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Cats belong to the Felidae family which also includes tigers and lions. Although your little bundle of cuteness is not as fierce as its other distinct family, it still has similar physiological and nutritional needs. Compared to other pets, cats and kittens need more protein for adequate growth and development. Hence, their guardians need to ensure they include kitten food with high protein in their kitty’s diet.
Kittens need more protein as they need more energy. Hence, when choosing kitten food, you must go for foods with higher protein content. Most kitten food use plant and meat-based protein to meet the kitten’s daily protein requirement. While protein is essential, you must also consider your cat’s allergies and medical diagnosis before choosing any protein for kittens.
High-protein kitten food should contain the appropriate balance of all essential amino acids and good-quality digestible protein alongside other important nutrients. Cats are primarily carnivores, which means they largely depend on meat as their main source of nutrition.
Amino acids are molecules that come together to form protein. Cats need two essential amino acids for their overall growth and well-being, unlike other species that need nine specific amino acids. Hence, when looking for protein for kittens, you should search for the following essential amino acids:
Ideally, all types of kitten food contain protein. However, as cat parents, you should check its percentage daily value to ensure that you get high-protein kitten food for your growing feline friend. Yet, you must know that your kitten’s protein requirement will change as it ages.
Cats need approximately 3.9 grams per kg of their body weight. Hence, cat parents should look for kitten food with high protein for their fur baby. Typically, cats need approximately 35 to 45% protein for better growth and development. Refer to the table below to know the approximate amount of protein content in kitten food:
Cat’s growth stage | Approximate % of protein required |
Kitten | 40-50% |
Adult | 35-40% |
Pregnant/nursing | 45-50% |
Senior | 35-38% |
Protein is an essential element required for your cat’s consistent growth and health. Cats highly depend on protein for energy. Therefore, kitten food high in protein is supposed to be an integral part of your tiny fur baby’s diet not only in their initial years but also as they grow up. When creating a dietary plan for your cat, you must check for the kitten food protein content to ensure you make the right choice. The following are some of the most common sources of protein that will help you make better choices when selecting a cat food brand.
You should look for these meats when buying kitten food with high protein. IAMS Proactive Health Mother and Kitten™ is made with chicken meat and salmon as well as tuna flour, so your kitty can receive the right amount of protein. It supports eye and brain development while also ensuring healthy digestion.
Essentially, all cats need protein for their ideal growth and overall development. But how to identify how much protein is enough for your kitty? Ideally, all adult cats require approximately 35% protein in their diet. According to AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials), cats need a minimum of 30% protein for growth and reproduction and 26% protein for adult maintenance. Poor-quality protein or low protein might lead to indigestion and loss of muscle mass in kittens and cats. Hence, all cat caregivers must ensure to include the optimum quality of protein in their pets’ daily meals.
AAFCO provides nutrient recommendations based on dry matter. This means, if you are feeding wet cat food to your kitten, then you might have to manually calculate its protein content. The following is the formula for calculating wet cat food’s protein content:
Step 1: Find dry matter of the food by subtracting the maximum moisture percentage from 100.
Step 2: Divide the minimum crude protein by the per cent of dry matter.
Step 3: Multiply its result by 100 to get the result of the percentage of protein available in the dry matter of the meal.
You can choose between animal-based and plant-based protein when looking for high-protein kitten food. Please note, it is recommended to consult their veterinarian before choosing the right protein for kittens.
Yes, protein is the main source of energy for cats. This means a high-protein diet is ideal for kittens as it aids their overall growth and development.
Most cats prefer meat-based proteins. The three main sources of high-quality protein preferred by kittens are chicken, lamb, and fish.
Allergies may differ from cat to cat. Chicken is believed to be a common food allergy in most cats. However, some cats might also be allergic to beef, egg, soy, milk, turkey, and other food items. Please consult a veterinarian before giving any new type of protein-rich kitten food to your kitty.
One of the easiest high-protein food for cats to digest is chicken. However, it is recommended to consult a veterinarian to confirm the kitten’s allergies before feeding them any new brand or type of protein-rich meal.
Every cat owner recognizes the warning signs of an upset feline stomach: the mournful meow, gagging and the heaving retch. But just as suddenly as it began, your cat returns to good health while you’re left scrubbing the carpet.
The scenario is a familiar one for Cynthia Bowen of Cleveland, Ohio. As the owner of four Maine Coons, Bowen has cleaned her share of messes. “It would happen every couple of months or so,' she says. 'Otherwise, they were perfectly healthy.'
Although it's not a pleasant subject, vomiting is something cats seem to do on cue. Many cat owners accept this as a natural part of owning a pet, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Knowing what triggers an upset stomach and what you can do about it will make for a better relationship with your cat.
Many owners attribute their cat’s vomiting to hairballs, but that’s not the only culprit. “It’s careless to assume that most cases of vomiting in cats are due to hairballs,” says Dr. William Folger, a DVM from Houston. Two other frequent causes of an upset stomach are eating too fast and curiosity.
Cats sometimes eat too much too fast. When the stomach wall expands too quickly, a signal is sent to the brain to cause regurgitation. In these cases, the mess on your floor is from regurgitation, not actual vomiting. When a cat regurgitates, she brings up fluid and food from her esophagus by opening her mouth — unlike vomiting, which involves gagging and retching.
Regurgitated food is still formed and may smell fermented. “Cats that eat too quickly because they are gluttonous or stressed by food-bowl competition can regurgitate right after eating,” says Dr. Sara Stephens, a DVM from Montana. But don’t assume regurgitation is always a case of eating too quickly. It could be caused by esophageal problems, obstruction of the digestive tract, hairballs or dehydration. If you’ve forced your cat to eat slowly and she still has problems, contact a veterinarian.
Grass, carpet and toilet paper are just a few things cats may digest and later vomit. The vomiting is a protective mechanism — nature’s way of cleansing your cat’s system. Sometimes, though, curiosity can lead to more serious problems. String, toy parts and feathers are favorites of playful felines and can lodge in the stomach or intestine, causing repeated vomiting and severe distress. If your cat exhibits these symptoms, take her to a veterinarian immediately. Surgery is often necessary to remove the object.
Repeated cat vomiting should never be ignored because it can lead to dehydration. But because vomiting is common in cats, how do you know what’s normal? “A general guideline is that if the cat is vomiting one to three times a month, we consider this normal,” says Dr. Folger.
He considers it serious if the vomiting occurs twice daily for two or three days. If your cat stops eating, seems to have stomach pain or retches continuously, or if the vomit is mixed with blood, take her to a veterinarian. And as always, if you’re suspicious that a lingering problem could be harmful to your pet, call your veterinarian. A visit to the office can help relieve your cat’s discomfort and your worries as well.
Often, owners accept their pet’s vomiting as a natural part of their behavior, but just because cats seem to have more than their fair share of stomach issues doesn’t mean you don’t have options.
One simple preventative measure is to get your fast-eating cat to slow down or to simply eat less. Dr. Stephens recommends feeding smaller portions, elevating your cat’s food dish slightly or putting an object, such as a ball, into the dish. The cat will be forced to eat around the ball, thus slowing her intake. If you do this, make sure the ball isn’t small enough to swallow. And you may need to feed cats in a multiple-cat household at different times and places to reduce competitive eating.
If simple solutions don’t work, watch your cat’s eating behavior and reactions. Bowen, for example, tried changing her cats’ diets. “Since switching to IAMS™, they rarely throw up,” Bowen says.
“Usually, when you change to a higher-quality diet, there is no problem,” Stephens says. Here are some tips for helping make sure your cat’s food transition is as successful and comfortable as possible:
If your cat vomits more than three times a month or has chronic stomach issues, you can take several steps to help resolve her discomfort. With your veterinarian’s help and a little effort on your part, your cat’s stomach issues can be a thing of the past.
