That's a great question. That's hard to answer. My one answer would be a lot. That is the way they play. That is the way they explore their environment. There's a lot of things going on when they're biting and scratching. Sometimes, that can be a sign that they're overstimulated or scared or fearful if they're doing that. And then other times, it can just be sheer play. If you have ever seen kittens interact, you know that they sort of kick with those back feet, and they're biting around the neck and things like that. And then you will hear one of the kittens tell that other kitten that enough's enough. And so sometimes they do that to us, and we don't give those appropriate signals to say when enough is enough. That communication can be a problem, but providing them with the appropriate areas to scratch and toys they love can help. Toys that are interactive or that you are interactive with them can get them to move and chase. That's that normal predator behavior. Fostering that in an appropriate way versus them doing that on you or surfaces that you don't want can help to make everyone happy. Sometimes they see your feet under the covers. They come by, they see the foot move, and they pounce on it. A lot of that is "normal behavior," but we want to foster it into what we want them to do when they're a 10-pound cat with big teeth.

A couple of things. Humans don’t like to eat the same food every day, and then we try to project that on our pets. You don't need to change their food because you can create a picky eater. And a lot of our picky eaters are overweight pets. That's a big issue that we see, which goes against their health and causes some medical problems. But in general, if they're on good quality food, they can eat that same food consistently. And then also in regards to table food, again, we can develop bad habits early if we're starting that. And then they can start to beg for our food that we eat, and most of the time, it is not as well balanced as kitten food. If we're replacing their calories or their daily intake with certain things that we eat, they're not getting the proper nutrition they need.

We do not recommend table food.

Great question. I think there's a benefit to both. Some people talk a lot about dry food and their teeth. To some degree, I think that plays a role, but that's not the only thing that factors into dental disease. Canned food can provide a lot of moisture. Cats that don't drink a lot or male cats that can be prone to urinary problems can benefit from canned food. The biggest concern and argument for dry, canned, or both is the quantity. You don't want to overfeed, no matter what you're feeding them.

We would recommend if they're on solids to use good quality kitten food for growth. There are a lot of brands out there that are available. Some of those that we recommend are the IAMS, Purina Kitten Chow, and Royal Canin. There are many great ones out there, and you just want to make sure it's for growth or kittens.

The best way would be to monitor their weight. If they're gaining weight in the right places, that would be a good sign that they're eating what they need to be. And there is a body condition score, so your veterinarian can look at your kitten and see if they're underweight or at an appropriate weight.