What age to make change from kitten food to adult cat food...

[Squirrel]

Hi all... As of now, Cloud is about 120 days away from her first birthday. I've stuck with a kitten diet for her, cause I'm used to thinking of a cat being a kitten until the age of about one...

However, the friend who has her brother, and is next door to the misguided lady who has her Mum, mentioned on Sunday that said brother is now refusing to eat kitten food.

This is probably partly because when she was on holiday recently he spent a lot of time with the people upstairs who have an adult cat!

Anyway, it just got me thinking... I know it takes a while (or should if your cat will let you!!!) to change from one product to another. When is the best time to make the change? Should I be getting some adult stuff now and mixing it together - being that she's not such a young kitten any more! Is it better to change from kitten food to adult cat food of the same kind, or if I wanted to try different brands would I be OK to do that then... There seems to be so many more options for feeding an adult than a kitten! Any other thoughts/advice on the matter?

Thanks!

[lynz85]

I'm going to start feeding pip adult food when he turns a year old, I will prob stick to a brand that he's used to at first. I plan on just plonking it down in front of him and seeing what he does with it! He has had adult dried food once or twice when I've ranout of his kitten one and he ate it fine!

[Velvet]

Over Christmas bad weather & being snowed in, ran out of wet kitten food & had to take what could get in local village shop which was Felix adult. Theyve refused kitten wet since & now refuse anything other than Felix sensations :)

Amber at 9 months gets Pro Plan Kitten Sensitive dry kibble & Tim gets Hills Sensitive (adult), Hills dont do Sensitive in their kitten range which initially surprised me. They do eat each others kibble. So, apart from dry kibble theyve both had adult food for a while :)

Edited to add - once Amber reaches 12 months I will put both onto either Hills Sensitive or Pro Plan Sensitive Adult, whichever is most convenient for me to get!!

[angieh]

If I remember rightly, Pip refused to eat kitten food from about 3 months and was happy with adult food - he used to pinch Kizzy's. Not at all sure about the rights and wrongs of it. As with many things, a cat will decide what he/she wants to do!

[Mags]

Cassie was being fed adult Whiskas supermeat at 3 months, on vet advice as the kitten food was too rich for her and gave her diarrhoea ....

[fancyabrew]

marmaduke gets kitten food, royal cairn both wet and dry and almo nature as a treat. As an aside best place to get food seems to be zooplus. But he does tend to eat chloe's food and chloe tends to eat his, they're a bit of a pain! He seems to prefer the royal cairn old persons dry food and chloe likes his royal cairn kitten food. I'll be glad when he'e one and they'll both get the same

[dandysmom]

Mine took themselves off kitten food by eating the adults food; they, in turn, promptly ate the kitten food. I gave up and let the kitten have what she/he wanted. Misty was about 4 months; Dandy was about the same, as was Leia. All of them were/are healthy cats with no digestive/bowel problems. While kitten food is designed for their nutritional needs and is probably best letting them have adult food if that's what they want doesn't seem to do any harm in my experience. After all, when mum cat is weaning the kittens she doesn't bring them "kitten mice" ...... anyhow, just my thoughts.

[Velvet]

Mine took themselves off kitten food by eating the adults food; they, in turn, promptly ate the kitten food. I gave up and let the kitten have what she/he wanted. Misty was about 4 months; Dandy was about the same, as was Leia. All of them were/are healthy cats with no digestive/bowel problems. While kitten food is designed for their nutritional needs and is probably best letting them have adult food if that's what they want doesn't seem to do any harm in my experience. After all, when mum cat is weaning the kittens she doesn't bring them "kitten mice" ...... anyhow, just my thoughts.

Oh Eileen you made me smile writing about "kitten mice". So true......

Harvey our youngest dog was very ill as a pup when we got him, due to digestive problem he never had puppy food in his life & grew up fine, in fact we are always getting compliments about him......

[dandysmom]

Am I too cynical? Pet food makers increase sales every time they market a new niche food .... I wouldn't be too surprised to see an ad for the optimal food for your middle-aged white green-eyed cat.... :roll:

[pamela81]

we started introducing adult food to harris when he was about 10 and a half month to try and build him up a bit because he was quite scrawny. He had a few teething probs with it he was sick a few times, i think maybe it was a little bit too rich for his belly but he is fine with it now but we tried a few adult foods to see which agreed with him

[Squirrel]

Thanks for the answers everyone. I find your different experiences very interesting. :)

[Amber]

I normally start the change over after neutering, whatever age that may be. My 2 now will be neutered at around 4.5 - 5 months depending on their sexual maturity. I just find I've had and seen too many issues with weight gain with kitten food being fed after neutering as the energy requirements reduce by approx 30%. This is also what royal canin, my brand of food recommend.

Everyone has different experiences but this is always my advice to clients after their cat has been neutered :)

[Velvet]

Thanks for that Amber, thats interesting. I wont get another bag of kitten pro plan. Now just have to decide which kibble is best for them - Hills or Pro Plan - decisions, decisions - lol

[angieh]

If you stay with the same brand, the change over shouldn't cause stomach problems ............ although you can never be certain. But mixing the two types and gradually reducing the current food should minimise any likelihood. Good luck!

[Velvet]

If you stay with the same brand, the change over shouldn't cause stomach problems ............ although you can never be certain. But mixing the two types and gradually reducing the current food should minimise any likelihood. Good luck!

Thanks Angie my inner brain tells me to go with Pro Plan even though its bit more pricey as the dogs did so well on it yet im at the vets more often... Ive loads left of both so it wont be for a while yet.