Feeding Kittens – The Right Diet
Makes Your Best Friend Grow

Feeding kittens differs from feeding adult cats. But if you know what kittens need, it is easy to serve a healthy and tasty meal for your little feline friends.

The first few weeks you won’t have to do anything. Kittens drink mother’s milk and that’s about all they want and need. Kittens don’t have teeth at this age, so anything else would be problematic anyway.

When the litter is large, some kittens may have difficulty finding a free nipple and remain without food. You can help by hand-feed these kittens with a dropper. Give them special nutritious kitten milk like KMR Liquid, available at pet stores both online and offline.

You won’t have to use force when you are feeding kittens with a dropper. Kittens suck instinctively.

At three weeks you can start giving your little cat solid kitten food together with milk.

Build it up week by week till your kitten is two months old. By the time your cat is eight to ten weeks it should have fully switched to solid food.

Water will have replaced mother’s milk by then. If you want to give milk as a treat, only serve lactose free milk. Otherwise your pet might get diarrhea or start vomiting. Most cats of three months are not able anymore to properly digest regular milk. Lactose free milk is available at pet stores.

What kind of kitten food is the best?

This is one of the most frequently asked questions about feeding kittens.

If you buy food in your local store, read the labels first.

Dry food should contain about 30 percent protein and about 15 percent fat. Canned food should contain about 10 percent protein and about 6 percent fat.

Extra protein won't harm your kitten. Proteins make your cat grow.

Kittens also need amino acids and taurine. Unfortunately, amino acids and taurine are not alwats listed on the label. However, if meat, chicken and fish are the main ingredients, these nutrients are usually in the food.

If your kitten was not born at your home, ask the breeder or seller what brand of kitten food it was eating before you adopted it.

Stick with the same brand, or switch gradually by mixing the previous brand with the one you prefer. Add a little more of the new brand everyday and eventually your kitten will eat only this.

Kittens usually eat three times a day until they are six months old and twice a day until they are one year old. Adult cats may have enough with one meal a day. Read More About Feeding Kittens And Adult Cats.