When wild mother cat brings her kittens out of nest, it is first time in their lives they have seen a human being, and they tend to be hissing, spitting bits of fluff that really look as though they mean business. And since they already have teeth and claws, I would rather not push issue. I also would rather not let them remain wild, living in my barn, having kittens of their own. Six kittens, within a year or two, could turn into 56.

As of early 2005, wild mother cat has had more than 20 kittens in our barn, and I have managed to tame them and to find homes for most of them (unfortunately, several were lost when wild momma kitty took them out to teach them how to hunt).

Here are some tips for taming wild kittens:

1. Buy some canned kitty food -- In my experience, kittens are always hungry and are always interested in canned kitty food. I have noticed it doesn't matter what brand, just so long as it has fish in it. The smell of fish seems irresistible to kittens.

2. Let kittens smell canned kitty food -- Open can and then try to get as close to them as possible so they can smell food. Once they get a whiff of it, and this is especially true of younger kittens that are anywhere from four weeks old to a few months old, they will be so interested in canned kitty food they will forget (somewhat) that you are right next to them.

3. Use a fork (or spoon) to scoop out some of food and let kittens eat off end of fork (spoon) -- This is an important step. Do NOT put a forkful of food down and then back off. From very first, hold fork toward kitten and let kitten eat off end of fork. Stick to your guns and do not give up. If kitten wants canned kitty food, kitten MUST eat it off end of fork or spoon. This is first step in getting kitten used to being close to you and in growing accustomed to your hand coming closer. This will be useful later on when you are trying to pet kittens. After kitten has eaten food off end of fork/spoon, THEN you can put a little food down for kitten to eat on its own.

www.web-rover.com

This article discusses two foods in paticual. For puppy stage, Eagle Pack Puppy food and for adult stage, Royal CaninLabrador Retriever 30

Puppy Nutrition When deciding on nutritional components that will determine diet of my pups it is important to recognize and keep following key factors at forefront:

- The pups will mature quickly, meaning that they will need best diet possible to allow them to safely grow with aid of necessary amounts of 6 major nutrients present

- Starting at birth and lasting for first 5-6 weeks of life, my pups will need a high quality Colostrum based formula due to them not being able to ween at birth. After researching various formulas, I have selected following: Artho Formula

This is a blend of New Life Colostrum (vital for pups when first born to stimulate body functions), glucosamine sulfate, MSM, acetyl myristoleate, lipase enzyme, coated with beta-lipid. Attributes

- Helps increase bioavailability and absorption of nutrients in body and helps decrease bioavailability of iron to pathogens • MSM, a natural form of sulfur helps in prevention of free radical damage and helps support joint and cartilage function • Glucosamine sulfate contains sulfur, an element important to biochemical synthesis of connective tissue • Cetyl myristoleate helps support joint and cartilage function. It is paired with a lipase enzyme in order to help increase its absorption and assimilation in body Due to importance of Colostrum, below you will find a detailed breakdown of nutritional make up of this vital component to my pup’s healthy first few weeks of life. Pure Colostrum Guaranteed Analysis and Nutritional Breakdown Ingredient Amount Moisture 7% Ash 4.80% Protein 60% Calcium 0.26% Lactose Monohydrate 15% Phosphorus 0.24% Magnesium 0.4% Sodium 0.07% Potassium 0.14% Holine 0.12% Cobalt 0.06% Iron 0.06% Lysine 7.65% Methionine 1.88% Cistein Trace Arginine 4.82% Triptophan 1.66% Histidine 2.76% Isoleucine 8.57% Leucine 8.57% Phenylalanin 4.61% Threonine 7.45% Valine 8.17% Half life 16 hours

Feeding Directions

(1x480 mg tablet mixed with 3-5oz of warm water three times daily daily total = 1440mg) Feeding Chart Week Amount Daily Fed/Mg 1 3x480mg = 1440mg 2 3x480mg = 1440mg 3 3x480mg = 1440mg 4 3x480mg = 1440mg 5 3x480mg = 1440mg

Some believe that proper Colostrum supplementation should consist of more than what is stated above, however, this is just opinion, and there is no evidence that proves this theory.

- The Structural Growth period (0 to 18 months) is most important stage of development of my pups meaning that during this phase of their lives, it is crutial for them to consume high quality premium or home prepared food.

- Along with my formula, I will be eventually feeding my pups a premium puppy food up until they are 15 to 16 months of age, (Eagle Pack Large/Giant Formula) which upon my research, appeared to be best suited to needs of my Labrador pups. When considering a puppy food, one must take into account quality of ingredients, and what these ingredients mean to growth of my pups. For my pups to thrive, they need and will receive best possible ingredients which when combined will produce an optimum food to enable them to grow safely, and consistently in regards to their breed specifications.

Eagle Pack Analysis

The Eagle Pack puppy food I chose has in my opinion best combination of ingredients for consumption by my pups. Some of key ingredients include:

- 7 skin and coat conditioners consisting of; chicken fat, flax seed, avocado oil, herring meal, lecithin, vitamin E, and biotin. This is a rare combination and is only found in top quality puppy formula. The main purpose of these conditioners is to allow for a nice shiny healthy coat with healthy skin underneath

- Premium chicken meal, rice, and herring meal provide great taste as well as extra protein and fat which allow for a great foundation for growth In order to show extensive process of creating a high calorie-quality puppy food, below is entire ingredient list with above key ingredients included: Chicken meal, brown rice, ground rice, rice bran, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and ascorbic acid), flax seed, dehydrated alfalfa meal, avocado oil, herring meal, lecithin, brewers dried yeast, natural flavoring, monosodium phosphate, choline chloride, rosemary extract, sage extract, ferrous sulfate, dl-alpha tocopherol acetate (source of vitamin E), zinc oxide, sodium selenite, manganous oxide, riboflavin supplement (source of vitamin B complex), copper sulfate, zinc methionine, iron proteinate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, cobalt proteinate, niacin, vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin A supplement calcium pantothenate, d-biotin supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), calcium iodate, thiamine mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), folic acid, vitamin D3 supplement, bromelain, papain, dried bacillus subtilis fermentation product, dried aspergillus oryzae fermentation product. Advantages

- Like most specific puppy formulated food, Eagle Pack’s Puppy Formula is designed for optimum growth. With high protein, nutrient and fat content, building blocks for continued growth are present and I would expect my pups to do very well while consuming this product

- Low stool volume is a big advantage and is strictly due to chicken meal and rice formula allowing for better digestibility, which in turn, allows for more nutrients and vitamins to be absorbed by puppies

- Palatability is maintained by presence of vitamin E and C, meaning that no preservatives are used

- Eagle Pack Puppy Formula is pressure cooked to ensure that highest nutrient and vitamin level is present Guaranteed Analysis

Ingredient Percentage

Crude Protein 26% Crude Fat 16% Crude Fibre 4% Moisture 10% Phosphorus 1% Calcium 1.25%