I've tried the different brands of kitten food, wet and dry, he won't eat it he wants to eat what our adult cat eats, wet and dry food and water of course, is that going to cause problems for him? He eats fine, seems fine...If he 'has' to eat kitten food, any ideas on how to get him to? Does a kitten 'have to' eat kitten food? What about before they had kitten food (I think its only been in the last 20 years that kitten food has been around)
2006-12-22 19:26:59 · 18 answers · asked by kewtber 3 in Pets ➔ Cats
My Kitten is about 4 months old
2006-12-22 19:33:06 · update #1
I don't mind them sharing and mixing in the kitty food but only the adult cat is eating it, and he's getting fatter...not healthy...
2006-12-22 20:01:35 · update #2
well how old is the kitten? if he/she is really young then go half and half. Half of the kitten and Half of the Adult because there is speical vitamins in kitten food. You can also try kitten milk but if the kitten is older like 6 months then adult food is fine.
2006-12-22 19:31:21 · answer #1 · answered by lithdailums7@sbcglobal.net 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Kitten food generally isn't that different from regular cat food aside from it being much fattier. Usually kitten food doesn't come in "flavors" like adult food does, so naturally they prefer the stuff that tastes the best. If the kitten is gaining weight like it should be then there's no problem with just letting him eat the adult food. If you really want the kitten to have actual kitten food, try science diet Nature's best, Ocean fish flavor. The cats go crazy for it. You can also try switching all the cats over to kitten food until your kitten is a year old, but they may get a little chunkier. Lots of options, just do what's right for all of your cats and everyone will be happy.
2006-12-22 19:37:34 · answer #2 · answered by oh_shotdown 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Of course the concept of "kitten" food is ridiculous. Do you think the wild mother cat brings her kittens special "kitten" mice when she weans them? It's just not logical. High quality, species appropriate meat protein is what all cats need whatever their stage of life.
Kitten foods do contain more protein than some regular cat foods. The AAFCO MINIMUM to sustain life is 30%. Science Diet kitten has 33% protein, Max kitten has 34%. The question is where does this protein come from - in the case of those two products it is from corn. Corn is protein and not a good source for cats. Nor is the by-product meat in Science Diet. Also is 3-4% more protein really a significant amount? Certainly not when 60% of the food is corn.
Nature's Logic has 38% protein, Eagle Pack 32%, Natural Balance 34%, CA Natural 36%. Not only do these "adult" cat foods have more protein, the protein is from a high quality meat source. It is the QUALITY of the protein and not the amount which makes the difference for the cat.
Kitten food does not contain any special vitamins, minerals or nutrients more essential for a kitten than for a cat. People who make that statement just have not compared the labels of kitten and cat food.
So, the answer to your question is: No - kittens do not need special kitten food. The kitten and the rest of your cats all need a high quality food for their health and well-being.
2006-12-23 02:54:59 · answer #3 · answered by old cat lady 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
I asked my vet this, and he said that the kittens should really eat kitten food. However, only my adult cat would eat it and I was concerned about her gaining weight. The kittens were eating her food and she was eating the kitten food. So what I did was get Purina Cat Chow (in the blue bag), which is formulated for cats of all ages. This way they can all eat the same thing, you don't have to worry about them eating each other's food, it's cheaper for you, etc. My two kittens and the adult cat all like it, and I didn't have any issues switching them onto it. Also, I think there are other companies that make foods formulated for all ages, I'm just not sure what they are.
2006-12-23 01:18:21 · answer #4 · answered by bendypants 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
kitten food has nutrients that adult cat food does not have, it wont harm the cat but it is not a good idea to keep the cat on adult food, try and separate the cats during feeding times ie, adult cat eats in the bathroom with the door closed and kitty eats what is left out for him/her and if the kitty gets hungry it will eat,
you can also give both adult and kitty the kitty food, u can easily trick them,
i buy 2 types of dry becasue they like variety like adults and i save about 6 cups of it, i have an empty bag from the store bought kitty treats and when that was empty i put in regular cat food and they think they are getting and treat and love it, all they are getting is regular and good cat food.
hope this helps
2006-12-22 19:37:24 · answer #5 · answered by vancouverite 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I had the same problem. Don't give him the adult cat food. Instead try giving him little amounts of kitten wet food with dry food. If that doesn't work, then try giving him less adult cat food mixed with kitten food every day. Finally, the problem could be that your' not keeping th kitten food fresh enough. Try mixing the old food with the new food. Hope that helps.
2006-12-23 02:50:30 · answer #6 · answered by jessica_dianka 3 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Just look at the ingredients. If the main ingredients are meat meals (preferably) or meat, then yes, feed that to your kitten.
The thing about food brands is they advertised things like "lamb and rice" or "diet" food.. but when you look on the back to see what they're really eating.. you may find out it's false advertisement and you're not giving your cat anything good at all.
So.. make sure you're eyeing what's in the ingredients. That's the kind of thing you should always look for and at when you buy any brand of cat food.
2006-12-22 20:23:59 · answer #7 · answered by Kitty 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Your kitten really should est kitten food up to the age of 1... Try mixing wet kitten food with dry kitten food... Maybe the pellets are too big for him, or maybe they hurt his little teeth... Have him checked by the vet. Adult cat food does not have enough of the vitamins and minerals he needs to grow healthy.
Good luck
2006-12-22 22:09:35 · answer #8 · answered by stefanyt_charron 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Hi there...kitten food is higher in protein, which is essentially the difference. Consider mixing the adult cat food with the kitten food and see if he is willing to eat this. However, he may be clever enough to eat around the kitten food--some cats do this.
2006-12-22 19:37:14 · answer #9 · answered by ♪ Seattle ♫ 7 · 5⤊ 1⤋
When kittens are very small they need certain nutrients that "kitten formulated" food provides. At 4 months, if you tried changing brands, the kitten is most likely used to what you gave it at first. I've raised kittens on food that was not specially formulated, and they are healthy. it won't hurt them. cats, as you will know can be very picky eaters.
2006-12-22 20:03:22 · answer #10 · answered by Jason 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋