The first year of a kitten’s life is very important for its future development and must be accompanied by a diet adapted to its needs. Indeed, until it is one year old, your kitten has very important energy and caloric needs, its food must cover its maintenance energy needs (basic needs), but also its growth needs so that its bones and muscles develop well. How to feed a kitten? When should I give him kibble or wet food? This article will help you get answers to these questions and adapt your pet’s diet to its age.
Food transitions during the kitten’s first year of life
The kitten, from birth and up to 1 year old, will change his diet several times, we can note four main dietary phases:
- Phase 1: breast milk only,
- Phase 2: breast milk and kitten kibble / wet kitten food,
- Phase 3: kitten kibble / wet kitten food,
- Phase 4: cat food / wet cat food (from 1 year old).
However, in order to make these dietary changes as smooth as possible and to ensure your kitten’s health, there are transition periods at specific times in your pet’s growth. The most important transition in a kitten’s life is the change from a milk-based diet to a solid food diet during the weaning phase. There are therefore three periods in a kitten’s diet: the pre-weaning period, the gradual weaning period and the post-weaning period.