# Chicken & rice for 5 month kitten?



## catgeoffrey (Jun 28, 2012)

At the weekend our kitten ate 5inches of dress makers fabric tape measure! We called the out of hours vet who told us to keep an eye on him.
All was fine & today he developed a bit of an upset tummy so I took him to the vet after reading all the horror stories of having to operate when they eat stuff like that.
After a good feel around and thorough examination there were no obvious blockages & the vet concluded his lose stools were probably a result of him digesting the fabric tape & his food & his little system is struggling. After a anti-biotic jab we have some pro-kolin to give him & told to give him chicken & rice for a few days then slowly reintroduce his usual food. 
He's 2.6k and about 5months old... How much chicken & rice should I feed him each day?


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## jo-pop (May 27, 2011)

Firstly, I would stick to just boiled chicken and not feed the rice. Cats are not designed to eat rice and I've found it makes cats worse. For a kitten really ge should have as much as he wants. I'd suggest many small means as with him being a kitten (and chicken being so yummy!) he may well gobble it down and risk making himself sick.
So I'd say just chicken, no rice, lots of small meals. Also, save a bit of the chicken broth and give him that when it is just warm as an extra little drink. Helps get more fluids and vitamins in to him.
Keep us posted.
Oh and Pro Kolin .. = wonderous stuff!! (cheaper online than from vet)


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## catgeoffrey (Jun 28, 2012)

Thanks for that! He does seem to leave the rice so I'll not cook that tomorrow & stick to just chicken. He's had his first dose of pro-kolin so I'll see how he gets on over the next few days (& keep all tape measures etc out of his reach!)!


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## catgeoffrey (Jun 28, 2012)

Geoffrey the naughty kitten is loving his boiled chicken but every time he finishes what I give him he cries for more...! I'm splitting a whole breast into 4 meals during the day. Is this enough for him? 
In better news his poo is less frequent on pure chicken and the pro-kolin seems to be helping as well!


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## hobbs2004 (Mar 12, 2010)

catgeoffrey said:


> Geoffrey the naughty kitten is loving his boiled chicken but every time he finishes what I give him he cries for more...! I'm splitting a whole breast into 4 meals during the day. Is this enough for him?
> In better news his poo is less frequent on pure chicken and the pro-kolin seems to be helping as well!


A whole chicken breast throughout the day and nothing else doesn't sound like a lot to me. I would be inclined to feed more.

You say he is pooping less frequently than he did. Is he still going often and is it still loose? Did you see any evidence of the tape in any of the poop?


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## catgeoffrey (Jun 28, 2012)

I though the same... Unless anyone says otherwise he's going to get fed more! 

His poop was much better this morning. Still not 100% but loads better so hopefully the next one improves again!

No sign of the tape but the vet did say with it being cotton he may digest it & we won't see it but I am checking just in case! 

Kitten is as naughty as ever so obviously a happy kitty!


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## catgeoffrey (Jun 28, 2012)

He's been meowing every time I go in the kitchen since his dinner time feed so i just fed him some more chicken mixed with a few bits of high quality dry food. He loved it & ate the lot. After he finished he came over & chirruped & purred to me and is now playing & not pestering... Think he was still hungry... I suppose food amounts on a sensitive diet are trial & error!


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## jo-pop (May 27, 2011)

That's a standard response to chicken I find. They just love it. At this age you can't over feed him really. Just keep the meals small and frequent.
Sure he'll be sorted soon.


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## catgeoffrey (Jun 28, 2012)

He loves his food and clearly loves chicken!
He hasn't had a poo since breakfast feed which is a (wonderful) reduction so it seems like things are settling down (he used to use his tray at morning & nighrabat when he had an upset tummy it was several times a day!) I was worried that this is too infrequent but I suppose on pure chicken tree isn't much to get rid of?!
He's sat on the window ledge now chasing flies that are flying past outside?


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## catgeoffrey (Jun 28, 2012)

He loves his food and clearly loves chicken!
He hasn't had a poo since breakfast feed which is a (wonderful) reduction so it seems like things are settling down (he used to use his tray at morning & night but when he had an upset tummy it was several times a day!) I was worried that this is too infrequent but I suppose on pure chicken tree isn't much to get rid of?!
He's sat on the window ledge now chasing flies that are flying past outside?


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## jo-pop (May 27, 2011)

Pro Kolin probably kicking in too. Fab stuff!


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## catgeoffrey (Jun 28, 2012)

It's amazing stuff & he takes it quite well, bless him! Vet said 2ml 3 times a day but he's only had 2 x 2ml today & given the lack of poop I think that's enough & see how he gets on. 
He's sat on sofa next to me fast asleep purring away now... A very content kitten.
I think I'm a bit over the top being protective of him. We had twin cats before (sadly both got run over where we lived then) & only went to vet for spay & that's it so him & his tummy problems make me protective. My Hubby says I should worry less about him but I want my precious kitty to be happy & healthy so tape measures are off the menu! Heehee!


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## catgeoffrey (Jun 28, 2012)

Also wondering if at 5 months he's finding kitten food too rich which is causing his tummy trouble? Any ideas gladly received!


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## catgeoffrey (Jun 28, 2012)

Should I now be concerned... He's eating & drink well & urinating fine but he hasn't done a poo for 24 hours...? 
Is this just his medication, pro-kolin & diet kicking in?


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## hobbs2004 (Mar 12, 2010)

catgeoffrey said:


> Also wondering if at 5 months he's finding kitten food too rich which is causing his tummy trouble? Any ideas gladly received!


Why do you think that kitten food might be "too rich"? What do you mean by "too rich"?

What food are you feeding him normally - apart from the present spell of his boiled chicken and pro-kolin diet?


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## catgeoffrey (Jun 28, 2012)

He's on Kitten Purely at the moment (Pets at Home brand) with a mix of wet & dry. He loves it but does seem to get upset tummy recently. 

I only say "too rich" meaning I've read that some cats/kittens struggle to digest the extras in kitten food - just trying to work out if this is the right food for him or if he is intolerant to certain food groups.


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## hobbs2004 (Mar 12, 2010)

catgeoffrey said:


> I only say "too rich" meaning I've read that some cats/kittens struggle to digest *the extra*s in kitten food


It complete ******** that kitten food is "too rich" imo. For two main reasons.

Firstly, kitten food often differs very little from adult food. Let's take Purely as an example (as per info on their website)

Purely kitten -wet
Composition: Chicken with Beef: Chicken (min.45%), Beef (min.4%), Sunflower Oil, Minerals & Tapioca 
Nutritional Additives; Vitamin A: 10000µ/kg, Vitamin D3: 1900µ/kg, Iron (Sulphate): 7.2mg/kg, Iodine (as Iodide): 11.5mg/kg, Copper (as Sulphate): 2.9mg/kg, Manganese (as Sulphate): 7.2 mg/kg, Zinc (as Sulphate): 286.4mg/kg. 
Analysis or analytical constituents: Protein 9.5%, Crude Fibre 1%, Oils & Fats 2.5%, Crude Ash 2.5%, Moisture 84.5%

Purely adult - wet
Composition: Chicken with Beef: Chicken (min.50%), Beef (min.4%), Vitamin and Mineral Supplements, Tapioca Starch 
Nutritional Additives; Vitamin A: 2200µ/kg, Vitamin D3: 250µ/kg, Vitamin E (α-Tocopherol): 50µ/kg, copper (as Cupric Sulphate): 1mg/kg.
Protein 9.5%, Crude Fibre 1%, Oils & Fats 2.5%, Crude Ash 2.5%, Moisture 84.5%.

So, in terms of Purely, there is little difference (at a broad glance) between the kitten and the adult one (apart from some of the additives -see below - and perhaps if they released more of the micro nutrient analysis we would be able to see differences but who knows).

That aside, and secondly, kittens do need more of certain nutrients during their growing phase. That includes more protein, more of certain fats, more minerals and more vitamins. That is why in raw feeding circles kittens eat the same stuff as adults but more of it (as a matter of fact, a raw fed kitten can eat as much as it wants). That is why some kitten food includes slightly more protein, more fat, more minerals and more vitamins. Doesn't make it "richer" but makes it more life-stage appropriate.

What you also sometimes see is that food is formulated for kittens and cats - i.e. food that hasn't been formulated for certain life-stages. Most of the good quality foods are of that ilk. From what I understand, to cover both kittens and adults in their reach they are formulated with growth in mind.

Given that your cat's runny bum has started after tape-measure-gate, I should imagine that your cat isn't really reacting to the Purely - if that has been fed without any problem beforehand -but rather that eating the tape measure has upset the gut.

However, it isn't unheard of either that cats suddenly start reacting to a food that they have been fed for a while. Generally, on this forum, we advocate feeding more than one brand of the same quality in rotation for various reasons.

Anyhow, hope your little mite's tum is settling down soon. By all accounts the boiled chicken and pro-kolin diet is helping. Just slowly start re-introducing the purely (I wouldn't bother with the dry) and you should be fine.


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## catgeoffrey (Jun 28, 2012)

Thank you for that reply - very informative! You guys are all so well informed - glad I joined!

I'll start re-introducing the kitten food in a couple of days when we are sure it is 100% cleared up and see how he gets on.

All tape measures have been securely locked away!!!


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## catgeoffrey (Jun 28, 2012)

Home after a long day at work to be greeted by a purring kitten (who is now eating his dinner like he's never been fed!) and a normal poo in the litter tray!
The pro-kolin and chicken seem to have fixed his tummy! Hurray!
No sign of the tape measure so I assume he's digested that down and we won't ever see it again, thankfully!
Thanks again to all of you for your help and advice. We will keep him on the bland diet for another day to check things have settled down and then start introducing his usual food again and hopefully everything will be fine!


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