Is it OK for kittens to eat adult cat chow, and vice versa?
Dear JOAN: I am transferring and when the transfer is complete I will get a kitten. I by now have a cat.
If I set kitten food down and common food stuff for the older cat, is there a superior possibility they will take in every other’s food stuff? And if so, is there any hurt to that?
Sue, Harmony
Expensive SUE: If you provide up each kitten and grownup food stuff, probabilities are the grownup will try to eat most of the kitten foodstuff along with the adult meals, which could end result in a cat with a pounds challenge and a kitten not having all the strengths it requires.
Kitten foods tends to be greater in calories, but it also incorporates some vital vitamins and minerals that a expanding kitten demands. It will not harm the adult cat to take in kitten food, other than consuming the more energy, but the kitten undoubtedly shouldn’t be ingesting food stuff formulated for adult cats.
It would be greatest to feed them in individual rooms and decide up the food right after they’ve eaten. That could be difficult mainly because cats, as opposed to puppies that immediately wolf down their food and lick their bowls clear, tend to be nibblers, taking in a minor now and a minor later on.
There are cat foodstuff that are superior for all ages, so communicate to your vet about which just one might be ideal for your cats. The very good information is that kittens only need the exclusive diet regime for about a calendar year, except if it is a larger breed cat, such as a Maine coon, which usually takes about 18 months to reach maturity.
Based on the age of your adult cat, you may well need to have to start off considering age in deciding on an grownup meals. Older cats are inclined to acquire enamel and gum troubles as they age and may well have to have a softer kibble or canned foodstuff.
Vets applied to propose decreasing the quantity of protein senior cats receive, but research now advise it is the phosphorus in their diets, not the protein, that can direct to kidney ailment. Older cats probably don’t digest protein and fat as very well as more youthful cats do, so they could possibly require those people vitamins and minerals in a different type.
Dear JOAN: Some a long time back, I read that the chemicals in cleaning pads are poisonous to pets. The warning claimed that the substances get on the toes of pets, then into their mouths as they groom. Sounds dangerous to me.
Today’s mops are pads on poles with cleaning cloths and pads connected with hook-and-loop materials.
Are you conscious of any scientific studies that handle this cleaning risk subject. I’m primarily using an previous-fashioned mop, and I want my kitty, Lilac, to be harmless.
Bob, Martinez
Pricey BOB: There have been rumors for a long time about floor and surface cleaning merchandise and the theory that they kill our animals. The good news is, these are mainly unfounded, although the jury however is out on no matter if the chemical compounds employed in cleaners are notably nutritious for our pets or for us.
There are cleaners that you must avoid exposing your animals far too — caustic cleaners with lye, for example. Common household products and solutions current no serious possibility as long as they are used appropriately.
The Pet Poison Hotline endorses, for safety’s sake, holding pets out of spots exactly where you’re cleansing, letting scents to dissipate and surfaces to dry. Normally go through the label in advance of working with. Except if Lilac has a sensitivity to the cleansers, you must be fine.
