Kitten Food

Kittens are playful creatures, and from 7 weeks old, will start playing to increase their physical coordination and social skills – something they learn from their mothers. Hugging, ambushing, licking and belly-ups are all part of the fun, as is tail chasing, pouncing and leaping!

With so much fun and action, your kitten requires a complete diet that helps them stay active with the energy to explore their surroundings. Supporting your feline friend with the right kitten food is essential for both physical and social development, helping to support bone and muscle growth, whilst also giving them the energy to roam their exciting new world.

Kittens, and adult cats are obligate carnivores – which means they must eat meat to survive. Full of nutrients only found in animal meat, their developing bodies need quality kitten food formulated with meat-rich recipes. 

Our expert nutritionists ensure that animal meat is always a fundamental ingredient in our kitten food recipes, meaning your kitten’s naturally intended diet is always well supported with essential nutrients. This includes animal meat nutrients such as taurine, an essential amino acid useful for vision, heart and reproductive functions. 

Specially-formulated, Burgess kitten food is meat-rich, containing high quality proteins, nutrients and taurine to promote all-round health.

Kittens go through many stages as they mature into adult cats, so they need a complete food that contains all the essential nutrients to support their growth and development. The balance of nutrients that a kitten needs is not the same as those required by an adult or senior cat. A good kitten food will feature:

• Smaller kibble for kitten-sized mouths and to make eating and digestion easier
• A high level of digestible proteins (around 32%) to assist growth and muscle development
• Extra calcium for strong bones and teeth
• Essential amino acids to support muscle development
• Antioxidants to support your kitten’s immune system
• Essential fatty acids help to support healthy skin and a shiny coat
• Prebiotics to support the developing digestive system

Animal welfare charity Blue Cross advises that the easiest way to provide a growing kitten with a balanced diet is to feed a premium complete growth diet that has been specially formulated for kittens, which have different nutritional needs to a fully grown cat.

Kitten food is designed for kittens aged from four weeks to one year.

According to veterinary charity PDSA, kittens can begin to eat a little solid food from around three weeks. At this early age, vets recommend that kitten food is soft and easy to digest, so dry food should be soaked in water or special kitten milk, which is available from your vet. Never give your kitten cow’s milk as it can cause diarrhoea. Very young kittens only need small quantities as they will also be fed by their mother.

By the time they reach eight weeks of age, kittens should have almost all of their baby teeth and be eating mostly solid food. There are feeding guidelines on the pack to help you feed the correct amount of food, depending on your young cat’s appetite, environment and activity level. As with all animals, kittens need fresh drinking water available at all times.

Animal welfare charity Blue Cross advises that because kittens have small stomachs, they need to be fed little and often:

• Kittens aged 8 to 12 weeks need four meals a day
• Kittens aged between 3 and 6-months old need three meals a day
• Kittens over 6 months old need two meals a day
• When your small cat reaches their first birthday, it’s time to move them onto adult cat food, which is suitable for cats from 12 months, up to seven years.

Changing up your cat’s diet from specific kitten food to adult food is something that has to be done gradually, to avoid upset tummies. You should plan to do this over a week or two by gradually introducing more of the new food and reducing the old food.

As your small cat gains confidence and begins exploring the world around them, providing kitten food in a variety of ways, such as treat balls or cat puzzles can deliver a much more exciting and rewarding experience for them.

Many pet food portions are measured by your animal’s weight, although the amount of dry kitten food you should feed your kitten depends on their age. As a general guideline per 24 hours, portion sizes should be:

• < 2 months – 30-50g.
• 2-3 months – 50-70g.
• 3-4 months – 70-90g.
• 4-10 months – 90-100g.
• 10-12 months – 95-110g.

When feeding your kitten, always ensure that there is fresh water available nearby their kitten food. Cats are also creatures of habit, so it’s best for both you and your kitten to get into a daily feeding routine as soon as possible.

Feed your kitten in the same place and at the same times each day, in a quiet area where they can relax, well away from their litter tray.

If you have more than one kitten, and to prevent any confrontation, ensure that their feeding bowls are a safe distance apart. If your kittens really don’t get along, you may even need to have completely separate feeding areas to help keep the peace and preserve harmony in your household.

According to the PDSA, kittens can start to eat solid foods from approximately three weeks of age. During this early age, their kitten food should be soft and easy to digest, so dry food should be soaked in water or kitten milk. This should be given in small quantities, often, as they will also be fed by their mother. Kitten’s stomachs are quite small, but by about eight weeks, your kittens should be fine having five small meals per day.

The number of meals your kitten has should progressively decrease from eight weeks of age, until they are around six months old, when they will be down to two meals per day. When you adopt your kitten, you will need to ask the breeder or rehoming shelter what kitten food your kitten has been eating and continue with this food until they are settled into their new home. Sudden changes to their diet can cause upset stomachs and diarrhoea.

Kittens can have either dry food or wet food, and each offers its advantages. The best kitten dry foods tend to be easier to measure and use, and have a longer shelf life once opened in comparison to opened wet foods. Smaller kibbles in most dry kitten foods are easy for kittens to chew and swallow too, making mealtimes more enjoyable.

Kittens should be fed a diet that is formulated specifically for their age to ensure they get all the nutrients they need from their diet. Kitten food, such as Burgess Kitten Food contains beneficial nutrients such as protein, carbohydrates, fats and taurine that encourages healthy growth and development, as well as healthy skin, bones and coat.

Foods kittens shouldn’t eat include: Raw eggs; raw fish; raw meat; sweets; chocolate; grapes; raisins; seeds and pits from fruits can also be highly toxic.

For more information on feeding your kitten, head over to our Cat Feeding Guide.

Kittens should transition from kitten food to adult cat food at 12 months of age to ensure they are receiving the proper nutrient requirements for adult cats.

Alternatively, if your kitten is neutered, you can transition them sooner than 12 months with neutered cat food, specialised to support their additional needs.

When switching from kitten food, this should be done gradually, over a period of 7-10 days.

Cats who are 7 years or older should change to a mature adult or senior cat food that ensures they are receiving the appropriate level of nutrients for that older life stage.

With healthy cereals, protein sources, antioxidants and essential nutrients, Burgess Kitten Complete food is designed by feline nutrition experts to help keep your playful, growing kitten happy and healthy. Five-star reviews include these comments: “My kitten so healthy” and “Excellent my cat loves it”.

What’s more, unlike wet cat food, dry kitten food stays fresh inside the pack until you’re ready to serve it to your cat. And, by following the on-pack instructions, it’s easy to measure out exactly the right sized portion.

This is really important as giving your young cat a little more than they need means that they could become overweight, which can lead to all manner of health problems. Equally, if you don’t feed enough, your kitten will not be getting all the nutrients they need and will become underweight.

Order Burgess kitten food online and get it delivered straight to your door.