Is "kitten-food" a must for a kitten??

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

I am asking this because I am having some problems with my cats. No no, they are not sick or so; but everytime I feed them dry food, Snoopy runs to the bowls of the others and tries to eat the adult food. She eats the kitten food when she is hungry enough, but I have the impression that she dislikes it!
So I need advize: it is really necessary to give Snoopy kitten food, while the others get adult food? Snoopy goes crazy for tuna tasted kibble, but for kittens it is always chicken taste... :( . What should I do? Force her to take the kitten food? Or let her have the same food as the others? I always buy good quality food from Hills :)

[catnapper]

Try to find a kitten food she likes. My vet had a heart attack last year when I said Angel and Flutter were eating adult food. It took several brands but I finally found one they both agreed on (Nutro Max Kitten). Most kittens I've met will not eat Iams Kitten. They all love Purina Kitten Chow, but you might not be giving them the best nutrition available with that (but thats what Harry and Abby grw up on and they are looking mighty fine! :D )

Make sure the adults do not eat kitten food as they will grow fat very fast on it!

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

Make sure the adults do not eat kitten food as they will grow fat very fast on it!

Easier said than done... :(
I will have to look for another brand of kitten food then. Does Hills have this? No Nutro around here anymore... :rolleyes:

[Jessika]

IMO you don't need to feed kitten food. Kitten food has more protein/calories for growing kitties, which is why adults may get fat if they're left to eat it and eat the same portion of kitten food as they would adult food.

YES, it is safe to feed adults kitten food, and kitten's adult food! You just need to adjust their portions accordingly!! Feed adults less of the kitten food, and kittens more of the adult food. :)

In most cases, age specific foods are just ways for food companies to earn extra money

In any case it seems you are going to have to feed the cats in separate rooms so the adults won't finish their portion and run and try to eat the rest of the kitten's!

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

No more advize? Oh, do I really have to seperate them?? Snoopy is so much used now to eat right next to her sister Zazou :rolleyes: :(
http://users.pandora.be/bernardgabriels/images/snoopy8.jpg

[smokey the elder]

Aw, what a precious baby that Snoopy is!

[Donnaj4962]

When Sasha was a kitten, I started feeding her "kitten food", and Tabitha (15 years older! :eek: ) her "adult cat food". But Sasha would finish hers and head to finish off whatever Tabitha had left. So, instead if trying to separate them, I just started giving them the same adult food. Both are doing well. Sasha is a well adjusted 2 year old and Tabitha is 17! Tabitha is a very petite kitty (always has been) and Sasha is about 12 pounds. I sometimes think that Sasha is a bit heavy, but then, I am comparing her to 8 pound Tabitha! (Tabitha has NEVER weighed more than 9 pounds, and the vet declares her in excellent health for a senior citizen :D)

So I guess my advice is if you don't want to separate them, Snoopy will be okay eating what her older fursibs are eating. I would suggest keeping an eye on her weight, though.

Of course, I am in no means an expert, as Tabby and Sashie are the only two cats that have allowed me "to live with them" :rolleyes: and there are so many more folks on here that would have advice that is from more experiences. I am just letting you know what worked for me/us.!!!!!

[rosethecopycat]

I remember 30 years ago, there was no kitten food.
Our cats lived long lives.

It's true there are improvements now, and I do feed kitten food, but I think a meat based diet is what is really necessary, whether kitten food or cat food.
They can compensate for the need of extra calories by eating more.

[catmandu]

I think that Snoopy is old enough to eat a Quality Adult Food.
I am not feeding any of the Kitten Trio Kitten Food as the Older Found Cats would gulp it down,and put on extra weight.
Hills would be the best as its in small pellets.

[moosmom]

All my cats, who I got as kittens, hated dry kitten food. They always ate out of the adults dishes. I never stopped them. All of them are fine so I wouldn't worry too much about the kitten.

HOWEVER...allowing the adults to eat kitten food will make them fat. That's what happened to my RB Casey. Plumped out like a Cheshire Cat!!!

[Abby&Buddy'sMom]

When I got my Buddy, Abby was 13 months old and eating adult food (Chicken Soup for the cat-lovers soul) . I purchased the same brand for Buddy (CS)in kitten (that is what Abby ate when she was a kitten) . He never really ate it at all, he kept eating Abbys adult food. So when he was neutered (at 4 1/2 mths old)I asked the vet if that is ok, and she said it will not harm him at all, as the food I feed (adult CS) is a really good food. So anyway I think is should be ok for Snoopy to eat adult food, but that is only my opinion :) . Buddy seemed to do just fine on adult food as he is neither chubby or too skinny....he is just right :D

[heidiv]

From the day Chloe came into our adult cat family we struggled with her only eating the adult food. I don't understand what it was but I finally had to talk to our vet and find out what way to do things. She said that since she was taking an interest in the adult food that she would be just fine growing on that. I just supplimented her food with wet kitten food 2 times a day for the extra vitamins and let her help herself to the big kitties food. My vet said the same thing its o.k. for Chloe our youngest to eat the adult food Very bad for the older cats to eat the kitten food. Too many calories and vitamins may cause issues with the urine. Hope it helped. :D

[carole]

Yes my understanding is that it is ok for cats to eat kitten food and kittens Adult food, there is just more calcium and vitamins in kitten food i am told, so no harm can come to either, except as pointed out you might have some fat puddies who are stealing the kitten food. :D

[Glacier]

Well, my last kitten, Felicia, is three years old now! But when she was a wee one, I gave her kitten food when the other cats were having their canned food. She got a little bit of canned kitten food and some dry stuff(I can't remember what brand I fed her!) in a different room. The rest of the time she ate what the other cats eat.

[boscibo]

Hanna refused kitten food and ate adult food. She's a fine big cat now. :) I busted Isabel eating the adult stuff today!

[Crazy-Cat-Lover]

Whenever I switch foods, I ALWAYS buy an All Life Stages formula. This way, they can all eat the same food. :)

[kuhio98]

I can't remember ever buying kitten food. Don't know why, maybe I never did. But the kitties have all been healthy.