Transition From Kitten To Adult Food

[Diana Faye]

Hi, everyone. I started posting here after my beloved senior, Irving, passed away last year (pic in profile) and ended up acquiring 2 kittens soon After. Simon was estimated at 3.5 months at the time, and Garfunkel (Funky) was estimated around 6 months. They are now hitting the 1 yr mark, and I'm thinking it may be time to switch them to adult food.

They've been eating Friskies classic pate and sometimes the indoor variety pack and the Hill's Science Diet Indoor Kitten dry food. Simon can be a little picky, so they were getting 1/4 can 2x a day, but lately I've been giving them 1/2 each. Simon is eating more than 1/4, but doesn't quite finish off a whole 1/2 can all the time. Funky is more than happy to clean his plate for him. The dry food is out to graze, and they get annoyed if the bowls goes empty, but I noticed that since I upped the wet they've naturally been eating less of the dry. I'm not thrilled with these brands, but 'm still not great about understanding nutrition and it's what they've been consistent with. The Science Diet also has Lysine in it, which I prefer because Funky does carry the herpes virus (lost an eye when he was a kitten, before I got him at the shelter).

As I stated above, I'm not sure where I should go for adult food. Although Simon appears petite, he's very muscular and only a little smaller than Funky at surprising 11 lbs. Funky is very long, he does have a noticeable pouch, and is 12 lbs. They are not yet due for their yearly appt, but the vet hasn't said anything to me about their weight. I am keeping in mind that weight may be an issue, if Funky is always finishing off Simon's food, and I of course don't know who is eating how much of the dry.

I'm considering going towards Hill's Science Diet Perfect Weight, or Purina Pro Plan Focus Adult Weight Management, but I don't know if this is what is right for them. They both appear to have Lysine, and in a price range that I am comfortable with. I don't mind going a little above the price for something better, especially since the dry food is really just more supplementary. I'd really appreciate some guidance on dry food for young adults that will be nutritious and keep them at a healthy weight.

I added before and after pics for size comparison, and just cos they're so darn cute

Most recent pic, Simon (grey) and Garfunkel (orange)

Side by side comparison

Simon when he was found by a neighbor, approx 3.5 months and 4 lbs

Funky when he came home from the shelter. They told me he was 4 months old but the vet estimated 6 months (and I tend to agree). He was maybe 8-9 lbs there

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. I don't have any suggestions (sorry). My cat is on urinary care food, so I have little to no experience with anything else.

Just wanted to tell you that Simon and Garfunkel are gorgeous, and I LOVE the side by side comparison pic. How sweet!

 

[tabbytom]

They are now hitting the 1 yr mark, and I'm thinking it may be time to switch them to adult food.

We are so

to hear about Irving

Kittens eat a lot as they are growing up. It's good that they are eating more wet than dry as the better wet food is full of proteins and nutrients. Kittens should be fed with food made for kittens and thinnest form is in wet food.

You can also feed them food labeled 'For All Life Stages' and you don't have to switch when they turn into adult cats and can continue feeding them the same.

All cats or kittens are different. Some eat more that others, laying any health issues aside, but they should be fed as much much as they can eat at one sitting and be fed 4-5 times a day. You can never over feed a kitten. Once they are full, they'll stop and from there, you know that's the amount they eat at every sitting and adjust accordingly as the months go by.

Once they reach 9 months to a year, they are experiencing a growth spurt and thus eating more and this will go on till they are one over years old. After that, you'll notice that their food intake will taper off and they'll eat less amount and less feeding times.

Feeding the right wet food need not worry about weight management as wet food are not carbohydrates like dry food is and wet food is definitely more nutritious than dry food.

My boy was rescued when he was only 3 weeks old and he was fed wet food labeled 'For All Life Stages' till now and he is now coming to be 3 1/2 years old.

Simon and Garfunkel are gorgeous!

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi! Here are a couple of articles and a link to a database that might be helpful;
I don't know if price is a concern, but some people like Dr elsey's clean protein. I rotate my boy's kibble, currently I'm using Blue Wilderness . Merrick Backcountry has a couple of dry food choices and I think Natural Balance does also, plus Kirkland (Costco) has a decent kibble.

How To Choose The Best Dry Cat Food?

What Makes The Best Canned Cat Food?

How To Choose The Right Food For Your Cat

CatFoodDB - Cat Food Reviews to help you find the best cat food for your cat

 

[Ardina]

If it fits with your budget, I'd recommend feeding them exclusively wet food because high moisture content is really important for cats, especially males who are more prone to urinary blockages. Whatever you decide, whether wet, dry, or a combo, pick a food that has meat in the first several ingredients. I'd avoid Hill's science, which is mostly corn. Not sure about Purina pro plan.

I highly recommend that you read through the nutrition section of catinfo.org. It's written by a vet who has done a lot of research into cat diets.

 

[Diana Faye]

Hi. I don't have any suggestions (sorry). My cat is on urinary care food, so I have little to no experience with anything else.

Just wanted to tell you that Simon and Garfunkel are gorgeous, and I LOVE the side by side comparison pic. How sweet!

Thank you. They do look so sweet and innocent in that pic. They can drive me bonkers but they are super adorable together. I got them separately maybe 2 weeks apart, but they've been bffs since day one.

 

[Diana Faye]

If it fits with your budget, I'd recommend feeding them exclusively wet food because high moisture content is really important for cats, especially males who are more prone to urinary blockages. Whatever you decide, whether wet, dry, or a combo, pick a food that has meat in the first several ingredients. I'd avoid Hill's science, which is mostly corn. Not sure about Purina pro plan.

I highly recommend that you read through the nutrition section of catinfo.org. It's written by a vet who has done a lot of research into cat diets.

I just got some different wet foods to try with different flavors- Nulo, Instinct, and Core with duck, rabbit, turkey, chicken. They're not exactly in my budget, but ideally I'd be happy if I could introduce at least a little better quality in their diets. They do like the Friskies pate', which is not great but it's a great price and more importantly, they'll eat it. It's seriously like kitty crack to them. Simon can be picky and only eats so much before trying to bury it. I'm going back to 1/4 each because he is not finishing his portions. Sometimes I boil some chicken for them, which he LOVES, so I'm wondering if meatier stuff will entice him. They just tried some Instinct rabbit and both turned their nose up.

I ended up finding American Journey kibble, duck and turkey flavor. I gave a few bits as a snack and they seem to like it, so I'll start mixing it in with the SD. I'd really prefer to do more wet food but they're picky with it and demand a full bowl. I only give them a cup at a time, and lately they've been not eating it as quickly so that's good. I guess my goad was to at least get a quality dry so they're getting something from somewhere. And if they don't like the kibble as much and eat less of it, well, that's ok too. Hopefully I can eventually find a better wet food to at least throw in rotation with the Friskies.

 

[Diana Faye]

We are so View attachment 281777 to hear about Irving

Kittens eat a lot as they are growing up. It's good that they are eating more wet than dry as the better wet food is full of proteins and nutrients. Kittens should be fed with food made for kittens and thinnest form is in wet food.

You can also feed them food labeled 'For All Life Stages' and you don't have to switch when they turn into adult cats and can continue feeding them the same.

All cats or kittens are different. Some eat more that others, laying any health issues aside, but they should be fed as much much as they can eat at one sitting and be fed 4-5 times a day. You can never over feed a kitten. Once they are full, they'll stop and from there, you know that's the amount they eat at every sitting and adjust accordingly as the months go by.

Once they reach 9 months to a year, they are experiencing a growth spurt and thus eating more and this will go on till they are one over years old. After that, you'll notice that their food intake will taper off and they'll eat less amount and less feeding times.

Feeding the right wet food need not worry about weight management as wet food are not carbohydrates like dry food is and wet food is definitely more nutritious than dry food.

My boy was rescued when he was only 3 weeks old and he was fed wet food labeled 'For All Life Stages' till now and he is now coming to be 3 1/2 years old.

Simon and Garfunkel are gorgeous!

Thank you <3 Simon and Garfunkel are cute, but I still miss Irving like crazy.

Thanks for the input on growth stages. I think they are about ready, although I didn't know that they could have a growth spurt again. Simon has always been picky, and I was trying to feed them 1/4 wet 3x a day but he just wasn't interested. Funky is a dumpster, so no worries there. The last time I spoke to a vet they were maybe 5-7 months old and he had told me to only feed them 2x a day. I was skeptical, but Simon was not much of an eater anyway so I went to that.

I had been rotating in Fancy Feast classics when they were younger, but they gravitated more towards the Friskies. I kind of went with whatever they would eat because they were growing, and I was concerned about Simon eating enough. He was so small and had been infested with worms, even the vet was worried about him (and he's not exactly known for his bedside manners).

 

[Diana Faye]

Hi! Here are a couple of articles and a link to a database that might be helpful;
I don't know if price is a concern, but some people like Dr elsey's clean protein. I rotate my boy's kibble, currently I'm using Blue Wilderness . Merrick Backcountry has a couple of dry food choices and I think Natural Balance does also, plus Kirkland (Costco) has a decent kibble.

How To Choose The Best Dry Cat Food?

What Makes The Best Canned Cat Food?

How To Choose The Right Food For Your Cat

CatFoodDB - Cat Food Reviews to help you find the best cat food for your cat

Thanks for the sources. Dr. Elsey's is rather rich for my blood. I just found an American Journey kibble that looked low on carbs, but I will have to do more comparisons. I will check out the brands you recommended- I feel a little more willing to send a little more to get a better kibble/ reduce carbs, but I'm only able to do so much.

 

[Furballsmom]

Dr. Elsey's is rather rich for my blood.

Actually, for me too, but I like to mention it in order to provide a range of prices for posters, readers and lurkers - it definitely helps with filling in the range

 

[tabbytom]

Thanks for the input on growth stages. I think they are about ready, although I didn't know that they could have a growth spurt again. Simon has always been picky, and I was trying to feed them 1/4 wet 3x a day but he just wasn't interested. Funky is a dumpster, so no worries there. The last time I spoke to a vet they were maybe 5-7 months old and he had told me to only feed them 2x a day. I was skeptical, but Simon was not much of an eater anyway so I went to that.

Feeding wet is pretty safe as wet food won't help them put on weight. As for Simon, he probably reached his stage that what is is enough for him. As long as there no medical problems with him and worms gotten rid of.

I do not go by the rule what your vet say to feed twice a day only and I'm pretty sure there are members here will agree with me. Most cats eat more than twice a day and I don't know where the feed twice a day came from.

My boy can go without food in the day for as long as 15 hours but once that time past and after playing, he'll eat more than the twice a day thing. He is fed wet food since he was young and he eats only when he's hungry and it's the calories that is in the can that counts towards his daily intake. He's an indoor active cat and he's almost 3 1/2 yer old and he's fed around 200 - 250 calories per day regardless of the timing he eats.

So as long as your cats are indoor cats and are fed around the calories I mentioned, you don't have to worry.