# My Kitty finally



## Spuzzi (Jan 8, 2005)

I have seen a rather thin scawny looking cat and I named her KitKat. She is cute. I started feeding her yesterday, but only a little bit in case she has owners. I am planning to get her to like me, and ~Kitty~ and CatzRule are doing this too because there are tons of feral looking cats near where they live. Do you think this is a good idea? 

We just went to the petshop and bought them a bunch of things

~Kitty~'s Shopping list

Pack of dry iams kibble
collar
kitEkat wet food 

CatzRule's shopping list

pack of dry iams kible
collar 
KitEkat wet food (ditto) 

Spuzzi's shopping list

pack of dry iams kibble
brush
iams wet food. (I am a fan of iams food, but not the company as they abuse their animals but I have fed my dogs on it for 8 years) 

Can you reccomend any type of thing we should buy for a feral kitty?


Spuzzi, ~Kitty~ and CatzRule


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## spittles (Oct 24, 2003)

Iams is NOT a good food. It's not just the animal testing(www.iamscruelty.com) they do that is a problem, the food has by-products, and a lot of corn. For the price of it, you could get a much better food.

Abhay


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## Spuzzi (Jan 8, 2005)

I will get rid of the iams. Thankyou. And I will start feeding my dogs on something else. Is this wise? Anything else I can buy it?


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## spittles (Oct 24, 2003)

Nutro Natural Choice is good for dogs and cheap, and Natural Balance(both are sold at PetCo) is good for cats. You can also buy Felidae, Wellness, Innova, California Natural, or BLUE for cats.

Take Care!
Abhay


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## Spuzzi (Jan 8, 2005)

thanx


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## Heather102180 (Nov 19, 2003)

I've always fed my cats Iams and Science Diet. They work fine for my kitties!


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## spittles (Oct 24, 2003)

*IAMS ADULT INGREDIENTS*
_Chicken, chicken by-product meal, corn grits, ground whole grain sorghum, corn meal, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a source of vitamin E, and citric acid), fish meal (source of fish oil), dried beet pulp (sugar removed), dried egg product, natural chicken flavor, potassium chloride, brewers dried yeast, dl-methionine, choline chloride, vitamins [vitamin E supplement, niacin, ascorbic acid, vitamin A acetate, calcium pantothenate, biotin, thiamine mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), pyridoxine hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin supplement (source of vitamin B2), inositol, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid], salt, calcium carbonate, minerals [zinc oxide, manganese sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, cobalt carbonate], rosemary extract._

*SCIENCE DIET ADULT*
_Brewers rice, chicken by-product meal, corn gluten meal, corn meal, animal fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), dried egg product, chicken liver flavor, fish oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols and ascorbic acid), dl-methionine, l-lysine, natural flavor, taurine, l-cysteine, l-carnitine, preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid, minerals (potassium chloride, calcium sulfate, calcium carbonate, salt, ferrous sulfate, zinc oxide, copper sulfate, manganous oxide, calcium iodate, sodium selenite), rosemary extract, beta carotene, vitamins [choline chloride, vitamin A supplement, vitamin E supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (a source of vitamin C), niacin, thiamine mononitrate, calcium pantothenate, riboflavin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement]._

As you can see, there is a LOT of corn and/or rice in both foods. And both have by-products. If you do your research, both are very low quality food. Might as well just go out to Wal-Mart and buy a bag of Meow Mix :? 

Abhay


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## Spuzzi (Jan 8, 2005)

ugh! I see. I wil change her food asap. Can I at least finish the pack and then go to the supermarket and buy some Whiskas? Or is Whiskas not good? Oh, and as winter is here and it is -3 can I provide a bed for her to sleep in?


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## jessamica8 (Aug 17, 2004)

You can go ahead and finish what you have. Whiskas is not good though, actually, it's worse. 

If it is that cold out, I would suggest some sort of bedding, and a sheltered area for kitty to sleep.

Where do you live? Do you have a PetCo or PetsMart near you? (Both places should have better food options for you.)


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## Spuzzi (Jan 8, 2005)

OK, thanx. I will try something healthy or even make my own food. I will put the bed out tonite. I can't wait to get her to come inside. The annoying thing is that we live in an apartment building so that she may be frightened about that.


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## spittles (Oct 24, 2003)

Whiskas is WAY worse. You can go to PetCo and buy some Natural Balance...that is a very good food.

Abhay


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## gellyutopia (Apr 30, 2004)

I totally agree with Spittles..generic cat food found at supermarkets are horrible. They are okay to feed on a short-term basis, but in the long run it costs the cat alot of health problems (e.g kidney stones). Always look for the ingredient list, also, don't forget to get kibble with natural preservative, e.g, rosemary extract. Many people have told me chemical preservatives are very harmful. There is sadly no Nutro, Felidae, Natural balance in australia, and I'm giving Nutrience and Supercoat. If it is easily found in your area and sold in a big place like Petco, then stock up when you're there 

Also, I was feeding a stray when I was staying in singapore...she was such a sweetheart and would follow me home all the time! As long as u keep to a schedule regularly, she will soon look forward to your visits and would love to come home with you. Don't forget to take it to the vet for checkups and neutering too.


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## Heather102180 (Nov 19, 2003)

All my cats have all grown up on dry Iams, Science Diet, and even Whiskas. Not a single one of them have ever had any health problems due to the food they were on. All my cats are very very healthy and are getting the nutrition they need.

And Spuzzi, to answer your question, although I'm no expert on feral cats my recommendation on things you could buy for kitkat is maybe a little bedding to go outside so she had a comfortable, warm, familiar place to sleep. Maybe put it close to your house with the food so she can creep in a little more and get used to being near your house. Good luck! :lol:


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## Spuzzi (Jan 8, 2005)

thanyou so much!  I hope she comes soon.


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## Celeste_Eden (Jan 18, 2005)

i don't support Petsmart, they abuse their hermit crabs (i own 11 hermit crabs, soon to be 13) they have no humidity, often no water, crabs need 80% humidity and they put them in an open topped container. i've been complaining to them and i finally got someone higher up on the corporate ladder to listen to me, so hopefully they will fix the problems. until then, i'm boycotting petsmart. and also, lots of petcos on the east coast are just as bad. it seems to be switched depending on what coast you live on. east coast, petsmart=good, petco=bad, west coast, petco=good, petsmart=bad. also, walmart abuses their animals. some on the east coast have started carrying hermit crabs, selling them in the little cups like they sell bettas, which is absolutely horrible. i always see dead fish in their tanks, and ones with ick and abrasions on their sides, bloated, bladder problems, etc. because i live on the west coast, i shop at petco, they're about the best option i have, atm. event though the one petco closest to me is starting to irk me


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## Leannec (Jan 18, 2005)

just on the food issue. Don't buy food from the supermarket. Go to an actual pet Store.....Even though the food may seem expensive, you will be surprised about how long it last, becuase there are NO fillers. Like corn/rice..... A little $30 bag lasts along time.....


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## spittles (Oct 24, 2003)

CatzRule said:


> Why is Whiskas worse? We feed our kitten Whiskas! Our breeder recomended it!!! 8O I think science diet or Natures best are good, and Royal Canin.


WHISKAS (you have no idea how BAD BHA/BHT & Ethoxyquin are...they are known to cause cancer!!!)
*Ground yellow corn, chicken by-product meal, corn gluten meal*, animal fat (preserved with *BHA/BHT*), natural poultry flavor, *wheat flour, rice*, brewers dried yeast, *wheat gluten*, salt, potassium chloride, tuna meal, dried egg product, choline chloride, iron oxide, calcium carbonate, dl-methionine, taurine, trace minerals [zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, manganese sulfate, potassium iodide], vitamins [dl-alpha tocopherol acetate (source of vitamin E), vitamin A acetate, vitamin B12 supplement, niacin, folic acid, riboflavin supplement (vitamin B2), d-calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), vitamin D3 supplement, biotin, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6)], *ethoxyquin *[a preservative].

SCIENCE DIET NATURE'S BEST
*Brewers rice, corn gluten meal*, animal fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), turkey meal, dried egg product, chicken, *ground wheat*, peas, carrots, dried beet pulp, chicken liver flavor, l-lysine, dl-methionine, oat fiber, taurine, iron oxide, preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid, minerals [potassium chloride, calcium sulfate, salt, ferrous sulfate, zinc oxide, copper sulfate, manganous oxide, calcium iodate, sodium selenite], rosemary extract, beta carotene, vitamins [choline chloride, vitamin A supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (a source of vitamin C), niacin, thiamine mononitrate, calcium pantothenate, riboflavin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement].

ROYAL CANIN
Chicken meal, *brewer's rice, corn gluten meal,* chicken, corn, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), pea fiber, beet pulp, chicken flavor, powdered cellulose, fish oil, dried egg products, brewers yeast, sodium bisulfate, potassium chloride, calcium carbonate, choline chloride, dl-methionine, taurine, natural antioxidant, iron proteinate, vitamin A acetate, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, zinc oxide, zinc proteinate, ferrous sulfate, manganese oxide, calcium pantothenate, manganese proteinate, niacin supplement, copper sulfate, riboflavin supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, thiamine mononitrate, copper proteinate, calcium iodate, folic acid, biotin, sodium selenite, vitamin B12 supplement.

Corn is hard for cats to digest...very hard. Plus, do wild cats go and eat a bag full of corn products...hmm, I don't think so :? 

As you can see, none of these are good. But out of all of them, I would say Royal Canin is the best. For goodness sake, I just wish people would do their research about nutrition :? 

Abhay


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## spittles (Oct 24, 2003)

CatzRule said:


> thats horrible what they do to those poor hermit crabs. My friend has 2 hermit crabs, they live in a plactic container, is that good?


Of course that isn't good!!! :evil: 

I have only 9 hermit crabs(all rescues from people who didn't want them, as I would NEVER buy one from a pet store.) but they live in a 55 gallon tank!!! They have everything they need, from proper humidity/temp to as much salt water as they want. I am also a manager/mod on the hermit crab forum  

Take Care,
Abhay


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## Spuzzi (Jan 8, 2005)

well, she didn't come last night, but I think maybe she came at 5:00 AM!  It is getting really cold but I'm not allowed to take her inside. Ah well, maybe she already has an owner. Is there any wayy I could tell if she has an owner?


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## Spuzzi (Jan 8, 2005)

YUP!!!!! :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:    Poor hermies. :evil:


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## Celeste_Eden (Jan 18, 2005)

hermit crabs should have a minumum of a 10 gallon aquarium. mine live in a 20 gallon and i'm in the process of setting up a second 20 gallon that i'm going to put half of them in as they're getting a little crowded.

there's so much to list, send your friend and everyone you know who has or is thinking about getting hermit crabs to: http://www.hermit-crabs.com that's the president of the Hermit Crab Association's website.


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## Spuzzi (Jan 8, 2005)

HOw can I tell if the cat is stray or not? I also want to know could I tell if the cat has any special needs, should I just feed it something like sensitive stomach food until it becomes more tame?


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## spittles (Oct 24, 2003)

Spuzzi said:


> HOw can I tell if the cat is stray or not? I also want to know could I tell if the cat has any special needs, should I just feed it something like sensitive stomach food until it becomes more tame?


Well unless the cat is wearing a coller or has a microchip, you normally can't tell. But if she is under-fed and doesn't look like she is being cared for, I would say she is probably a stray. 

Unless you notice anything wrong with her, I would say she doesn't have special needs. Although you should take her to the vet, get a physical exam, and get her spayed and vaccinated. You may have some shelters in your area that will help with that.

Good Luck!!!
Abhay


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## Spuzzi (Jan 8, 2005)

I asked my dad if she is a stray can I keep her outdoors, and he said yes!  THANX everyone!    I just bought some food but the day after tmro I will get some royal canin outdoor cat food. P.S she came five minutes ago, I just didn't catch her eating. I sure hope it is the cat that I've been thinking I've been feeding.  :?


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## spittles (Oct 24, 2003)

Spuzzi said:


> I asked my dad if she is a stray can I keep her outdoors, and he said yes!  THANX everyone!    I just bought some food but the day after tmro I will get some royal canin outdoor cat food. P.S she came five minutes ago, I just didn't catch her eating. I sure hope it is the cat that I've been thinking I've been feeding.  :?


Spuzzi, if this cat is tame, she SHOULD NOT be kept outdoors. Kitties kept outdoors are always getting sick, hurt, etc. And has she been spayed/neutered yet? That is a must because there are enough unwanted babies. Is she vaccinated? This is also a must so she doesn't get sick. Had she been checked out by a vet? 

If she is tame, I personally suggest you find a no-kil cat shelter who will take her. Living outside is NOT the best thing for her if she is tame. 

Abhay


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## Spuzzi (Jan 8, 2005)

couldn't she just live in my garden? We are fencing it in soon, and I doubt I i' ll be able to tame her much before then. Last night I saw a cat near my house, and I think it was her, white little boots!   I didn't get a good glimpse of this cat, but my dog sensed something and I looked up and saw this cat......It is a different cat, and I could't tell if it was fat or thin. :?


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## spittles (Oct 24, 2003)

Spuzzi said:


> couldn't she just live in my garden? We are fencing it in soon, and I doubt I i' ll be able to tame her much before then. Last night I saw a cat near my house, and I think it was her, white little boots!   I didn't get a good glimpse of this cat, but my dog sensed something and I looked up and saw this cat......It is a different cat, and I could't tell if it was fat or thin. :?


Is she a tame cat or is she a wild cat? I thought she was tame, but if she is not, chances are she is feral and will never become tame. If she is feral(wild), you need to use a humane cat trap and trap her. After she is trapped, she needs to go to the vet and be spayed and vaccinated. She also needs shelter. Be sure not to use blankets in the shelter because they absorb moisture, so straw(not hay) is the best.

Many shelters and rescues have feral cat programs. They will spay and vaccinated feral cat for free or very low cost. Where are you located? I could look some up for you.

Abhay


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## Spuzzi (Jan 8, 2005)

well, I live in Switzerland, but i'm thinking about using one of those...erm...not sure what they are called......large cat like creatures traps...is this OK?


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## spittles (Oct 24, 2003)

As long as they are humane, they are okay. Normally, cat traps have a door that closes when they step on the little "pad" that triggers it.

Abhay


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## Spuzzi (Jan 8, 2005)

I'm on stray watch tonight.  I put out really tempting food for her and I'll take pics if she comes. I still haven't put up bedding for her though.


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