How Much to Feed a Kitten: A Kitten Feeding Chart By Age

Choosing the right food for your kitten is an important decision. The proper nutrition supports her growth and development and can even affect her behavior. If you’re unsure, your vet can provide a recommended food for kittens.

The best food for kittens is a high-quality kitten food that will help support many long, healthy years as an adult cat. If you’re a first-time cat owner, learning the stages of kitten development, choosing the right food, knowing how much kittens eat, and knowing how often to feed a kitten can be a daunting task. We’ll help you understand the basics of kitten feeding to set you and your kitten up for success.

Kitten Nutritional Needs Change Over Time

Newborn kittens get their nutritional needs met from their mother through nursing. If you have neonatal kittens that have become separated from their mother, or if you notice one or more kittens from the litter losing weight or not getting enough milk from their mom, contact your vet about feeding with kitten formula.

Kittens without access to mother’s milk usually need to be fed every few hours, around the clock. Whether your kitten needs kitten formula as a substitute for mother’s milk or as a supplement, your vet can provide advice and an appropriate feeding schedule.

When can kittens start eating food? The weaning process usually begins when the kittens are around three to four weeks of age. At that age, the kittens may become interested in their mother’s solid cat food. When that happens, or at four weeks, separate the kittens from their mom for short bursts of time throughout the day. This will give mom a chance to rest and eat in peace and it provides an opportunity to introduce the kittens to solid food and help them become more independent.

To meet their unique growth and developmental needs, a kitten’s diet needs to be nutritionally complete and balanced. When it’s time for weaning, choose a protein-rich kitten food to support their growing bodies and provide the high energy they need. The kitten food should also include calcium to support strong teeth and bones, and DHA to help support healthy brain and vision development.

What Do Kittens Eat?

At what age can a kitten eat solid food? As kittens begin to wean, they can start to nibble (and play with) solid foods. So, what do you feed a kitten?

After weaning, start with wet food or moistened dry kibble

Over the next two weeks, gradually decrease water and increase food

By 6 to 8 weeks, kittens can begin eating wet or dry food. Make sure that the wet or dry food is specifically formulated for kittens. Provide fresh, clean water every day

Once a kitten has been completely weaned, they do not need milk in other forms

Kittens reach adulthood at one year old and can switch to adult cat food at that age

How Much to Feed a Kitten

Now that you know what to feed your kitten, it’s time to discuss how much food kittens should eat. You’ll find a kitten feeding guide by age and weight on the pet food label that will tell you how much to feed your kitten. 

You can usually find kitten feeding guides on kitten food packaging, but they don’t all look the same. Pay close attention to the chart on your kitten’s food label to ensure you’re feeding her the right amount based on her age and weight.

If you have more than one cat, make sure each one gets the amount they need. Some cats will gobble it all up, leaving nothing for the other cat!

You can also divide wet food into smaller portions and feed two-to-three times a day. If your kitten is eating wet and dry food, just make sure the total amount of food does not exceed the recommended daily serving. Any wet leftovers in her bowl should be discarded. You can store an open can of wet food in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Bring it up to room temperature before serving.

Use your kitten’s name when feeding to help her learn her name, while also associating you with a pleasant activity.