kittens eating kitten food vs. people food, is it ok for them to eat people food??

Question

I make sure there isn't any food left on the dinner table because I am worried that Jazzy( my female kitten, 3 months old, in cat years she's already 2 years old.) might eat it then get sick. Can she ??or should I stick with her regular kitten food?I am a new kitten owner so I really don't know.

Answer 1

Hi Dori...it's recommended that pet animals (cats and dogs) should only eat foods designed for them. The reason is that some human foods can be unknowingly toxic to them causing a series of health problems as well as table scraps are known to cause obesity in pet animals. Please consider reviewing the list of toxic foods for cats and why table scraps are not good for pets.

Foods & Spices Cats Should Avoid:
http://www.peteducation.com:80/article.cfm?cls=0&cat=1276&articleid=1029

Table Scraps: http://cats.about.com/od/catfoodandnutrition/f/tablescraps.htm

Answer 2

Really, it's fine. In general there is very little difference between kitten and adult foods. If you compare one brand that offers both, you'll see perhaps 4% more protein in the kitten food and possibly more calories. The kibble bits are smaller. That's pretty much it. There is no such thing as "kitten nutrients." Kittens and adults have the EXACT same requirements but kittens just need more. More calories and more protein mainly. But most cat foods which also make kitten foods that do offer more protein use plants to bump up that number. Cats of all ages need animal-based proteins. So in effect you may be giving your kitty more protein but it's the wrong kind. So in general, if you buy your cat food from the grocery store, you *may* want to stick with kitten food. But if you feed a better quality food, it definitely doesn't matter. Either way, at 7 months your kitten's requirements are almost to the adult stage so even if it DID make a difference, you could certainly switch at this point. And one more thing I want to clarify - dry food does NOT have more protein than canned foods. It appears that way because the amounts listed are not strictly accurate. There's probably a word for it but it escapes me. To get true protein amounts you must calculate to get the dry matter basis. For example, a dry food claims 40% protein. A canned food claims 10%. This doesn't mean the dry food has more protein. In fact, it's quite possible that the canned food has more. To figure out the true amounts, you first subtract the amount of moisture from 100. Then you divide the amount of the nutrient by that figure. So with canned food which is say 80% moisture and 10% protein, you would divide 10 by 20 which would actually be 50% protein. You'd do the same thing with the dry food, but I've found that those figures don't change significantly.

Answer 3

Stick with a good-quality dry kitten food like Purina One, Iams, Nutro, etc. She doesn't need anything else. All pet foods are nutritionally balanced and complete and do not require supplementation unless specifically prescribed by a veterinarian.
The bag of food should have an AAFCO (American Association of Feed Control Officials) Statement saying that it meets or exceeds those nutritional requirements. Ideally it should state that feeding trials were used to determine this.
Good luck with your new kitty!

Answer 4

Kitten food , some humen food are harmful for cat's or dogs . Like sweets or any kind of candy bar. Plues the they need to eat thier own food , cause in thier food has alot of proiten they need to be happy and healthy.Some food can kill them.If you keep giveing anmails humen food they will start getting fat.I thought the same way with my new kitten . I read a book about it .No more humen food for him.

Answer 5

A few tidbits of human food here or there probalby won't hurt, but only as an occasional "treat," NOT as a main diet (think of it like a dessert--not until after you've finished all your veggies). Kitten food (and later, cat food) is designed to be a nutritious, balanced meal for your kitty, so it should be her main source of food.

Answer 6

I wouldn't leave things out they can get into. Onions are toxic to cats and many things we eat have onion in them. Certainly she can have a bite of your cooked chicken, beef or whatnot. My kittens had to "sample" all my food from mashed potatoes and gravy to applesauce and they didn't really develop a taste for it.

Cat food is important - mostly because our cooked meat has had it destroyed by heating and taurine is an important essential in cat die.

Answer 7

She needs food made especially for kittens. Don't even give her cows milk, because cats can't digest it. You can find a milk-like product at the grocery store or pet store that is made especially for a kitten's or cats digestive system.

Answer 8

Pets need to eat their own food. They need nutrition that are not found in human food. I believe that ingredients in human food may be harmful for them, however you can give them some treats like yogurt or cheese maybe once a week.

Answer 9

She could have just little bits as treats- she needs the nutrition from dry kitten food. No milk.

Answer 10

No people food for pets. Cats or dogs.