief said:


> Anything that has any sort of edible smell in my house goes directly into the covered trash can, but if I forget to make sure the lid is secure, the cats will still open it up and dive in. They'll also jump on counters and steal any food I am foolish enough to leave out


I have my trash in a covered trash can, in a closed pantry. Double up the defense. 

If something is left on the counter, I agree, it's ''free game'' to them. Especially bread for some reason, when it comes to my male cat. My female knows when we cook meat, and she aims for that.  We have to be very careful to make sure they don't binge in the kitchen.

It's not that we don't feed them enough, it's that something in the kitchen smells good, and they want!


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

Konafa said:


> My parents are thinking to get rid of her because they fear ... worried that my cat could have something which can't be cured, may grow and infect others by time. :!:


_You_ ... could have something like this too. What would your parents do? I'm sure they'd take you to a doctor and not just get rid of you. There is NO POSSIBLE WAY your parents could ever *know* if your healthy-looking kitten has or doesn't have an underlying life-threatening illness without a vet exam and/or proof. If they are concerned they need to bring the kitty to a vet. Rabies is a pretty far-fetched BS excuse and worms (_internal parasites_) are easily fixed with the proper de-wormer. Those grocery-store de-worming products are no good. Please get it from a vet. If the kitten appears healthy in all other areas, I wouldn't worry (_but I am familiar with animal husbandry_) and I would certainly bring it up with my vet at her next exam ~ which should be for shots and/or spay-surgery.

Key elements of what you have posted concern me. Specifically; the mention of cutting-corners with financial decisions regarding the kitty and most especially the comments of wanting to get rid of the kitty based on easily treatable issues and things an exam and vaccinations could easily rule out. Your family needs to make up their mind, once-and-for-all, whether or not they are commited to keeping this kitty a part of their family.


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## Konafa (Aug 16, 2009)

doodlebug said:


> Konafa said:
> 
> 
> > doodlebug said:
> ...


I know. I don't feed her peas and rice frequently because they are not really cats' main food. Yesterday was a third time for my cat to eat peas and rice. 
1)My cat eats most of the time fish and meat. But she eats fish more than meat. Almost everyday, we get for her a can of tuna. 
2)She eats 3 times a day.
Don't worry about feeding!  I'm not torturing the cat! :!: I'm just trying to make her diet balanced. Cats need veggies included on their diet, right? :?: 

Because of this 'vet' thing doesn't mean we can hardly feed her! :!: 
My school mate doesn't take her cat to vet at all and at the same time she is feeding her cat so well. I wouldn't want to copycat her because the way she raises her cat is odd...her cat almost doesn't eat proteins but can nearly eats cat foods only. Anyway...

I used to give my cat cat food at beginning as well but some people here said it's really not recommended. I am still confused because many domestic cats eat cat foods. I was actually thinking to get one.

Is there a problem if I feed her legumes and stuff like that? :?: 
Sorry for long post!

If I were cruel with my cat, I wouldn't have thought about reading and asking questions in this forum because I am still new to cats and I would need appropriate guidelines from people who know a lot about cats.


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## Konafa (Aug 16, 2009)

Heidi n Q said:


> Konafa said:
> 
> 
> > Those grocery-store de-worming products are no good. Please get it from a vet. If the kitten appears healthy in all other areas, I wouldn't worry (_but I am familiar with animal husbandry_) and I would certainly bring it up with my vet at her next exam ~ which should be for shots and/or spay-surgery.
> > Your family needs to make up their mind, once-and-for-all, whether or not they are commited to keeping this kitty a part of their family.


We are actually gonna take my cat to the vet anyway because she will be needing another shot. So at that time, she can have physical check ups. I was very unclear in this point in my first post! And I am sorry!
I just said that.


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

Konafa said:


> I just said that.


Please be aware, whatever you post, whatever you say, THAT is the only information we have to form our replies to.

As for your kitty's diet...it sounds BAD. They do NOT need fruit, vegetables or legumes. That is like a vegetarian diet and cats CAN/WILL go permanantly blind from a diet like that. In addition, you stated you were feeding meat and fish. If you are only feeding meat/fish such as you'd buy in a grocery store meat department and NOT balancing it properly in a RAW or BARF method, your cat will be SERIOUSLY unbalanced from the nutrition she REQUIRES and deficient in many areas of vitamins and minerals she needs to keep herself healthy. Small bits now and then as treats are okay, but cats need a balanced diet.

If you are feeding her like I outlined above, STOP. Buy any grocery store brand of cat food. It can be dry food, canned food, I don't even care what kind, but feed only that (_because even the cruddiest cat food is better than a messed up and unbalanced home-made diet_) until you have educated yourself about proper cat nutrition. I do not know enough about cat nutrition, or how/what exactly you are feeding your kitty, and other people would be better to advise you about that than me.
I understand you are new to cats and learning, but you need to make sure you *know* what you are doing before you make changes and do it, especially when it concerns your cats health and well-being.
Best of luck,
Heidi


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## melysion (Mar 12, 2007)

Just an observation, but people seem to be making a fair few assumptions here ....

Might it not be best to simply ask what the kitten is eating and how much, rather than assuming the worse? Toby gets veggies too (admittedly usually nicked from the floor whenever I'm peeling something ...) but I'd challenge anyone to say that his diet is in any way 'bad'.


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## Konafa (Aug 16, 2009)

Heidi n Q said:


> Konafa said:
> 
> 
> > I just said that.
> ...


I will be careful next time. 



Heidi n Q said:


> As for your kitty's diet...it sounds BAD. They do NOT need fruit, vegetables or legumes. That is like a vegetarian diet and cats CAN/WILL go permanantly blind from a diet like that. In addition, you stated you were feeding meat and fish. If you are only feeding meat/fish such as you'd buy in a grocery store meat department and NOT balancing it properly in a RAW or BARF method, your cat will be SERIOUSLY unbalanced from the nutrition she REQUIRES and deficient in many areas of vitamins and minerals she needs to keep herself healthy. Small bits now and then as treats are okay, but cats need a balanced diet.
> 
> If you are feeding her like I outlined above, STOP. Buy any grocery store brand of cat food. It can be dry food, canned food, I don't even care what kind, but feed only that (_because even the cruddiest cat food is better than a messed up and unbalanced home-made diet_) until you have educated yourself about proper cat nutrition. I do not know enough about cat nutrition, or how/what exactly you are feeding your kitty, and other people would be better to advise you about that than me.
> I understand you are new to cats and learning, but you need to make sure you *know* what you are doing before you make changes and do it, especially when it concerns your cats health and well-being.
> ...


Then, why did I see in other sources in Internet that 20% of cats' diet should be fruits and vegetables? :?: 
Heidi, you uhhh wouldn't mind to tell me what you feed your cat?  Because I didn't know that cats' nutrition is that different.


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## melysion (Mar 12, 2007)

What do you feed your cat at the moment? Canned cat food? Or cooked meat and veggies?


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## Stacykins (Aug 18, 2009)

Whatever internet source (don't believe everything you read on the internet) told you is wrong. Cats are obligate carnivores. In a nutshell, that means they derive absolutely NO nutrition out of plant based foods. 

Cooking foods removes taurine, a necessary nutrient for cats. It is only present in raw meat, or foods where it has been added back (commercial cat food). If your cat is getting all cooked meat (or canned tuna) and vegetables, then she isn't getting the taurine she needs. Taurine deficiencies do result in blindness and other problems.


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## Josh 91 (Jan 25, 2009)

I give my cats Dried food in the morning more dry food at lunch and some wet at night, they love it and it's very cheap. :wink:


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## laurief (Jun 22, 2008)

Konafa said:


> Then, why did I see in other sources in Internet that 20% of cats' diet should be fruits and vegetables?


Those sources are incorrect. As already noted by another poster, cats are obligate carnivores. Their bodies are physiologically designed to metabolize ALL of their nutritional needs from animal sources - in other words, MEAT, bones, and organs. Cats can not utilize plant source nutrients, so every fruit, vegetable, or grain that you feed them is nothing but useless calories that put a strain on their digestive system to try to process. Those are NOT natural foods in a feline diet.

Also as a poster noted, taurine is an essential amino acid in cats. Unlike dogs who produce taurine within their own bodies, cats must get their taurine from the foods they eat: raw, red meat and heart muscle. Taurine deficiency can result in blindness and/or heart failure. Taurine is destroyed by heat, so cooked meat must have taurine supplemented after cooking to meet a feline's needs.

If you want to feed an optimal diet to your cat, choose foods that contain as much meat, bones, and organs, and as few fruits, veggies, and grains as possible, and make sure your cat's diet contains sufficient taurine.

Laurie


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

Konafa....until you learn the ins and outs of a homemade diet (which should be raw, not cooked or canned), you need to feed cat food for all the reasons that Laurie mentions above. A cat's dietary requirements are very different from a humans so it can't be used as a basis of what is good for a cat. Commercial cat food is properly balanced so a cat's dietary needs are met.

Think about a cat in the wild...does it go out hunting and pounce on an ear of corn? No, it looks for mice and chipmunks which are primarily protein, fat and bone and maybe a tiny amount of vegetable matter in the stomach. 

Read the nutritional articles on this site, in fact, read all the article there as they will give you a very good education about all aspects of cat ownership:

http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?action=library


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## Konafa (Aug 16, 2009)

melysion said:


> What do you feed your cat at the moment? Canned cat food? Or cooked meat and veggies?


I am feeding my cat cooked meat and canned fish. They sometimes come with cooked or raw veggies. 
...still bad?  

But thanks for the link you gave me, doodlebug. It looks helpful.


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## hoofmaiden (Sep 28, 2009)

Konafa said:


> I am feeding my cat cooked meat and canned fish. They sometimes come with cooked or raw veggies.
> ...still bad?


Yes. Please just get a high-quality canned cat food. That will be easy for you and better for your cat.


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

> Konafa: I just said that.
> Heidi n Q: Please be aware, whatever you post, whatever you say, THAT is the only information we have to form our replies to.
> Konafa: I will be careful next time.


Do not be "careful", simply tell the whole story and say exactly what you mean. 
Do not make people guess. 
You say you are feeding your cat cooked meat and fish. How? Is it marketed as "cat food", does it come in a can? Is it cat food or people food? Is it raw meat and fish you have purchased from a butcher shop or grocery store that you cook yourselves? 




Konafa said:


> Then, why did I see in other sources in Internet that 20% of cats' diet should be fruits and vegetables? :?:
> Heidi, you uhhh wouldn't mind to tell me what you feed your cat?  Because I didn't know that cats' nutrition is that different.


First, do not believe everything you read on the internet. Cats should have fruits/veggies as 20% of their diet? _Are you kidding me?_ Whoever posted that incorrect drivel should be told that information is criminal and harmful. A diet like that *will* harm a cat. At the very least, do *good* research by gathering materials to learn from various different sites. If you use information from accredited sites and/or universities, I would trust that much more than some nameless internet person's opinion that says 20% diet of fruits/veggies is a good one. 
This site, Cat Forum, has great information and members who care and will help if you wish to learn. 
Next, you didn't know that a cat's nutrition is different? Different from what? From what you and I eat or from what your cat and mine eat?
Finally, did you see this?


Heidi n Q said:


> I do not know enough about cat nutrition, or how/what exactly you are feeding your kitty, and other people would be better to advise you about that than me.


Uhhh, yeah, I'll share what I feed my kitties. I wouldn't mind at all.
My cats eat Innova dry food, free-choice. They get a canned food meal once a day, though one kitty who requires more gets two canned food meals. The canned food is Innova/EVO, which is 95% MEAT; lots of protien, low carbohydrates and no grain. Not fillers, meat-meal and by-products ... MEAT, balanced to provide everything the cat needs in its' diet.






















My cats also get a handful of cheap dry cat food as a treat in the evening. Friskies, Purina, Meow Mix, Fancy Feast ... whatever I happen to pick up in a small bag. They split about a half cup among all 8 cats. It is just a treat, not their entire diet. BUT, even if all they ate was that cheap grocery store cat food that has poor ingredients (_fillers, meat/bone-meal, by-products and grains_) it is still *balanced* and will provide them with the proper amount of nutrients they need to remain healthy. This is why I suggested if you were buying cuts of meat and fish from a grocery/butcher that you stop and feed any kind of commercial cat food so your cat DOES get a balanced nutritional diet. 
Commercial cat food is balanced and if you feed half commercial cat food and half whatever-you-are-doing without thought to balanced nutrition, it will unbalance the percentages and ratios ... again, harming your cat. Unless you feed your cat's meat in an approved manner, with the proper ingredients, supplementation and preparation, you are doing your cat a grave disservice.
*I* am not knowledgeable in the area of feline nutrition, I only understand the basics, this is why I defer to others who *have* more knowledge than I and why I do not mix my own cat food and instead feed commercial foods, though I feel I am doing very well by choosing a premium brand of food for my cats.
Good luck with your kitty,
heidi =^..^=


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## laurief (Jun 22, 2008)

As Heidi pointed out, we need to know exactly what you are feeding in order to make any sort of recommendations relative to that specific diet. Are you feeding canned human fish (tuna? salmon?)? If so, is it packed in water or in oil? Is the cooked meat leftover from your own meals? Is it seasoned with salt and/or pepper (salt can throw off your cat's electrolyte balance)? Other spices? Cooked with onion or garlic (both of which are toxic to cats)? Are you supplementing taurine? Which fruits are you feeding your cat, and why? Are you aware that grapes, raisins, and avocado are toxic to cats?

If you are feeding anything other than commercial cat food, you should stop doing so for the sake of your cat's health until and unless you do enough research to understand what you are and aren't providing in terms of necessary nutrition and/or potentially toxic foods.

Laurie


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## Konafa (Aug 16, 2009)

First of all, thank you for sharing, Heidi. I'll try to answer your questions.


> You say you are feeding your cat cooked meat and fish. How? Is it marketed as "cat food", does it come in a can? Is it cat food or people food? Is it raw meat and fish you have purchased from a butcher shop or grocery store that you cook yourselves?


Yes we purchase those regular raw meats. My cat also eats canned fish like mackarel, tuna and sardine...I always remove oil from them. 
But according to your questions, it seems like I have to give my cat the 'cat' foods themselves and not the regular foods we see in supermarkets...ok. Didn't know cats should eat only their own foods. :| 
But if some commercial cat foods are ok, then I'll continue buying 'Whiskas' for her. Ever heard of it?
Here it is.








The brand's got its own sites as well. http://www.whiskas.com/offers.aspx http://www.whiskas.com/splash/default.asp

laurief, my cat can't eat foods seasoned! I am not that crazy! :?: 
For veggies, lupins or cucumbers...but since you guys said they're not good for cat, I'll stop.
For fruits, to be honest, she eats and licks the mango till nothing but skin of the fruit is left. I don't usually feed her fruit because my cat doesn't like sugar...and I think she shouldn't eat so much sugar so yeah. I have no special reasons to feed her fruits! She doesn't even eat them _that_ much! :!: I just consider her a 'fruit eater'. I'll stop that anyway because it's considered bad as veggies.

Look. I don't want to cause tension and make everyone nervous in this forum.  I'll make more searches especially in the link which doodlebug gave me, fine? And for the people who think I'm gonna kill the cat, we're all doing our best. :? 

And thank you for your help and info you gave me here...really. :!:


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## hoofmaiden (Sep 28, 2009)

Konafa -- how old are you, if you don't mind my asking? It seems that you live at home so are you young? 

Whiskas is NOT a good food. If you check out the links we've provided you'll see why (1) dry food is not good for your cat, and (2) grocery store brands, wet or dry, are not good for your cat.

Many of us do feed raw (not cooked) meat. But it's more than just tossing it down, and it requires some care. We're recommending that you go to a GOOD quality canned food to make life easier for you and your parents.

Please don't be offended. Tell us a bit more about your age and situation, o.k.?


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## Lilygirl123 (Aug 31, 2009)

Konafa, please listen to the wonderful advice people here are giving you. I wish I had known all this stuff about dry food a long time ago. It's so bad for cats, and it has grains and veggies that carnivores simply don't need. It's hazardous to their health and cats that are fed a lot of dry food are more prone to diseases like kidney failure and diabetes. I wish I knew then what I know now because I fed my cat mostly dry food for most of his life. Now he has diabetes and I know it was caused by dry food because as soon as I switched him to wet food only, his diabetes reversed into remission so he didn't need insulin anymore. Believe me, you don't want to deal with diabetes. My cat was lucky to go into remission, but not all cats do, and it's a very hard disease to manage. Prevention is always best.


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## chris10 (Feb 20, 2006)

You can feed a cooked diet but you will need to look into a cat multivitamin supplement. At one point cats may have semi depended on small amount of plant material, prey contains on average 3-5%, but every nutrient they require, per the AAFCO, can be found in meat, bones, organs, and fat. I would probably limit fish to just once a week. And, if you can, try not to feed tuna.

Search this site. Lots of info about nutrition

Good luck


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## nanook (Jun 12, 2005)

I get the feeling Konafa is in another country besides the US. Many of the foods we have here may not be available there.
Whiskas is not considered the best cat food BUT it is certainly better than an unbalanced home prepared meal like canned fish or meat. Those things are fine as treats but are not a balanced diet for a cat. 
If you can buy canned cat food, that's better than the dry food.
If you want to let us know what cat foods are available where you are we can try to steer you towards to better ones.
In the meantime, I hope your kitty is going to go to the vet and get a check up. As stated before, MOST kittens have worms or parasites which need to be treated by a vet. It's just part of being a kitten or puppy. Usually they will need a deworming two times about three weeks apart. Here, the vet will usually give a deworming shot and send you home with a pill to give three weeks later.
Most of these things are not serious if treated but left untreated can effect your kitties health overtime. So, it's important to take care of it. 
It sounds like you're young and this is your first cat so good for you for seeking out information. There are a lot of knowledgeable people here that can give you great info. so stick around. I'd also recommend getting some good books on basic cat care and nutrition, if you can.


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## Konafa (Aug 16, 2009)

I'm feeding him salami, chicken and beef....still bad?


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## hoofmaiden (Sep 28, 2009)

Salami??? Salami is cured, dried, fermented, and full of spices. Please don't feed that to a cat!

Again: You need to either do the research on providing a good raw diet OR you should feed a high-quality grain-free canned cat food.

About raw: http://www.rawfedcats.org/practicalguide.htm

About high-quality canned food: http://www.catinfo.org/commercialcannedfoods.htm


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## melysion (Mar 12, 2007)

I would suggest going for a good quality wet food diet to begin with and only feed the cat its own food and not 'human' food while you teach yourself a bit more about cat nutrition.

If you want to go raw at a later date, you will need to do a bit of research - I use this book all the time:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASI ... oh_product


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

Konafa...you have been given a huge amount of advice on the types of foods that are good for your cat, yet you persist with an inappropriate diet. I'm at the point where I believe you are playing games with us, so this thread will be locked.


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