Food for kittens: which is better, rating of dry and liquid options

Food for kittens should take into account the formation of bone tissue, muscles, and fur of the animal. Therefore, it is important to know which kitten food is the best and to provide your baby with adequate nutrition.

All baby food is divided by age category. You should start with food intended for age group 1. It includes the age of fluffies up to 4 months. The second category is from 4 to 8 months, the third is from 8 months. up to 1 year.

Experts do not recommend feeding kittens the usual food that the family eats. For the growing body of the mustache, it is especially important to receive all the necessary substances that will have a beneficial effect on the development of the animal - the formation of the skeleton, the normal functioning of all internal organs, muscle tissue, and hair growth. Therefore, it is important to choose high-quality food for kittens.

Veterinarians recommend feeding growing babies special foods that are produced by all companies that produce food for cats.

Just like for adult cats, we produce a line of dry, wet food, and canned food.

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Rating of the best food for kittens

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Nutritional features of small kittens

Kittens are considered carnivores from birth, so protein-based foods should make up the bulk of their diet. Depending on the age and breed, the percentage of meat ingredients in the diet can range from 30-50%.

The main part of the diet should be dry food

When choosing a diet, you can rely on the baby’s preferences or consult a veterinarian. It is preferable to introduce small amounts of different foods so that the kitten can choose what he likes best.

In addition to meat, the daily diet includes dairy products, soups, eggs, corn, and carrots.

The first complementary foods begin to be given at the age of 1 month. From that moment on, you can plan your future diet and nutrition schedule.

Important! During the period of active growth, the baby should eat 5 to 7 times a day. To avoid indigestion, portions should be kept small.

Comparison of dry food compositions

For your convenience, we have compiled a visual table that includes the main parameters of the diets discussed above. Here you will find the minimum (guaranteed) analysis of proteins, carbohydrates and fats, as well as the main components, specified by the manufacturer. This will make it easier for you to navigate when purchasing food.

Table. Comparative characteristics of dry food compositions

Video – What is holistic food?

How to understand the ratings of this rating?

The ratings in this list are based on a comparison of the five manufacturers named specifically with each other, but not in general among all the food on the market in a particular class. So, holistic food did not make it into this top 5 for the reason that they are very expensive and in Russia there are still difficulties with purchasing them - not everyone can order cat food online on foreign sites. It is much more advisable to compare pet products available on domestic sales, about which there are already a sufficient number of reviews.

Popular vote

What food for kittens would you choose or recommend?

Mousse “Four-legged gourmet” Golden line

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Royal Canin Babycat Instinctive pate

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Hill's Science Plan 1st Nutrition Mousse

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ProPlan Baby Kitten

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Pate Gourmet Gold

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Pronature Holistic for kittens

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NOW FRESH Kitten

50.00 % ( 2 )

GO! for kittens and cats

25.00 % ( 1 )

Golden Eagle formula for kittens

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GRANDORF Kitten

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ONE&ONLY Kitten

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Orijen Cat & Kitten

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MONGE Kitten Trout

25.00 % ( 1 )

How to choose food

When choosing food for a kitten, you should pay attention to the following nuances:

• Quality. If possible, do not feed your kitten with economy foods like Kitekat and Whiskas. The minimum class of products for babies is premium or super premium. If your budget allows, you can also shell out for holistic food.
• The taste of a kitten. Don’t despair if your baby doesn’t want to eat the food the first time. Perhaps he has not tried it yet, or the product is not suitable for him. Try food from other manufacturers and soon you will definitely find the right diet for your pet.
• Amount of protein. The food should contain as much protein as possible, and fat - no more than 20%.
• The ash content of the feed (ash content, mineralization) is not higher than 7%.
• The content of grains is as low as possible, ideally completely absent.
• Purpose of feed. You should not feed your baby “adult” food; kittens need a slightly different diet, since their body has different needs for substances and vitamins.

How to prepare a kitten's stomach

If you still decide that you cannot do without “crackers”, you will have to spend a little time on your pet. A kitten’s stomach at such a young age is simply not able to cope with such a load. Therefore, it needs to be trained.

Purchase special low-lactose milk for kittens at a specialty store and soak some dry baby food in it. If milk is not found, low-fat broth, kefir and just boiled water will do. Add some ground meat to the resulting mixture. Just a teaspoon is enough.

You don’t just need to add liquid to the food until you get “soup.” You need to wait until the pieces swell. Using a fork, grind the contents of the bowl into a homogeneous puree. A kitten's stomach is very delicate and the sharp edges of the granules can injure it.

Already closer to two months, the proportions of the mixture need to be changed. Add less liquid every week. Yes, and you can add a little more soft food, such as chicken pate.

Wet food

The main difference between wet food and dry food is its consistency. Wet food can be in the form of pieces of meat filled with jelly, mousses, pates, creams. In terms of their composition, they are almost no different from “dried food”, so cat owners can safely feed their pets only one type of food. What wet food do veterinarians recommend?

Wet food rating

The following brands lead the ranking of the most useful and high-quality wet food:

• Veterinarians unanimously give first place to Innova Evo . These canned foods contain exclusively dietary meat and probiotics. Premium quality does not prevent the manufacturer from selling them at a low price of 95 rubles per 375 grams.
• Schesir . Italian food contains dietary tuna meat and vegetable jelly. It is enriched with vitamins and is suitable for cats of all breeds. Tuna is easily digestible and even the most picky pets enjoy eating it. Low fat content prevents obesity, especially in neutered pets. Veterinarians advise using Schesir to accustom babies to dry food. Dry granules should be added to the jelly little by little, gradually increasing their quantity.
• Animonda Carny Kitten . German canned food best imitates the natural diet of cats. The meat base includes beef, heart, liver, kidneys, lungs and udder, and the jelly is made from meat broth. This food is suitable even for cats prone to allergies. Many people note that wet canned food smells unpleasant, but Animonda Carny Kitten, unlike other brands, smells quite pleasant.
• Animonda Vom Feinsten Baby-Pate . The same manufacturer has food for kittens that can be given from 4 weeks of age. It is made in the form of a pate, making it easy for kids to lick it off. The composition includes meat, fish broth and seafood.
• Brit Care Kitten Chicken . Czech food will appeal to all cats, because it contains a minimum of ingredients. It contains chicken and rice.
• Organix . The list of the best wet canned food also includes premium food produced in Russia. There are no flavors or dyes in the soufflé, only natural meat, broth and offal. This product is a real find for those who want to save money, but do not want to harm their pet. A 150 g jar costs only 40 rubles.
• Almo Nature . Italian holistic food containing meat, vegetables and fruits. Grain-free food is suitable for pets with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, liver and kidneys.
• Applaws . Dietary food that veterinarians prescribe for animals prone to allergies. The product is enriched with vitamins and minerals.
• Hills . This brand is included not only in the rating of the best dry food, but also wet canned food. The composition is enriched with magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, which a growing body needs.

Advantages and disadvantages

One of the main advantages of liquid food is that it can be given to cats of any age. If a month-old baby cannot yet chew through a hard “dry”, then he will be able to lick mousse or jelly and feast on soft pieces of meat at any age. This product can be introduced into the diet immediately after weaning from mother's milk.

Also, wet food partially satisfies the animal’s daily need for liquid. He does not need to drink as much water as after dry food.

One of the significant disadvantages of wet food is its price. As a rule, they are more expensive than dryers of the same brands. Not every owner is ready to buy expensive treats for their pet so often. The situation is complicated by the fact that liquid mousses and jellies have a limited shelf life. If the kitten has not eaten its portion in a day, then it should be thrown away, while dry food can be left in a bowl for several days.

What not to feed a kitten

There are foods that are strictly prohibited for feeding kittens. They will disrupt the digestion process and can also cause various diseases. You should not feed your pet the following:

• Cow's milk. It is better to replace it with goat milk - it is not so fatty for the baby’s digestion. If you can’t get goat milk, then you can buy special powdered milk in pet stores for very small kittens.
• Fermented milk products with high fat content.
• Fish. In principle, children should not be given fish at all, but theoretically, sea fish is not harmful. Freshwater is prohibited, especially raw water, as it provokes the formation of urolithiasis and can become a source of infection with worms.
• Salt, spices.
• Sausages.
• Potatoes are not at all digestible by the stomach of a domestic cat, so they are not given in any form.
• Legumes. Soy, peas, beans are not digested by the intestines and as a result we get bloating and fermentation in the intestines.
• Cheese - because of its fat content.
• Pork.
• Sweets.
• Chocolate.
• Floury.
• Mixed food is harmful for kittens. You need to choose one thing: either natural or industrial food.

Why is it so important to choose the right diet for a kitten?

When bringing a kitten home, every owner hopes that it will grow up to be a healthy, beautiful and smart pet. As your baby grows, you will learn more and more information about keeping kittens, but it is better to know some nuances in advance.

Why is it so important to choose the right diet? Proper nutrition is the key to the normal formation and growth of a kitten, regardless of its breed and age.

Until about 4 weeks of age, kittens feed on their mother's milk; as they get older, they begin to become interested in adult food. If the kitten was raised in good conditions and was surrounded by care, at about 2 months of age it will completely refuse mother's milk and become dependent on the diet that was formed by the breeder or owner.

Premium class

Royal Canin GIM35 for gastrointestinal problems and sensitive digestion

pros

• pets eat with gusto
• doesn't bother the cat
• improves digestion
• active and good appearance
• Convenient packaging with zip fastener
• no smell
• no harmful ingredients
• is used sparingly

Minuses

• a bit expensive

From 1,600 ₽ for 2 kg

Packaging dry cat food in the form of a zip-lock bag allows you to maintain a fresh smell. Suitable for any age. Contains rice, fiber, gluten, proteins, fats, carbohydrates, poultry, fish oil, lutein. The granules are small.

Orijen Fit & Trim

pros

• lack of cereals
• no fat
• balanced
• can be stored for a long time and does not spoil
• economical consumption
• the cat does not overeat and gradually loses weight

Minuses

• box without zip lock
• you can't buy it everywhere

From 1,960 ₽ for 1.8

The food is ideal for passive cats that spend most of their time at home and those prone to obesity. Contains meat and vegetables.

It’s worth choosing this food for kittens if your pet doesn’t move much or is overweight. Half of the components are meat and fish in various proportions. The rest is legumes (lentils, chickpeas, peas) and vegetables (pumpkin, carrots, zucchini, parsnips), fruits (pears and apples), greens and the fruits of some berries (blueberries, rose hips, cranberries), algae. Protein - 44%. There are practically no carbohydrates. Included in the top advice from veterinarians for combating excess weight.

GO! Sensitivity + Shine grain-free, salmon, trout

pros

• low consumption
• the pet is delighted
• the result is super
• suitable for sensitive gastrointestinal tracts

Minuses

• price

From RUB 3,212 for 7.3 kg

The quality rating of dry food for kittens is not complete without this brand, although it is less popular than the previous ones reviewed, it is also of high quality - fish predominates here (herring, fresh meat and oil of salmon, trout), many berries, fruits and vegetables , cottage cheese, lactobacilli, a huge amount of minerals and vitamins and dried herbs.

Reviews from Nature's Table customers on forums

Olga, owner of a 4-year-old cat

“...To be honest, I don’t change the food, because I don’t see the need yet. Of course, we fed the kitten differently, but now we’ve been buying Nature’s Table for almost 1.5 years. The cat is healthy, eats with appetite, and in general we live without problems in terms of feeding the pet. The only thing we change is tastes. Ours loves chicken and beef...”

Ekaterina, owner of an 8-year-old cat

“...We tried different foods, different tastes, but for now we settled on Nature's Table. I like the composition of this food, I trust the manufacturer. In addition, it is suitable for our cat, but he had digestive problems. Its OK now. The coat looks healthy, the cat is calm and never refuses food, which means his appetite is fine. In the case of animals, this is an important criterion for health.”

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Anastasia, veterinarian

“...I am not an ambassador of any brand, so my opinion is this: choose your cat food more carefully. Ask veterinarians for advice. It is important that cats do not develop allergies or food intolerances. It is not a very quick process to determine which food is suitable, because the pets need to be observed for some time in order to then change the food, remove the symptoms and rid the animal of the disease. If you have cats of different ages and in different conditions in your house, then try not to feed them the same. In one case there will be a shortage of nutrients, in the other there will be too much.”

Nature's Table cat food