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Should I be feeding my 2lb 3oz 9.5 week old kitten? He is loving it and seems to always want more. It's ground chicken thighs with bone and some supplement powder.
I can't advise on raw (except I hope you understand the balances needed) but in general a growing kitten should be fed as often and as much as he will eat. His tummy is small so he needs small meals frequently.
Feed his meals in small portions, and keep giving him the small portions until he walks away.
For growing puppies or kitties your feed 4-6% of body weight. You'll have to determine what seems to satisfy your little one without going overboard - the ration may change. Obviously you are going to have to maintain a proper weight chart on your kitten which is something you should be doing anyway. Go get a good baby scale and it will serve you through your cats whole life A once a year weigh in is not adequate. I weigh my adult cats monthly (or more) and I can notice eating changes and possible health changes very quickly this way.
It's frustrating because I'm trying to research online and 1 website says 1% bodyweight the next says 8% bodyweight. And then a bunch say as much as they'll take. But his belly is looking a bit bloated right now! Maybe I'll just ask the vet to be safe.
1% is FAR to low! OMG!! 8% is more accurate for growing young kittens, but at 9 weeks I wouldn't really consider him a young kitten. And as said by another poster, you don't want to feed that all at once, spread it out into three meals possibly even four. For a kitten, it's hard for them to go all night with no food. If it were me (and soon it will be) I would be inclined to feed about 70-80% of the day's meal in divided into breakfast, lunch, dinner as raw or whatever you are doing. Then leave some canned that he can snack on at night left out for him. You can't leave raw out all night - Some people say 30 min only, I tend to leave mine out a bit longer - I draw the line in the 2hr range. I leave meat for myself out on the counter for an hour or so to reach room temp before cooking it so I don't see where 2hrs for them to eat is a big deal.
I had no idea it was safe to feed raw chicken to kittens. I have learned something. Since a fair amount of raw chicken has salmonella, I just assumed that would be dangerous to cats?
Are their little systems able to handle it? Just curious
since Purina is recalling cat food because of salmonella, I'd say that says right there that cats CAN get it! Vetmed says " The severity of salmonellosis in dogs and cats varies: subclinical carrier state (most common); acute enterocolitis; fever, anorexia, lethargy; diarrhea, possibly with mucus or blood; abdominal pain (infection is often associated with mesenteric lymphadenitis); Cats may present with prolonged periods of fever and anorexia without diarrhea.
septicemia/endotoxemia
Salmonellosis in cats has also been caused "song bird fever," reflecting association with predation on infected migratory birds. "
PetMD also has a page on it and says that kittens and older cats are most at risk.
I dunno... I just wouldn't take a chance with raw eggs or raw chickens.
Like with any food the risk is mitigated significantly by where the chicken is coming from. I would not feed discount, run of the mill chicken raw. But I would certainly feed organic chicken from the farmer's market raw. When I can actually talk to the farmer about his/her methods, I feel that I can trust that the food I'm buying is the best, most nutritious specimen of chicken or whatever it is.
Sidenote: With regard to farming, the books Animal Vegetable Miracle and Fast Food Nation changed my life!
Also I don't know about you, but my cats have eaten many an insect/rodent and I don't find them in the kitchen frying it up afterwards! Amazingly they lived to tell the tale!
I too had no idea cats could eat raw until I started doing research. Cats stomachs are much tougher than humans. Just think what they would be eating if they were on their own in the wild? Raw meat from Birds, rabbits, mice etc...They don't just look for kibble when they were roaming the plains before dry food was invented.
ALL chicken has a moderate - high incidence of salmonella in it.
The kittens should not be given raw chicken ever.
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A once a year weigh in is not adequate. I weigh my adult cats monthly (or more) and I can notice eating changes and possible health changes very quickly this way.
