Kitten Food vs Cat Food – What Every New Cat Owners Need To Know

The process of choosing the right cat and kitten food with the appropriate contents and flavors can be daunting.

That said, you should take more time to learn the difference and benefits of each of them mainly because choosing the right food for your pets at all stages of life is vital.

Luckily, manufacturers are required to label and clearly show all the instructions regarding the lifestyle and age they are intended to target.

Take note of a few terms such as ”For Growth” and For maintenance”.

For growth means that it’s kitten food, while maintenance means that the food is intended for older cats.

So what’s the difference between kitten foods and cat foods?

Well, let’s find out, shall we?

Calories

Kitten food is higher in calories and other nutrients that a growing cat needs.

The cat foods, on the other hand, is lower in fat, protein, and calories.

This is actually the main difference between the two foods.

This is why some cat owners may think that kitten foods are more fattening.

Kitten foods are considerably more expensive.

The nutrient requirement of a kitten is higher than that of an adult cat.

The precision used in manufacturing and fortifying the food is also considerably high, a reason why kitten food is relatively expensive.

The formulation

The formulation is the biggest discrepancy between the two cat foods.

The two foods contain different formulas of nutrients depending on the cats’ nutritional needs at these two stages.

As stated earlier, kitten food has more calories, fat, and proteins, while the opposite is true for cat food.

Cat food contains more vitamins and minerals to help, especially when the cat is aging.

Availability

Another key difference between cat food and Kitten food is their availability.

Kitten food is more difficult to find.

This means that even a small Box of Kitten food can take longer to locate in a pet store or a supermarket.

Cat food is widely available in supermarkets and pet stores and it’s quite affordable.

The limited availability is what mainly makes Kitten food more expensive.

The labels

It’s equally important to make sure you understand the labels for cat and kitten foods.

These two foods are not labeled the same.

The kitten foods have labels talking about cat growth and nutritional value depending on their size, age, and weight.

Kitten foods also target growth and reproduction.

Cat food labels usually talk about cat maintenance.

For that reason, it’s very important to know whether you want cat foods to maintain the cat’s health or kitten food for growth and reproduction.

Is there any similarity between Cat and Kitten foods?

There are a few similarities between cat food and kitten foods.

The first comparison is that they all contain key vitamins and minerals for growth.

Cats at all stages of life require certain vitamins and minerals for growth and health maintenance.

That said, both foods will contain some of the key vitamins such as Vitamin K, C, and minerals like iron and calcium for blood and bone growth.

Another similarity is that similar ingredients are used in the manufacturing of both the Kitten and cat foods.

The only difference is the contents and quantities of each of the key ingredients.

Lastly, older cats can eat Kitten food, especially when you want them to gain some weight or when their nutritional requirement is like that of younger cats.

This is the case with very old cats that require more energy, certain protein, and calories.

When to transition from Kitten food to Cat food?

You must know when exactly to switch from kitten food to cat food.

According to veterinarians and pet food manufacturers, there are several factors that determine when to feed your kitten cat foods, notably size and weight.

When your Kitten reaches a certain weight and size, you can consider feeding her cat foods.

Though some cat breeds will gain weight faster than others.

If you notice that your cat has added more weight, before the first birthday, consider reducing the quantities of kitten foods.

You can actually start the transition process at this time.

Age is another factor that determines when to transition from kitten foods to cat foods.

According to veterinarians, cats on their first birthday no longer need kitten foods.

Most of them are adult size around their first birthday.

However, this depends on the specific breed.

Is Kitten food more fattening?

Kitten food has more fat than cat foods, and if your older cat usually eats kitten food, there is a possibility she will gain more weight.

This can be harmful and increase chances for weight-related diseases like obesity.

FAQs

Is Kitten food more expensive than cat food?

Yes, Kitten foods were relatively more expensive than Cat food.

The main reason is the precision in the process of manufacturing such foods and the contents and ingredients used.

Kitten foods are likely to have higher fat content, taurine, and calories.

But they mainly have a lower content of carbohydrates and fiber.

What happens when a kitten eats cat food?

If you feed your Kitten cat food, there’s a likelihood that you are depriving her of the most important minerals and vitamins.

Therefore, the Kitten will definitely not get what she needs nutrient wise.

When should I switch from Kitten to cat food?

The cat owner should wait till the kittens are one year old to switch from Kitten foods to Cat food.

This ensures that their body is ready to transition.

The cat should be old enough to benefit from minerals and vitamins included in cat foods.

Conclusion

Kittens, especially in their early ages, have more specific nutritional needs than aging cats.

Remember that kittens have smaller stomachs, and to account for the lost quantities, they definitely have to consume foods higher in most essential nutrients, minerals, and vitamins.

This is actually what makes the biggest difference between Kitten and cat foods.