It doesn’t matter whether you have an old cat or are the parent of a young kitten; you can simply never learn enough of these beautiful creatures. You would want only the best for your fluffball to flourish!
Just like you wouldn’t give a human baby adult food, kittens require a particular type of formula food until they are roughly one year old. Kitten food contains nutrients that a growing kitten needs to develop correctly. A kitten shouldn’t be eating food that is formulated for adult or senior cats.
With the responsibility of a new or existing extension to your family comes the responsibility of learning how to care for them! Are you concerned that you might be feeding your cat the wrong type of food? There are some things you will be surprised to read!
Feeding The Correct Food To Your Kitten
Understandably, you might be worried in the case of having two cats who are in different age groups. If you serve both adult and kitten food, your chances are high that the adult cat will eat most of the kitten food along with its adult food.
This means not only will the adult be struggling with weight problems, but your kitten won’t be getting sufficient nutrition resources. Kittens have different nutritional needs than an adult or a senior cat. Kittens experience rapid growth and development; that is why they are playful and have loads of energy!
Kitten food tends to be much higher in calories and contains more vitamins and protein, which your kitten needs while growing rapidly. Kitten food is also formulated with DHA to help support the development of the brain and vision!
Some cat foods are suitable for all ages. The good news is that kittens only need a special diet for a short period. Once your cat reaches maturity, they don’t need the same amounts of these nutrients. Depending on the age of your cat, you can start considering choosing adult food.
You can also consider feeding your cats in different rooms, ensuring they don’t eat each other’s food, and picking up the feeding bowls when they are done eating.
Feeding Your Kitten Senior Cat Food
The most important thing when it comes to your kitten is protein. Kitten food also contains large amounts of protein. Essentially, feeding your kitten senior cat food can be harmful to your kitten’s health.
This is because you are depriving your kitten of the crucial vitamins and minerals they need. When commercial kitten-formulated food is readily available at stores, there is no reason to give your kitten senior food.
If you are still unsure how to appropriately feed your kitten, it is never a bad idea to consult your veterinarian for some qualified advice. Ask your vet about your kitten’s need for essential fats, carbohydrates, and proteins.
Your vet may tell you not to worry about your kitten getting vitamin C, as kittens can produce vitamin C independently.
Difference Between Senior Cat And Kitten Food
The diets for kittens and adults are developed with different life stages being held in mind and contain very different nutrients; your cat food is specially tailored to help your cat at a certain point in its life. How interesting!
The first big difference between senior and kitten food is the calorie content. As aforementioned, kittens need many more calories to provide their growing bodies with the energy they need. Most of these calories should come from a good quality of protein sources.
The protein provides the fundaments for the growth of almost every cell in your kitten’s body. Adult cat food contains lower calorie levels and will not provide your young fluffballs with the energy they need to grow into their adult body.
Secondly, kitten food differs from senior cat food mainly in the amounts of protein and fatty acids the food contains. The amounts of taurine, water, and additional minerals are all carefully formulated for the life stage of your dear kitten.
These minerals are then provided in the correct amounts for your pet in senior and kitten foods. Fats are a crucial part of your kitten’s diet, but not for your senior cat. During periods of rapid growth, the fats are needed to help provide the never-ending energy you will see in your kitten!
Vitamins and minerals, including potassium, phosphorous, and calcium, are crucial to the successful development of strong teeth and bones. All the facts stated are why your kitten needs to be fed with the right food.
Continuously Feeding My Kitten Senior Cat Food?
If you decide to feed your kitten a senior cat’s food over a long period, you may notice changes in your kitten. If your kitten isn’t receiving adequate nutrition, it may become skinny with a poor coat and might not be as playful as kittens usually should be at their age.
Your cat can become very sick, as malnutrition can result in serious health problems and can even be fatal. If malnutrition is left untreated, multiple organ failure can occur. It is important to realize that your kitten is your child, and nutrition is just as important to them!
Therefore, it is crucial to give your young kitten a healthy and balanced diet, preferably with commercial food specially designed and formulated to be of top quality. Feeding your kitten senior cat food once or twice in the case of an emergency will not harm them in any way, but don’t make it a regular thing at feeding times.
To make sure your kitten is getting the correct diet, make sure to know about the warning signs of having a poor diet:
- Scavenging for food even after mealtimes.
- Weight loss or being underweight for their size and age.
- Diarrhea.
- Poor coat and skin quality.
- Poor dental health.
- Muscular weakness or lethargy.
Knowing When To Switch To Senior Food
You now know that you should, without a doubt, feed your cats, especially your kittens, the food formulated for them. But when should you switch your food to senior when your kittens have reached adultery and are now aging?
As your beloved cat age, its nutritional needs drastically change. When your cat reached seven or eight years, they are considered to be a senior cat. This doesn’t matter if they are in good health and still act like a kitten.
Transitioning your food slowly will not cause much shock to your cat and help upset his stomach much less. Begin your transition by mixing both the current food with the new food. You can then start to gradually decrease the amount of the current cat food while increasing the amounts of the new cat food.
It would help if you continued doing so over seven days. Transitioning your cat food slowly will not only help with fewer digestive issues but will result in better acceptance of the food. Be patient with an older cat, as it can take up to 10 days for them to get used to the new type of food!
Giving your older cat senior food will also help to keep your cat in good health. When senior cat food is combined with consistent and high-quality veterinary care and age-appropriate exercise, your aging cat will be around for many years to come.
Conclusion
The more you know about what your kitten needs and takes out of its meals, the easier it will be for you to make educated and appropriate choices for buying food. With good veterinary care and, of course, lots of love, your cat can starve off all the severe signs of aging.
Remember to discuss any changes in your cat’s behavior or weight with your local and trusted vet. This will help you to rule out any potential problems. Knowing about problems and allergies in your cat will also make it a lot easier when choosing the right food for your cat.
We know your kitten’s welfare is of utmost importance to you, and it is good to know what type of food to decide on to benefit the health and well-being of your beloved kitten!
Sources
- Is it OK for kittens to eat adult cat food and cats to eat kitten chow?
- Is it OK to feed young adult cats senior formula cat food?
- When to Switch From Kitten Food To Cat Food
- Is it Harmful for a Kitten to Eat Adult Cat Food?
- Can my kitten eat adult cat food?
- Cat Food and Water – Mistakes People Make Feeding Kitty
- When should I switch from adult to senior food for my older cat?.
- How Do I Switch or Transition Cat Foods?
