Free feeding cats of different ages and needs

[GoldyCat]

I have two cats who are 17 months old. I had switched them from kitten food to adult food at 12-13 months. Then in the middle of July I took in a young (7-8 month old?) pregnant stray. I put out kitten food for her but noticed after a couple of days that she was eating the adult food and ignoring the kitten food. I changed everybody back to kitten food to make sure Goldy was getting the nutrition she needed.

At about the same time I was considering changing to a grain-free food. I got samples of both Taste of the Wild and Wellness Core. The cats seem to have a slight preference for Taste of the Wild, but Wellness Core is more readily available to me.

Goldy's kittens are now 3-1/2 weeks old and I expect them to start eating solid food soon. My question is, should I continue to feed kitten food to all the cats? Or can I switch the adults to grain-free and try to keep the kittens' food in a separate place? Or is it okay to give the kittens the grain-free so everybody is eating the same thing?

The adult cats also share a can of wet food once or twice a day, depending on my schedule.

 

[whiteforest]

Originally Posted by GoldyCat

I have two cats who are 17 months old. I had switched them from kitten food to adult food at 12-13 months. Then in the middle of July I took in a young (7-8 month old?) pregnant stray. I put out kitten food for her but noticed after a couple of days that she was eating the adult food and ignoring the kitten food. I changed everybody back to kitten food to make sure Goldy was getting the nutrition she needed.

At about the same time I was considering changing to a grain-free food. I got samples of both Taste of the Wild and Wellness Core. The cats seem to have a slight preference for Taste of the Wild, but Wellness Core is more readily available to me.

Goldy's kittens are now 3-1/2 weeks old and I expect them to start eating solid food soon. My question is, should I continue to feed kitten food to all the cats? Or can I switch the adults to grain-free and try to keep the kittens' food in a separate place? Or is it okay to give the kittens the grain-free so everybody is eating the same thing?

The adult cats also share a can of wet food once or twice a day, depending on my schedule.

I know you're looking for a response about how to handle cats and kittens with different ages and needs, but I just wanted to add that the two foods you are looking at (Taste of the Wild and CORE) are "all life stages" formulas, meaning they meet the nutritional requirements for both adult cats and kittens.

 

[thecatcoach]

I'm not a vet or vet nutritionist, so can't really comment on food.

You may want to consider feeding in separate rooms. Also, as mentioned by whiteforest food that is for all life stages may be a solution. I would first check with a vet though, to make sure that everyone is getting the proper nutrients, protein, etc for their age.
Marilyn Krieger, CCBC

 

[GoldyCat]

Thanks for the responses. I will check with the vet. It would be great if I can feed them all the same thing. It's really hard to train them to eat from different dishes or in different rooms. I have food set out in two places, but my house has very few doors that can be closed between rooms and the cats all take turns eating from all the dishes.