Choosing tailored nutrition for your kitten’s healthy growth
Have you ever wondered why it is not recommended to feed kittens an adult diet? Royal Canin offers some insight as to why a tailored diet is essential to your kitten`s development.
Compared to an adult cat, a kitten has:
Higher energy needs – Until approximately seven months of age, a kitten needs more energy (calories) from their diet to support their rapid growth. After this time, the kitten’s growth rate slows down but they are still developing and building muscle.
Higher nutrient needs – A growing kitten has higher nutrient requirements to support their growth and development and these needs are maintained throughout the entire growth period, which for most cats is 12 months. This includes the visible changes you see in their body size, but also the invisible changes like brain and sensory development and immune system development. Vitamins, minerals, and omega fatty acids, including DHA, are required to support development.
A developing digestive system – A kitten’s digestive tract matures over time, as does their microbiome, the beneficial bacteria and other organisms that have an important role in digestive health. Kittens need a diet with high digestibility and the right balance of fibre and prebiotics to help support their maturing digestive system and protect against digestive upset.
Providing nutrition with an optimal balance of nutrients for this stage of life plays a key role for helping a growing kitten reach their full adult potential.
It is important to speak to your veterinarian when choosing a diet for your kitten. Your veterinarian will help you to determine the amount of food to feed and how often it should be done.