Diet plays a continuous role in your cat’s health, but it’s never more important than during kittenhood. While they may be tiny, kittens are more fuel-hungry than a pickup truck, converting energy into new cells and tissue growth at top speed. This results in relative calorie and nutritional requirements that far exceed any other feline life stage.
Most kittens will double, or even triple their size within the first few weeks of life. By the time they’re ready for weaning at around ten weeks, they’ll have grown from a few fluffy ounces to nearly two pounds—and they’ll continue to spend most of their energy forming a strong body until the age of one.
All that growing needs calorific, well-sourced protein, fats, and minerals, and getting that mix wrong can have lifelong consequences for your moggie. Deprive a kitten of essential nutrients, or provide them with inappropriate food group ratios, and their skeletal development and density can be compromised. A lack of vitamin and mineral balance in kitten-hood will often result in developmental and joint problems later.
Kitten should be nursed exclusively by the mother until they’re around seven weeks old. From that point, kitten food can be introduced, and kittens over ten weeks should use kitten food as their sole nutritional source. Once they reach a year, it’s time to begin the transition to all life stage food.
How we determine the best kitten foods
While there are literally hundreds of kitten food options on the shelves, the market can be quickly narrowed down by focusing on what is, and isn’t, beneficial for kitten health. As a basic rule, a kittens diet should:
- Support them in achieving a healthy growth rate: their growth should neither be stunted nor maximized.
- Allow them to develop a fully functioning immune system: their diet needs to contain all relevant vitamins and minerals, and
- Minimize the potential for obesity or excessive weight gain: their intake of fats should be managaed fats and carbohydrates minimized.
We used several metrics to reflect these needs and create our list of the best kitten foods available. These include calorie count, quality of protein and fat sources, the concentration of amino acids, vitamins, and minerals, protein-to-carbohydrate ratio, and moisture content.
Keep reading for more info on how these factors contribute to kitten health and nutrition. Or, skip straight to the best kitten foods of 2020.
What do kittens need to eat?
House cats are descended from the arid country of the middle east, which has left its mark on many oy of their beavhiors. Among their desert-ready instincts is to turn down sitting water in favor of hydrating through their food. That’s why, even though you should always ensure your cat has access to fresh clean water, they probably won’t’ make too much use of it.
All cats need food with high moisture content, and because they’re small, kittens can be especially susceptible to dehydration. Because, of this, the majority of your cat’s diet should consist of wet food.
Tiny teeth can also struggle with kibble and harder consistencies, which is why many kitten foods are produced in mousse form. That said, you may want to occasionally use dry food in order to build up familiarity with different textures, and reduce the risk of pickiness later on.
A small body size plus highly calorific, nutrient-dense food means that kittens can’t have their dinner all at once. Portions should be divided throughout the day, which will help avoid any nasty litter tray incidents. Most kittens and owners find that three or four meals is manageable.
Within reason, though, kittens should be allowed to as many small portions of food as they like. Many owners prefer to leave out food for grazing throughout the day, instead of a mealtime routine. This is fine, so long as the environment doesn’t contribute to food going bad—but be sure to observe for signs of overeating, and bear in mind that a meal schedule can help integrate positive routines into your cat’s day.
By the time they turn six months old, most cats can make the transition to a twice-daily feeding schedule, though this can depend on breed, and be partly dictated by the cat themselves. Some cats may prefer to stick to three smaller meals throughout their life.
Unfortunately, we do live in a nation of obese moggies. A 2018 survey by the Association of Pet Obesity Prevention found that as many as half of US cats classify as overweight. While growing cats need calorific food, excess energy and nutrient intake can create their own health problems.
Eating habits begin during the weaning stage and continue through adulthood, with bad habits much harder to remove than good ones are to instill. When obesity becomes a long term issue, a slew of health complications emerge, including hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, and osteoarthritis.
As anyone who’s owned a cat knows, switching between food brands and types can be a nail-biting experience. Cats are the fussiest of eaters, and are more than willing to go on hunger strike if the menu doesn’t match some mysterious set of requirements.
If you are considering changing your kitten’s food or graduating them to young adult options, you can choose from two opposing schools of thought:
One side maintains that new food should initially be combined with a cat’s current meals, with owners slowly increasing the rations of new to old, until your cat is fully eating their new brand. Others contend that this method risks turning the cat off both types of food, if they happen to dislike the new kind.
Unfortunately, we can’t tell you which is more likely to work with your kitten. Though, evidence suggests it can be easier to switch foods when kittens have been pre-exposed to a variety of flavors and textures.
As mentioned, kitten food has a higher calorie and nutritional density than food for other feline life stages. If a fully grown cat eats kitten food, they might develop an upset stomach as a result. If a kitten eats adult food, they’re unlikely to receive the nutrients they need to grow.
To help choose the right type of food for your cat, spend some time browsing product labels and descriptions. Most states have legal labeling requirements that match the Association of American Feed Control Officials’ (AAFCO) life stage nutritional adequacy claims. While these labels don’t necessarily speak to ingredient quality, they do ensure that food contains the recommended nutritional balance for the four main dietary stages in a cat’s life:
- Growth/Kitten
- All life stages
- Maintenance
- Gestation/Lactation
If you feel that your kitten would benefit from a more specific diet, it’s worth starting up a conversation with your vet. Kittens can frequently experience gastrointestinal irritation, which may sometimes require a prescribed diet plan.
Speaking of vets, discussions about dietary habits should definitely form part of your kitten’s early-life consultations and check-ups. Talk to your veterinarian about any of your kitten’s idiosyncrasies, from their food preferences to their avoidance behaviors and bathroom habits.
While you’re the best judge of your kitten’s daily health, your vet can be invaluable in spotting dietary needs and sensitivities.
Your vet should also help keep your kitten on an optimal rather than a maximal growth plan. Optimal growth rates refer to a slow and steady increase in size and weight, which promotes proper joint and bone development.
Maximal growth rates are to be avoided. This means that your kitten is growing as fast as possible, making them more susceptible to issues such as joint dysplasia and that will manifest later in life. A maximal growth rate can increase a kitten’s risk of becoming overweight or obese.
If you’re seeing them regularly, you can help your veterinarian out by making in-home assessments to supplement the official weigh-ins. Ask your vet for home care guidance the next time your kitten is due for a visit.
Essential Nutrients
Feline species are considered obligate carnivores, which means that unlike dogs or humans, cats can only derive essential aspects of their diet from meat. While recent research is suggesting that house cats may be far better at metabolizing carbohydrates and plant-based proteins than their more ferocious cousins, a good source of animal protein will always be the most important element of your cat’s diet, from kittenhood through old-age.
Kittens need the most protein during the weaning stage and maintain relatively high requirements throughout their growth. Always look for good sources of whole protein to headline the ingredients list. Ideally, the top three-ingredient should be human-grade, fatty animals proteins, such as poultry, fish, and chicken liver.
Be wary of meat by-products or substitutes. While there’s nothing necessarily wrong with chicken or salmon broth, if it’s listed as the second or third ingredient, it’s negligible weight means there’s going to be a whole lot broth in your kitten’s food than whole meat. The same goes for meat meals.
Putting a percentage on exactly how much protein your kitten should eat can be tricky, for two reasons. First, every cat is different, and kittens destined to become larger, more active cats may have higher requirements. Protein percentages can appear different depending on the moisture content of foods. While fresh chicken will have a much lower protein concentration than a bowl of dry kibble (thanks to its high water content), it will likely be more nutritious and digestible in terms of amino acids and macronutrients.
In general, look for kitten foods with 15-30 percent minimum crude or ‘as-fed’ protein, or 35-50 percent on a dry matter basis. When converting from as-fed to dry matter, nutrient concentrations will increase, while the weight will decrease. Here’s an in-depth explainer on how to convert as fed protein amounts in wet food to dry matter percentages.
All cats love fat. It’s a concentrated source of energy and carries many of the most essential vitamins and compounds. Omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids are often quoted as the most desirable of these fatty acids, thanks to their role in developing and maintaining brain, eye, and nervous system health.
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is one omega-3 fatty acid particularly crucial to kitten development. Found in fish meat and oils, DHA enhances cognitive function and is associated with an improved inflammatory response. As a result, look for fish oil supplementation even in non-fish flavored kitten food options.
We’d recommend feeding you kitten foods with a 4-10 percent fat content as-fed basis, or 15-30 percent in terms of dry matter. While well-sourced fats are great, even kittens are capable of consuming more energy than they spend.
‘Grain-free’ is one of today’s most popular marketing claims across the pet food industry. It’s great that more cats have access to food that’s not stuffed with low-value ingredients, but at the same time, it’s critical that owners don’t take ‘grain-free’ as a synonym for health.
Unfortunately, there are major food brands on our shelves using the ‘grain-free’ label while simply replacing grain with another source of carbs, such as soy. It’s true that potatoes, soy, or other legumes other minor nutritional benefits over grain, but none of these ingredients should ever comprise a major part of your kitten’s diet.
In other words, small amounts of carbohydrate ingredients are present in most cat foods, and shouldn’t be a cause for concern. But, if carbohydrates start creeping up the ingredients list—grain or otherwise—you may want to shop elsewhere. By the time carbs make it to the fourth, fifth, or sixth spot, their lower weight, means that they’re compromising a significant proportion of the food.
If your kitten is eating plentiful, well-sourced proteins and fats, and not consuming large amounts of carbohydrates, then they’re 99% percent of the way towards a great foundational diet. Because they are carnivores, kittens are great at deriving all their vitamin, mineral, and essential acid needs from animal products.
Because even the best kitten foods are processed products, however, the nutritiousness of ingredients is inevitably lowered in comparison to real live prey. Because of this, most food will supplement whole ingredients with vitamin, mineral, and fiber additives, filling in any potential gaps in your kitten’s dietary needs.
Beneficial additives to look out in kitten food include:
- Pre-biotics: supports the colonization of bacteria in a new feline immune system
- Taurine is an essential amino sulfonic acid that is naturally found in meat, but it can often be diminished during processing.
- Calcium. Kitten growth formulations should contain 0.8-1.6% calcium on a dry matter basis.
- Vitamin A. They must eat a form of vitamin A that has already has been converted from carotenoids to its active form. In other words, from an animal, not a plant source.
Once an appropriate nutritional product has been chosen, no additional vitamin or mineral supplements should be given.
When a feral or wild cat catches and eats a live animal, they’re consuming something that contains around 70-80 percent water. Just because domestic cats don’t hunt for their food, it doesn’t mean they don’t still require this kind of moisture content in their diet.
As mentioned at the top of this page, cats’ desert roots mean that they always look for hydration from food before water sources, which is why wet foods are so essential. We recommend striking a good balance of hydration and nutrition by selecting kitten foods that contain between 70 and 80 percent water.
For kittens, moisture-rich food also contributes to palatability. Soft textures can be kinder to small teeth and are familiar for kittens transitioning from milk to solids. Many kitten foods will be offered in a soft mousse variety for this reason.
If you find yourself without any high-moisture options, but feel your kitten would benefit from more hydration in their dinner, you can combine one part warm water with three parts dry or canned kitten food. The end result should have a consistency and look resembling cooked oatmeal.
The Best Kitten Foods of 2020
Wellness CORE Natural Grain Free Turkey & Chicken Liver Pate Canned Kitten Food
With its first 6 ingredients being animal-based, Wellness Core Natural stands out as one of the most meat-rich recipes on this list.
Key Benefits
Wet food
12% protein
7.5% fat
4.4 (181 ratings)
First 5 ingredients: Turkey, Chicken Liver, Turkey Broth, Chicken, Chicken Meal
Nutritional Profile
High-levels of DHA from whole turkey and turkey broth help digestibility as well as overall health maintenance, while a lack of carrageenan, artificial flavors, or byproducts means a carbohydrate content of just 0.5%. The lower the carbohydrate, the easier a kitten is likely to be able to digest a formula.
What the owners are saying?
“This food is a noticeable step up: my kittens devour their food, it smells delicious, and their coats are silky soft.”
“I think he really likes how soft and juicy it is. Unfortunately, it is not in my budget to continue feeding.”
Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Gastrointestinal Kitten Ultra Soft Mousse in Sauce Canned Cat Food
If your growing kitten has lost his appetite or needs help transitioning from milk to solid food, then try Royal Canin’s Gastrointestinal Kitten Ultra Soft Mousse in Sauce.
Key Benefits
- Veterinary-exclusive wet cat food with a tempting mousse texture for growing kittens with either long-term or short-term digestive sensitivities.
Digestible proteins and prebiotics support healthy digestion and optimal stool quality.
Made with a high energy content, which allows your kitten to eat smaller portions and still get all the nutrition he needs.
Omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil are included to support his GI health.
Contains adapted levels of nutrients, including calcium and protein.
This canned cat food is a high-energy formula that has a tempting mousse texture. It’s also packed with adapted levels of nutrients, including protein and calcium to help support healthy digestion, allowing pet parents to feed their little kitties small portions to support sensitive tummies. And to promote a balance of good bacteria in your cat’s gut, this recipe contains a precise blend of prebiotics and a blend of dietary fibers, which also help encourage optimal stool quality.
Water Sufficient For Processing, Chicken Liver, Chicken, Chicken By-Products, Pork By-Products, Natural Flavors, Powdered Cellulose, Wheat Gluten, Casein, Pork Plasma, Vegetable Oil, Modified Corn Starch, Brewers Rice Flour, Hydrolyzed Poultry By-Products Aggregate, Fish Oil, Hydrolyzed Yeast (Source Of Betaglucans), Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Carrageenan, Sodium Silico Aluminate, Guar Gum, Calcium Carbonate, Taurine, Fructooligosaccharides, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Vitamins [Dl-Alpha Tocopherol Acetate (Source Of Vitamin E), L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Source Of Vitamin C), Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Niacin Supplement, Biotin, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement], Citric Acid, Sodium Carbonate, Trace Minerals [Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Oxide, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate], Magnesium Oxide, Marigold Extract (Tagetes Erecta L.), Carotene.
Caloric Content
947 kcal ME/kg, 137 kcal ME/can
Royal Canin Mother & Babycat Ultra-Soft Mousse in Sauce Wet Cat Food for New Kittens and Nursing or Pregnant Mother Cats
Healthy growth begins with good nutrition which can be found in Royal Canin Mother & Babycat Ultra-Soft Mousse in Sauce Wet Cat Food.
Key Benefits
- Formulated for kittens between 1-4 months and pregnant or nursing mother cats.
Supports immune health.
Mousse texture helps with transitioning kittens from milk to solid foods.
Promotes healthy digestive development.
Contains DHA for brain development.
Specially crafted for new kittens and nursing or pregnant mother cats, this recipe is packed with essential nutrients like DHA for brain development and immune-strengthening antioxidants. It also aids in digestive health with highly digestible proteins and prebiotics. The texture of the ultra-soft mouse is purr-fect for her emerging teeth and a growing appetite.
Water Sufficient For Processing, Chicken Liver, Chicken, Chicken By-Products, Pork By-Products, Wheat Gluten, Powdered Cellulose, Modified Corn Starch, Pork Plasma, Natural Flavors, Vegetable Oil, Brewers Rice Flour, Fish Oil, Hydrolyzed Yeast, Calcium Carbonate, Carrageenan, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Guar Gum, Potassium Phosphate, Taurine, Vitamins [Dl-Alpha Tocopherol Acetate (Source Of Vitamin E), L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Source Of Vitamin C), Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Niacin Supplement, Biotin, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement], Choline Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Trace Minerals [Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Oxide, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate], Marigold Extract (Tagetes Erecta L.), Magnesium Oxide, Carotene.
Caloric Content
919 kcal/kg, 152 kcal/can
Wellness CORE Natural Grain Free Whitefish Salmon & Herring Pate Canned Kitten & Cat Food
Wellness CORE Natural Grain Free Whitefish Salmon & Herring Pate Canned Cat Food offers a high-protein diet to give your cat the energy she needs to thrive.
Key Benefits
- Made with carefully selected ingredients for optimum health benefits.
- Poultry-free recipe is perfect for cats with intolerances or allergies to chicken or turkey.
- High levels of omega fatty acids support healthy skin and a lustrous coat.
Grain-free recipes provides a complete and balanced everyday diet for your cat.
Developed with only premium ingredients—no carrageenan, artificial colors, flavors, or by-products.
This poultry and gluten-free recipe includes wholesome, carefully selected ingredients for optimum health benefits, high-levels of omega fatty acids to support healthy skin and a lustrous coat, and berries and botanicals to round out the diet for maximum benefit. Each recipe is made without the use of any carrageenan, artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives—just wholesome ingredients for a nutritious meal.
Whitefish, Salmon Broth, Salmon, Tuna, Herring, Dried Ground Potatoes, Canola Oil, Ground Flaxseed, Guar Gum, Cassia Gum, Xanthan Gum, Cranberries, Potassium Chloride, Salmon Oil (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Choline Chloride, Taurine, Salt, Dried Kelp, Chicory Root Extract, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Proteinate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin E Supplement, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Niacin, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Potassium Iodide, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Rosemary Extract.
Caloric Content
85 kcal/can
Kitten Chow Nurture Dry Cat Food
Purina Kitten Chow Nurture Dry Cat Food is an age-essential, dry kitten food made with the four foundational building blocks of nutrition.
Key Benefits
- Made with real chicken to provide your pal with the protein they need to develop lean muscle.
Contains essential nutrients like those found in mother’s milk.
Includes omega fatty acid, DHA, to support brain and vision development.
100% complete and balanced nutrition, formulated for kittens.
No artificial colors or flavors for better overall health.
High in protein for developing lean muscle, DHA for brain and vision development, essential nutrients like those found in mother’s milk, and antioxidants for strong immune health. Every meal also provides the 25 essential vitamins and minerals cats need at any age. Plus, it’s formulated with a taste kittens love—and without artificial colors or flavors—to help give them the nutrition they need while they develop.
Chicken By-product Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Rice, Soy Flour, Beef Fat Preserved With Mixed-tocopherols, Ground Whole Wheat, Chicken, Fish Meal, Liver Flavor, Dried Yeast, Calcium Carbonate, Phosphoric Acid, Salt, Choline Chloride, Minerals [Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite], Vitamins [Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin (Vitamin B-3), Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B-5), Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B-1), Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B-2), Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B-6), Folic Acid (Vitamin B-9), Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Biotin (Vitamin B-7), Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Vitamin K)], Taurine, Potassium Chloride. J453018.
Caloric Content
3,653 kcal/kg, 408 kcal/cup
FAQ
Ultimately, the most important thing to remember is that kittens need specially formulated kitten food. After that, deciding whether you want to feed them canned, wet food or dry food is up to you, your vet and your kitten (they can be quite finicky!).
But it’s good for very young kittens to have at least some wet food in their diet. Because of their small teeth, they may not be able to chew dry food as well. Adult teeth start to make an appearance around 3 – 4 months. So at the beginning, wet, canned food may be your only option. However, introducing a mixture of wet and dry food is a good idea as they both offer benefits to your precious fur baby.
Benefits of wet food:
- Maintains hydrations and sufficient water intake
- Smells better and is easier to eat due to its soft texture
- Convenient and fresh to serve
- Good for kidney health and preventing urinary tract infections
- High protein/low carbs to support your growing kitten
Benefits of dry food:
- Cheaper and can store longer
- Easy to measure and serve
- Good for your kitten’s dental health and removing plaque
Dry food isn’t inherently bad for kittens, it’s just best if you incorporate wet food in their diet in addition to dry food. Dry kibble is more likely to contain more carbs, less meat and less moisture so it can contribute to dehydration, urinary tract issues and more. If they just eat dry food, then they’re more likely to not drink enough water.
Given that a can of wet food contains around 70 – 80% of water – it’s completely fresh, moisture-rich and nutritionally sound with the essential ingredients your baby needs. This is necessary to keep your kitty hydrated and healthy. That’s why the wet and dry food combination offers the best of both worlds!
Kittens are growing fur babies; their weight often doubles or triples just in the first several weeks! In addition, their energy is off the charts. For these reasons, kittens require different nutritional elements compared to adults. Kittens need more calories, protein, amino acids, calcium and healthy fat.
Being able to discern whether you have the right food for your kitten is first looking at quality. You should be purchasing from reputable companies that are also recommended by your veterinarian. When it has a “Complete and Balanced” label as set out by the American Association of Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) – then it’s in the clear.
After doing a quality analysis, you should evaluate how your kitten is looking, behaving and reacting to the food. Do they seem playful and alert? Have they been steadily gaining weight? Does their coat look clean and healthy? These are all questions you should be asking to determine if you’re feeding the right food.
Would you feed a newborn, human baby food that you would eat as an adult? Hopefully not! Because babies require different nutrients and textures compared to adults. The same goes for kittens. Now – you’re kitten won’t be harmed if they have the occasional adult cat food.
However, it’s important to feed them food formulated for kittens until they reach 1 year of age. For their tiny stature, kittens need tons of energy (around two to three times more than an adult cat). Purchasing food that is explicitly labeled as ‘Kitten Food” will benefit your little one at this life stage.
Because of their high, exuberant energy, kittens need to be fed more than an adult cat would. Always check with your vet to confirm the right portion size and how often you should feed him or her. But for most kittens around 3 – 6 months old, it’s recommended to feed them around three times per day: morning, afternoon and evening.
The benefit of dry food is that it can be left out for longer periods without compromising safety. If you do choose to leave dry food out, just keep portions controlled to avoid overeating and weight gain. On the other hand, canned wet food shouldn’t be left out longer than 20 – 30 minutes to avoid contamination. Store any remaining wet food in the fridge for up to 5 days, sealed and covered in the can.