Premium dry food for kittens

Let's imagine that you finally decided to have a kitten. Or they accidentally picked up a cat on the street, and after spending a couple of hours with him, they realized that they were made for each other. Immediately after realizing your action, you will think about the everyday side of the question: where will your new friend sleep, how to treat him, whether he needs vaccinations, and most importantly, how to feed the new family member. It is very easy to get lost on the cat food shelves, but you can never be sure if the chosen product is right for your pet. In this article, we will look at premium cat food, analyze the pros and cons, and examine its popular manufacturers.

The composition of dry food is the first thing to pay attention to when choosing food for a kitten. Even if you decide to purchase a premium food, this does not mean that it will not contain components that, although useful, can be strong allergens. None, even the most attractive packaging, will guarantee that the selected premium food will fully suit your pet.

The composition often contains a lot of incomprehensible abbreviations denoting the corresponding food additives, but there is no need to study them all. One has only to know that the first word at the beginning of the list of the composition is the feed component, which makes up most of its total mass.

Knowing this, you can understand that if, for example, food supplement B12 is in the first place, then such food must be carefully placed on the shelf in the store and never bought. Kitten food should contain as much protein as possible so that their bone structure develops as fully as possible. The minimum protein content in premium feed starts from 30%, that is, protein is what should come first in the composition. But protein in food can have different names, for example, it can be of animal or vegetable origin. In this case, preference is given to feed that contains animal proteins. Even if it is presented in the form of flour, it will be much more useful than the herbal component.

As you can understand, the less flavor enhancers, preservatives and other chemical additives in the feed, the more useful this product is. Good food, which includes premium food, allows a moderate amount of fat - it is necessary for the developing body and contributes to the health of the immune and nervous systems, skin and coat. But too much fat in the composition leads to obesity in cats, problems with digestion and circulatory system, so you should pay close attention to their amount.

Care should be taken when choosing food where some plant elements or grains are indicated at the beginning of the list, since plants often cause allergies in adult cats, and for a small kitten, such an additive can be simply fatal. The most common allergen is corn and all its derivatives.

All pet food is divided by four categories:

• economy;
• premium;
• super premium;
• holistic;

The list is arranged in ascending order of quality - from the cheapest, but practically useless, and sometimes harmful, to the most balanced and nutritious, but at a rather high price. The premium and super premium categories are reasonably priced and have the same nutritional benefits. In addition, a certain feed on the market can declare itself as super premium, but its composition is premium and, accordingly, vice versa.

Let's start with a pleasant one. Pros:

• starting from the premium category and above, the food must contain the necessary set of nutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, fats), which is represented by elements of a higher quality than in the economy class;
• specialized dry food for premium kittens have smaller granules, which are much more convenient to consume and easier to digest;
• the most acceptable combination of price and quality.

And now about the cons. There are not many of them in comparison with the feed of the economy category, but they are still present.

• Higher price compared to economy feed. In fact, this is a purely formal minus, since you need to understand that premium food is made from higher quality raw materials without the addition of soy meat and gluten.
• Presence in the composition of preservatives and additives. Again, when compared with the economy category, this is an absolutely formal minus, since a certain amount of additives will be present in the feed of any category, and the higher this category, the less of them. If you want to be sure that your pet eats natural food without chemicals - cook it yourself.
• The nutrient content of premium feed is still insufficient, therefore, you should additionally purchase useful supplements for your pet. To find out what vitamins a kitten needs at a certain period of life, a consultation with a veterinarian will help you.
• The only significant disadvantage - information on the exact percentage of certain elements of the feed is rarely indicated on the package. This information is usually only provided by established brands that recognize the need for supplementation.

The premium food category also implies a variety of both brands and purposes of each individual line. In order not to finally get lost in this, let's try to outline an algorithm for finding the most suitable food for a kitten.

• Price category. In our case, this is premium food.
• Purpose of the feed. As a rule, each line has an additional postscript to help buyers make their choice. The food is suitable for us, which will indicate that it is intended for kittens from a certain age.
• Composition. We have already analyzed what should be present and what should be at a minimum among the components.
• Manufacturer. What if the food of several brands has approximately the same performance? To do this, you need to study the rating of manufacturers.

If several brands of food have approximately the same composition, it is easy to get confused when choosing a specific product for a kitten. In this case, you should focus on the ratings of manufacturers and consumer reviews.

Canadian manufacturer. This food is suitable for animals of all ages.

Pros:

• suitable for animals of any breed;
• premium food for all ages, its composition ideally matches all changes in the growing pet's body;
• protein percentage - 85%;
• the main source of protein is poultry (turkey, chicken), fish, eggs;
• cereals are replaced by vegetables and fruits;
• almost complete absence of preservatives and flavors;
• moderate amount of fat, as well as the content of omega-3;
• the food is balanced, has all the trace elements necessary for the feline organism;
• the presence of phytocomponents;
• good reviews from consumers around the world.

German food is suitable for kittens from 2 months to a year, as well as lactating and pregnant cats.

Pros:

• balanced composition;
• the food is high in calories, therefore, it provides the kitten with the necessary amount of energy;
• easy to digest;
• low content of preservatives;
• contains dietary fiber;
• acceptable cost.

Czech food that is suitable for kittens from one month to one year.

Pros:

• well balanced, has almost all the trace elements necessary for the full development of the pet;
• suitable for kittens of any breed;
• 40% chicken meat in the composition, which is a very good indicator;
• acceptable price.

Minuses:

• a large amount of chicken in the composition can be explained by the fact that not pure meat was added to the feed, but offal;
• the presence of yeast.

French production. Suitable for kittens from a month to a year, lactating and pregnant cats.

Pros:

• balanced composition;
• the main source of protein is chicken, fish, eggs;
• represented by small granules, which makes the process of taking and digesting food easier for kittens;
• acceptable price.

Minuses:

• contains yeast;
• contains flavorings;
• contains herbal ingredients, which can cause allergies

Country of origin - the Netherlands. Suitable for kittens, lactating and pregnant cats.

Pros:

• balanced composition;
• the main source of protein is either chicken (Kitten Plan Healthy Development line), or tuna (Kitten Healthy Development Tuna line);
• high percentage of protein;
• high quality of the contained elements;
• a small amount of preservatives.

Minuses:

• contains salt;
• Contains corn, which is one of the most potent cat allergens.
• high price.

French production. Has several lines for different ages of kittens. From 1 to 4 months (including for lactating and pregnant cats) - "Mother & baby cat". From 4 months to a year - Royal Canin Kitten 36. There is also a line specially designed for Persian kittens - "Royal Canin Kitten Persian 32".

Pros:

• all lines are balanced in composition;
• a separate formula for each age category;
• acceptable price.

Thus, the list of foods from best to least recommended looks like this:

1. Orijen;
2. Josera;
3. Brit Premium;
4. Purina Proplan;
5. Hill's Science Plan;
6. Royal Canin.

An overview of the famous premium food for kittens is in the next video.