Another Post About Kitten Food, Sorry!

[chromecat]

So, I am still new to all of this and I am reading TONS of stuff online. I am feeding my 4 month old wet food everyday, with a handle of dry food if I have to leave him alone or at night (but I don't leave dry out all day, just when strictly necessary), and a chicken neck twice a week.

No issues with chicken necks, no issues with dry food, it is for kitten and I don't give him much of it. His diet is 90% wet food. I am feeding him a mix of Dine for Kittens (chicken) and Fancy Feast for kittens (whitefish). However, I don't want him to eat always the same thing so I bought a few Fancy Feast tins that are not specifically for kittens but the label says "For the growth and maintenance of cats". I am planning to mix the Dine for Kittens with the Fancy Feast for growth and maintenance - but I am not sure it's a good idea since this FF is not specifically for kittens. Is it OK? The more I read the more I feel lost about what's the best wet food available here in Australia I got a bunch of different ones, for example the label on the fancy feast tins for growth and maintenance taste Cod, Sole & Shrimp says:

Ingredients: Fish (cod, sole and mackerel), meat and their by-products (pork), shrimp, flavours, gelling agents, colours, vitamins and minerals.
Crude protein: 12%, Moisture 78%, Crude fat 2%, Crude fibre 1.5%, Ash 3.5%

The meat based ones have similar percentages, only with pork or beef instead of fish.

Help!

 

[abyeb]

Kitten food is the best for kittens, because it contains the nutrients needed to ensure a kitten’s physical and cognitive development into adulthood. Food for “all life stages” is also suitable for kittens, because for a food to be “all life stages”, it needs to be formulated to meet the requirements of the most nutritionally demanding stage in a cat’s life, that is, kittenhood.

This thread: Do kittens need kitten food gives a lot of great additional information

 

[LTS3]

The FF you have is ok as an occasional meal or mixed into kitten food. It won't harm your kitten. Try to stick with kitten food or all life stages food for the most part.

mani might be able to suggest some good kitten foods. I know there's a TCS thread on Australian brands of cat food but for adult cats.

 

[maggiedemi]

Fancy Feast also has a Turkey flavor for kittens. I just looked at my cans of regular Fancy Feast Classics and it says for All Life Stages, so they are okay for kittens. It's in really small print on the back under the ingredients.

 

[EmmiTemmi]

The canned 'for growth and maintenance' or 'all life stages' is fine for kittens to eat regularly. The fancy feast classic pates are what my boys ate from 4 months and onward, and the normal varieties have a larger selection of flavors so they don't get bored as quickly. I did have them on a kitten specific dry food, but like you, I don't feed much of it.

For the most part, 'kitten' foods are just marketing, especially as they grow into older kittens. My boys are almost 10 months now and they just finished the bag of kitten dry food and I'm transitioning in a non-kitten specific dry food. I suppose if a kitten is underweight a kitten food might be better to help them pack on weight quicker due to (usually) higher protein content. But really, in the wild, once a kitten is weaned they're eating the same/similar food to what mom eats.

 

[duckpond]

i did always feed my kittens two or three wet meals per day, sometimes kitten food, sometime food for all life stages, honestly i think either is fine. I did always keep dry kitten food out at all times, those little guys like to eat I was always a fan of the Merrick dry kitten food.

 

[mani]

I wish Fancy Feast didn't only have whitefish in their kitten range, as their chicken range is good, especially for the price. But it's still worth keeping in the kitten food repertoire.
Have you tried Wellness? They have it a Pet Barn if there's one near you. It's expensive, but you can mix it in with the cheaper food, or alternate.
Wellness Core Grain Free Kitten Formula 12 x 156g Petbarn
Wellness Formula Kitten Food 85gx24 | Petbarn

 

[maggiedemi]

Fancy Feast does have a kitten Turkey flavor. Here's the link:
Fancy Feast Kitten Tender Turkey Feast Canned Cat Food, 3-oz, case of 24

 

[mani]

Fancy Feast does have a kitten Turkey flavor. Here's the link:
Fancy Feast Kitten Tender Turkey Feast Canned Cat Food, 3-oz, case of 24

Yes, I'm just not sure we get it in Australia. There's a lot that isn't available here.

 

[chromecat]

Yeah that flavour isn't available here I think. Oh well, I'll mix the kittens one with the growth and maintenance one. There are many flavours available, so he won't get bored!