Feeding your Kitten advice from Natures Menu

It’s vital to feed a kitten properly for its growth and development. Here we look at how much you should feed a kitten, based on its age and dietary needs.

Also, if you’ve yet to insure your new fuzzy friend, take a look at our kitten insurance.

How much to feed a young kitten

Neonatal kittens: 0-4 weeks

Diet: Kitten milk replacer. Never feed them cow's milk.

How often?: Every 2-3 hours around the clock.

Amount: Follow the instructions on the kitten milk packaging. This is often calculated by the kitten’s weight - but it’s important to feed them the right amount regularly, including through the night.

Weaning kittens: 4-8 weeks

Diet: Gradually introduce wet kitten food while still offering kitten milk replacer.

How often?: 4-6 feedings per day.

Amount: Offer small amounts of wet food 4-5 times a day. Gradually decrease milk replacer as they eat more solid food.

8 weeks - 6 months

Diet: Primarily wet kitten food. You can also start introducing dry kitten kibble.

How often?: 3-4 feedings per day

Amount: Follow the feeding recommendations on the cat food packaging. Typically kittens need around 1/3 to 1 cup of dry food or 85-170 grams of wet food daily, split into multiple meals.

How much to feed your 6-month kitten

As your kitten reaches the 6-month mark, it’s important to feed them the correct diet. Here’s some advice on feeding your 6-month old kitten from Natures Menu.

Is it time to move to adult food?

Even though they’ve finished the majority of their growing, important developmental changes are still happening that require the correct balance of nutrients. Depending on the food you feed them, you may be able to start progressing onto adult food. But check with your vet for their recommendations, as all brands differ.

Should I neuter my kitten?

Neutering your kitten can be discussed at six months which can have many behaviour and health benefits, especially if you are going to let them venture outside.

Spaying of females prevents them being harassed by male cats and from having unwanted litters of kittens, and castration of male cats can help prevent them straying miles over busy roads in search of females.

The general neutering of all cats helps prevent territorial fights and spreading of disease, infections or wounds. Your cat’s diet may need to be adjusted following neutering as the metabolism can slow and weight gain may occur more easily.

For more information about caring for kittens, check out our guide on looking after your new kitten.

Feeding tips for kittens

●       Monitor their weight. Regularly weigh your kitten to make sure they’re growing at a healthy rate. Adjust the amount of food if required.

●       Keep them hydrated. Fresh water should always be available, especially if you’re feeding them dry kibble. Find out more: Is my kitten drinking enough?

●       Be consistent. Stick to a regular feeding schedule. This will help with digestion and prevent overeating.

●       Buy good-quality food. Choose high-quality kitten food formulated to meet their nutritional needs. Kittens require more protein, fat and calories than adult cats.

●       Avoid overfeeding them. While kittens need more calories than adult cats, overfeeding can lead to obesity and related health issues. Find out more about why cats become overweight.

●       Look after their teeth. Dental health is important in cats, as they can easily develop gum disease. Here’s how to look after your cat’s dental health.

●       Ask your vet. If in doubt, chat with your vet for personalised feeding recommendations. Then you’ll get advice specific to your kitten’s health needs and growth progress.

Your kitten's appetite

Cats and kittens are sometimes very particular about the types of food they prefer. Often when attempting to wean them over to a food that we know will be nutritionally better for them long-term, they can refuse to eat.

How to transition to a new food for your kitten

Kittens and adult cats can deteriorate very quickly if they go without food for more than 12 hours. As such, making sure you always have a preferable food available while transitioning is essential.

Try mixing some of the new food in with the old, gradually increasing the new while reducing the amount of the previous food.

Alternatively, you could try the ‘two bowl method’. Have their regular food down in their normal bowl, and a small portion of the new food in a separate bowl positioned close by. This helps to associate the smell of the new food with something they already find pleasurable.

It may take a few days. But eventually curiosity will get the better of them, and they’ll start to sniff, lick and try some of the different food on offer.

Also, always make sure they have plenty of fresh, clean drinking water available. If they don’t seem to drink much water, you could try a water fountain for pets. Cats often prefer running water, and these can also come with filters to help keep the water clean and fresh.

Thank you to Natures Menu for contributing this article. To find out more about their kitten and cat food, click here.