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The most rapid growth occurs during your kitten’s first 9 – 12 months. Your kitten may appear full-grown at about six months of age, but 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.
Feeding Your Kitten
Kittens’ smaller mouths, teeth and stomachs limit the amount of food that they can digest in a single meal. It may be best to divide their daily amount into three or four meals. Because a kitten requires a diet for growth, every bite must be packed with highly digestible protein. Remember to always have fresh water available.
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Important Nutritional Needs
Kittens are strict carnivores and need the nutrients found in animal protein sources. Proteins provide amino acids for energy and tissue growth.
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Choosing Foods
Cats have a higher minimum requirement for protein in their food than dogs (26% – 30% vs. 18% – 22%). Besides protein, there are other important nutrients and ingredients vital to your kitten’s diet:
- Taurine, an amino acid, is essential to cats for maintaining healthy eye and heart function, reproduction, and fetal growth and development. Taurine is found naturally only in animal protein sources such as chicken and fish.
- Essential vitamins and minerals to help support the immune system and help your kitten stay healthy during this critical stage of growth
- A fiber source, such as beet pulp, that will help maintain your kitten’s digestive system health for less litter box waste and odor
These are important building blocks of nutrition. Look for them whether you choose dry or canned cat food and when you select treats.
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Feeding Don’ts
Avoid feeding human foods and table scraps to your kitten. Here are some common human foods and their side effects.
- Cow’s milk—a feline’s system may not be able to completely digest it; can lead to digestive upset and diarrhea.
- Chocolate—can be toxic to animals.
- Onion powder—contains oxidizing agents that can damage feline red blood cells and cause anemia.
- Raw eggs—contain a protein that blocks the body’s use of one of the B vitamins; may cause dermatitis, hair loss and neurological dysfunction.
- Tuna—low in calcium and too high in phosphorus; if fed exclusively, may lead to rubber jaw, a form of osteoporosis.
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When to Switch to Adult Food
Your kitten enters adolescence at around 6 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. It is not necessary to change your kitten’s food for variety. If you wish to supplement her diet, serve a nutrient-dense wet food for a nutritious change of pace.
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More About Kitten Nutrition
Other kitten owners have found the following articles helpful:
Technical Bulletin: Antioxidants
Carbohydrate Sources in IAMS Cat Foods
Technical Bulletin: Skin and Coat
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