At what age can a kitten eat "adult" cat food?

Question

At what age can a kitten eat "adult" cat food?

Answer 1

Usually between 7-12 months... it just depends on how many baby teeth, and what your vet says.  

Answer 2

id say about 6 months thats when mine started

Answer 3

Any age, particularly if it's a good food as opposed to what's available in the grocery store.

Do kittens need to eat "kitten" food? Jul 12, '07 8:36 AM

for everyone

No, kittens do not need to eat "kitten" food. This is because most of the kitten foods on the market differ from adult food in very few, unimportant ways: The kibble bits are smaller (that's nice), they have a little more protein (but probably not meat-based protein), and they're higher in calories (that's nice, but.....)

Kittens do not need anything that adults don't, and vice versa. Kittens will not be harmed by eating adult foods, but they may not be getting their caloric requirements unless they're fed enough of it.

The best thing to feed a kitten, if you're willing to learn about it, is a raw meat diet. If you want to learn more, search for raw feeding at Yahoo Groups. There are several very good groups out there.

Or you can select a good commercial canned food and call it a day. The What to feed link offers many suggestions. Even though they don't market themselves as "kitten" foods, they are appropriate so long as you feed according to the guidelines.

http://www.maxshouse.com/feline_nutritio...

Energy Requirements for Kittens and Adult Cats  

Age  kcal/lb body wt  

Kittens: 10 weeks  113  

20 weeks  59  

30 weeks  45  

40 weeks  36  

Adult Cats: Inactive  18  

Active  20-30  

Pregnant  45  

Lactating*  56--145  

This site has another table showing the minimum protein allowances for cats v. kittens. It boils down to kittens needing 4% more protein than adults. There were other items in there, but it didn't vary widely at all.

One word of warning - if you're feeding an adult cat dry food from the grocery store, then I would probably stick with the kitten food for the kitten. Because the adult's food is inferior, I think it would be better for the kitten to get the questionable benefits from the kitten food. But of course a better idea would be to feed both of them a better food.

Answer 4

as soon as he wants to. usually once they are weaned. certainly by one year. 6 months is probably average.

i have to disagree with "Baby421". but to be fair, it depends on what you wean by "start".

kittens walk at about 4 weeks. they follow mom to her food, then walk in it.

soon, they mimic mom and taste, although, most food still comes from nursing.

weaning can easily take 12 weeks, but it can "start " at 4 weeks.

if you count walking through moms food and tasting it.

edit - i thought you meant a weaned kitten that was eating kitten chow and now you want to switch to cat chow. if you meant a kitten that has not been weaned, his mom will teach him to eat her food, at that time put food down in saucers. very little, they walk through it at first.

Answer 5

Do you mean eating adult food as opposed to mothers milk? If so, I think between 6-8 weeks is when they should probably not getting much milk from their mothers and are ready to eat regular cat food (softened or wet to start I think though).

If you're talking about the different types of dry/canned foods, I think cats are still growing a lot until about age 1, they supposedly need the extra nutrients in the 'kitten' formula food until then.

ETA- for baby kittens, most can start eating cat food around 4 or 5 weeks but it usually take a bit for them to stop drinking milk entirely and only eating cat food.

Answer 6

About 1-year-old.

If your cat ever had any major health problems though, I would call your vet.

Edit: I don't mean only "solid" food.

There are packages of cat food that say "kitten" food, and "adult" cat food. We started giving my cat food from the adult package at around one year.

Answer 7

It is less whether then can, as to whether they will.  Quality food is the main requirement, as kittens have been growing to healthy adults long before special 'kitten' food was sold.

Normally, it is suggested to feed kitten food for the first year.

My one kitten is nearing one years of age, and is going to find the end of kitten chow very soon, although she will eat adult food.  Another kitten of mine would not eat kitten chow, and has eaten adult food and is fine.

Answer 8

A cat is still growing until about the age of 3 years. You need to buy kitten food for it for about 2 and 1/2 years. Then you mix kitten food with adult cat food for the other half a year. The reason you should feed it kitten food for 2 years is because, the kitten food has lots of vitamins and minerals, and gives the kitten lots of calcium it need to grow. When the cat is about 3, it stops growing, so it no longer needs high amounts of calcium. Then you can feed it cat food, to give it just the right amount of nutrients. If you do this very carefully, your cat will live a long and happy life!

Hope this helps!

Answer 9

Kittens can usually start eating at the age of 4-5 weeks. But you can start feeding the mother kitten food already so she can rebuild her reserves.  

Answer 10

about one year old.

Answer 11

it usually say on the cat food tin or packets at what age you can give them kitten/adult food but i would say 5-6 months  

Answer 12

for anyone that says your kitten should be eating solids at 1 month+ ........no. but they are correct when saying that they should eat ADULT food at around 6 months. kittens need as much fat in their system as possible. if your kitten has already started eating solids and is 6 months+, then its time to feed it adult food. if you see any dramatic change in weight, you should go back to the baby food.

the period of weaning your kitten is 8-12 weeks at the most.

Answer 13

There isn't really an age, just until you can tell that the baby's

teeth are all out and the same size (not small teeth, a little

bigger than usual). 'Till then, get some adult food and let

them get a little soggy in the water for easier chewing.

Answer 14

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?...

6 weeks old beileve me and sometimes theyll start at five or 7 it depends on the mother cat and baby kitten.