# Kitten food-please help



## Sunshiner (May 12, 2010)

Pixel is very thin. I think she should have kitten food even though she is 2 and a half years old. What brand is best? Please let me know ASAP. Thanks.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

What brand of food is she on now? Usually you can just switch to the kitten version of whatever they're already on, or if they're on a low-fat one, sometimes the regular adult version will have a bit more fat without a huge jump straight to kitten.


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## Sunshiner (May 12, 2010)

She is currently eating Purina One chicken and rice blend. I'm not sure if there is a kitten version, but I will research for it. If you have any other suggestion, please let me know!


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## Sunshiner (May 12, 2010)

OK, so I just researched and the only flavors for kittens are: purina one salmon and tuna (do hedgehogs even like fish?!) or smartblend, which has DHA in it, and I don't think she needs that. So now what?


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Many hedgehogs do like fish (and other seafood) but it can sometimes make their poop much stinkier. I know some of the other brands that are popular on here - Blue Buffalo, Innova, and Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul - have kitten formulas that maybe you could check out. You could also just check the store out for good quality foods that have a kitten or adult version with higher fat than Purina One. Since it's at 13% fat, I'd shoot for something from 15-18% fat first, so you don't end up giving her too much and have to switch back down (which can be harder because more fat usually = tastes better). Remember to try to find something with a meat or meat meal for first ingredient, no corn or byproducts, and protein between 28-35%.


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## Sunshiner (May 12, 2010)

OK, thanks! She has lost a lot of weight, and I want to get her back up to her original weight, so I'm looking for fattier foods. Thanks again for the help.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

I'm curious, do you know the reason for her losing so much weight? Has she been sick, or does she just run on her wheel a lot? If she's been losing weight for awhile and her activity hasn't changed from normal, I would personally assume that something's wrong and head to the vet. Good luck with finding a new food for her and I hope she starts getting plump and healthy again soon!


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## Sunshiner (May 12, 2010)

I don't know why. She had been battling diarrhea, but that cleared up a couple weeks ago. I chose Innova kitten food. It has 22% crude fat, and 40% crude protein. Is this OK? The 2 choices were Innova and Blue Buffalo.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

The protein is a tad high. Can you get Blue Buffalo Healthy Living for Adult Cats? http://bluebuffalo.com/cat-food/bc-heal ... ng-chicken The protein is lower, and the fat is at 18%, which is higher, but not a huge jump up. If you really want a higher fat than that, the kitten version's protein is still lower at 36% and the fat is 20%. http://bluebuffalo.com/cat-food/bc-heal ... th-chicken

And hm. I suppose it could be left over from the diarrhea or something...if she doesn't at least steady out or start gaining with a higher fat food, I would see about taking her back in and maybe getting some bloodwork done or something to try and see if there's any problems. They can be quite good at hiding health issues, and unexplained weight loss/gain can be a big sign. Lily lost weight for several months before she started showing more symptoms of being sick (going off her food more, etc.), which ended up being from a liver tumor. If there is something wrong that's not showing up in other ways yet, it'd be good if you can catch it early.


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