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Congratulations on your new kitten! You’re plenty busy putting together a healthy environment for them with safe toys, clean litter, plenty of fresh water, and the right nutrition. This is a great time to introduce them to canned food as well as kibble—it’s a good way to make sure they are getting enough moisture in their diet. We can help with some practical tips about what makes the best kitten canned food—and our recommendations for some of the best canned foods on the market.
Purina Pro Plan Classic Salmon and Tuna Wet Kitten Food
Nutritious and yummy, this easy-to-eat canned pâté gets applause from cat parents whose kittens just pick at chunkier recipes.
The Basics of Kitten Nutrition
Cats have special nutritional needs that can’t be met by human food or food intended for other pets. They’re obligate carnivores, meaning they must have the amino acids found in meat to survive. According to this article from Catnip, the Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine newsletter, a cat’s diet must be high in proteins from meat and a kitten’s diet (from birth to 1 year) must be even higher in protein to support their rapid growth.
Kittens can be introduced to specially formulated kitten food when they are as young as 3 weeks old. Once your kitten is weaned (at about 8 to 10 weeks) you can begin feeding them kitten food exclusively.
Dr. Gary Richter, author of “The Ultimate Pet Health Guide,” strongly recommends making wet food a significant part of your kitten’s diet to make sure they are getting plenty of water. “Canned diets or fresh, whole food diets have a much higher moisture content than dry kibble,” he says.
The Best Canned Kitten Food
When you’re choosing food for your kitten, check the label to make sure it’s formulated for kittens. Look for wording that indicates the food meets the nutritional levels established by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) Profiles “for growth” or “for all life stages.” AAFCO members regulate pet food at the federal and state level.
Our list below includes popular, high-quality canned kitten foods from basic and premium brands, so there’s something to fit every cat parent’s budget. And all of these foods have received rave reviews from buyers.
Purina Pro Plan Classic Salmon and Tuna Wet Kitten Food
This temping canned pâté is designed to meet the nutritional needs of high-energy kittens with lots of protein from fish in an easy-to-eat texture. It includes DHA to help promote brain and vision development and is specially formulated to support a developing immune system.
Purina Pro Plan Classic Salmon and Tuna Wet Kitten Food
Nutritious and yummy, this easy-to-eat canned pâté gets applause from cat parents whose kittens just pick at chunkier recipes.
Nulo Freestyle Grain-Free Duck and Tuna Recipe
This popular premium canned kitten food includes duck, chicken, turkey liver, and tuna. Nulo likes to combine poultry and fish to maximize animal-based proteins that kittens require, along with vitamins and minerals.
Nulo Freestyle Grain-Free Duck and Tuna Recipe
A tempting combination of duck, chicken, and tuna is designed to ecourage young cats to enjoy adventurous and healthy eating.
Blue Buffalo Freedom Indoor Kitten Chicken Recipe
This canned chicken recipe for kittens includes fruits, vegetables, vitamins, and minerals. It also has DHA, an important fatty acid found in mother’s milk that helps support brain, eye, and cognitive development.
Blue Buffalo Freedom Indoor Kitten Chicken Recipe
Delicious chicken gives your growing kitten something highly nutritious to sink their teeth into.
Fancy Feast Classic Pâté Collection Kitten Food
Fancy Feast is an extremely popular and affordable cat food brand, reputed to appeal to even the most finicky feline diner. If you want to get your kitten started on it, this variety pack of canned kitten-specific recipes, is a great choice, offering chicken, turkey, and seafood.
Fancy Feast Classic Pâté Collection Kitten Food
Let your new kitten try out chicken, turkey, whitefish, and salmon in an easy-to-eat pâté texture.
Wellness Complete Health Kitten Formula Canned Food
This grain-free formula is packed with protein from fresh chicken and chicken liver, and it comes in a smooth, easy-to-chew pate texture. It’s supplemented with antioxidant-rich cranberries, essential vitamins and minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids.
Wellness Complete Health Kitten Formula Canned Food
Full of protein, this wet food option combines chicken and cranberries in a grain-free pate perfect for growing kittens.
Purina One Healthy Kitten Chicken and Salmon Recipe
Purina One cat foods lead with a healthy dose of protein. This kitten canned recipe is rich in chicken and salmon, followed by vitamins, minerals, and taurine. This tempting pâté comes in 3-ounce cans, in cases of 24.
Purina One Healthy Kitten Chicken and Salmon Recipe
This affordable canned food leads with chicken and salmon and includes vitamins, minerals, and taurine for healthy kitten growth.
Wellness Core Natural Grain-Free Turkey and Chicken Liver Pâté
This protein-focused canned kitten food leads off with turkey, chicken liver, turkey broth, and chicken, in a soft pâté your kitten will find appealing and easy to consume. It’s packed with the vitamins and minerals young kittens require. You can also treat your little ones to Core’s kitten formula dry cat food.
Wellness Core Natural Grain-Free Turkey and Chicken Liver Pâté
This easy-to-eat pâté will tempt your kitten with turkey and chicken and ensure they get needed vitamins and minerals.
Merrick Backcountry Kitten Chicken Pâté Wet Cat Food
Here’s some tasty canned pâté for your kitty, featuring chicken and chicken broth. This kitten-specific recipe is available in 3-ounce or 5.5-ounce cans, by the case.
Merrick Backcountry Wet Kitten Food
Healthy and delicious, this recipe offers chicken in an appealing broth. The protein-rich recipe is ideal for growing kittens.
Hill’s Science Diet Canned Kitten Food
Hill’s Science Diet canned kitten food offers a juicy mixture of roasted chicken, rice, and vegetables in chicken broth—a flavor and a texture that appeals to young kittens.
Hill's Science Diet Kitten
This carefully formulated recipe will provide your little friend with all the protein, vitamins, and minerals needed for healthy growth.
Whole Earth Farms Canned Kitten Food
Whole Earth Farms prides itself on using natural ingredients in its foods. This canned pâté, designed for kittens but appropriate for cats at all life stages, includes chicken, chicken liver, and eggs, along with vitamins, minerals, and taurine.
Whole Earth Farms Canned Kitten Food
This kitten-specific canned food will tempt your little furball with delicious taste of chicken.
