10 Best Kitten Foods That Your Pet Will Probably Enjoy

Reviews

Best Value Purina ONE Healthy Kitten Formula Dry Cat Food
 

Purina is a household name in the pet food industry. Purina ONE Healthy Kitten Formula Dry Cat Food appears to be an exception to the rule that huge commercial brands cut corners and sacrifice quality for profit.

This recipe is a dry kibble that is reasonably priced in comparison to other kitten feeds. But don’t let that dissuade you. This combination contains a plethora of nutrients aimed at enhancing the health of your growing kitten.

For example, sources such as chicken and chicken meal have at least 40% crude protein. Taurine, DHA, and vitamin E, which are all necessary nutrients for cats, are also present in adequate proportions.

Unfortunately, this formula contains soy and maize components, which help make this food inexpensive while delivering adequate nutrients.

We believe it is one of the best kitten feeds for the money when you consider the quality you get for the price.

Pros

• When compared to other kitten feeds, this one is reasonably priced.
• A minimum of 40% protein is required to assist kitten growth.
• Taurine, DHA, and vitamin E are all present.
• The first ingredient listed is chicken.

Cons

• Contains soy and corn

 

Original Grain-Free Dry Kitten Food by Instinct
 

As soon as we started reading the nutrition label on the Instinct Original Grain-Free Dry Kitten Food, we were impressed. Four of the five key ingredients in this recipe are animal-based protein sources.

The principal ingredient is chicken, followed by turkey meal and then menhaden fish meal. As you can see, Instinct didn’t skimp on protein content, providing a varied assortment of quality meat-based proteins that total up to a minimum of 42.5%.

Of course, protein is not the only thing in this cuisine. It’s also high in DHA, taurine, and essential fatty acids, all of which are crucial for your developing kitten’s health.

The vitamins and minerals in this blend are derived mostly from whole foods rather than supplements, making them more easily digestive and used by the body.

It’s no surprise that this is a high-quality cat food that’s packed with nutrients that will keep any kitten healthy.

Given the amazing nourishment this blend provides your kitten, we believe the increased price is justified; our only concern is that the kibble parts are too large for some little kitties to chew.

Pros

• Grain-free to aid digestion.
• 4/5 of the primary elements are derived from animals.
• It has a minimum protein content of 42.5%.
• DHA, taurine, and vital fatty acids are abundant.
• Vitamins and minerals are mostly obtained from complete foods.

Cons

• Some kittens find the kibble chunks too large.
• You are paying a premium for the superiority.

 

Science Diet by Hill’s Canned Kitten Food with Healthy Cuisine
 

Hill’s Science Diet is a brand whose primary goal is to promote feline health through superior nutrition.

As a result, their products are normally more expensive than competitors, but you can usually rely on them to deliver adequate nourishment.

To that aim, Hill’s Science Diet Healthy Cuisine is available. Canned Kitten Food is mostly composed of animal-based products such as chicken, hog liver, and chicken fat.

However, with only 6.5% minimum crude protein, this recipe is notably lower in protein than most similar offers from other manufacturers.

This canned cat food contains no artificial flavors or preservatives. Everything here is natural and has been designed with kitty health in mind.

Vital nutrients are also present in high concentrations, including 0.34% taurine, which is far greater than the majority of rival kitten meals.

Most importantly, kittens appear to enjoy this food. Even picky eaters enjoy the flavor of Hill’s Science Diet, so if you’re ready to pay the additional money, this is one of the best cat food for kittens available.

Pros

• Produced mostly using animal-derived substances
• There are no artificial flavors or preservatives.
• Even finicky kittens enjoy the delicious flavor.
• It has more taurine than other alternatives.

Cons

• It’s quite expensive for the amount of food you get.
• Protein content is lower than in other blends.

 

Healthy Growth Dry Kitten Food by Blue Buffalo
 

Blue Buffalo is well-known for producing a healthier alternative to highly processed commercial cat diets, and the Blue Buffalo Healthy Growth Dry Kitten Food is one of our faves.

When you look at the ingredients, you’ll note that three of the five main ingredients are animal-based protein sources, with high-quality deboned chicken stated as the main ingredient and protein source.

This food provides a minimum of 36% crude protein, which is vital for a growing kitten, due to the inclusion of so many high-quality animal-based proteins.

Nutrients like vital omega fatty acids and taurine are also important, and this diet has plenty of them.

Granted, the ingredients list is considerably longer than we’d like, but it’s packed with a variety of natural foods and nutrients designed to keep your kitty healthy.

Pros

• 3/5 of the primary ingredients are derived from animals.
• The principal ingredient is deboned chicken.
• Minimum crude protein content of 36%
• Taurine and necessary fatty acids are present.

Cons

• The list of ingredients is far too long.

 

Wet Canned Wellness Complete Health Kitten Food
 

Wellness Kitten Complete Health Formula Wet Canned Meal is a canned kitten food that comes in three-ounce cans and is less expensive than many health-conscious canned kitten feeds.

It’s high in fatty acids, especially from fish oil and flaxseed, which help keep your cat’s coat lustrous. Plus, with an 11% minimum protein content, there’s plenty of protein for a developing kitten.

However, compared to other similar products, there isn’t a lot of DHA or taurine, thus further supplementation may be necessary.

This recipe is simple for kitties to stomach because it is grain-free. Though it is grain-free, it is high in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals to ensure that your cat’s health is never compromised.

While it’s not our first pick, we’d definitely eat it as a back-up if our favorites were unavailable.

Pros

• Contains a lot of fatty acids from fish oil and flaxseed.
• Protein-rich formula for developing kittens
• Kittens will enjoy this grain-free meal.
• Antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals are abundant.

Cons

• It doesn’t have a lot of DHA or taurine.

Buyer's Guide: Choosing The Best Kitten Food

On the surface, buying food for your kitten appears to be a straightforward chore.

When you start looking at all of the alternatives, you quickly find that it’s a little more complicated than you previously thought. Don’t worry, we’re here to assist you.

We’ll cover the information you need to make a better informed decision about the best cat food for kittens in our brief buyer’s guide, so you can be certain that you’ve made the proper choice for you and your kitten.

Kitten Food Comparison

It’s easy to get lost while reading the labels on kitten food packaging. There are numerous items listed, many of which appear to make little sense.

Ingredients frequently have extensive names, and it’s difficult to identify which nutrients your kitties require anyway. So, how precisely should you compare two kitten foods?

We discovered that you do not need to evaluate every single item on the bundle. Instead, focusing on just a few key aspects of each kitten food will allow you to limit down your options far more easily.

Let’s take a look at each factor you should consider while choosing the best food for your pet cat.

Food: Wet vs. Dry

The first option you must make is whether to utilize mostly wet or mostly dry food. Wet cat food is more expensive, but it has less carbohydrates and more moisture to keep your cat hydrated.

Dry kibble is a considerably more cost-effective option that can still provide adequate nourishment for your cat, albeit with more carbohydrates than wet food.

However, you are not limited to just one. You may always offer your cat a combination of dry kibble and wet cat food, as long as your cat eats both!

Ingredients

Looking at the ingredients list for any kitten food can give you a lot of information about the meal’s quality and the type of nourishment it can supply for your cat.

The ingredients are listed in order of predominance, so the first component is the main ingredient and has the highest concentration of any other ingredient, while the last element on the list contributes the least to the entire recipe.

Cats are obligate carnivores, which means they receive their sustenance from devouring animals.

As a result, you should emphasize animal-based components such as chicken, pork, duck, chicken liver, salmon, fish meal, chicken by-products, and other ingredients that seem similar to these.

To be sure, deboned chicken or deboned salmon are generally thought to be higher-quality selections than fish meals or chicken by-products. What you don’t want to see are a lot of carbs near the top of the ingredients list.

However, they will be featured farther down because fruits and vegetables frequently add vitamins and minerals to the best recipes, whereas cheaper blends tend to use supplemental vitamins instead.

Nutritional Value and Nutrient Requirements

After reviewing the ingredients, look at the nutrition label to see how much protein, fat, carbs, and other nutrients are in the blend.

Protein is essential for growing kittens, hence meals with a higher protein content are generally thought to be preferable. You should also look for the presence of vital nutrients such as taurine, DHA, and omega fatty acids.

Cost

The final consideration is price. When comparing the prices of two kitten feeds, make sure you consider the volume of each food.

For example, if two meals are priced the same but one is a five-pound bag and the other is a seven-pound bag, the seven-pound bag has a better price-per-pound ratio, making it a better bargain assuming the ingredients and quality are equal.

Conclusion

You’re probably weary of reading and want to start eating, so we’ll quickly highlight the best kitten foods from BestForPets‘ (bestforpets.org) reviews.

Smalls Fresh Ground Bird recipe is our overall favorite kitten food, owing to a varied assortment of high-quality animal-based proteins and vital nutrients like taurine and fatty acids.

Purina One’s Healthy Kitten Formula dry kibble with 40% minimum protein and excellent meat-based components is a more inexpensive option.

Our top pick, Instinct Original, is somewhat more expensive, but it contains 42.5% protein from various animal sources and has a grain-free composition for simple digestion.