# kitten food for adult cats?



## shari (Jun 21, 2010)

I know *many* people believe wet food is best and though I have not made up my mind yet, this question is *only* about dry food. Many of the postings here are whether wet is better than dry or which adult dry is superior to another, yet I have not seen one on kitten vs adult (for adult cat). 

It seems to me by comparing ingredients for a plain kitten chow from the grocery store with an adult mid priced food from a pet store, that the kitten chow has a better protein/carb/fat ratio automatically yet I have not seen this addressed anywhere. 

Is there something I am missing or is there some long term harm in feeding adult kitten food? (Note: obesity is not a concern as of now - I'm feeding it to a very thin stray).


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

When you read a food label, the analysis is based on the food as packaged. It doesn't address the bioavailability of the ingredients. Corn, by-products etc. have a low bioavailability for a cat. So while the protein is in the food, it doesn't get metabolized well and just ends up coming out the other end or converted to fat. You don't want the cat to gain fat, you want her to gain good muscle and use the food for energy. 

So...a high quality adult food trumps a low quality kitten food every time for me.


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## kwarendorf (Oct 12, 2009)

In general, kitten food tends to be higher in fat and calories. I would compare apples to apples though. Look at the adult and kitten formulas of the same brand. I do not think there is any harm, other than obesity, that will result from an adult eating kitten food. When we picked up Daisy from the breeder this weekend, my GF asked this very question, as she has an adult at home. The breeder said that she occasionally feeds kitten food to her breeding males to help them recover their condition after breeding.


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## SpaceyKP (May 8, 2010)

When I had a kitten with two adults, I had to feed the kitten multiple times a day just to keep the adults from eating all of it. Even then I had to add in extra food knowing the adults would get it. Now I have leftover canned kitten food and I give a can of it about once a week for the adults to share as a treat and they love it. The only problem I've had with the adults is that they got fat when they were eating kitten kibble on a daily basis.


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## shari (Jun 21, 2010)

Thanks for the information! This little guy has a lot of nutrition to catch up on, so I definitely want to get something good for the long term.


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