Wet Food Choices for Kittens

bluebird gal

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All advice welcome


Our new boy Monty is 4mos old so certainly still in the 'kitten' category.  We were sent home with a bag of the Hills Science Diet Kitten kibble that they were feeding at the shelter.  That's all fine for now until we can decide on what wet food to migrate him over to.

Si is 17mos and a chow hound.  I have rotated everything from Meow Mix (chicken, sometimes tuna) wet, to Fancy Feast pate and, recently started purchasing the on sale canned versions of higher end wet foods just to keep it interesting for Si.  Since we travel, we're not always near a Petco or Petsmart to find better foods than Fancy Feast.  We primarily order online, in bulk, and I was about to place a new order, so I am curious as to whether - at 4mos old - it's too soon to migrate Monty over to a better wet brand of adult cat food.

I've been reading (read overthinking) as much as I could and think that in the quality vs. price realm .. the Nature's Variety Instinct line or the Wellness Core line of wet foods are well within our budget even feeding two.   My dilema was that Wellness Core does have a kitten formula whereas Nature's Variety does not.  

Is it better for overall health and development to keep Monty on a good, wet "kitten" formula versus moving up to big boy food?
 
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gravekandi

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My kitten is now 5months old &I feed her kitten food and adult food. My main priority when it comes to feeding her is making sure her food is high in protein and fat. The way I see it is that in the wild a kitten wont chase after a mouse labeled after "For kitten consumption only". Kittens need more calories, protein and fat. So I keep my eye on that. So my personal opinion is that if you feel their ready go for it :) my kitten eats "adult" food along with "kitten food" for the most part a lot of cat food is "for all life stages". From what I've seen Nature's Variety Instinct line is an all life stages food line. Both Nature's Variety Instinct line &Wellness Core is a good option for a kitten, my kitten adores both brands.
 
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bluebird gal

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Thanks for the replies!   I'm going to give the Instinct brand a try and start letting Monty have a little mixed into his kitten kibble.   I just wanted to make sure Monty would not be missing any required supplements that might be in a kitten formula.   And since he's a little wet food thief if you don't watch him like a hawk .. I'd rather he migrate on over to wet
 
 

gravekandi

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Thanks for the replies!   I'm going to give the Instinct brand a try and start letting Monty have a little mixed into his kitten kibble.   I just wanted to make sure Monty would not be missing any required supplements that might be in a kitten formula.   And since he's a little wet food thief if you don't watch him like a hawk .. I'd rather he migrate on over to wet
 
Good choice :D He should be fine as long as you keep an eye on protein, fat and calories since hes a kitten still :) I sometimes like to add   Nature's Variety boost treats crushed up on cheaper grain free food so my kitten still gets good food with a "boost". An almost all wet (if not all wet) diet is the best for kitties. Since you have a boy you should really watch his water intake since boys are more likely to get UTI's
 

nocturnal-catz

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I just adopted a 4 month old kitten, and they had her on cheap kibbles too. I would recommend either Evo turkey/ chicken cat/kitten canned food or core wellness which is also designed for both cats and kittens. They are both high quality and Nixie loves both of them. Good luck!
 
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bluebird gal

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My kitten is now 5months old &I feed her kitten food and adult food. My main priority when it comes to feeding her is making sure her food is high in protein and fat. The way I see it is that in the wild a kitten wont chase after a mouse labeled after "For kitten consumption only". Kittens need more calories, protein and fat. So I keep my eye on that. So my personal opinion is that if you feel their ready go for it :) my kitten eats "adult" food along with "kitten food" for the most part a lot of cat food is "for all life stages". From what I've seen Nature's Variety Instinct line is an all life stages food line. Both Nature's Variety Instinct line &Wellness Core is a good option for a kitten, my kitten adores both brands.
Appreciate the response GraveKandi .. I lucked out it seems that Si was always a water drinker, in fact, we had just purchased him a fountain.   Monty took to the fountain right away and even drinks out of the correct side.  LOL  
 
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bluebird gal

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I just adopted a 4 month old kitten, and they had her on cheap kibbles too. I would recommend either Evo turkey/ chicken cat/kitten canned food or core wellness which is also designed for both cats and kittens. They are both high quality and Nixie loves both of them. Good luck!
Thanks Nocturnal-Catz .. I like both those brands as well.   Si's dry kibble mid-day snack has always been the Evo Turkey/Chicken but I do plan on rotating the wet varieties through their diets :)
 

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This thread was so helpful! I have two kittens of my own and was a bit lost as to what's "better" for kittens compared to others. It seems they need the same things as adults, just in higher concentrations? The market is so saturated with cat food, it can be challenging to distinguish what is also good for kittens and what should be passed by until they are older. Does anyone have an opinion on Blue Healthy Growth Kitten dry cat food?
 

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I am a little late to this conversation, but since you still have the kitten and still need to feed it I think my answer is relevant anyway.

For what it is worth, in the wild there are no 'kitten mice'.  kittens nurse from their mother until they are old enough and their teeth have come in and then she starts bringing them home prey and they need to learn to eat it.  They eat the exact same food she does, but they do need to eat more frequently due to small bellies and the excessive amount of growing and play they have to do.

No dry food is appropriate for a cat.  It is easy and convenient, but that is for your benefit, not your cat's.  Cats are desert creatures and as such have very low thirst drive, so even if you find a dry food with very low plant based ingredients (which is incredibly rare) it is still dry and thus dehydrating to your cat.  You can read more about that at http://catinfo.org

so pretty much a good canned food with out plants is a better option.  Cats are obligate carnivores and lack the digestive enzymes to break down plant based ingredients, so your 'premium' foods with flax for omega 3s or blueberries and other fruits and veg for vitamins really are not doing your cat much of anything but fermenting in your kitty's gut and making their stool larger and more odorous.

I know a lot of people think fancy feast foods are low quality foods, but their classic or original formulas are actually pretty good.  I used their turkey and giblets food for my diabetic cat and it helped reduce her blood sugar levels quite dramatically..

so, long winded post to say the best food for a kitten is the best food for an adult cat, but they are just going to eat more and more frequently..
 
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bluebird gal

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I am a little late to this conversation, but since you still have the kitten and still need to feed it I think my answer is relevant anyway.

For what it is worth, in the wild there are no 'kitten mice'.  kittens nurse from their mother until they are old enough and their teeth have come in and then she starts bringing them home prey and they need to learn to eat it.  They eat the exact same food she does, but they do need to eat more frequently due to small bellies and the excessive amount of growing and play they have to do.

No dry food is appropriate for a cat.  It is easy and convenient, but that is for your benefit, not your cat's.  Cats are desert creatures and as such have very low thirst drive, so even if you find a dry food with very low plant based ingredients (which is incredibly rare) it is still dry and thus dehydrating to your cat.  You can read more about that at http://catinfo.org

so pretty much a good canned food with out plants is a better option.  Cats are obligate carnivores and lack the digestive enzymes to break down plant based ingredients, so your 'premium' foods with flax for omega 3s or blueberries and other fruits and veg for vitamins really are not doing your cat much of anything but fermenting in your kitty's gut and making their stool larger and more odorous.

I know a lot of people think fancy feast foods are low quality foods, but their classic or original formulas are actually pretty good.  I used their turkey and giblets food for my diabetic cat and it helped reduce her blood sugar levels quite dramatically..

so, long winded post to say the best food for a kitten is the best food for an adult cat, but they are just going to eat more and more frequently..
Thank you for your reply & input cesq. 

I have switched them over to the Instinct line now, and with the new little guy (4mos old) - he is totally indifferent to what you set in front of him, and likes both the chicken and the lamb. 

My big boy is currently being a pain in the rear about his foods.  He will eat the Instinct chicken, but immediately tries to cover up the lamb - no interest at all.  Even if I sprinkle 6-7 pieces of dry to get him interested.  He howls at the cabinet door for the EVO chicken/turkey kibble. 
   In the wet department, I've tried Sheba, Fancy Feast Classic, Blue Wilderness, even some Meow Mix wet chicken a friend gave us that their own cat would not touch.  LOL    But the only thing he will really chow down on, of course, is the Fancy Feast chicken in gravy which I would prefer he not be on solely because of so many carbs.   But I do understand that any wet is better than dry. 
 

cesg

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the older kitties are that way due to the way the cat is hard wired.

kittens learn which foods are food by what mom brings home to eat.  If mom didn't bring it home it wasn't food.  kittens loose the ability to accept new foods after a few months..  The more kittens are introduced to when they are young, the more adventurous their palate when they are older.. the longer a cat stays on one type or one flavor of food the less likely they are to accept new ones..  which is why I feed my foster kittens anything and everything, even food I consider very low quality.  it is also why I feed my own cats different brands and flavors of foods from time to time.  

it can seem frustrating and not worth it with older cats to give new and different foods, but keep at it.. (and catinfo.org has a good page on transitioning a cat to different foods)

Connie
 

pezkat

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 He will eat the Instinct chicken, but immediately tries to cover up the lamb - no interest at all. 
I love it!  I had never heard of a cat doing that with food until our Fiona started doing it with cans she doesn't like!!  I think it's hilarious.  She's been dubbed a 'girly-girl' anyway & that just totally fits w/her personality.

One thing to keep in mind with Instinct - the dog and cat formulas are exactly the same (per ingredient list and an email verification from the company), and dog food comes in the larger 13.2 oz. can which is cheaper!
 
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bluebird gal

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I love it!  I had never heard of a cat doing that with food until our Fiona started doing it with cans she doesn't like!!  I think it's hilarious.  She's been dubbed a 'girly-girl' anyway & that just totally fits w/her personality.

One thing to keep in mind with Instinct - the dog and cat formulas are exactly the same (per ingredient list and an email verification from the company), and dog food comes in the larger 13.2 oz. can which is cheaper!
Too funny PezKat .. I have always had a laugh over Si's obsessive behavior to cover his wet food after eating.  I'm sure it's due to his being a stray when he found us.  It's even funnier that 21-days now into Monty being with us just this morning I watched him eat his breakfast and then do a little scratching around it too!  Monkey see, monkey do.  I was hoping he would not catch on to that.  LOL

Thanks for the info on the dog/cat formulas.  That sounds like a great price saver.
 
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