Ragdoll Cat Forums

ok, following on from my last thread....which turned into a er interesting debate, I am going to tread very carefully here!

As you may recall my hubby just wants to feed the kittens dry biscuit (he found biscuit that has meat in it? said he would be happy with that?)

Anyway on bringin home the kittens last night, we found in our pack a diet sheet, it goes a little something like this...


your kitten has been weaned on a high quality diet, on leaving us their daily feeding routine is...

*freash water avaliable at all times
*Royal canin baby cat or or royal canin kitten food left down at all times
*Breakfast..freash cooked chicken, turkey or minced beef (cooked)
*supper.. fresh white fish , coley or cod, poached in water or tuna flakes in spring water
*whiskas kitten pouches are also given

Now Im not faulting this diet, but the kittens have been here nearly 24 hrs, and we have discovered, they wont touch biscuit, or simple cat food, and both (gracie even more so then oscar) has very bad bottom wind which smells horrendus (like makes you wana gag vile!)
Could the wind problem be due to the previous diet, and now I have more info can i have advice please on slowly adapting them to something else?

Oo on a totally different note, the breeders are heavy smokers, my hubby and I are totally non smokers, there fur totally smells of smoke, will this fade? Or will haveing lived in this enviroment ofr 13 weeks, would the smoke inhalation have effected them health wise at all?


thanks in advance

Kittens may not eat or toilet for 24 hours or more after coming into a new house. It's a stress thing...as they calm down and become more accustom, they will begin to eat and go to the litterbox. Yes, stinky wind can be the result of the diet they were on (I would think the whiskas!). I would keep the Royal Canin kitten biscuits being fed, and it is not necessary to feed them the other things on the "menu". Kittens should be fine just on the dry biscuist. As JanH has mentioned, it is easier to take them off something than to add something to their diet. If you decide you want to change them over to another high quality kitten food, then you need to make a slow transition mixing them both together with just a little of the new one at first and then adding a little more as they tolerate it.

Usually it is customary to take new kittens to the vet within 24 to 48 hours after getting them for a wellness check. It's usually specified in the breeder's contract that it is required. You can talk to your vet about their diet also.

As for the smoke - it will dissipate over time I'm sure.

thanks hun, its not on the contract about vets, but Il double check to make sure, Ill make an appointment first thing monday,
as for the diet, is that a normal thing done for raggies, ie the cooked meat etc? we will be having a roast tomorrow and debatin maybe just on sundays givin then whatever meat we are having mixed with there biscuit? (the breeder says she mixes it with rice!?!)

Kittens have developing GI tracts and may be gassy at times. It may mean nothing. A food change is likely to make this worse rather than better, at least at first, but after they are settled and gaining then you can consider trying other foods to reduce gassiness.

You want to tempt them with what they will eat at first to ease the transition - and the Whiskas may appeal the most. You can then adjust what you feed. I would start with the focus on RC Kitten dry as the main food once they are eating it.

Cats are obligate carnivores, which means they MUST have meat protein, which is in the RC. If your husband is opposed to feeding meat, then he has to get over it for the cats or they will be at risk. You cannot have vegan cats.

The smoking will not have hurt them. Give them a bath when they are adjusted for the odor. Clip claws first. Do not immerse them in water, but pour it over them keeping soap and water out of ears, eyes and nose. Use warm water. Give them good footing with a towel etc. Use a cat shampoo of a scent you like. However, you can start with Dawn blue dish liquid and switch to shampoo. Rinse thoroughly and many more times than you think needed to get all soap out. You can repeat as many times as you think needed. Dry gently in a towel and keep them warm. You may need two people, one to focus on the bath and the other focused on controlling and calming the kitten.

Ragdolls do not need cooked meat like this. (We only feed turkey as a treat or reward and do it rarely.) However, some no doubt love it when it is done regularly like your breeder. It should not be a big part of the diet. Keep in mind cats should not have onion and garlic and be careful about any spices in meat given to them. Rice is digestible and is a good thing to add to cooked meat, but it and the meat are in the treat/supplement category of what you should feed.

(If your husband meant that the cats do not NEED cooked meat because there is meat in the dry food, he is right.)

Royal Canin is a nice food to offer, the Baby Cat is from 1 to 4 months so I think it can be removed soon and just the Royal Canin Kitten until the kitten is 18 months of age, then can be slowly changed to Royal Canin Maine Coon.......
I think it is nice to offer a little chicken or turkey meat as a treat or a hig quality canned food (not whikas).
Freeze the meat first to kill bacteria, cook gently by simmering in a small amount of water not microwaved since this does damage the quality.

As for the smoke..........
even if there was a bit a damage of the lungs in a short amount of time they will repair themselves. If the smell bothers you, yes a gentle bath would do the trick.