Has Your Cat Outgrown Kitten Food?
Though he still plays like a kitten, your adolescent cat is quickly maturing into an adult. And contrary to what some would have you believe, one food (whether it's kitten food or adult food) doesn't fit all cats. The nutritional needs of kittens and cats are vastly different, and it's critical to give your pet premium nutrition that's age-appropriate.
In this Section:
See the Results
When to Switch?
How Do You Do it?
Does Premium Matter?
Why move your nearly grown kitten to a premium adult cat food? Because quality counts. It's crucial to continue the superb nutrition he's been getting from a premium kitten food into adulthood. Downgrading to a basic nutrition brand at this stage of his life may upset his digestive system and certainly won't provide him with the same level of nutritional excellence he was raised on.
Think of a baby. When it's time to start giving him solid food, you wouldn't dream of feeding your child anything less than the best nutrition you can buy. The same is true for your maturing kitten. He needs the best age-appropriate food there is to help maintain his overall health.. Premium foods such as Iams® are simply the best you can buy. They're specifically designed to provide your cat with a formula that features:
- High-quality ingredients
- Balanced, optimal levels of protein, fat, moderately fermentable fibre, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, which make costly supplements unnecessary
- Consistent high-quality ingredient recipes that do not change regardless of manufacturing costs
- Great palatability--taste
- Nutrient-dense formulas that are appropriate for all life stages
- Product guarantees.
See the Results?
What do all of these features add up to? A happy, healthy cat. With premium cat food, you'll notice these important indicators of good health that contribute to providing your cat with a long, healthy life:
- Exceptional muscle tone
- A shiny, luxurious coat
- Healthy skin and bones
- Clear, bright eyes and clean teeth
- Small, firm stools
When To Switch?
When your cat is about 12-months of age, it's time to change his diet to a premium maintenance formula. When you transition your cat to an adult diet, it's important to monitor his weight and body condition and adjust his feeding portions if necessary. Because cats generally will eat only what they need, free-choice feeding is adequate for most cats. (Free-choice means making food available to your cat around the clock.) Indoor cats that don't get much exercise, however, may overeat if fed free-choice. For them, portion-controlled feeding twice a day is a better routine.
To determine how much food to give your cat, check the recommendations established by the petfood manufacturer, and read the label. Use the guidelines, and weigh your cat on a weekly basis. If your cat is gaining or losing weight and shouldn't be, slightly decrease or increase his daily intake, and weigh him again the following week.
How Do You Do It?
To avoid intestinal upsets, make the change from a kitten formula to an adult diet over a period of four days by using the following method:
Day One: Fill your cat's dish with 75-percent kitten food and 25-percent adult food.
Day Two: Mix adult and kitten food in a 50/50 ratio.
Day Three: Feed your cat a mixture that's 75-percent adult food and 25-percent kitten food.
Day Four: Switch to 100-percent adult formula.
