In just one short year, your bumbly little kitten will grow before your eyes into a graceful, full grown cat. What you feed during their first few months can help support their bone and muscle growth, kick-start their immune system, and set them up for a long, healthy life.
In celebration of Cuddly Kitten Day on March 23rd, learn what you can feed your new kitten and how to ensure their diet helps them start off on their right paw.

What To Feed Your New Kitten

Kitten Food vs All-Life-Stages

Most cat foods are formulated to meet nutritional standards set by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO).
Kitten food is specifically formulated to meet or exceed AAFCO standards for kittens. Compared to adult cats, kittens need more protein and more fat to support their growth and development.
All-life-stages cat food is appropriate for both adult cats and kittens. It’s more calorie-dense than adult cat food, though, so if you’re feeding a multi-cat household, or plan to continue to feed the same food when your cat is older, you may need to adjust the portion size to ensure your adult cat does not gain excess weight.

Canned vs Dry Food For Kittens

You may choose to feed wet, dry, or a combination of kitten foods.
Canned or wet kitten food is preferred because it is high in moisture, helping to keep your kitten hydrated. It’s also typically higher in protein and lower in carbohydrates than dry food.
Dry kitten food is usually more convenient and affordable than wet or canned food. However, dry food has been linked to an increased risk of obesity, diabetes, and kidney disease in cats. Even so, dry cat food is complete and balanced, and many cats prefer it.
Dehydrated and freeze-dried cat food, as well as frozen raw, fresh-cooked, and other types of foods, can offer many nutritional benefits for cats, including higher protein and more moisture than other foods.
Even with fresh foods, you’ll still need to make sure your kitten’s food is specifically designed to meet their needs for growth and development. Otherwise, you can offer fresh foods as a treat, topper or mix-in with your kitten’s regular food, so long as extras do not exceed 15% of their diet.

Healthy Fats for Healthy Kittens

While not considered essential by AAFCO standards, some kitten foods contain omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids can help support your kitten’s neurological development, skin and coat health, immunity, vision, and heart health. You look for a kitten food that contains omega-3 fatty acids or you can add them to your kitten’s diet in the form of fish oil or a chewable supplement.

Probiotics for Kittens

Cats, like all mammals, have a gut microbiome, trillions of active bacteria in their digestive tract. A healthy, balanced microbiome supports your kitten’s immunity, digestion, and development. Your kitten’s microbiome begins to form when they are born and taking in beneficial bacteria from their mother’s milk.
Some kitten foods contain live active probiotics, or you can add a probiotic supplement to your kitten’s diet to help strengthen their gut microbiome once they’re weaned and no longer taking in beneficial bacteria from their mother.

Do Kittens Need Milk?

Kittens drink their mother’s milk until about six weeks of age and should not be separated from their litter until they are completely weaned. Kittens under five weeks old can be bottle fed with a nutritionally complete kitten formula like kitten milk replacer.
Once your cat is weaned, they may no longer produce as much lactase, the enzyme that allows them to digest milk and dairy products, as they did when they were a kitten. Kittens over six weeks of age no longer need milk and should not be given cow’s milk, goat’s milk or other dairy products.

Transitioning Your Kitten To A New Diet

When you first bring your kitten home from a shelter or breeder, you will likely receive a sample of the food your kitten has been eating. You may decide to continue feeding that type of food, or you may need to transition to something new.
Kittens are prone to gastric upset, especially when trying new foods. Ideally, you’ll be able to transition between foods gradually, replacing just 10% of the old food with the new food at first. At each meal you can add a slightly higher proportion of new food. If your kitten experiences vomiting or diarrhea, you may need to revert back to a lower portion of new food and move forward more slowly.
Keep in mind that digestive issues in kittens should be taken seriously, as their condition can quickly take a turn for the worst. Bacteria, viruses, and parasites can be life-threatening for kittens, especially those that might not yet have had their core vaccines or have not been dewormed. See your vet as soon as possible if your kitten sick for more than 24 hours, or sooner if they have repeated bouts or seem lethargic or in pain.

Choosing The Best Kitten Food

Every kittens’s nutritional needs and digestive system are different. What’s best for your cat might not work for another. That said, when shopping for kitten food for the first time, here’s a few things to look out for:

• High quality protein, at least 30% crude protein from animal sources like salmon or chicken.
• Live active probiotics are added to premium cat foods to support your kitten’s digestion, and can also be given in the form of a supplement
• Omega-3 fatty acids, specifically DHA, to support your kittens’s neurological development, included from fish oil in premium kitten foods or can be given as a supplement
• High moisture can be found in canned foods, which you can give on their own or alongside kibble
• Vet-recommended. Look for a kitten food that is recommended by veterinarians and backed by scientific research and feeding trials.You can also ask your veterinarian for a specific food recommendation for your kitten.

You’ll know your kitten’s food is working for them when they have a shiny, healthy-looking coat, lots of energy, and solid, not-too-smelly stools. Find a food that your kitten likes to eat and that does not leave them too hungry between meals. If your kitten’s food doesn’t seem to be working for them or if they otherwise seem unwell, make an appointment with your veterinarian.

VISION

Every pet deserves to live a long, happy, healthy life.