Whether you already have a lively kitten zooming around the home or are doing your homework ahead of time, nutrition is a hot topic of research. As their human parent, you are solely in charge of what your pet eats, so it’s only natural that you want to invest in the very best kitten food to help your fur baby grow and develop into a strong and healthy adult cat.

If you want answers, tips and recommendations, read on. Starting with how crucial it is that you choose the best kitten food, and why, we then run through the different types available on the market and share our top considerations to keep in mind when making your selection. You’ll find all the information you are after in this guide to the best kitten food. So, let’s get started.

Why it’s important to feed your kitten good quality food

You might be surprised to know that kittens reach adulthood within one year of being born. What you feed them in those first 12 months is key to their well-balanced growth and development. Kittens and cats are obligated carnivores, meaning they cannot survive without eating meat in some form.

The recommended calorie intake for a kitten consists of at least 30% animal-based protein. Rich in vitamins, amino acids and fatty acids, protein provides them with all the key micronutrients they need to fuel their bodies, develop their nervous system, grow a full, healthy coat, and strengthen their immune defence. So, when choosing the best kitten food to buy, make sure that protein is the main ingredient.

The different types of kitten food

Now that you know why it’s so essential to feed your fur baby the best kitten food in Australia, let’s look at the different options available:

• Dry — Dry pet food, also known as kibble, is made by pulverising meat, cereals and vegetables (depending on the manufacturer) to create a dough that is then cooked and dried. The last step usually involves spraying the kibble with fats, oils, vitamins, and minerals. Since very little moisture is retained, dry food is usually higher in protein per unit than wet food, making it a cost-effective and convenient option preferred by many.
• Wet — Wet food is made by grinding protein sources or meat ingredients down into a pulp before mixing in gravy that contains vitamins, minerals and grains (depending on the brands). As the name suggests, moisture is still present in wet food, which is why it comes in single-serve cans or pouches that have been sterilised and sealed to prevent the contents from going off. Wet food is usually more appealing to cats than dry food as it smells and tastes better.
• Fresh — A fresh food diet, also called raw food diet, consists of feeding your kitten raw meat or fish as that is considered to be the most biologically-appropriate food. Raw meat is naturally high in protein, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals — the most important building blocks for feline development — and low in carbohydrates, which kittens don’t need.
• Homemade — As the name suggests, some pet owners choose to personally prepare their kitten’s food so that they have complete control over what goes in the bowl. While this option might sound enticing, veterinary nutritionists warn about the risk of a deficient diet. Moreover, this option is also the most time-consuming one.

3 things to consider before choosing kitten food

Unless you decide to go down the homemade route, you’ll be shopping for your kitten’s food online or in-store. Before we get into the nitty-gritty of choosing the best kitten food available in Australia, give some thought to these 3 points to help guide your decision:

• Indoor/Outdoor — Kittens are always very energetic, no matter whether they access the great playground that is “the outdoors” or are safely kept inside. However, a kitten that spends anywhere from several hours to a whole day outside tends to consume more energy as they are continuously stimulated to hunt, stalk, chase and play.
• Your kitten’s preference — Choosing the best kitten food for your newest family member is not just about finding the most nutritious one but also about their own preference. Most cats will be very vocal about what they like and don’t like. So if you are wondering whether you should get chicken flavoured dry food or wet mixed fish in a pouch, try them both and see which one your kitten zooms towards.
• Your comfort — When choosing your kitten’s food, you should also think about what you have time to do, what you are comfortable doing and how much money you are happy to spend. While feeding your kitten delectable raw chunks of meat several times a day might be great for your feline friend, it might not be something you can or enjoy doing. How often you should feed your kitten will also depend on the food you choose, so make sure it can work with your daily routine.

Hot tip — the breed doesn’t matter!

If you already own a dog, or if you know that there are a variety of different nutrition options to consider depending on their breed, you might think it’s the same for cats. That’s not the case — all kitten food is suitable for any cat breed. That is mainly because, unlike dogs, cats of different breeds have a small variation in body size and shape.

What to look out for when choosing kitten food?

While we could make this list very long and complex, there are ultimately 3 main considerations to remember when setting off to shop for the best kitten food in Australia:

• It should be marked for kittens — Only feed your kitten food that is labelled for their specific life stage. It’s a must to ensure you are meeting your quickly-developing kitten’s nutritional needs when it comes to proteins, fats, carbs and nutrients.
• Nutritionally balanced and complete — Regulated by the AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials), food with this wording on the package is guaranteed to contain a big enough amount of the 40 essential nutrients necessary for a kitten’s wellbeing.
• Containing real and nutritious ingredients — Check the label to make sure the food is made from ‘real’ meat (chicken, beef, salmon, etcetera), meat by-products, or worse, by-product meals! Meat should be the primary ingredient and thus listed first in the ingredients list.

Shop for the best dry kitten food at MfM Australia today

At Meals for Mutts, we are proud to offer you what we think is the best dry food for kittens in the whole country. Our kitten food is exclusively made with real, natural ingredients, without any modification or chemical “enhancement”. It is grain and gluten-free, hypoallergenic and suitable for kittens with food allergies or sensitivities. Packing an impressive 32% protein and 17% healthy fat into every pouch, our kitten food contains all the nutrition your fur baby needs to fuel their fun-filled days of playing and stealing your heart with their irresistible cuteness.

Shop the best kitten food in Australia at MfM today. We guarantee you’ll quickly notice the difference and see the results in your fur baby.