Alternating kitten food brands

Hi! 

My two kittens (Pi- 12 months, Rey- 8 months)  have been on blue wet kitten food (chicken, salmon, and chicken/trout) since I have adopted them (Nov. 2015 and March 2016). I feed them each 1/2 can in the morning and 1/2 can at night. They are on a rotation of the three flavors, so this mornings chicken flavor will be the same for tomorrow night. Recently, they started opposing the chicken flavor, and now, their old favorite, salmon, they are also hesitantly eating. Rey usually has a huge appetite and is a non-fussy kitty, but she has even been walking away from it. One vet once told me NOT to switch between brands as it gives them digestive problems. However, since blue only really has about 3 flavors for kittens, is it okay to alternate between wellness and blue, as I'm sure they have different tastes? So maybe one day blue, one day wellness? They also have blue healthy growth dry food available for them in a multi-feeder, which they occasionally snack on.  Any advice? Blue is so expensive and I hate to see them wasting it!

Thank you!

I know a lot of people rotate between brands so their cats won't become too fussy and in case their food is recalled or out of stock. Your vet might just mean that it's not a good idea to suddenly switch to a completely different food- rotating foods is gentler on their stomachs. I rotate my kittens food between 4 brands usually, and they've been fine.

Thank you, Elkie. I had rotated Pi's food when I first got her and she was absolutely fine, but when I told the vet I was rotating he told me no. I have since stopped going to that vet anyway, because they did not seem very educated in general. I always thought that rotating would prevent fussiness and give them all of the balanced nutritions that maybe one brand is lacking.

I've been rotating between brands and varieties from day one.  Thus far my gal hasn't demonstrated any fussiness, although she is not enthusiastic about  at least one wet flavor.  As for kibble, she loves it and eats several brands and flavors; Rachael Ray, Purina One, Purina Beyond and Evolve.  She has never needed an adjustment period.  Probably a result of being a rescue cat..

Thank you both for your replies! I just wanted to make sure it was okay and that other people were doing it with no problem. I think they will be a lot happier with more than 3 flavors! 

Pi and Reys Mom said:

Hi! 
My two kittens (Pi- 12 months, Rey- 8 months)  have been on blue wet kitten food (chicken, salmon, and chicken/trout) since I have adopted them (Nov. 2015 and March 2016). I feed them each 1/2 can in the morning and 1/2 can at night. They are on a rotation of the three flavors, so this mornings chicken flavor will be the same for tomorrow night. Recently, they started opposing the chicken flavor, and now, their old favorite, salmon, they are also hesitantly eating. Rey usually has a huge appetite and is a non-fussy kitty, but she has even been walking away from it. One vet once told me NOT to switch between brands as it gives them digestive problems. However, since blue only really has about 3 flavors for kittens, is it okay to alternate between wellness and blue, as I'm sure they have different tastes? So maybe one day blue, one day wellness? They also have blue healthy growth dry food available for them in a multi-feeder, which they occasionally snack on.  Any advice? Blue is so expensive and I hate to see them wasting it!
Thank you!

Click to expand...

Changing dry abruptly is what vet means. It is ok to rotate different brands and textures and proteins in canned food, it prevents boredom also

I switch my cats food all the time! Not dry... Just wet. I stick with the same dry (but they only get nibbles as treats). I use "I and love and you", "nutro", "nutro-max" (for my kitties who can tolerate grains), "natures variety Pride"... And well, that's all they seem to like at the moment. I like to change it up. I know that some brands have this and others have that and there is so MUCH controversy. I figure switching it up won't let anything too bad build up in their systems.

My little guy typically gets whatever's on sale with canned food, and he hasn't seemed to have any issues. It should be fine unless your kittens are super sensitive. I think it's better to rotate personally, because it provides more variety; imagine if you were eating the exact same food everyday for every meal. You probably wouldn't be too happy. Plus since no food is perfect, switching it up helps create a more balanced diet, with good and bad of one food countered by the good and bad of another.

Doesn't rotating foods also help prevent food allergies?

TheGreyStalker said:

Doesn't rotating foods also help prevent food allergies?

Click to expand...

In theory, rotating protein does help prevent food allergies. Although I would recommend against rotating dry food as that can cause digestive upset.

Rotating wet on the other hand is great if your cat doesn't already have a sensitive tummy. Most wet foods have a plethora of proteins such as chicken, turkey, duck, lamb, beef, rabbit, quail, pheasant, and even exotics such as kangaroo, wild brushtail, goat, and venison.

I wonder why that is... That we can switch wet foods, brands and proteins without a problem yet dry food causes a wide variety of problems with digestive upset. I've noticed that I can't switch dry foods unless very very very slowly!!

achristine said:

I wonder why that is... That we can switch wet foods, brands and proteins without a problem yet dry food causes a wide variety of problems with digestive upset. I've noticed that I can't switch dry foods unless very very very slowly!!

Click to expand...

It's the carbohydrates. As carnivores, cats are used to eating a variety of meats. But aren't equipped for carbs, as you know. 

When a cat is on a dry food with say, mostly pea protein and tapioca, and then switches to a dry food with only a little potato, then they need to adjust their digestion and glandular output (such pancreatic substances). It also disrupts the current microbiota, who have adapted to that certain level of pea/tapioca mixture, and now they need to adjust to potato. Which can cause an upset tummy in some cats.

Wet food has much lower levels of carbohydrates than dry, so when you rotate, it doesn't upset the tummy unless you have a very sensitive kitty.

At least that's what I've been taught.