Is it really that important to feed my 6 months olds kitten food, and my adults adult food?

Question

I have 5 cats and it would be almost impossible, and a serious inconvenience to my husband (who lets them out of their room and feeds them in the morning before he leaves for work) to feed them at separate times in separate places. How bad would it really be to feed them all the same food? If it helps I'm going to go organic no matter what.

Answer 1

DOH!  Cats have different needs at different stages of their lives just like people do so yes its important... maybe the kitten can be put in a lil room like a bathroom by itself to eat and then let out later..  I mean would  you feed a baby a steak and potatoes?

Answer 2

If you are feeding a premium food, free of corn and by-products, with a protein content of 40% or better, then it's fine to feed the same food to both.  Kitten formula is a marketing gimmick.  It is all about nutrition, not special formulation.  If you pick up a bag/can of premium food, and look at the nutritional content, and then compare that to a bag of say Purina Kitten Chow, there is significantly more nutrition in the premium all-life-stages brand than in the special kitten chow brand.  

I feed all of my foster kittens Wellness and Innova's EVO, and they thrive.  Be just a bit careful with organic foods - some of them are very high in corn, and even though it's organic corn, it still is a filler with very little nutritional value for cats.  They need a meat based diet, not a grain based one.

Answer 3

Don't worry about it.  Kitten food is little more than a label.

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

well adult food could cause diarrhea to kittens ,

beside the daily nutrition intake of the kittens differ than the adults.

I have 9 cats my self and do understand what you mean.

but finally I managed .

I feed the adults and while they are eating I pick up the younger ones , one by one and put them in front of their dish.

they would feel the difference in the food , with time you will notice that when its feeding time they will rush to their dish ( probably they will find it empty and go to the adult's but as soon as you fill it for them pick them up back to their dish)

the thing that worries me is that I do not like the adults to eat from the young ones but I always say NOO..

if this did not work try feeding them in seperate places ( I used to lock in the kittens to eat then out again when theyf inishh)

unless you prepare their food at home , it is better to feed your cats the food that is suitable for their age.

Good Luck  

Answer 5

I have a senior cat (she's 14) and she's on a special kidney diet.  The vet checked her kidney values and they were high, she recommended special food and to consider medication.  I went with the food only and had her rechecked in 6 months.  Her kidney values are now in line.  So yes, I would say that diet is important.  I would also recommend just calling a vet and asking them, they probably wouldn't charge for a phone call.  I do it all the time.

Here's a blog & picture of my little old mouser: http://buzz.prevention.com/community/sha...

Answer 6

A 6 month old kitten will be just fine eating regular cat food. The "kitten food" is a marketing term used to charge more for the food. I bred top show cats for years. Fed everyone premium cat food and never wasted money on "kitten food".