Kitten-specific Food Necessary?

[GretaHoney]

Hi all, long time lurker, first time poster!

I have two darling kittens I adopted around a month ago. They are both around 4-5 months old. Before adopting them I read a lot about biologically appropriate diets for cats generally. I learned about them being obligate carnivores and wanted to feed them the best food I could afford. I have been feeding them generous portions of wet food three times a day. I have varied the brand and kind of wet food both in an effort to find their likes and dislikes and also because I wanted to space out ingredients I don’t love (gums, pea protein, etc.) in some of the brands I’m using. Brands include Weruva, Merrick LID, Fancy Feast classic pates, Dr Elseys clean protein, Instinct original kitten, and Wellness kitten.

When I took them to their first visit vet appointment (the vet is a woman we have worked with for years supporting our old lady dog who passed away this summer) she asked about food and said we should be feeding them kitten specific food. She also suggested that we free-feed dry in addition to the wet we are feeding three times a day since one of the kittens, Oona, has had trouble putting on weight.

I thought that “kitten” on labels was pretty much a marketing thing and that it was basically code for low carb and high protein which I am already aiming for. Is there truth to that? Any advice? I know vets aren’t nutritionists, but my boyfriend is freaked out that I am continuing to feed them “non-kitten” food. I have added a little dry food to our routine temporarily to help my little one get more calories in her, but hope to phase that out ideally. I appreciate any advice!

 

[Uncled]

I never did,I just fed Fancy Feast classic pate when they were little and as they grew started using Friskies pate variety as.well, the vet was always happy with their weight and how they looked, I did not feed.kibble to them until the were a few months old and then only in a treat ball to keep them entertained when left alone,the kibble did not substitute a meal. Hope this helps you!

 

[tabbytom]

I thought that “kitten” on labels was pretty much a marketing thing and that it was basically code for low carb and high protein which I am already aiming for. Is there truth to that? Any advice? I know vets aren’t nutritionists, but my boyfriend is freaked out that I am continuing to feed them “non-kitten” food.

and welcome to TCS!

Kittens need kitten food to grow and be nourished as kitten food are full of nutrients and proteins which kittens need in their growing up year. Your boyfriend is right on this.
Feed them wet food labeled 'For Kittens" and feed them as much as they can eat at one sitting and feed them 4 - 5 times a day because they burn out calories very quickly as they are very active.
You can also feed them food labeled 'For All Life Stages' and with this, you don't have to switch to adult food once your kitten becomes an adult cat. You can just continue feeding with this.
My boy was fed food 'Food For All Life Stages' since he was a kitten till now and he's already 3 years 9 months old.

They tend to eat more as they approach adult age (normal breeds matures at 1 year old and larger breeds matures at a later age) as they through the growth spurt which can last till they are way into 1 tear old and slowly you'll notice that the food intake will taper down.

Kittens need at least 300 calories a day and once they are adults kept indoors, they need roughly 250 calories.

Feeding them wet food keeps them hydrated and feed them grain free food. You can also leave clean water for them everyday if they like to drink out of a plate or water fountain for additional hydration.
Dry food are full of carbohydrates and dry food does not clean teeth and dry food may cause diabetes and make them fat.

 

[Azazel]

I would stay away from adult labelled foods for kittens. Most of them don’t even have enough protein for adult cats. All life stages is fine - kitten label is usually best because they are highest in protein and also high in other nutrients that kittens need more of than adults like phosphorus. You can do a mix of kitten and all life stages foods.

 

[maggie101]

I never bothered with that. At 5 weeks old I fed Peaches wellness core chicken,turkey,and Turkey liver. They eat more than adults, about 1+ years then less. I never feed dry. All 3 of my cats are at a healthy weight. 7,8, and 9 pds. 3 meals a day. I usually follow directions on the can though not exactly. Not all cats eat the same amount. They are 5,6, and 7 yrs old. I now feed them dr elseys, canidae chicken duck, and canidae wild frontier trail chicken. I do not feed my cats any fish. Most weruva is high in carbs All very active

 

[maggie101]

Also, someone just posted that dr elseys chicken is on sale on chewy for $15!

 

[maggie101]

And of course, it's out of stock!!!!

 

[HPeters]

kittens should be fed kitten food until they are a year old, im wary of "all-life-stages" foods as kittens have different nutritional requirements than adults and i always recommend Royal Canin, Iams, and Purina as the top brands to go for in what ever dry/wet combo that you prefer

 

[jen]

I have always fed kittens, kitten food. But bottom line is low carb and high protein for all ages, and kittens need more calories as well as no limit on food intake. Even Fancy Feast Classic Pates are low to no carb. Royal Canin and Iams are carb filled, low protein corn and soy filled brands unless something new has come out in the past few years I am unaware of. Purina, I am actually not sure of but I avoid it due to so many better options out there.

 

[GretaHoney]

Thank you all for your feedback! I am going with a combination of kitten-specific and all ages formulas. Are there any kitten-specific varieties you all particularly like? Looking for options that are high-protein, low-carb, no carrageenan, and little to no fruit or vegetable ingredients. Thanks!

 

[MissClouseau]

Thank you all for your feedback! I am going with a combination of kitten-specific and all ages formulas. Are there any kitten-specific varieties you all particularly like? Looking for options that are high-protein, low-carb, no carrageenan, and little to no fruit or vegetable ingredients. Thanks!

My adult cat eats Acana Wild Prairie which is both for adult cats and kittens. Orijen Cat & Kitten has even higher percentage of animal products. They still have things peas though. I'm not sure if you can find a food that doesn't have some of those stuff as they need something to make the ingredients stick together.

Also for "no fruit or vegetable ingredient" not all of them are bad. Cranberry extract for example is there for urinary health and that exists in supplements too. Milk thistle is for liver health and prescribed by vets too if there is a liver problem. And so on. I mean there ARE unnecessary things in some dry foods for sure, just to say not all "fruit/vegetable ingredient" is bad nor not beneficial.

 

[Azazel]

My adult cat eats Acana Wild Prairie which is both for adult cats and kittens. Orijen Cat & Kitten has even higher percentage of animal products. They still have things peas though. I'm not sure if you can find a food that doesn't have some of those stuff as they need something to make the ingredients stick together.

Also for "no fruit or vegetable ingredient" not all of them are bad. Cranberry extract for example is there for urinary health and that exists in supplements too. Milk thistle is for liver health and prescribed by vets too if there is a liver problem. And so on. I mean there ARE unnecessary things in some dry foods for sure, just to say not all "fruit/vegetable ingredient" is bad nor not beneficial.

There is no evidence to show that cranberry is good for urinary health in cats. To the contrary, there are lots of reports from cat parents that their cats developed UTIs on foods containing cranberries.

 

[MissClouseau]

There is no evidence to show that cranberry is good for urinary health in cats. To the contrary, there are lots of reports from cat parents that their cats developed UTIs on foods containing cranberries.

What are those lots of reports? There is a single study from 2016 that made cranberry controversial. Granted there is also not official evidence to say cranberries are effective in cats like they are to prevent UTI in humans, but there aren't enough studies either way. Including no evidence it is bad for them. It's up to the pet parent to decide. (Which was my main point. Just because cats are carnivores doesn't mean all fruits and vegetables are bad for them in any amount. Rather some are even prescribed as supplements.

 

[Azazel]

What are those lots of reports? There is a single study from 2016 that made cranberry controversial. Granted there is also not official evidence to say cranberries are effective in cats like they are to prevent UTI in humans, but there aren't enough studies either way. Including no evidence it is bad for them. It's up to the pet parent to decide. (Which was my main point. Just because cats are carnivores doesn't mean all fruits and vegetables are bad for them in any amount. Rather some are even prescribed as supplements.

I’m not referring to official reports, I’m just referring to anecdotal evidence from users of this website and reviews of various foods online.

Cats’ urinary tracts have very different acidity levels than humans. It doesn’t make any sense to generalize research based on humans to cats.

Well, actually, yes... Carnivora, by definition, cannot properly digest plant matter and fruits. We don’t know if cranberries are potentially “bad” for them, but there is no reason to believe that a carnivore would benefit from cranberries. There is reason to believe that they don’t need them since they are carnivores.

Cranberries are a typical marketing ploy by pet food companies. People think cranberries will be good for their cats because they’re good for themselves. Pet food companies market to humans, not cats.

 

[MissClouseau]

I’m not referring to official reports, I’m just referring to anecdotal evidence from users of this website and reviews of various foods online.

Cats’ urinary tracts have very different acidity levels than humans. It doesn’t make any sense to generalize research based on humans to cats.

Well, actually, yes... Carnivora, by definition, cannot properly digest plant matter and fruits. We don’t know if cranberries are potentially “bad” for them, but there is no reason to believe that a carnivore would benefit from cranberries. There is reason to believe that they don’t need them since they are carnivores.

Cranberries are a typical marketing ploy by pet food companies. People think cranberries will be good for their cats because they’re good for themselves. Pet food companies market to humans, not cats.

This isn't about pet food companies at all. There are supplements with cranberries vets prescribe too. Just like milk thistle which you completely ignored. It does help both humans and cats with liver problems. There are other things like curcumin.

You DO realize some medicines we use, or animals use, are also plant-based. It doesn't matter if an animal is a carnivore. They can still benefit from some plants and they do.

 

[Azazel]

This isn't about pet food companies at all. There are supplements with cranberries vets prescribe too. Just like milk thistle which you completely ignored. It does help both humans and cats with liver problems. There are other things like curcumin.

You DO realize some medicines we use, or animals use, are also plant-based. It doesn't matter if an animal is a carnivore. They can still benefit from some plants and they do.

What are these supplements with cranberries you are referring to?

By definition, obligate carnivores do not have the physiology to digest plants.

 

[MissClouseau]

What are these supplements with cranberries you are referring to?

By definition, obligate carnivores do not have the physiology to digest plants.

Dose matters. I can't name supplements you would be familiar with as I know the names of local ones. But I have seen from the USA as well, google results for "cranberry supplement cats" or something like that would show a bunch of results I'm sure, from Amazon etc too

 

[MissClouseau]

What are these supplements with cranberries you are referring to?

By definition, obligate carnivores do not have the physiology to digest plants.

This is apparently one in the USA, for example:

 

[Azazel]

These appear to be over the counter remedies that you would find at a pet shop. I don’t know if any vets that would recommend them. Maybe a holistic vet would? In either case, being recommended by a vet doesn’t change the fact that there is no support for cranberries actually having a benefit for cats and, based on what we know about cats being obligate carnivores, the healthiest environment for their urine can be created by feeding lots of raw animal protein.

Basically my point is that the more logical conclusion for urinary health for cats is to increase animal protein in the diet, not to add cranberries. The starting point for the cranberry argument is that it’s potentially healthy for humans and therefore could potentially be beneficial for cats. This is, in my opinion, not a logical argument but a human-centred one, and the pet supplement and pet food companies are smart to market products with cranberries in them to humans. The more logical argument would be to start at the point where we know that cats are obligate carnivores. What creates the optimal acidity level in a cat’s urinary tract? Fresh meat!

 

[Azazel]

Back to the poster’s issue though... I would recommend as much canned food as you can give (ideally all canned and no dry) and foods that are primarily animal protein and fat. I very occasionally give canned food and the brand I use is Feline Natural, but lots of people here like Rawz or Weruva.