HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF GIVING...

Question
HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF GIVING A CAT DISTILLED WATER TO HELP PREVENT URINARY PROBLEMS. SEEMS LIKE SOMEONE TOLD ME THIS YEARS AGO..i HAVE JUST GOTTEN A MALE KITTTEN MAYBE 2-3 MONTHS OLD AND HE HAS THOUGHT MY ARM AND HAND AS A TOY AND LIKES TO NIBBLE..WHAT IS A GOOD WAY TO GET HIM TO STOP. I HAVE GOTTEN A SPRAY BOTTLE AND IT SEEMS TO HELP JUST UNHANDY ALL THE TIME.
ALSO WHAT THE HECK IS THE DIFFERENENCE IN CAT FOOD. I BELIEVE SCIENCE DIET IS GOOD FOR THE LITTER BOX BUT ITS PRICEY. WHAT ABOUT IMANS AND PROTEIN ONE..MUCH DIFFERENCE?
THANKS


Answer
Hi, Starlette.  I haven't heard of giving a cat distilled water to prevent urinary tract problems.  However, it would seem to make sense.  Minerals are removed from water when it's distilled, and too much mineral content in a cat's diet can lead to urinary tract crystals.  There's certainly nothing wrong with giving your cat distilled water.

Kittens are more likely to bite if they have been separated from their litter before 12 weeks old, as it sounds your kitten has been.  This is because kittens learn that biting hurts as play time between litter mates gets rougher between 8 and 12 weeks old.  Getting a kitten who bites to stop can be challenging, but here are a couple pointers:

1.)  Never play with your kitten with your hand.  He will only come to recognize it as a toy.  Instead, play with him with ribbons and feathers, etc.

2.)  When he bites, stop playing with him immediately and go and do something away from him, such as reading a book.  One of the ways that kittens learn not to bite from the litter mates is that the kitten will stop playing with his brother or sister if he gets bitten too hard.  Since kittens love play time, they soon learn to play nicely.

3.)  Give him time-outs if he doesn't stop when you walk away.  Fifteen minutes in the bathroom works wonders to help teach kittens not to bite.  Again, they like play time and will learn that biting gets them put away.  He's likely to cry or scratch at the door a bit, but ignore him, or else you'll be teaching him another bad habit - that he can get his way by acting up.  This method is recommended by many vets and animal behaviorists for kittens who are biters.  I've used it several times, and it only takes a couple weeks before you start seeing improvement.

4.)  Give him some time.  Kittens naturally begin to bite less as they age and their activity level drops.

FYI, most animal behaviorists are no longer recommending the spray bottle because it isn't highly effective and can actually strain your relationship with the kitten.  He may learn to associate you with the unpleasant experience of getting sprayed, and that can lead to trust issues.  It's better to use the time-out method I mentioned.  

The cat food debate is a big one.  You'll probably get a different answer from every person you ask.  I haven't heard of Imans or Protein One.  If you mean Iams and Purina One, here are my thoughts.  

Iams is considered by most to be a substandard food.  The ingredient list is not impressive, and it is also manufactured by Proctor & Gamble, a large company that engages in animal testing.  I wouldn't want the money I spend on cat food to go toward animal testing.  Not only that, but I have tried to feed my cats Iams when it is donated (I run a cat sanctuary that people donate food to), and they really don't care for the Iams at all.  So I personally discourage feeding an Iams food.

Purina One is the food I feed my cats by choice.  While it is not a super premium food, it is a decent one.  I have talked to several vets and nutritionists at length about diet, and about this food in particular.  All the vets feel it's a very good food to feed and that it does help produce healthy skin, coat, and bright eyes.  I'm very satisfied with this food and have no problem recommending it.

Science Diet is an okay food, but personally, if you're going to pay that much, I'd recommend feeding Nutro or Royal Canin over Science Diet.  In my opinion, the best foods on the market are Nutro Natural, Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul, and Wellness.

If you're interested in studying up on foods, here are the basic facts:

1.)  All commercial cat foods that say they are nutritionally complete must meet certain standards.  Every cat food provides the nutrients necessary to feed cats every day to be healthy.

2.)  Cats are carnivores.  That means they must have meat to lively healthily, and meat should make up nearly 100% of their diet.  So as a general rule of thumb, the closer meat is to the beginning of the ingredients list, the better the food.

3.)  Corn is found in most cat foods, because it's a cheap ingredient that causes the cat to feel full.  However, corn is a major cause of skin, ear, and stomach problems.

4.)  As with most things, you usually get what you pay for.  Cats don't have much use for corn and other grain fillers, like rice, and almost all of it comes out in their stool.  So basically, if you feed an inexpensive food, you're feeding your cat more food and causing him to go to the bathroom more often.  That's where the price comes in.  Feeding a cheap food results in your having to buy more food and more litter.  When it really comes down to it, premium foods end up costing you about the same in the longrun.

There is much debate about which ingredients are okay in cat food.  Some people feel that no byproducts should be in cat food.  Personally, I don't understand that rationale.  Cats eat bones and organs in nature, and in fact, they require these things for calcium and protein.  In my opinion, meat byproducts are okay for use in cat food.  

I also disagree with the idea that cats need human grade meat in their food.  Cats are not human.  So why do they need human grade food?  A lot of people agree that they do not.  In the views of many, foods that advertise they use only human grade meat are aiming to impress the human more than the cat.  They know we want the best for our pets, and they play on that idea.  Feeding human grade food makes the person feel good, but doesn't necessarily do much for the cat.

Fillers are another issue.  Most cat foods contain corn and/or rice.  While rice is still a cheap filler, it's better than corn because it doesn't cause as many ear, skin, and stomach problems.  However, you should still look for something with meat as the first ingredient.  Preferably, the first few ingredients should be meat, meat byproducts, and meat meal, and any grains would come after that.

Another major issue is preservatives.  Better foods will use tocopherols, a product of Vitamin E, as a preservative.  Less expensive foods may use BHA and BHT, which have been linked to cancer.

Best wishes,
Jessica