Is Kitten Food Necessary?

[Maxxwell]

How important is kitten food for kittens? Zoey is around 7 months someone told me she should be eating kitten food the problem is I free feed since her and Killer were/are semi feral. Killer is about a 1 1/2 years old so he's considered an adult so I don't want to feed him kitten food if I don't have to. I have no way of separting them I can grab Zoey and put her in a different room but her and Killer are a pair and I know separting them is going to do more harm than good. I have no clue when Killer even eats I know he eats and uses the litter box I've caught him a couple of times in the box going but they have no eating schedule they usually come out to eat when they feel they're in the clear. I'm currently feeding Purina Cat Chow complete formula I've always used this brand and just switched up the formula whenever I thought my old cat was getting bored.

 

[Furballsmom]

There is a certain amount of difference in the carbs and protein ratios. The chow is dry? Can you add some wet food? Thank you for taking care of them!

 

[tabbytom]

7 month old is still very much a kitten. Kitten food is indeed important. It is formulated for growth of the kitten. Kittens need posts of proteins in order to grow and kitten food has all or most of the nutrients needed for growth.

Wet food = proteins and moisture and dry food = carbohydrates very little or no moisture

The other food for them is you can get food for all life stages. Both kittens and adult cats can have it.

 

[Maxxwell]

There is a certain amount of difference in the carbs and protein ratios. The chow is dry? Can you add some wet food? Thank you for taking care of them!

Yes it's dry. How long is the wet food good for? I worry with them being free fed that wet might go bad and cause a possibly upset stomach Zoey is currently fighting a cold at the moment that she came with so I don't want to risk her possibly getting sick from bad food too.

 

[abyeb]

Yes, I think kitten food is best for cats up to about a year old. Kitten-specific food contains all the nutrients necessary for healthy physical and cognitive development of growing kittens. All-life stages food is also something you can use, because for a food to claim to be “all-life stages” it has to satisfy the needs of the most nutritionally demanding stage of a cat’s life, which is kittenhood. The best food to give to your kitten, is also something you can ask your vet about.

Here’s an old thread that gives a lot of great info and tips about kitten food: Do kittens need kitten food

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi, a lot of people including myself are able to leave wet food out for up to 12 hours with no problems, Dr Lisa Pierson on catinfo.org also comments about that.

 

[Johnriii]

my girls eat both wet and dry kitten food, but I'm thinking of going strictly wet for the protein factor. Chloe is getting a bit "round" in the belly, probably from the fact that we tend to leave the dry food out longer, it's probably time to start restricting their meal times in a more regimented way. they just turned 6 months old, so I'm thinking of wet food 3 times a day. I just can't figure out how much....they share a 3.5 ounce can of Purina kitten food now, and sometimes they don't even finish that. I have a feeling they are getting too much of the dry food...

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi - they are still kittens, and kittens need to eat a LOT. It will be interesting to see if they hopefully increase their intake of wet food with no dry available. Regarding quantity, my suggestion would be as much as they'll eat. The only problem with that is if they don't really like the wet you're providing, so as you already are, keep an eye on things.

 

[Johnriii]

Hi - they are still kittens, and kittens need to eat a LOT. It will be interesting to see if they hopefully increase their intake of wet food with no dry available. Regarding quantity, my suggestion would be as much as they'll eat. The only problem with that is if they don't really like the wet you're providing, so as you already are, keep an eye on things.

I think they LIKE the wet food, but I really think they are full from the several feedings of the dry Iams food. typically, they get the wet food right around 10pm, and like I said, they share a 3.5 ounce can. they haven't shown any signs (yet) of being picky. this morning, they had about half of that canned food still in the bowl. maybe this is the beginning of picky eating? time will tell.

 

[Furballsmom]

Oh, the joys of the cat food world. I'm sure you've thought of this already, but you could always look into trying a different wet food or two, and see how that goes over. Hang in there!

 

[kat hamlin]

I'm going to pipe up because I feel differently about kitten food. In my eyes, it is mainly a marketing gimmick. Kittens don't need drastically different nutrient profiles than adult cats (thus the existence of all life stages (ALS) foods). They simply require more protein and a higher caloric intake. If you are already feeding a quality, high-protein-from-meat-source food, I think it is more than sufficient for a 5-6 month old kitten. I do not believe in feeding a kitten formula food to a kitten that old, and especially not for the first year or longer. In my mind, the extra calories and fat in kitten food are going straight to that tummy swing once kitten starts slowing down post-spay/neuter. I do feed kitten food to young kittens and kittens that are underweight, but I have done fine in the past feeding adult food to 3 and 4 month old kittens who are of a good weight. Under 3 months, yes, I would probably select a kitten formula if not using an ALS food, but past that--kittens reach maturity more quickly than I think these pet food companies are banking on. Extra DHA may be useful for young kittens but much of that brain development is taking place during the nursing period, not during the crunchy eating time. And there should be DHA in an adult food in sufficient quantity, at any rate, since the need for fatty acids does not go away completely in a mature cat. While cats under a year old may act immaturely, I find the body is mostly mature at 5-6 months, and growth is definitely markedly slowed by that period. These are cats that grow to be about 10 pounds, not Great Danes that go from 2 pounds at birth to 150+ at maturity. The growth profile simply isn't the same.
Pet food manufacturers, I think, want you to feed kitten formula until a year. It's more expensive for the same amount, and then at one year you have a fat cat and you have to pay extra for their low-calorie weight loss formula. I do not know that there is an exact cut-off time for kitten food but I certainly think monitoring the growing kitten is helpful. Once you start to see any sign of pudge, off that kitten food! And I just skip the pudge stage by stopping kitten foods a bit earlier. I'm on the fence as to if spaying/neutering truly reduces metabolism, but it definitely reduces caloric needs behaviorally. No need to store up calories for searching for a mate or preparing body for carrying kittens. And kittens at 4-6 months are starting to slow down from the frantic energy they have at 2-3 months. Naturally, whether they are fixed or not. I can see wanting to supplement caloric intake when they are younger and bouncing off the walls, although that can be done by feeding more, proportionally, of a good quality adult or ALS food just as easily as feeding a smaller quantity of kitten food that happens to be calorically more dense.

In general, mammals do not have vastly different nutrient profiles from young to mature. What they do have is required calories decreasing. Some mammals that grow to be very large benefit, somewhat paradoxically, from a more limited calorie profile when they are young as growing too quickly is not healthy. There is some proof among Great Danes about calcium to phosphorus ratios being important in puppies to keep from growing too quickly, but high protein is good is as good for the pup as it is for the adult. If you think about human mammals, we don't feed our young drastically different foods from adults--once they are not nursing, they get the same thing adults get, but just squished up because they can't chew well. We give them more to eat, so they get enough calories for growing, but we don't feed them different foods. We maybe supplement with vitamins that have more of this but generally NOT less of that. As fatty acids are good for baby mammals, they are also good for adult mammals and mammals in between. To counter the "kitten food has DHA" argument. Most of what baby mammals need that is 'different' from adults is best and most easily gotten through nursing. Now, if you have an orphan, that is another story, but you are still going to want something closer to milk than to crunchies.

 

[LTS3]

I never fed my current cats kitten food. My Aby was weaned right onto raw food. I have no idea what my rescue cat was eating at the shelter but probably kitten food. I got my rescue at 6 months old. Both cats have grown up just fine on raw food. They did eat a lot as kittens but that's typical for all kittens regardless of diet.

It's fine if your kitten gets into the other cat's food. Maybe feed a food that is "for all life stages" so both cats can eat it. Purina Cat Chow isn't a very good dry food so you might want to consider another brand with less junky fillers.

Canned food is ok if left out all day. It's a cooked product so it won't spoil but you do want to throw uneaten food at the end of the day. Using a programmable timed feeder is one way to keep canned food fresher longer at room temperature.

 

[Lari]

Does kitten food normally cost more? Because I buy Wellness and all the bags/cans of the same size are the same price, whether it's kitten pâté (for example) or adult.

 

[Johnriii]

ok, so three day/nights in a row, they have left wet food in the bowl when I get up at 0500. either they are getting too full off the dry food earlier in the day, or they don't like the wet food. I'm going to try a different brand to see if that makes a difference.

 

[saleri]

Hi, a lot of people including myself are able to leave wet food out for up to 12 hours with no problems, Dr Lisa Pierson on catinfo.org also comments about that.

Dr. Pierson also thinks kitten food is nonsense and any wet cat food is fine for them.

 

[tarasgirl06]

How important is kitten food for kittens? Zoey is around 7 months someone told me she should be eating kitten food the problem is I free feed since her and Killer were/are semi feral. Killer is about a 1 1/2 years old so he's considered an adult so I don't want to feed him kitten food if I don't have to. I have no way of separting them I can grab Zoey and put her in a different room but her and Killer are a pair and I know separting them is going to do more harm than good. I have no clue when Killer even eats I know he eats and uses the litter box I've caught him a couple of times in the box going but they have no eating schedule they usually come out to eat when they feel they're in the clear. I'm currently feeding Purina Cat Chow complete formula I've always used this brand and just switched up the formula whenever I thought my old cat was getting bored.

Personally, I always feed kitten food to kittens until they are at least 1 year old. I feed the highest quality foods possible to ALL cats of all ages, just as I eat the best quality food I can afford, no junk food, because it keeps me healthy and I don't get sick/have go go to doctors which I don't believe in anyway. Many people feel that any food formulated for cats labeled "all life stages" or "kittens through adults" would be fine; I don't have anything against that, personally, as long as the quality of the food is good, and I believe variety for cats, just like for us, is the "spice of life". But I have raised many healthy kittens by feeding kitten food, so that's the choice I'd make.

 

[leeannintx]

My cats are about the same ages as Zoey and Killer, and I have had them both on adult food even though the younger one is technically still a kitten. For whatever reason she did not like the kitten food and would always go for the adult food when I put both out. When I posed the same question to my vet --- how important is kitten/adult distinction --- she said it really didn't matter that much, and that in my case it was more important that the older cat, Ferdinand, at 13 lbs, not put on a lot of weight from the extra fat in the kitten formula. I now have them on about 500 cal/day combined (so 250 cal or so per cat). I do (3) feedings of the 3-oz Fancy Feast classics wet food and 1/2 Cup/day total of dry food (Science Diet mixed with a little Purina Beyond). Ferdinand has slimmed down a bit, and Isabel is still growing.

 

[Maxxwell]

I'm going to pipe up because I feel differently about kitten food. In my eyes, it is mainly a marketing gimmick. Kittens don't need drastically different nutrient profiles than adult cats (thus the existence of all life stages (ALS) foods). They simply require more protein and a higher caloric intake. If you are already feeding a quality, high-protein-from-meat-source food, I think it is more than sufficient for a 5-6 month old kitten. I do not believe in feeding a kitten formula food to a kitten that old, and especially not for the first year or longer. In my mind, the extra calories and fat in kitten food are going straight to that tummy swing once kitten starts slowing down post-spay/neuter. I do feed kitten food to young kittens and kittens that are underweight, but I have done fine in the past feeding adult food to 3 and 4 month old kittens who are of a good weight. Under 3 months, yes, I would probably select a kitten formula if not using an ALS food, but past that--kittens reach maturity more quickly than I think these pet food companies are banking on. Extra DHA may be useful for young kittens but much of that brain development is taking place during the nursing period, not during the crunchy eating time. And there should be DHA in an adult food in sufficient quantity, at any rate, since the need for fatty acids does not go away completely in a mature cat. While cats under a year old may act immaturely, I find the body is mostly mature at 5-6 months, and growth is definitely markedly slowed by that period. These are cats that grow to be about 10 pounds, not Great Danes that go from 2 pounds at birth to 150+ at maturity. The growth profile simply isn't the same.
Pet food manufacturers, I think, want you to feed kitten formula until a year. It's more expensive for the same amount, and then at one year you have a fat cat and you have to pay extra for their low-calorie weight loss formula. I do not know that there is an exact cut-off time for kitten food but I certainly think monitoring the growing kitten is helpful. Once you start to see any sign of pudge, off that kitten food! And I just skip the pudge stage by stopping kitten foods a bit earlier. I'm on the fence as to if spaying/neutering truly reduces metabolism, but it definitely reduces caloric needs behaviorally. No need to store up calories for searching for a mate or preparing body for carrying kittens. And kittens at 4-6 months are starting to slow down from the frantic energy they have at 2-3 months. Naturally, whether they are fixed or not. I can see wanting to supplement caloric intake when they are younger and bouncing off the walls, although that can be done by feeding more, proportionally, of a good quality adult or ALS food just as easily as feeding a smaller quantity of kitten food that happens to be calorically more dense.

In general, mammals do not have vastly different nutrient profiles from young to mature. What they do have is required calories decreasing. Some mammals that grow to be very large benefit, somewhat paradoxically, from a more limited calorie profile when they are young as growing too quickly is not healthy. There is some proof among Great Danes about calcium to phosphorus ratios being important in puppies to keep from growing too quickly, but high protein is good is as good for the pup as it is for the adult. If you think about human mammals, we don't feed our young drastically different foods from adults--once they are not nursing, they get the same thing adults get, but just squished up because they can't chew well. We give them more to eat, so they get enough calories for growing, but we don't feed them different foods. We maybe supplement with vitamins that have more of this but generally NOT less of that. As fatty acids are good for baby mammals, they are also good for adult mammals and mammals in between. To counter the "kitten food has DHA" argument. Most of what baby mammals need that is 'different' from adults is best and most easily gotten through nursing. Now, if you have an orphan, that is another story, but you are still going to want something closer to milk than to crunchies.

This was kinda my feelings on it too. Zoey isn't underweight at all she's in great shape. With free feeding kitten food I worry she'll quickly become overweight with all the extra calories in it. Her and killer now graze all throughout the day. She seems to be managing fine on the adult and I know for a fact when she was a young kitten she wasn't getting kitten food before she was rescued if her owner put food outside for all the cats it was usually dollar tree cat food and at the rescue she was fed anything that was donated or whatever the rescue could buy on sale.

 

[Maxxwell]

My cats are about the same ages as Zoey and Killer, and I have had them both on adult food even though the younger one is technically still a kitten. For whatever reason she did not like the kitten food and would always go for the adult food when I put both out. When I posed the same question to my vet --- how important is kitten/adult distinction --- she said it really didn't matter that much, and that in my case it was more important that the older cat, Ferdinand, at 13 lbs, not put on a lot of weight from the extra fat in the kitten formula. I now have them on about 500 cal/day combined (so 250 cal or so per cat). I do (3) feedings of the 3-oz Fancy Feast classics wet food and 1/2 Cup/day total of dry food (Science Diet mixed with a little Purina Beyond). Ferdinand has slimmed down a bit, and Isabel is still growing.

I tried asking my vet about this too and they told me without seeing them both that the best they could tell me was if Zoey wasn't underweight, wasn't having any troubles going, eating okay, and was active and alert that her food is probably fine and not to worry to much about it. I can't really give a report on killers body conditions since he hasn't let anyone touch him since the day I brought him home but he looks great doesn't look skinny at all or fat but he is a big cat especially for him to only be 1 year old Killer's about the same size as my last cat maxx who was a Siamese Maine Coon mix and weighed 15-18lbs.

 

[Daisy901]

I'm going to pipe up because I feel differently about kitten food. In my eyes, it is mainly a marketing gimmick. Kittens don't need drastically different nutrient profiles than adult cats (thus the existence of all life stages (ALS) foods). They simply require more protein and a higher caloric intake. If you are already feeding a quality, high-protein-from-meat-source food, I think it is more than sufficient for a 5-6 month old kitten. I do not believe in feeding a kitten formula food to a kitten that old, and especially not for the first year or longer. In my mind, the extra calories and fat in kitten food are going straight to that tummy swing once kitten starts slowing down post-spay/neuter. I do feed kitten food to young kittens and kittens that are underweight, but I have done fine in the past feeding adult food to 3 and 4 month old kittens who are of a good weight. Under 3 months, yes, I would probably select a kitten formula if not using an ALS food, but past that--kittens reach maturity more quickly than I think these pet food companies are banking on. Extra DHA may be useful for young kittens but much of that brain development is taking place during the nursing period, not during the crunchy eating time. And there should be DHA in an adult food in sufficient quantity, at any rate, since the need for fatty acids does not go away completely in a mature cat. While cats under a year old may act immaturely, I find the body is mostly mature at 5-6 months, and growth is definitely markedly slowed by that period. These are cats that grow to be about 10 pounds, not Great Danes that go from 2 pounds at birth to 150+ at maturity. The growth profile simply isn't the same.
Pet food manufacturers, I think, want you to feed kitten formula until a year. It's more expensive for the same amount, and then at one year you have a fat cat and you have to pay extra for their low-calorie weight loss formula. I do not know that there is an exact cut-off time for kitten food but I certainly think monitoring the growing kitten is helpful. Once you start to see any sign of pudge, off that kitten food! And I just skip the pudge stage by stopping kitten foods a bit earlier. I'm on the fence as to if spaying/neutering truly reduces metabolism, but it definitely reduces caloric needs behaviorally. No need to store up calories for searching for a mate or preparing body for carrying kittens. And kittens at 4-6 months are starting to slow down from the frantic energy they have at 2-3 months. Naturally, whether they are fixed or not. I can see wanting to supplement caloric intake when they are younger and bouncing off the walls, although that can be done by feeding more, proportionally, of a good quality adult or ALS food just as easily as feeding a smaller quantity of kitten food that happens to be calorically more dense.

In general, mammals do not have vastly different nutrient profiles from young to mature. What they do have is required calories decreasing. Some mammals that grow to be very large benefit, somewhat paradoxically, from a more limited calorie profile when they are young as growing too quickly is not healthy. There is some proof among Great Danes about calcium to phosphorus ratios being important in puppies to keep from growing too quickly, but high protein is good is as good for the pup as it is for the adult. If you think about human mammals, we don't feed our young drastically different foods from adults--once they are not nursing, they get the same thing adults get, but just squished up because they can't chew well. We give them more to eat, so they get enough calories for growing, but we don't feed them different foods. We maybe supplement with vitamins that have more of this but generally NOT less of that. As fatty acids are good for baby mammals, they are also good for adult mammals and mammals in between. To counter the "kitten food has DHA" argument. Most of what baby mammals need that is 'different' from adults is best and most easily gotten through nursing. Now, if you have an orphan, that is another story, but you are still going to want something closer to milk than to crunchies.

Do u think that would be ok even if a kitten is on a supplement since she was sick when she was born to put her on the all stages food she is gonna be 6 months old and she runs around like a little hellin