Mr Big Stuff

Hi

When (at what age) is my kitten a cat, i have read many opinions to cat food.. but wondered at what age they are considered cats.. like kitten food.. adult cat food etc?  My baby! hahah  im not ready!!

In the wild, kittens eat the same thing as adult cats because that's what mama brings home.  Rodents, small mammals, birds, lizards, and snakes are common delicacies for kittens in the wild. Some of the definitions in pet food are simply for marketing purposes, and some of them actually have more things growing kittens need than the manufacturer's regular cat food.  I would suggest doing some reading on Cat Nutrition (articles NOT written by any of the cat food manufacturers) so you will be aware of what nutrients growing kittens and adult cats DO need (meat protein and fat) and do NOT need (vegetable protein, starch and carbohydrates), and then read labels and pick your food accordingly.  You will find a LOT of good information here in our Nutrition Forum, and there are also several good web sites out there where you can learn what you need to know.  I will send you a few of my favorites by private message, and you can search our nutrition forum and search the net for more information.  Your kitten will grow up healthy with a caring guardian like you!

@Red Top Rescue offers good advice, as always! "Meat protein and fat" are key for all cats but especially kittens: calorie-dense wet foods are particularly good for getting those into kittens, giving them energy to be active and nutrients to grow.

Definitely read labels and Web sites: sometimes kitten and adult formulas don't differ very much in terms of calories so it's worth comparing. Nutro's Natural Choice foods, which are pretty calorie-dense, are a good example.