Is It Safe To Feed A Kitten Cat Food?

Sketchyeh

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Hello friends!

My new kitten, Finn, loves to do everything his big brother Krueger does - including eating his food. At meal times, when I do give them their kibble, Finn is always going for the adult food. I steer him back to his own bowl of kitten kibbles, but he takes maybe a few bites and heads back to the adult. He seems a lot more interested in it, but I'm afraid that if I let him eat just that food, he won't get the nutritional benefits that kitten food has for him!

I do not really have the money to try a lot of different kitten foods, but I was wondering if there was anything that could happen to him health-wise if he were to eat the adult food I'm feeding over the kitten?
 

maggiedemi

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Does it say All Life Stages on it or Adult? I think it would be okay, it might have a little less fat and calories in it than the kitten food.
 

Ladewyn

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Only if it's for all life stages. Kittens cannot eat adult cat food, they have much higher energy and protein needs that adult diets don't always provide. It can result in poor growth, malnutrition, etc. Cats can eat kitten food, but not the other way around. So because of this, it may actually be easier to switch both to a kitten or all life stages diet, so you don't have to worry about the younger one receiving inappropriate nutrition by stealing his big brother's food.
So make sure to check the nutritional adequacy statement.
 

LTS3

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Maybe you can add a few pieces of the "adult" dry food into the bowl of kitten food so your kitten will eat. A few pieces won't hurt a kitten.
 

kittens mom

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There are several dry cat foods that are for all life stages. Mercy will only eat kitten kibble. Her DVM is ok with that. She has taken to eating some wet food in the last months which is encouraging. As your kitten grows up you will change it's diet anyway.
 
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Sketchyeh

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The food I feed Krueger is Performatrin Ultra in the grain-free recipe. He seems to really enjoy it and it was a much healthier alternative to Iams while still being in my price range (plus at the store I work at, I get 45% off). The brochures and the website both say it's good for all life stages (I don't have the bag, as I put them in plastic containers to keep them fresh).

Finn gets the kitten formula from the same brand, but much prefers the adult, like I said. So, since it says all life stages, is it safe to feed him?

These boys also get some raw food and wet food as well (Krueger is less keen on it lol but Finn is taking to all the foods pretty well).
 
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Sketchyeh

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Excellent! I'll donate back the kitten food to a shelter, and just start feeding them both the same. :)
 
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