Kittens need the right balance of protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals, to help ensure that they grow up strong and healthy. They benefit from being given a species-appropriate diet: something similar to the diet they would eat if they lived in the wild. Although there is some debate over whether cats and kittens are better with a grain-free or grain-inclusive diet. You will also want a food that is appealing, easy to digest, and that won’t cause upset stomachs and other potential problems.
Below, we have included reviews of grain-free and grain-inclusive kitten foods, wet and dry formulae, and even some food that is suitable for pregnant and weaning moums, to help you find the food that best suits your kitten and its requirements.
A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites of 2023
Image Product Details
Best Overall
Purina Pro Kitten Chicken Dry Food
Cheap
42% crude protein
Fortified with omega fatty acids
Check Price
Best Value
Fancy Feast Turkey Canned Food
Wet food is moist
Palatable pate texture
Turkey and liver are primary ingredients
Check Price
Smalls Fresh Cat Food Subscription
Real, human-grade meat
Available in ground or smooth textures
High in protein
Click to Save 40% Use code: PetKeen2023
Wellness CORE Canned Kitten Food
Wet food hydrates
No artificial ingredients
Lots of meat-based protein ingredients
Check Price
Wellness Complete Canned Food
Grain-free ingredients
Supports the 5 signs of kitty wellness
Primary ingredients are chicken ingredients
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The 10 Best Kitten Foods
Purina Pro Plan Kitten Chicken & Rice Formula Dry Cat Food is an inexpensive dry food. It is high in protein, with a 42% crude protein level. The grain-inclusive recipe includes the top three ingredients of chicken, rice, and corn gluten meal.
Food Type: Dry Food
Protein: 42%
Flavor: Chicken & Rice
Grain-Free Or Inclusive?: Inclusive
Check Price on Chewy
Its ingredients are fortified with additional omega fatty acids that are good for vision, brain, coat, and fur health. Added calcium and phosphorus also help ensure good tooth and bone health so that your kitten grows up strong and healthy. Probiotics make it easier for your cat to digest and improve gut health. Available in a range of sizes, this is actually one of the least expensive foods on our list. It does contain grain, and ideally, it would contain more meat towards the top of the list. Otherwise, it is high-quality food at a low price point and represents the overall best kitten food we found.
Pros
42% crude protein
Cheap
Fortified with omega fatty acids
Cons
Grain inclusive
Would benefit from more meat ingredients
Fancy Feast Kitten food is an inexpensive wet food. It is a pate texture, which means that it is smooth and easily palatable. Its primary ingredients are turkey, liver, and meat by-products. The ingredients also include supplemental vitamins including vitamins A, B, D, and K.
42% crude protein
Cheap
Fortified with omega fatty acids
- 42% crude protein
- Cheap
- Fortified with omega fatty acids
Grain inclusive
Would benefit from more meat ingredients
- Grain inclusive
- Would benefit from more meat ingredients
Food Type: Pate Wet Food
Protein: 11%
Flavor: Turkey
Grain-Free Or Inclusive?: Inclusive
Wet foods are considered beneficial because they are high in moisture. Cats, and especially kittens, do not naturally take to drinking water from a bowl. By feeding wet food, you can ensure that your kitten does stay hydrated, and food like Fancy Feast can be fed alone, fed in tandem with dry kibble, or used as a kibble topper.
The cost of the Fancy Feast food is its biggest benefit, and the ingredients do include some good protein sources. However, the meat by-products ingredient would be better if it were a named animal and not a by-product. Also, although the crude protein level of wet food is expected to be lower than that of dry food, we would like to see it a little higher than 11%. All things considered, though, Fancy Feast Kitten Tender Turkey Feast Canned Kitten Food is the best kitten food for the money.
Pros
Turkey and liver are primary ingredients
Wet food is moist
Palatable pate texture
Cheap
Cons
11% protein could be higher
Meat by-product is one of the top ingredients
3. Smalls Fresh Cat Food Subscription
Save 40% on Smalls - Click Here & Use Code Petkeen2023
Food Type: Wet Food
Protein: 21.6%
Flavor: Beef
Grain-Free or Inclusive?: Free
For extra pampering, you can treat your kitten to Smalls Fresh Cow raw cat food. Available in smooth or ground textures, this cat food is the best premium choice for kittens. Smalls food is prepared in small batches and is more than 75% beef. Smalls uses human-grade meat, which is of higher quality than your average cat food, and they avoid carb-heavy fillers like corn. It does include some vegetable matter, including peas and spinach, which can be a turn-off for some owners. This vegetable matter helps Smalls deliver all the vitamins your kitten needs.
Turkey and liver are primary ingredients
Wet food is moist
Palatable pate texture
Cheap
- Turkey and liver are primary ingredients
- Wet food is moist
- Palatable pate texture
- Cheap
11% protein could be higher
Meat by-product is one of the top ingredients
- 11% protein could be higher
- Meat by-product is one of the top ingredients
One drawback of Smalls is that it is a more expensive option, but many owners find their cat’s enjoyment and softer coat and fur worth it.
Pros
Nutritious, low-filler cat food
Available in ground or smooth textures
Real, human-grade meat
Cons
More expensive option
Contains peas and spinach
Wellness CORE Natural Grain Free Turkey & Chicken Liver Pate lists the top three ingredients as being turkey, chicken liver, and turkey broth. It also includes a good list of other meat ingredients, oils, and vitamin and mineral supplements, suggesting that the majority of the 12% protein found in this food comes from animal sources.
Nutritious, low-filler cat food
Available in ground or smooth textures
Real, human-grade meat
- Nutritious, low-filler cat food
- Available in ground or smooth textures
- Real, human-grade meat
More expensive option
Contains peas and spinach
- More expensive option
- Contains peas and spinach
Food Type: Pate Wet Food
Protein: 12%
Flavor: Turkey & Chicken
Grain-Free Or Inclusive?: Free
As obligate carnivores, cats and kittens should get the vast majority of their protein from high-quality meat sources. Not only does Wellness food not contain any grain ingredients it is also free of artificial ingredients and controversial ingredients like carrageenan. Other than the price, the main issue with this food is that some cats do not like the flavor.
Pros
No artificial ingredients
Lots of meat-based protein ingredients
Wet food hydrates
Cons
Expensive
Not all kittens like it
Wellness Complete Health Kitten Formula Grain-Free Canned Cat Food is another pate-style wet food that is grain-free and that offers chicken as its main ingredient.
No artificial ingredients
Lots of meat-based protein ingredients
Wet food hydrates
- No artificial ingredients
- Lots of meat-based protein ingredients
- Wet food hydrates
Expensive
Not all kittens like it
- Expensive
- Not all kittens like it
Food Type: Smooth Loaf Wet Food
Protein: 11%
Flavor: Chicken
Grain-Free Or Inclusive?: Free
In fact, the first three ingredients in this food are chicken, chicken liver, and chicken broth. The food is made up of 11% protein, which could be slightly higher, but the wet food consistency is such that it encourages good hydration levels from your kitten. Supplements in the food include vitamin D and B supplements. The ingredients are free from grains, and they do not use peas, which are sometimes included in cat food as an inexpensive filler that increases protein but with minimal nutritional benefit.
The food also contains prebiotics and probiotics to help with digestion and good gut health, but you will find some quite large chunks of carrot that will put some kitties off eating the food and are not considered species appropriate for an obligate carnivore like a cat.
Pros
Grain-free ingredients
Wet pate food hydrates
Primary ingredients are chicken ingredients
Cons
Contains chunks of carrot
Not ideal for picky eaters
Blue Buffalo Healthy Gourmet has the primary ingredients of chicken, chicken liver, and chicken broth. It also contains fish oil, which is a good source of DHA, fruit, and vegetables, and is fortified with vitamins and minerals to provide kittens with a fully balanced and healthy diet. DHA is found in mother’s milk and can be lacking in the diet of some kittens.
Grain-free ingredients
Wet pate food hydrates
Primary ingredients are chicken ingredients
- Grain-free ingredients
- Wet pate food hydrates
- Primary ingredients are chicken ingredients
Contains chunks of carrot
Not ideal for picky eaters
- Contains chunks of carrot
- Not ideal for picky eaters
Food Type: Pate
Protein: 11%
Flavor: Chicken
Grain-Free Or Inclusive?: Inclusive
The minerals listed in the ingredients are chelated minerals. Chelated minerals are bound to protein, which means that they are more easily digested and have greater bioavailability than non-chelated minerals.
There are plenty of reasons to like this food. Unfortunately, it does contain carrageenan, which is considered a controversial ingredient because it is believed that it can cause inflammation and toxicity. The ingredients also contain rice, and the 11% protein could be a little higher even in wet food.
Pros
Good source of DHA
Primary ingredients are chicken-based
Chelated minerals
Cons
Contains carrageenan
Contains rice
11% protein could be higher
- See also: 10 Best Cat Beds for Kittens & Smaller Cats: Reviews & Top Picks
Royal Canin Mother and Babycat Ultra-Soft Mousse in Sauce is a food that is designed for kittens or for nursing mothers. It is an ultra-soft pate that is easy to digest and consume. It is packed full of nutrients like DHA, which are vital for developing kittens, and its primary ingredients are chicken, chicken liver, and pork by-products.
Good source of DHA
Primary ingredients are chicken-based
Chelated minerals
- Good source of DHA
- Primary ingredients are chicken-based
- Chelated minerals
Contains carrageenan
Contains rice
11% protein could be higher
- Contains carrageenan
- Contains rice
- 11% protein could be higher
Food Type: Pate
Protein: 9%
Flavor: Chicken
Grain-Free Or Inclusive?: Inclusive
The mousse consistency of the food is especially beneficial because it makes it easy for kittens to transition from milk to solid foods. It also digests easily, but it is still popular with mother cats, who can get the protein they and their kittens require.
Although this food does contain meat ingredients at the top of the list, it also contains carrageenan, which is an ingredient that a lot of cat owners try to avoid. It only has a 9% protein level, too, which is lower than the 12% or so that kitten owners usually look for in wet food, and it has a high moisture level. Wet food is beneficial for its moisture level, but if it’s too high, it means that the food is lacking in quality ingredients.
Pros
Primary ingredients are meat-based
Good source of DHA
Soft pate consistency
Cons
Expensive
Contains carrageenan
Low 9% protein
Wellness CORE Grain-Free Kitten Formula Dry Cat Food is a grain-free recipe cat food. It has an impressive 45% protein level and it is reasonably priced for dry food.
Primary ingredients are meat-based
Good source of DHA
Soft pate consistency
- Primary ingredients are meat-based
- Good source of DHA
- Soft pate consistency
Expensive
Contains carrageenan
Low 9% protein
- Expensive
- Contains carrageenan
- Low 9% protein
Food Type: Dry Kibble
Protein: 45%
Flavor: Chicken and Turkey
Grain-Free Or Inclusive?: Free
A lot of owners prefer to give wet food, especially to kittens, because cats are not naturally good at taking on moisture from water bowls and other water sources. While wet food is a good source of the required hydration that a cat requires, dry kibble is virtually moisture-free and can actually dehydrate a cat further.
The primary ingredients are deboned turkey, turkey meal, deboned chicken, and chicken meal. Chicken and turkey meal are beneficial sources of meat protein, effectively like a concentrated form of the protein in those meats. The recipe does also include peas, which are considered a cheap filler and do not provide nutritional value to cats, as well as potatoes and tomatoes, which are similarly low quality.
The protein ratio of 45% is high which is beneficial, as long as your kitten can keep the food down. It has been known to cause loose stools and gas in unprepared cats.
Pros
The top ingredients are meat-based
45% protein level
Cons
Contains some cheap fillers
Too rich for some cats
Hill’s Science Diet Kitten Chicken Recipe is a dry kibble with the primary ingredients of chicken, brown rice, and wheat gluten. It has a protein ratio of 33%, which could be much higher for a growing kitten to ensure that it gets everything it needs from the food.
The top ingredients are meat-based
45% protein level
- The top ingredients are meat-based
- 45% protein level
Contains some cheap fillers
Too rich for some cats
- Contains some cheap fillers
- Too rich for some cats
Food Type: Dry Kibble
Protein: 33%
Flavor: Chicken
Grain-Free Or Inclusive?: Inclusive
With ingredients like rice featuring high in the list of ingredients, this food’s recipe could be a lot better. Rice is not considered species-appropriate for cats. They are obligate carnivores, which means that the majority of their protein needs to come from meat-based sources, rather than from plant-based. Plant-based protein does not have the essential vitamins and minerals that your kitten needs. With that said, the recipe is popular with cats, and this is one of the cheaper foods to make our list.
Pros
Cheap
The primary ingredient is chicken
Cons
Too many plant-based ingredients
33% protein could be higher
Blue Buffalo’s Wilderness Kitten Chicken Recipe is a grain-free dry food consisting of 40% protein and with the primary ingredients of deboned chicken, chicken meal, and pea protein.
Cheap
The primary ingredient is chicken
- Cheap
- The primary ingredient is chicken
Too many plant-based ingredients
33% protein could be higher
- Too many plant-based ingredients
- 33% protein could be higher
Food Type: Dry Kibble
Protein: 40%
Flavor: Chicken
Grain-Free Or Inclusive?: Free
The meat-based protein ingredients are high quality, although it is always disappointing to see pea protein as a primary ingredient, especially in cat food. What’s more, the ingredients also list peas and pea fiber. If the three constituent pea ingredients were combined and listed as peas, they may feature higher still in the list of ingredients.
There is a very long list of ingredients in this food, although this does include probiotics and prebiotics as well as chelated minerals, which are beneficial ingredients in kitten food.
Pros
Contains chelated minerals
Contains probiotics
Primary ingredients are chicken and chicken meal
Cons
Contains a lot of plant-based ingredients
Pea is a cheap filler
Related Read: 10 Best Dry Kitten Foods – Reviews & Top Picks
Contains chelated minerals
Contains probiotics
Primary ingredients are chicken and chicken meal
- Contains chelated minerals
- Contains probiotics
- Primary ingredients are chicken and chicken meal
Contains a lot of plant-based ingredients
Pea is a cheap filler
- Contains a lot of plant-based ingredients
- Pea is a cheap filler
Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose the Best Kitten Foods
Choosing the right food for your kitten is important. It will help ensure that your kitty grows up to be strong and healthy. It will ensure good cognitive as well as physical development and it will also help ensure coat, fur, eye, and teeth strength. It needs to be appealing to your cat because even easy-to-please cats will turn their noses up at certain foods if they don’t like the way they smell or taste.
Kitten Food Type
There is ongoing debate as to whether dry food or wet food is better for cats, although it is important to remember that the two are not mutually exclusive. That is, you can feed a diet that is primarily dry kibble, but supplement this with wet food, or use a wet food topper that gives the food more appeal.
There are benefits to each type of food.
Dry Food – Dry food is dried kibble. It is a small biscuit that should be nutritionally balanced and offer everything that your kitten requires. It is considered beneficial because it is easy to store and has a long shelf life. It can also be left out, so if you intend to free-feed your cat, you will need to offer a dry biscuit. It also tends to cost less than wet food. However, it is by its very nature, dry food, and you will have to find ways to offer hydration to your kitten. Another potential pitfall associated with this type of food is that it is not necessarily as appealing in its flavor or aroma.
Wet Food – Wet food is made up primarily of water. This might sound like lower quality food, but the moisture in wet food is a big advantage. It can be difficult to convince cats to drink from a bowl or other water source, so offering them food that also gives them the hydration they require, is a good way of ensuring that a cat stays hydrated. Wet food is usually more palatable to the cat, too, but it is more expensive, has to be picked up and disposed of once it has been down for a couple of hours, and if you only feed a portion of the tin or sachet, the remainder will smell the up the fridge out.
Combination Feeding – Combination feeding means giving both dry and wet food. You will need to reduce the amount of both that you give, according to the instructions, but this method enables you to offer hydration and ensure that your cat gets the protein, vitamins, and minerals it requires. It enables allows you to leave some food down all day and feed an appealing wet meal once or twice a day. Be prepared, however, for the fact that your cat may turn its nose up at dry food and instead wait for the wet food meal.
Kitten Food Protein Levels
The protein levels in cat food vary according to the make and ingredients of a meal, but also the type of food. Kittens need high protein levels. When buying dry food, you should look for a protein ratio of at least 35% and ideally 40% or higher. Wet food has much lower protein levels, and you will find that most offer 11%. Where possible, find one that provides 12% protein for your kitten.
Dry Food – Dry food is dried kibble. It is a small biscuit that should be nutritionally balanced and offer everything that your kitten requires. It is considered beneficial because it is easy to store and has a long shelf life. It can also be left out, so if you intend to free-feed your cat, you will need to offer a dry biscuit. It also tends to cost less than wet food. However, it is by its very nature, dry food, and you will have to find ways to offer hydration to your kitten. Another potential pitfall associated with this type of food is that it is not necessarily as appealing in its flavor or aroma.
Wet Food – Wet food is made up primarily of water. This might sound like lower quality food, but the moisture in wet food is a big advantage. It can be difficult to convince cats to drink from a bowl or other water source, so offering them food that also gives them the hydration they require, is a good way of ensuring that a cat stays hydrated. Wet food is usually more palatable to the cat, too, but it is more expensive, has to be picked up and disposed of once it has been down for a couple of hours, and if you only feed a portion of the tin or sachet, the remainder will smell the up the fridge out.
Combination Feeding – Combination feeding means giving both dry and wet food. You will need to reduce the amount of both that you give, according to the instructions, but this method enables you to offer hydration and ensure that your cat gets the protein, vitamins, and minerals it requires. It enables allows you to leave some food down all day and feed an appealing wet meal once or twice a day. Be prepared, however, for the fact that your cat may turn its nose up at dry food and instead wait for the wet food meal.
- Dry Food – Dry food is dried kibble. It is a small biscuit that should be nutritionally balanced and offer everything that your kitten requires. It is considered beneficial because it is easy to store and has a long shelf life. It can also be left out, so if you intend to free-feed your cat, you will need to offer a dry biscuit. It also tends to cost less than wet food. However, it is by its very nature, dry food, and you will have to find ways to offer hydration to your kitten. Another potential pitfall associated with this type of food is that it is not necessarily as appealing in its flavor or aroma.
- Wet Food – Wet food is made up primarily of water. This might sound like lower quality food, but the moisture in wet food is a big advantage. It can be difficult to convince cats to drink from a bowl or other water source, so offering them food that also gives them the hydration they require, is a good way of ensuring that a cat stays hydrated. Wet food is usually more palatable to the cat, too, but it is more expensive, has to be picked up and disposed of once it has been down for a couple of hours, and if you only feed a portion of the tin or sachet, the remainder will smell the up the fridge out.
- Combination Feeding – Combination feeding means giving both dry and wet food. You will need to reduce the amount of both that you give, according to the instructions, but this method enables you to offer hydration and ensure that your cat gets the protein, vitamins, and minerals it requires. It enables allows you to leave some food down all day and feed an appealing wet meal once or twice a day. Be prepared, however, for the fact that your cat may turn its nose up at dry food and instead wait for the wet food meal.
Regardless of whether you feed your cat dry or wet food, you need a bowl that is sure to keep the mess contained—you can do just that with the Hepper Nom Nom Bowl.
This product is designed with your cat’s comfort in mind. The whisker-friendly bowls are low and wide to prevent whisker fatigue, and the wide catch tray ensures that all food stays exactly where it should—inside the bowl.
At Pet Keen, we’ve admired Hepper for many years and decided to take a controlling ownership interest so that we could benefit from the outstanding designs of this cool cat company!
Can Kittens Eat Adult Cat Food?
Kitten food is calorie-densecalorically dense. This enables your kitten to grow to full size quickly. Feeding an adult cat food, too early, can lead to stunted growth and may mean that your cat remains small. Feeding adult food to a kitten can lead to malnutrition, at worst, and dissatisfaction with the food, at best. You should wait until the kitten reaches about 12 months of age before transitioning to adult food.
Chelated Minerals
Cat food, and especially kitten food, includes supplemental vitamins and minerals. Ideally, you should ensure that the minerals are chelated minerals. This means that they are bound to a protein, which means that the kitten’s body is better able to digest and utilize the minerals. Effectively, chelated minerals have better bioavailability than non.
Probiotics for Kittens
Similarly, you should look for foods that include probiotics. These help good gut bacteria thrive, supporting a cat’s immune system and ensuring better all-round health. They can also help to steady an upset stomach and ensure good ongoing digestive health.
DHA
DHA, or dDocosahexaenoic aAcid, is a specific type of omega-3 oil. It is found in fish oil and chicken oil, and it is a component in the brain, skin, and other biological elements of the cat. Kittens get this essential amino from their mother’s milk and benefit from having an additional source of it within their food.
The ingredient is not necessarily listed individually but it is found in fish oils and in ingredients like chicken fat, so ensure that these are found in the kitten food you choose.
Grain-Free or Grain-Inclusive
Kittens are obligate carnivores, which means that, in the wild, they would survive almost entirely on meat-based proteins. The only plants or vegetables they would eat would be in the stomach of their prey. Rarely, if at all, would this include grains, and nutritionists argue that this means cats should not be given grains and grain- inclusive foods when they live in our homes. Grain-based ingredients tend to be used as filler ingredients, and if your cat suffers an allergy or sensitivity to their food, the sensitivity may be specifically sparked by grains. Grain-free and grain-inclusive foods can be found for your kitten.
Conclusion: Best Kitten Foods
Getting the right food for your kitten is important to its development and its continued good health. Choose between grain-free and grain-inclusive, dry or wet food, and use our reviews of the best kitten foods, above, to choose the one that best suits your cat’s requirements.
We found Smalls Fresh Cow offered the best combination of good quality ingredients, while Fancy Feast Kitten food represents the best value-for-money kitten food we could find, especially with its primary ingredients of turkey and liver.
You may also want to read: 10 Best Grain-Free Kitten Foods
Featured Image Credit: Elizabett, Shutterstock
