When should I switch my cat from kitten chow to cat chow?

You should switch it onto adult cat food when it is around a year old. But dont worry because kitten food is very similar to cat food but it is a bit fattier and helps the kitten grow.

I hope that helps.

A little past one year of age, usually. Kittens grow until this age, so they need to remain on a higher-nutrient kitten food until they're done growing. Once they hit the one year mark, you can switch to an adult food (adult foods have a nutrient profile more appropriate for adult cats; kitten foods will make grown-ups fat and can cause other health problems in the long-run).

Make sure the food you're feeding specifically states it is formulated for kittens, and when you make the switch, that it is specifically formulated for adult cats. Foods that state "Formulated for All Life Stages" are, in reality, kitten food. That is because kittens have the highest requirements, so for a food to meet all lifestage needs, it needs to meet the highest reqs.

Also, I'd take a good look at the brand of food you're feeding. Foods like Purina Cat/Kitten Chow, Friskies, Kit N' Kaboodle are really low-quality foods with some really unhealthy ingredients. Science diet is better, but not so great, either. The best foods you can find are the all-natural ones, like Blue Buffalo, Castor and Pollux, and Halo. You should always feed the best food you can afford, because it will actually save you money in the longrun; cats eat less of the higher-quality foods because there is less filler in it, and more nutrients.

Whenever you want. Kitten food is slightly higher in protein (4%) and calories and the bits are smaller, but otherwise it's no different from adult food.

And anyone who suggests you buy grocery store food is no vet tech! Or perhaps I'm wrong - considering how stupid vets are when it comes to what cats should eat, it's not surprising that vet techs get no more training in it than anyone else.

You know how doctors specialize? You have your ob/gyns, your internists, surgeons, etc. You wouldn't take a baby to an ob/gyn although I'm sure they could do a creditable job with whatever the problem is.

By the same token, why does everyone assume that vets, many of whom have a wide variety of animals that they treat, know everything?

It's been proven that most vets don't know what cats should eat, that they get kickbacks from Hills for pushing their products.

I feed my cat raw meat, as nature intended. Of course I make sure he gets all the nutrients he needs and he's blooming with health. I fed him this since he was weaned.

Kitten food never passed his lips!

I say one year of age. Also, kitten chow is still a good choice if you have a sick or debilitated cat. It can be good for elderly cats, since the kibble is more brittle and therefore easier to chew. Also, you should feed it to nursing mothers, because it takes a lot of calories to make milk (although I would hope you aren't having litters of kittens around your house). Hope that helps!

that's risk-free to maintain them on kitten meals until they attain one three hundred and sixty 5 days of age. as quickly as a cat is spayed they have an inclination to income some weight(in basic terms like us women individuals, their hormones are all wacky). while you're truly in contact supply your vet a decision and get their opinion.

At any time really. Kitten food is little more than marketing.

If you're feeding a good quality food such as a grainless canned food, then you could really and truly switch at any time.

But if you're feeding food from the grocery store or dry food, then it *might* be better to leave the kitten on the kitten food until 6-8 months, unless it shows signs of getting fat.

Never, because cat chow is terrible quality food. When your cat is about 6 months old I'd say it would be okay to switch it to a food that said for cats instead of kittens. How about you just try Innova Evo, which is for both cats and kittens. I'll help explain to you why it's better to feed them a high quality food instead of junk like Purina, Science Diet, Iams, Meow Mix etc.

Cat Chow:

Poultry by-product meal@, ground yellow corn*, wheat flour*, corn gluten meal*, soybean meal*, brewers rice*, beef tallow preserved with mixed-tocopherols (source of vitamin E), fish meal, brewers dried yeast, animal digest@, phosphoric acid, potassium chloride, calcium carbonate, tetra sodium pyrophosphate, calcium chloride, choline chloride, dicalcium phosphate, salt, taurine, zinc oxide, ferrous sulfate, vitamin supplements (E, A, B-12, D-3), L-Alanine, riboflavin supplement, niacin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, biotin, thiamine mononitrate, folic acid, pyridoxine hydrochloride, copper sulfate, citric acid, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of vitamin K activity), calcium iodate.

* Means that they are indigestible by cats, and therefore have no value. Basically your cat eats it and it goes right into the litterbox.

@ Could be essentially anything. Animal digest could be any animal, and of course their intestines (poop included). By Product meal could be things like feathers, beaks and brains. Not very high nutritional value.

So essentially when you buy something like Purina Cat Chow you spend 10 bucks on a bag but your getting probably 75 cents worth of product. You are just buying leftover stuff from all over the place. This stuff is not worth anything, but companies like Purina have found a way to make profit off of things that are not profitable.

Now, when you spend an extra couple bucks on a highly digestible food like Innova Evo, you are getting your moneys worth. For things like Purina Cat Chow, they can't digest most of the stuff in it, so they eat more and more to make up for it. I have 6 cats and 5 foster kittens on high quality food all the time, and I found I have to clean up their litter boxes less often, and they eat less.

Innova Evo:

Turkey

Chicken Meal

Chicken

Herring Meal

Chicken Fat

Potatoes

Egg

Turkey Meal

Natural Flavors

Vitamins

Apples

Potassium Chloride

Carrots

Cranberries

Alfalfa Sprouts

Minerals

Tomatoes

Herring Oil

Cottage Cheese

Ascorbic Acid

Dried Chicory Root Extract

Direct-Fed Microbials

Vitamin E Supplement

Taurine

DL Methionine

Lecithin

Rosemary Extract

Better, right? Now your cat can eat less, poop less and get much more vitamins, minerals and protein! Cat's don't need carbs.

A 5lb bag of cat chow in my house would last about... 2 days. And the litterbox would have have to be changed atleast 5 times a day instead of 2-3. A 5lb bag of Innova Evo, Blue Buffalo, Before Grain etc, would last about a week and less poop!

It's worth it.

around a year old, you should start to mix adult food w/ kitten food. do that for awhile while ur cat's in it's "teenage" years

(just about 2 - 2.5 years, maybe sooner) then i would suggest getting adult and hairball remedy to mixafter that! good luck! ^-^

I agree with Kate. Around Six months they're neutered/spayed.

A year, they're food is switched. But if you're unsure, ask your Vet on your next visit.

When you think it's time, when you see that your cat is less play-full and more sleepy!