2 different breeds of cats = OK? And other cat questions
- Thread starter sunama
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'two in the bed and the little one said...' 
great pics dude. Saw most of the vid (net doesnt play ball out here) and it was one of those 'awwww' moments. See what you mean by them being nimble, hopping about on the carboard box jungle gym you got there
great pics dude. Saw most of the vid (net doesnt play ball out here) and it was one of those 'awwww' moments. See what you mean by them being nimble, hopping about on the carboard box jungle gym you got there
How long do they sleep for a day at the moment? Which one sleeps longer? Do they 'dream' like dogs do?
Finally what are you feeding them exactly... remember you saying it was the best stuff but did the breeder tell you to give them a specific diet of any kind?
Finally what are you feeding them exactly... remember you saying it was the best stuff but did the breeder tell you to give them a specific diet of any kind?
The Egyptian Mau sleeps for around 10hrs/day.
Ive only had the Bengal for 3 days now, and he seems to be sleeping for around 14hrs+/day.
Normally, kittens are supposed to sleep for around 16hrs/day, but it varies and Reflex is a special case. He acts as if he is a wild cat, when he isnt. He acts as if he is a big cat, when he isnt. He even tries to dominate me.
Cats are supposed to sleep a lot.
Errr. How do dogs dream and how would anyone know what they dream of - after all, they cant talk?
OK, in a nutshell, my research tells me the following:
Wet food is better than dry food (contrary to what the Egyptian Mau breeder told me). Dry food has too much grain in them, which cats dont need much of. Ideally, you want a wet food that has a high meat percentage. Neither Reflex nor the Bengal are fans of dry food. Dry food works out cheaper, though, so people prefer giving this to their cats. Nothing wrong with that - you give your pets whatever you can afford.
The best wet food, for kittens, that I have come across are, in the following order:
Natures Menu Kitten
Applaws
HiLife Junior
I give my cats a combination of Whiskas and Natures Menu, mixed together in a bowl. Whiskas, for taste and Natures Menu for nutrition.
All kittens, will generally do well on a good pre-packed wet food diet - even the Ashera or Savannah.
You've seen how full of energy and life my Reflex is. He has been on Natures Menu & Whiskas (mixed) for a month and the net result is a hyperactive cat that is developing well.
If you are on a budget, then you can supplement the cat/kitten's diet with raw minced rabbit. I havent tried this, but the Bengal breeder has told me that rabbit is great stuff. It works out cheaper than what I'm feeding mine at the moment and helps the kitten grow.
If you want to use dry food, then give ORIJEN a go. I have this and mix it in sometimes with the wet food. It has the highest meat content of any dry food available in the UK and its good stuff. Available from zooplus.
Is it just a stereotype that cats are very keen on fish and that this is an excellent thing to give them?
sunama, I mean't: when you see them sleeping do they kind of twitch and shuffle around and (sort of) snore and look like they're imitating running or humping movements or twitching their paws about? Our dog used to shuffle his paws about and snore/growl in his sleep lol
Just finished reading up on the Maine **** website that was linked in Makunouchi's thread.
You got one for Mau/Bengal so I can stop asking basic questions?
look forward to an update and pics
sunama, I mean't: when you see them sleeping do they kind of twitch and shuffle around and (sort of) snore and look like they're imitating running or humping movements or twitching their paws about? Our dog used to shuffle his paws about and snore/growl in his sleep lol
Just finished reading up on the Maine **** website that was linked in Makunouchi's thread.
You got one for Mau/Bengal so I can stop asking basic questions?
look forward to an update and pics
Here's something relating to diet. A friend of mine says she occasionally gives her cat raw chicken. I thought this was odd at first, then when you consider they often eat raw birds it doesn't seem that weird. Apparently she goes mad for it.
So does anyone else feed their cat raw chicken or other raw meats?
So does anyone else feed their cat raw chicken or other raw meats?
Soldato
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the breeder i got mine from says they like raw chicken wings, bones and all.
Associate
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I was advised against Whiskas by my breeder as it is full of sugar, and can cause teeth problems. The only wet food she recommended was Applaws, which my cat loves. She got a mixture of that and Purina dry kitten food for the first couple of months. She is now on James Wellbeloved, which is probably the best of all the dry foods - she absolutely adores it. Still give her the odd tin of Applaws as a treat.
The missus says she will have the Bengal if it doesn't work out
Hehehe. I assure you, it WILL workout. Ive planned this thing for months.
As it happens their relationship is improving by the hour. The problem was that Reflex is a little highly strung and I think he was desperate for feline company. Upon seeing the new arrival, he has now become obsessed with the Bengal. Even when I wave toys in front of him, he ignores them and wants to play with the Bengal, instead. Since the arrival of the Bengal, Reflex hasnt slept in his own bed, that he has been sleeping in for the last 3 weeks. He now sleeps close to wherever the Bengal lays his head. He also follows the Bengal religiously around the house, where before, he used to follow me around. I think he has already become attached to the Bengal. The Bengal on the other hand, is a free spirit and he roams wherever the hell he wants. At no point has he followed Reflex.
I know the cat fight video shows Reflex as an out of control cat, but I assure you, that is not typical behaviour and this was why I took the video, to get opinions on whether or not this unusual behaviour (ie. fighting another cat), is normal. He has though, always been a dominant hyperactive cat (even at the breeder, he used to chase and harrass the other cats of his litter, where he was the most active and dominant). It was obvious to me then that he likes chasing cats.
Soldato
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Whats everyones opinion on premium cat food?
Personally i feed both wet and dry, but i usually go for run of the mill in terms of price (Whiskers/Purina or the like) not the breed specific expensive stuff. I mean, while i want my cat to get the best i dont cook myself a £20 steak dinner every night so i cant really see why its diferent for them.
Personally i feed both wet and dry, but i usually go for run of the mill in terms of price (Whiskers/Purina or the like) not the breed specific expensive stuff. I mean, while i want my cat to get the best i dont cook myself a £20 steak dinner every night so i cant really see why its diferent for them.
My 2 will only eat dry food if they are starving and even then, only a few mouthfulls. When I bring out the wet food though, they eat like a horse.
What made you switch to the dry food and how old is your cat?
I totally agree. If you cant afford the best, then your cats will have to learn to go without. Such is life.
Even I'm looking to cut down on my cat food bill, as the Natures Menu pouches really are getting eaten up quickly, now that the 2nd cat has arrived. I want to give raw minced rabbit a go.
The problem with the cheaper foods is that they have very little meat in them, this is why Natures Menu is so good. I think Whiskas has minimum 4% meat, while Natures Menu is minimum 70% meat. You can also top up your normal cat food with some real (white) meat - chicken or fish, to boost the protein content.
The whole cat owning experience is a learning one, where you knowledge will develop as your cat does.
The thing is though, at 7, he doesnt need to eat much as he is no longer growing. At kitten stage, diet is very important and kittens should be encouraged to eat plenty, to aid in their development. This is what caused me to ditch dry food in favour of wet food. Reflex just wasnt eating the dry stuff.
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She's 13 months old, and was on a mixture of wet and dry at the breeder. She was on dry with only the ocassional tin of Applaws by 6 months. I switched my previous cat onto dry as he was a very messy eater with wet food - used to pick his food out of the bowl with his paws and put it on to the floor to eat it. He also had teeth problems as he got older, which the vets suggested could have been down to his initial wet food diet (fed him on Whiskas).
If you only put dry down for them I am sure they will eat it - at the moment they know that if they don't you will put wet down for them, so there is no incentive...
Most places that sell James Wellbeloved have little 99p trial packs, so you can see if they will like it. If you are lucky you might find one with a £3 voucher of a larger bag.
A 2.5 Kg bag is around the £10 mark, and lasts me ~ 2 months.
It's probably a little big for them at the moment though - they woud struggle to crunch it. Would give them another couple of months before trying adult food. The Purina kitten is nice and small - easy for them to eat and digest.
If you only put dry down for them I am sure they will eat it - at the moment they know that if they don't you will put wet down for them, so there is no incentive...
Most places that sell James Wellbeloved have little 99p trial packs, so you can see if they will like it. If you are lucky you might find one with a £3 voucher of a larger bag.
A 2.5 Kg bag is around the £10 mark, and lasts me ~ 2 months.
It's probably a little big for them at the moment though - they woud struggle to crunch it. Would give them another couple of months before trying adult food. The Purina kitten is nice and small - easy for them to eat and digest.
I was going to do this. In effect, starve him into submission. The problem is he will end up eating less and wont develop as quickly and as strong as if he is given the diet of his choice.
I was given a full compliment of many different dry foods by Reflex's breeder. 6 different brands. He didnt like any of them. When I brought out a new packet, he would eat a few mouthfuls and then turn away. The wet food was the only thing he ate with a passion. He loves real chicken.
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The Premium stuff tends to have a much higher protein content, so you don't have to feed them as much, so it may not be as mucha difference in cost as you imagine. My cat at 13 months only needs between 40 and 50g a day.
Compared to some of the cats people have she was relatively cheap, but she was still a significant amount, so an extra couple of pounds on a bag of food isn't really an issue if it ensures she is getting quality food.