Purchasing food for your kitten seems like a simple task at first glance. Then you realize there is a lot more involved than you initially thought. Not to worry, we can help. The purpose of this buyer’s guide is to provide you with the information you’ll need to make an informed decision regarding your kitten’s food, so you can feel confident that you’ve made the best choice for you and your kitten.
Kitten food comparison
When you look at the labels on kitten food packages, it’s easy to get lost. There are so many things listed, and many of them make no sense. There are a lot of ingredients with long names, and it’s hard to tell which nutrients your kitten needs anyway. How do you compare two kitten foods?
There’s no need to consider every single element listed on the package. If you focus on just a few critical aspects of each kitten’s food, you’ll find it easier to narrow down your choices.
Below are the comparison items you can consider to help you find the most beneficial kitten food.
Dry vs. wet food
The first decision you need to make is whether you want to use primarily wet or dry food. While wet cat food is more expensive, it contains fewer carbohydrates and additional moisture to keep your cat hydrated. Dry kibble is more economical, provides excellent nutrition for your cat, easier on the teeth. But t usually has more carbs than wet food.
You don’t have to choose just one. If your cat continues to eat both dry kibble and wet cat food, you can always mix the two!
The ingredients
You can learn a lot about the quality of kitten food from its ingredients list, as well as the type of nutrition it can provide. The ingredients are listed in order of frequency, so the first ingredient on the list is the main ingredient, and it has a greater concentration than any other ingredient, while the last ingredient contributes the least to the overall recipe.
Because cats are obligate carnivores, they get their nutrition from eating animals. As obligate carnivores, animal-based ingredients are essential to them. Animal-based ingredients could come from chicken, pork, duck, chicken liver, salmon, fish meal, chicken by-products, and ingredients similar to these. As a general rule, deboned chicken or deboned salmon are considered better-quality ingredients than fish.
You do not want to see lots of carbohydrates listed near the top of the ingredients list. The best recipes often contain fruits and vegetables, while cheaper blends tend to use supplemental vitamins instead.
Nutrient Content and Essential Nutrients
After looking at the ingredients list, check the nutrition label to see how much protein, fat, carbohydrates, and other nutrients are in the blend. Protein is essential for kittens as they grow, so foods with a higher protein content are usually considered better.
Once you pass this step, you need to take a closer look at essential nutrients such as taurine, DHA, and omega fatty acids.
Price
Price is the final factor to consider. Make sure you consider the volume of each food when comparing the cost of two kitten foods.
And think about the cost of poor quality food in vets visits.
I always think of the price as a combination of eating and doctor’s visits.