We’re welcoming a little Birman kitten into our home in a month’s time.
He’ll need dry food for neutered kittens.
Our other cat, Filou, is on adult dry food; it’s left out all day for him and kept up high to stop our dog from scoffing it.
How should I manage the two different types of food? Would the easiest thing be to put them both back on kitten food...?
Is that a viable option for Filou? If not, what would you suggest, as I’d like them both to have food available at all times?
Thanks for your advice! 😊
Translated from French
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You can temporarily keep both cats on kitten dry food; it’s not usually an issue for a healthy adult over a short period, even if it is a bit richer. Otherwise, the simplest way is often to keep two separate types of food with controlled access. With free-feeding, kittens often tend to eat from the adult's bowl and vice versa, so it can sometimes take a little while to adjust. It’s then best to gradually transition the adult back onto their proper dry food once the kitten is older.
I don’t really buy into manufacturer marketing anymore; I just read the labels. A short list of ingredients and a high meat content are the most important things for me. That’s why I often go back to a brand like Paka Zwierzaka: https://pakazwierzaka.pl
To be honest, it’s only during the first few days that they’ll want each other's bowls. It's perfectly normal since it’s something new, but mine went back to their own food really quickly. When I adopted my last Persian, his foster family was feeding him one brand of dry food, while I was using a different one for mine. Naturally, my lot went straight for the new arrival's food! That lasted three days for one of them, and only once for the other. As for the new little guy, he didn’t even want to try what the others were having. Now they all stick to their own bowls and there's no more swapping!
Hi. Since I’ve got a Maine Coon kitten who needs to eat as much as he likes and an adult cat who’s on a diet because she’s a bit of a glutton, I had no choice but to invest in a microchip feeder – which also has the benefit of keeping the food airtight! https://www.surepetcare.com/en-gb/pet-feeder/microchip-pet-feeder
I’m keeping that as a last resort... it’s a bit pricey though, especially since you’d need two of them!! 😞
Hi,
In response to Mike, our kitten will be just over 3 months old and will already be neutered. That’s why I was saying "neutered kitten"....
Thanks Ulalie.
Is there any risk to the little one trying to swallow the "large" dry food? (which actually isn't even that big!).
But it’s mainly the risk of one eating too many calories and the other not enough that worries me. If the older one eats richer food, it’s not a problem as he’s definitely not overweight. However, I don’t think the Birman should have his intake reduced; he’s still small and not very big at the moment.....
"The main thing is to definitely not stop them from eating the dry food they shouldn't, because you won't win that game; cats are more stubborn than mules!"..... I don't doubt that for a single second!!!!! 😁
Hi everyone. As I have a Maine Coon kitten who needs to be able to eat as much as he likes and an adult cat who’s on a diet because she’s a bit of a glutton, I had no choice but to invest in a microchip feeder. It’s also brilliant for keeping the food airtight and fresh!
I've always just let them get on with it because with several cats it's unmanageable if you don't want to separate them. So, adult dry food on one side, kitten food on the other, and they just sort themselves out. Obviously, the kitten wants the adult food and vice versa, but it only lasts for a while. Once the adult sees that they aren't being stopped from eating the other food—which of course must be much better than their own!—they go back to theirs, and since the kitten's kibble is smaller, they go back to theirs too. The main thing is definitely not to stop them from eating the "wrong" food because you won't win that battle; cats are more stubborn than mules! 😁
You haven't mentioned how old the kitten will be, but you're talking about dry food for neutered kittens... kittens need this kind of food until they're 1 year old, so things could be different depending on whether he's 3 months or 9 months old...
Kitten dry food is much richer than food for adult cats... I don't think it's a very good idea, your Filou might end up putting on a lot of weight.
Besides, if your kitten is very young, he might not be able to jump up if you put the bowls up high.
Why not discuss this kind of thing with your vet? You'll have to take the kitten in to get his vaccinations anyway.
