Is Kitten Food Important?

[goldenkitty45]

IMO its better to give kittens the kitten food for awhile. Many kittens have survived eating adult foods, but the kitten is made specifically with higher nutrition for growing bodies.

Adult cats (spayed/neutered) shouldn't be eating kitten food because it will put on weight too fast.

Most people feed kitten food till around a year, but I believe it depends on the type and size and activity of the kitten as to how long you should feed them. With smaller built cats (rexes, siamese, orientals, etc.) you don't want them on kitten food for a long time - they WILL get fat quickly. My rex kittens were only fed kitten food for the first 4 months of age - after that they got adult food and were fine show cats

Charlie was on kitten food till about 5 months old - then adult food and he's very solid - 7 months old and a little over 8 lbs.

Cats such as maine coons, ragdolls and other cats that are 15+ lbs when grown would do better to eat kitten food till almost a year old.

 

[meistersar]

Usually it is best to feed a kitten the right type of kitten food, though it won't 'kill' them to eat adult food.

My newest kitten, now 10 weeks, for example...hates kitten food of all kids -_- I've tried several. But boy does he love the food I give my 3 year old cats. At this point I just let him munch on their stuff and give him some extra kitten canned food to help make up the difference.

 

[urbantigers]

I have fed kitten food to both mine when they were kittens but I don't think it's essential. It is sometimes too rich for them when very young. Both Jaffa and Mosi were eating adult food when I got them for that reason. Jaffa was 8 weeks old and I was surprised to be told by the shelter staff that kitten food was too rich for him and he and his brother were eating adult food. I switched him gradually onto kitten food until he was about 9 months. Fast forward 9 years and I was told the same thing by Mosi's breeder. Mosi was 14 weeks when I got him and I tried to change him over to kitten food (same brand as he was eating) and it upset his stomach so he went back onto adult for a week then I did a slower transition onto the kitten and he was ok with it. He stayed on kitten food until he was about 8 months.

Kitten food tends to have the right balance of fat, protein etc for growing kittens but I don't think it's essential. As I said in another thread recently, kittens grew up ok before there was such a thing as kitten food and there is no special kitten mouse in the wild.

 

[wmarcello]

Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

Adult cats (spayed/neutered) shouldn't be eating kitten food because it will put on weight too fast.

When I compare my Nutrience kitten to my Felidae adult, the protein and fat content (and pretty much every other comparison) is very similar. If Felidae is a good food for an adult cat, how would the kitten food be poor? How would the cats put on more weight on the kitten food?

 

[jaycee]

Originally Posted by urbantigers

As I said in another thread recently, kittens grew up ok before there was such a thing as kitten food and there is no special kitten mouse in the wild.

sometimes people say the simplest things that make so much sense!

 

[goldenkitty45]

Because kitten food is higher in calories then adult food - therefore if your cat is not an active one to burn off the calories, then it will gain weight on kitten food.

Believe me, I found that out with my rex kittens - when I first got Spooky as a 4 month old kitten, I was gonna keep him on kitten food a few more months. Took him to a show at 5 months of age and had breeders ask me if he still was eating kitten food - told me to switch him to adult or he'd be very fat in a short time

And rexes ARE active

So when raising them - they only ate kitten food till 4 months old, then gradually switched to adult.