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What You Should Know About Changing Your Cat’s Diet

Deciding when and how you should change your cat's diet takes some planning. Because cats are creatures of habit, it is not uncommon for them to prefer their current cat food to a new food. They, like humans, become accustomed to something, such as a particular food, and may not welcome a disruption to their routine.

Tips for Successfully Changing Your Cat’s Diet

The following tips should help you change your cat's diet and successfully transition your cat to a new food:

Introduce the new food gradually. This is the most successful way to ease your cat into the diet change. Start by mixing 25% new food with 75% current food. Slowly change the proportions over the next three days or so by gradually increasing the amount of new food and decreasing the amount of current food. At the end of this weaning process, you should be feeding 100% of the new food. You may encounter difficulties; for example, your cat might choose to eat only the old food, or not eat at all. However, a healthy cat can miss meals for a day or two with no ill effects.
Watch your body language. Bringing a new food into your home, placing it into a bowl, and declaring that your cat had better eat it might cause your cat to go on an eating strike. It is better to introduce the new food to the cat using a pleasant tone of voice. Gently encourage the cat to try the new food.
Don't give in to demands. It is important not to give up too soon. During the initial two-day period, do not give your cat treats or table scraps! Cats train us as much as we train them. Giving in to their demands only reinforces refusal behavior and makes it more difficult to make a nutritious dietary change.
Expect a challenge when changing from a moist food to a dry food. The biggest challenge in switching diets occurs when changing from a moist food to a dry food. If your cat continues to resist eating dry food, mix a little warm water with it. You may even want to put the moistened food in the microwave for a few seconds. If you mix the food with water it is important to discard the uneaten portion after 20 minutes. This prevents spoilage. The same rule applies for canned food. After the cat has become accustomed to the moistened food, you can wean him or her onto the dry food.

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Caring for a New Kitten: The First 6 Months

Raising a kitten is one of the most enjoyable experiences a pet owner can have, but it can also be as challenging as it is rewarding. When it comes to your kitten’s diet, it’s important to set up a solid foundation to make sure your kitten grows into a healthy, well-adjusted cat.

Feeding Your Kitten during the First 6 Months

The timeline for feeding your newborn kitten changes rapidly during the first six months. The following is a broad overview of the key development milestones your kitten will experience to help you learn what and how you should feed the newest member of your family.

Common Milestones for Kitten Development

AGE	MILESTONE
7-10 days old	Kittens begin to urinate and defecate on their own.
10-18 days old	Kittens attempt to stand. Kittens double their birth weight at about day 14. Kittens’ eyes begin to open. Kittens’ ears begin to open.
18-21 days old	Kittens hear and respond to noises. Kittens begin to walk.
3 weeks old	Begin weaning process for orphaned kittens. Kittens begin responsive vocalization. Deciduous (baby) teeth will begin erupting.
4 weeks old	Begin weaning process for mother-fed kittens.
3-6 months old	Kittens’ adult teeth erupt.

Due to breed differences and animal individuality, it is impossible to predict exact dates for growth and development milestones for kittens. However, by using these milestones as a guide for healthy growth, you can spot and possibly prevent developmental problems early on.

How to Wean Kittens with IAMS™

When your kitten reaches 4 weeks old (or 3 weeks old for orphaned kittens), you can begin the weaning process. Follow this step-by-step process to wean a kitten using IAMS:

Introduce a small amount of water in a shallow dish. Most kittens will play in the water; however, within four or five days, they begin to develop drinking skills. Some kittens may require longer periods for training, so don’t be discouraged if they resist bowl training.
Begin mixing IAMS™ Proactive Health™ Mother and Kitten with water. Be sure to also provide a separate dish for fresh water.
Gradually increase the amount of soft food while decreasing the amount of water in the mixture until the kitten is eating soft food only.
Repeat the process, mixing dry food with the soft food, and then increasing the solid food while decreasing the soft food until the transition is complete.

The entire process should take approximately three weeks.