How Do You Decide Which Kitten Foods To Feed?

[gethane]

I'm so overwhelmed. I started with Natural Balance wet and dry kitten food because I had to have something. But I gather it may not be the best choice. Pepper is 11 weeks, for reference. The vet recommended switching up her food every 6 months so if she ever needs to go on a special diet she'll be used to eating different foods. Reviews seem so random and hard to trust on the internet anymore. I've read the nutrition guide but it still seems like greek to me.

 

[kittyluv387]

You can feed adult food to kittens. As long as it'a high quality. You want something low in carbs but high in protein. I really recommend that you feed your cat a variety of flavors and brands now! So he doesn't become too picky and stuck on certain things. There are many many posts about cat food around here so search around! I will say Dr. Elsey's is a very good brand. I recommend white meat for cats because that's what's natural for them. They don't hunt pigs and cows in the wild. Check out catinfo.org. It has some good reading about cat nutrition.

 

[gethane]

oh i didn't realize i didn't have to stick with kitten wet.

 

[kittyluv387]

oh i didn't realize i didn't have to stick with kitten wet.

Nah high quality canned will do. Usually for cheaper brands they'll make the kitten food to be a little higher in quality and more caloric. But with high quality canned you can get the same results!

 

[gethane]

Thanks so much but in some ways that makes my task more difficult with even more choices!

 

[jcat]

If you decide to feed something other than a kitten formula, be sure it's for "all life stages".

The kittens at our shelter get 3 - 4 meals of wet kitten food a day. We give them a variety of brands and flavors so they don't become fixated on a single brand; that also lessens the chance of an unbalanced diet. They're also free-fed dry kitten food, but we stick to a single brand to prevent stomach upset.

 

[sandyshores]

I'm so overwhelmed. I started with Natural Balance wet and dry kitten food because I had to have something. But I gather it may not be the best choice. Pepper is 11 weeks, for reference. The vet recommended switching up her food every 6 months so if she ever needs to go on a special diet she'll be used to eating different foods. Reviews seem so random and hard to trust on the internet anymore. I've read the nutrition guide but it still seems like greek to me.

I got both my cats when they were 6 months... they are now 15, so not an expert on kittens. But I fed them kitten food until they were a year old just because my vet said to, and also using logic that kitten food would have more of the nutrients a kitten would need to grow/develop. Kind of like going to the vitamin counter and looking at what the kid vitamins have in them as compared to what the adult and senior vitamins have in them.... a lot of difference depending on age. I fed mine the Wellness Kitten food and every once in awhile when they had another brand kitten food without byproducts on sale, would get that. They ate everything I bought when they were younger. I've never fed kibble, only wet food - and never had a weight problem on either cat. But I do buy the Greenies Hairball treats and give them a few of those everyday as they are Persians. Just a tip, buy some treats and put them in a glass jar. Shake the jar every time you give your kitty a treat. Over time they will come running every time they hear that jar shake. Great way to find your kitties when they are hiding!!!