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The Difference Between Adult and Kitten Food
By Rita Cook

You already have a cat at home and you've just brought home the cutest little kitten. Your big dilemma now is to decide how you're going to make sure that both of your pets eat the right amount of food at the right time. You've heard that kittens need more nutrients than what is provided in your adult cat's food and that cats shouldn't eat kitten food because of the extra nutrients that they don't need anymore. Well, you've heard right, but what is the difference, really, in kitten and cat food?

Keep in mind that kittens are not just little miniature cats. They need food that will provide them with the right vitamins and minerals to help their little bodies grow. That means extra protein, fat and vitamins. The extra protein helps them with developing strong muscles and tissue whereas the fat helps them with the necessary fatty acids and is a carrier for fat-soluble vitamins. Your kitten also needs extra calories for more energy (how else do you think they can bounce off the walls like only kittens do). Finally, those extra minerals make sure that your kitten grows into a healthy cat with strong teeth and bones.

These are all things that your adult cat does not need anymore in his food since he's already grown. Sure, getting the bowls mixed up every now and then won't kill your adult cat or kitten, but in the long run extra nutrients can harm your adult cat and not enough of those extras mean that your kitty will probably end up as an unhealthy cat when she's grown.

It's really only necessary to give your kitten this special kitty diet during the first year of her life. One of the most popular pet food brands Eurkanuba's website notes, "The most rapid growth occurs during your kitten's first nine to 12 months. Even though your kitten may appear full-grown at about six months of age, she's still growing and maturing on the inside. In fact, kittens can have twice the energy needs and nutrient requirements of an adult cat on a pound-per-pound basis."

Keep in mind that kittens have smaller mouths, teeth and stomachs too, which limits the amount of food they can digest during a single meal. Divide their daily amount to be fed into three or four meals. Because a kitten requires a diet specifically formulated for growth, every bite must be packed with highly digestible protein. Remember to always have fresh water available too for both your kitten and your cat.

Eurkanba also goes on to note, "Kittens are strict carnivores and need the nutrients found in animal protein sources. Proteins provide amino acids necessary for energy and tissue growth. Sufficient amounts of taurine help cats maintain healthy eyes, heart and reproductive organs."

When choosing food for your kitten, look for these ingredients that are not needed in your adult cat's food such as taurine, amino acid and some kind of fiber source for your kitten's digestive system health.

Overall, cat food contains a variety of agricultural ingredients like meat, poultry and seafood. The vitamins and minerals are then added to complete the nutritional needs as well as preservatives to keep the food fresh. Choosing canned or dry food doesn't matter either, but keep in mind that dry cat food has greater "caloric density" compared to canned food containing more water.

Finally, around the first year your kitten will have grown to the point where she does not need that special kitten diet anymore. The Iams website notes, "Your kitten enters adolescence at around six months, but she is still growing and still needs kitten food. As her rate of growth declines, she is able to eat fewer, larger meals. At around 12 months, gradually switch to adult food. Try mixing 25% new food with 75% kitten food, changing to 100% adult food over the next four days."

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