Feeding Kittens and Cats

Feeding your kitten is more complicated than you may think. That’s why we’ll start such a positive subject with what not to do.

Cat Feeding Mistakes

Here are the most common errors cat owners make:

  • Cats being given free access to food. Read here how to start meal-feeding your cat.
  • Cats only being fed meat. Cats may be carnivores, but wild cats consume all of the prey, not just the muscle. The bone provides calcium, the innards supply B vitamins etc. Cats on meat-only diets will quickly develop weak bones prone to fracture, and grow poorly with a risk of lifelong deformities.
  • Making home-prepared food. While we are not opposed to this, it is very difficult to do well for cats without a nutritionist. Human foods and diets which change are two big no no’s.
  • Feeding cows milk. Cats are naturally lactose intolerant and so water is always healthiest. However, adult cats can tolerate milk in most cases if the amount is kept small.
  • Feeding unbalanced meals. Many foods sold for cats do not provide adequate nutrition. You can read a list of Australian brands here.
  • Believing that a cat will only eat a particular food. You can definitely feed the cat food your vet recommends. What’s more, this means that later in life you can change cats to the prescription diets they need.
  • Overfeeding! Click here for advice on controlling your cat’s food intake.

Feeding your kitten or cat involves three components:

A Complete & Balanced Cat Food

cat chewing food

The best for your cat or kitten is a complete and balanced commercially available food. These come in a wide range of prices and types.

Dry foods from companies like Hills or Royal Canin foods are at the premium end of the market and should provide for your cat’s entire needs. Pictured is Hills VetEssentials which also provides dental care.

Wet foods, while messier to use, have the advantage of often being lower carbohydrate options for cats and improve urinary tract health by increasing water intake.

Kitten foods are important to use up to 12 months of age. Kittens get fixated on certain foods very quickly so if you want your cat to try new foods or appreciate a variety you should start them very young, preferably under 12 weeks of age. Click here for advice on making a natural, wild-type diet for a kitten.

Senior feline diets are only useful if no higher priorities exist; follow the link to learn more.

Grass

kitten eating grass
By Kuba Bożanowski from Warsaw, Poland (om nom nomUploaded by russavia) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

No that is not a typo, cats really do seem to need access to fresh grass. Or at least they think they do, which is good enough for vets to recommend all cats eat some grass every day.

If your cat is inside only, you can buy Cat Grass from the garden centre and grow it in a pot in a window. If cats don’t have access to grass, they will often chew cut flowers, many of which such as lilies are highly toxic.

Texture

This is optional but if you don’t supply a chewable food your cat’s teeth are likely to deteriorate and require dentistry. Adult cats have access to some very good complete and balanced dental diets such as Hills t/d. We recommend kittens be started on raw chicken necks. For more information, read our full article on using the diet to keep cats teeth clean.

Treats

If you want to feed treats, please read our guide to safe and healthy treats for cats and this page on how to safely give naughty treats too!

How Much To Feed

cat eating biscuits

The amount to feed is going to vary from cat to cat. If you are using a quality food, start with the recommended amounts on the packaging. Then check your cat’s weight and body condition every two weeks, and ask us if you are unsure. Ultimately, the amount fed is adjusted to be whatever is required to maintain a lean, healthy body condition.

Grendel (pictured) would be as fat as butter if he had his way. If you’re having trouble, visit our guide to getting a cat to lose weight and stay trim.

Water

Water should be available at all times and changed daily. Be prepared for your cat or kitten being very fussy about the water type. Read more at Getting cats to drink water.

Feeding Routine

Better to train them early. If you start your kitten on regular meal times you will both have a better life. Read here how and why to feed cats in meals.

How to Feed

Why do we feed cats in bowls? It’s a good point when there are so many more interesting ways. You can use Kitty Kongs, lick mats, treat balls which release food as they roll, mazes or puzzles (we have a few in the clinic to show you).