Kitten Wet Food

Kitten wet food is not adult cat food in a smaller pouch. A growing kitten needs more protein, more fat and a controlled calcium-to-phosphorus ratio, and the label should say the food is complete and balanced for growth or for all life stages — an adult maintenance diet does not meet that, however good the ingredients are. Feed a growth formula until around twelve months.

Wet food does two useful jobs at this age. It carries a lot of water, which sets a good habit early in an animal with a famously poor thirst drive, and its texture bridges the gap from milk to solid food. For a kitten just weaning, the smooth textures work best: pate, mousse and finely minced loaf need almost no chewing. Chunks in jelly and gravy suit a slightly older kitten with a full set of teeth, and it is worth trying both early rather than late — cats fixed on one texture at six months are hard to shift at six years.

Two practical notes. Single-serve pouches and small tubs waste less than a large can, because most kittens will not touch food straight from the fridge and a whole can rarely gets finished. And check whether a product is complete or a complementary topper before it becomes the main meal — some of the more interesting wet foods are the latter.

• All kitten food, including dry
• All wet cat food
• Pate cat food
• Royal Canin, Hill's Science Diet, ADVANCE, PRO PLAN, Wellness Core