Your newborn kitten has a lot of growing up to do. A kitten grows amazingly rapidly in the first six months of his or her life, reaching 75% of adult body weight. They have to manufacture muscle, bone, hair, teeth and a fully developed immune system extraordinarily quickly, so it's hardly surprising that they're going to need the highest quality nutrition, and plenty of it, to get there.

Kitten nutrition

Kittens are full of curiosity about the world around them and need lots of energy to explore it. A specially formulated complete kitten food will contain abundant protein to support healthy tissue and organ development, and higher levels of essential minerals such as calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, zinc and iron to help them build strong bones and teeth. Cats are ‘obligate carnivores’, meaning they must have meat in their diet. Only meat provides taurine (essential for normal vision and a healthy heart), important polyunsaturates such as the fatty acid arachidonic acid, as well as a specific form of vitamin A which they require. Unless advised to do so by your vet, you won’t need to feed him/her food supplements in addition to a manufactured kitten food.

Weaning

Mother's milk makes the ideal first food for every kitten and is naturally rich in everything they need, especially the building blocks for their own natural defences. Although they won't be ready for complete weaning until they are between six and eight weeks old, most kittens will start to nibble solid foods at three or four weeks. This is the best time to start offering a specially formulated kitten food - wet or dry. If you choose a dry food, it should be moistened and mashed and food should be offered in a shallow bowl.

Don't be tempted to wean too early. Switching to solid food too soon can be damaging for a kitten's immature digestion. The process is less stressful if you wean your kitten onto the food his/her mother is eating while nursing (meaning Mum should be fed a kitten food through the whole breeding period, if appropriate to her dietary requirements). Start with about a tablespoonful five times a day, and adjust if your kitten is leaving food in the bowl or is still hungry. Throughout the process he/she will also supplement his/her food with mother’s milk. The key to successful weaning is time and patience. Your ambition should be to gradually remove the mother from her kittens around feeding time, supporting her natural instinct. This gradual weaning transition should see the mother reducing, then stopping, her milk production. By 10-12 weeks the transition to solid food should be complete. Throughout this period monitor the kittens’ food intake and weight, and contact your vet if you have any concerns or the kittens fail to gain weight.

As they grow older, kittens’ eating habits become more adult (leaving some food in the bowl for later), but if your kitten is regularly leaving food in the bowl you may be offering too much or your kitten may not be eating enough; that’s why it’s important to regularly weigh each kitten and contact your vet if concerned. After each meal, take your kitten to the litter tray, and leave him/her to digest his/her food for at least an hour before playing.

Feeding

Kittens have small stomachs (about the size of a walnut at 8 weeks old) but large appetites, so feed small amounts on a frequent basis. This should suit your kitten's eating habits as well.

• After weaning, your kitten will eat at least four meals a day for a steady source of fuel . If you are unable to accommodate this feeding regime, feed three times a day but also leave a little dry food out as a snack. Some people use a timed feeder to provide meals when they are away from the home.
• As kittens get older, gradually reduce their feeding to three meals a day and then, by six months old, to two meals a day.
• Some cats are natural 'grazers', preferring to take several small meals throughout the day (especially those eating mainly dry food), others prefer fewer, bigger meals. Generally cats do not adapt well to eating just one meal a day, as some dogs do.

Always read the feeding instructions printed on product packaging carefully, although remember they are only there to give you a starting point. Every cat is an individual, so the most important consideration is to feed them enough to maintain a lean, healthy, ideal body condition. Always consult your vet if you are unsure how much to feed them.

Cats are creatures of habit, so it is best to feed your kitten in the same place and at the same times each day, in a quiet area away from the hustle and bustle of the house. Choose a surface that can be easily cleaned, such as a tiled floor, or use a feeding mat. Always serve the food in a clean bowl; ceramic or metal bowls are preferable and some cats prefer a saucer or flat bowl. Place the feeding bowl far away from the litter tray, and if you have more than one cat or kitten, put feeding bowls a reasonable distance apart to avoid confrontations. If the cats do not get along, completely separate feeding locations may be required.

Try to serve wet food at room temperature as it smells more attractive and is easier to digest. This can take some time if the food is kept in the fridge, so you can microwave wet food for a short time until it’s warm (never hot) to the touch.

Storing food

Wet food: Once opened, cover cans and store them in the fridge, warming the food up again before serving. Don't leave wet food out for too long, as it can go stale very quickly. It is inadvisable to keep opened wet food for longer than 24 hours even when refrigerated, so you may prefer to use a single-serve product, such as a pouch or foil tray.

Dry food: Store dry food in a dry, clean environment, and clean out the container regularly. An airtight container keeps the food more palatable by sealing in aromas. Feed dry food dry. Many cats prefer to crunch on their dry food, and find it less attractive if it’s soaked

What to feed?

There are many types of kitten food on the market from pouches, foil trays and tinned food to dry complete varieties. Ultimately whether you serve wet or dry is a matter of personal preference, yours and your kitten’s, or may be influenced by certain medical conditions.

• Dry complete diets have some specific plus points. They are convenient, easy to measure and use, easy to store and have a longer shelf life once opened than wet foods. They may also help to remove plaque from the teeth of older kittens.
• Remember also that kittens have smaller mouths than adult cats. The smaller kibbles in most manufactured dry kitten foods make it easier for them to chew and swallow.
• Some kittens simply prefer wet food's aroma and texture, and wet can still be very convenient with single-serve formats ensuring a fresh, easy-to-serve meal each time.

Ensure your kitten has clean, fresh water to drink at all times, preferably in a large ceramic bowl. Ensure the sides are not too high for a smaller kitten to comfortably drink from, or so deep that a tiny kitten could fall in. Plenty of water is especially important if you are feeding dry food. If your kitten is reluctant to drink, try a wider bowl - some cats don't like it when their whiskers touch the sides. Metallic bowls can put a cat off drinking too as they see reflections and shadows as they put their head down to drink. Position water away from the feeding area as cats prefer some separation between resources. Remember, milk is never a substitute for water. Kittens don’t need milk after weaning and many are actually lactose-intolerant. Even specially formulated, low-lactose ‘kitten milk’ should be treated as a food not a drink, with food intake adjusted accordingly.

Remember the difference between a 'complete' and a 'complementary' food. Complete foods require no supplements. Complementary foods, such as treats and snacks and some purely meat/fish-based foods, are not nutritionally balanced on their own. If feeding a complementary food, limit the amount you feed according to manufacturer’s guidelines, and ensure your kitten is eating enough of a complete diet to satisfy their nutritional needs.

Changing diet

Your kitten's digestion can be easily upset if you change his/her food abruptly, whether between canned and dry or between brands. For new arrivals, it’s usually better to stick with the food previously fed by the breeder or rescue centre initially, unless this is not nutritionally balanced. If in doubt, consult your vet, especially if your kitten refuses his/her usual diet or starts to eat less. If, a few weeks later, you do want to change your kitten’s diet, you should do so gradually. When introducing a new food:

• Put a little of the new food in with the current food and mix it all together (however, some cats do not like mixing of flavours) or
• Offer both foods separately to allow your kitten to try the new brand.
• Over the course of seven to ten days, gradually increase the amount of new food offered, whilst reducing the amount of the former until a complete change is achieved.
• If the kitten is unwell and a diet change is recommended, consult your vet on the best way and best time to attempt the diet change, as the transition may be easier once the kitten has recovered and is feeling better.

If switching from a wet to a dry food, your kitten will chew it more actively, will certainly require more water, and may visit the bowl sporadically rather than eating it all in one sitting. If switching from dry to wet, expect him/her to drink a little less and eat more in one meal in less time. As dry foods are in general more energy-dense than wet foods, your kitten may need to eat proportionally more wet food to gain the same calories.

Moving on to adult food

Even though many cats may look fully grown by six to eight months, they’re still kittens on the inside. Their bones are becoming stronger and their bodies filling out. Kittens may not need to transfer to a commercially produced adult food until they are 12 months old, depending on body condition and any medical conditions/veterinary advice. This should, again, be done gradually, as described above, to avoid stomach upsets.

Treating your kitten

Occasional treats put out between mealtimes or fed by hand are a great way to build the bond between owner and cat. However, there are specific concerns when it comes to treating kittens, particularly those not yet close to full adult weight and size.

Many owners treat with scraps from the dinner table. Human food tends to be high in calories and lacking in essential feline nutrients, so you risk overfeeding or upsetting the balance of your pet's diet. Growing kittens have particular nutritional needs, and are even less tolerant than adults of an unbalanced diet.

Commercially manufactured treats are generally not designed with kittens in mind and can be high in calories. Adult treats are not suitable for a kitten. Not only is the nutritional content less suitable, but large piece sizes can cause choking. Kittens also have small stomachs, so are limited in the volume of food they can eat in a day.

For these combined reasons treats should be restricted to older kittens close to adult weight only, when their residual growth needs are only slight. If your kitten isn’t old enough, there are plenty of other ways to show your affection.

If and when you do give treats to your older kitten, limit them to no more than 10-15% of his/her daily energy needs to prevent putting his/her overall diet out of balance, and always reduce his/her main meal by an equivalent calorific amount, feeding according to manufacturer's directions and body condition.

Fussy eaters

Cats have a reputation for being particular about what’s in their bowl. Many have favourite textures and flavours, and quickly turn up their noses at anything unusual.

However, fussiness can be the first indication of disease so always contact your vet if your cat’s appetite decreases. This is particularly important for young kittens as they must eat regularly or they can rapidly become dehydrated and unwell. As well as following any veterinary advice, there are additional ways to encourage cats to eat including the following:

• Create more privacy at mealtimes. Switch feeding time until after the rest of the household has eaten, and feed in a quiet area away from the hustle and bustle of the house.
• Make sure his/her bowl is clean. Many kittens won't eat out of a bowl that has bits of old food in it. Wash food and water bowls after each use.
• Some kittens prefer to use saucers rather than deep bowls.
• If he/she normally enjoys dry food, try replacing the food. Dry food absorbs moisture and becomes stale, especially in warm weather.
• Try to serve wet food at room temperature, as it smells more attractive and is easier to digest. This can take some time if the food is kept in the fridge, so you can microwave wet food for a short time until it’s warm (never hot) to the touch.
• Stronger smelling food may help tempt the fussy kitten.
• Vary food type (dry and wet) and flavour
• Remember that older kittens who spend lots of time outdoors have plenty of opportunities for an unscheduled snack. By dinnertime, your kitten just might not be hungry. Again, a higher quality food may help encourage him/her to reject outdoor alternatives. Hot summer days further suppress the appetite, but always check with your vet that there is no underlying medical problem.

When your kitten does eventually return to his/her food, offer lots of praise and affection as soon as the bowl has been removed.

If the fussiness continues

If your kitten’s fussiness continues, consult your vet as there may be an underlying disease stopping your kitten eating. A full check-up is advised as there are many reasons a kitten’s appetite may reduce.