When to Change From Kitten Food to Cat Food in Kitten Care

Fast Growers

• Kittens grow quickly, doubling and sometimes tripling their weight in their first few weeks of life. Though they've been weaned from their mother's milk and are ready to eat on their own, their needs are pretty intense. Though adult cat food will keep Frisky from going hungry, it won't meet all of her nutritional needs. Kittens have high energy requirements and adult cat food doesn't provide enough calories in a meal to meet those needs.

Feeding Kittens

• Kittens have similar requirements for fat, some fatty acids and most vitamins as an adult cat, but they need more protein, amino acids and minerals. Kitten foods are specially formulated to meet those needs. The ASPCA recommends allowing kittens to free-feed, meaning leaving their kibble out and open, accessible to them through the day for grazing. Otherwise, a kitten's high activity level and energy needs mean they should have meals three or four times a day.

First Birthday Present

• When Frisky celebrates her first birthday, it's time to welcome her to the world of adult cat food. Cornell University School of Veterinary Medicine notes that it's possible to feed a cat too many vitamins and minerals, so she should be transitioned off her kitten diet. As well, if she's been free feeding or eating several meals a day, it's time to start scaling back her intake. By this time, you should have a good gauge of her size and can determine an appropriate serving size based on her food, weight and build. You can feed her once or twice a day, with clean water always available to her.

Choosing a Cat Food

• A high-quality adult cat food will provide Frisky with an adequate amount of protein, fatty acids, minerals and vitamins to maintain her good health. When you choose a cat food, protein is at the top of the list of important nutrients. Ingredients are listed on the cat food label in descending order by weight, and protein sources should be the first ingredients on the list. This includes meat, meat by-products or seafood, which indicates the food contains enough animal-based protein to give Frisky the essential fatty acids and amino acids she requires.

Making the Switch

• After you've picked her new food, give her tummy a few days to get used to her new diet. Give Frisky at least four days, and up to a week, to adapt to her new food. You can mix small amounts of the new food into her old food, changing the ratio of new to old until her entire serving is the adult food. If you try to make the switch too quickly, she may experience an upset belly.