First time kitty owner needs some advice!

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  • #853342
    Sarah
    Participant

    Hello everyone! I adopted a female kitten a few days ago, she’s about 8 weeks old. So, I have a few doubts I’d like to clear, you see, there have always been dogs in my family, so I know how to properly train and take care of them, but this is the first time I adopt a kitten!

    I currently have a poodle dog named Max, he’s very well trained, very obedient and listens to me well, he’s also very friendly and not aggressive at all, not even to the newest member of the family, Cleo, the kitten.

    However, they are both afraid of each other! They are not getting along and I don’t really know how to get them used to one another, so there’s my first doubt, any advice is welcomed and highly appreciated!

    My second question would be, is it okay for the kitten to eat cooked chicken meat? That’s what I’ve been feeding her so far, before she came home with me she was her mom’s only kitten, still being breastfed, so she seems very healthy and playful, but because of where I live, I can’t afford to buy her cat food of any sort (you can’t really find it in stores, and if you do, the price is unbelievably high, same for dog food) she eats the chicken meat without any trouble and seems to enjoy it the most. This actually brings me to my next and final question, she hasn’t pooped once since i brought her home, it’s a little worrisome, is this normal for kittens in new enviroments? Aside from that, she seems very healthy and playful as I previously said.

    Thank you so much to those who take the time to read!

    #853348
    Kittyzee
    Participant

    Hi Sarah,
    Just plain chicken meat is not enough for a balanced diet for a kitten, which may be the reason that she is not pooping. Cats need a balanced diet for healthy eyes, bones, and coat. You could search online for wet cat food, which is where I buy mine. I’ll post some info for you on cat nutrition. I think it will just take time for your new pets to get used to each other. Try playing with them together, such as rolling a small ball across the floor and watch them try to get it. Or petting them together as they sit close to you.
    http://feline-nutrition.org/
    http://catinfo.org/#Learn_How_To_Read_a_Pet_Food_Ingredient_Label

    #853351
    Sarah
    Participant

    Oh thank you so much, I forgot to mention she also eats some rice along with the chicken meat but I guess it isn’t enough either.

    I Will read the info you provided and try to find some wet cat food for her based on that.

    The thing about all sorts of food for pets, is that we are going through a severe crisis where I live, I’m not from the US, I live in Venezuela, and we have a hard time even finding our own food, that’s why we try to find homemade alternatives to dog/cat food.

    Also, good idea about playing with my pets toghether, I’ll try that! Thank you once again, I really appreciate your advice!

    #853356
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Here’s a couple of other options:

    If you can get pasterized Goats’ milk or canned (evaporated) milk that will help her diet. Kittens/Cats are lactose-intolerant and can’t digest cow’s milk.

    Shipping food can be expensive and is not always an option. If you can order online a nutritional supplement such as Nutri-Cal Kitten Dietary that will be a great benefit. If you get a couple of tubes at a time then she’ll be OK until you can make some other arrangements.

    Good Luck and keep in touch

    PG

    #853359
    Sarah
    Participant

    Thank you PG, yes I was thinking of getting a couple of cans/tubes at a time of whatever I’m able to find or afford.

    I was wondering, is it okay for her to drink cow milk if it is lactose free?

    #853371
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    It’s OK for a short time. Feed your wee girl what you can for now. Cooked chicken and lactose free milk will do until you can set up a better diet for her.

    FYI – Lactose is the milk sugar. It is inactive by ultra-pasteurization. I don’t know why I thought you needed to know that! 😮

    #853385
    Sarah
    Participant

    Alright, got it! I’ll get her proper food as soon as I can.

    That’s actually quite interesting, I didn’t think about it before, until I noticed there was a carton of lactose free milk inside my own fridge!

    Oh, and by the way, she already pooped haha so that’s a relief

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