Question about cat food...

[Dookus]

I have three cats. One is 3 years old, and the other two are 7 months and 5 months.

The older guy has always eaten Iams regular dry food. He loves it. So do the other cats. However, I notice that Iams also has a "kitten" formula. Will it hurt my younger kitties to eat the regular adult food? they seem to love it and have no noticeable ill effects. Is the "kitten" formula just a marketing gimmick?

And if I SHOULD be feeding the young'uns different food, how on earth do I do it? I just leave the feeder full and they eat when they choose.

Thoughts?

[commander bunnypants]

1. AS k a vet

The kitten chow is probably formulated a bit different.

DDQM

[TrogL]

2. They'll be fine

It's just a marketing thing.

[ozymandius]

3. As I understand it - kitten food is full of fat.

Older cats love it because of the extra juicy taste - yum yum! There are different dietary requirements for different cat ages. But hurt the kittens? They might have trouble gaining weight during this crucial growth period. You might suppliment adult food with raw chicken livers.

Or you could put the kitten food in a dish and hide the dish in a box. Cut a hole in the box large enough for the kittens to pass through but too small for the older cats.

[Dookus]

4. heheh..

well the little ones are growin' just fine. Maybe I'll add a little extra fatty treats to their diet, though.

[geniph]

5. For some kittens, kitten food is actually a bad thing

I have Maine Coons, and they tend to grow quite large. With large-breed cats, just as with large-breed dogs or large-breed horses, you don't want them to grow too fast; the ideal is slow, steady growth for a long time. There is some anecdotal evidence that some problems like hip dysplasia may actually be related to growing too fast. So you don't want to give them a food too high in calories when they're growing; high enough to keep them from being skinny, but there's not a compelling reason to feed the higher-calorie kitten formula unless they're underweight.

Most pet cats have a problem maintaining a reasonable weight, so letting adult cats eat kitten food can make them pretty chubby. For elderly cats, kitten food is much too high in protein, which can be very hard on aging kidneys.

My biggest cat refused to eat kitten food when we brought him home; he wanted to eat the same thing the "big cats" ate. So I gave up on the kitten food when he was about four months old. He's by far the largest of my cats now (and he's big enough that people coming in the house for the first time are startled by the sight of him).

[Dookus]

6. heheh..

I adore Maine Coons. Some day I'll get one.

My two younger ones are growing at a healthy clip, and neither is thin. The 7 month old is athletic and well muscled, but not skinny. The younger girl is a nice fluffy kitten with a little belly.

I won't fret over it then. they like the food they're getting and growing just fine. Thanks!

[Catshrink]

7. What I do for the special diets

I have five. When Ricky was little, I kept the kitten food in a small container -- old margarine tub -- and when the older cats were eating I'd shake it. He'd come running and he had his special treats. He was too stupid to know the difference. He still ate the big cats' food, but he got a little more nutrition this way. The vet said he needed to get that.

Now, my Angel Ryno Girl is 13 and needs to mature cat food. I do the same thing for her.

You'll probably never be able to completely control what any of them eat, but this way you can "enrich" their diets.