10 Best Kitten Food UK 2024 | Whiskas, Purina, Lily’s Kitchen and More
Whether you’re trying to decide between wet, dry, or no-grain kitten food, or between supermarket value or top brands such as Whiskas and Purina, look no further. We’ll help you figure it out with our guide on choosing the most suitable chow for your kitty, plus we’ll also be ranking the best cat food for kittens available in the UK on Amazon, ASDA, and Tesco so you can give your feline companion the start in life it deserves.
Quick List - Top Kitten Food
Purina
A Special Nutritious Formula Containing Helpful Functional Bacteria and DHA
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Why Should You Buy Food That's Specially Formulated for Kittens?
Adult foods will also not be a palatable consistency for kitten’s baby teeth, and will not be formulated to include the spectrum of extra vitamins and minerals that they require, which is unique to them as a growing feline. They will wean completely off their mother’s milk at 8 weeks, and after a year of kitten food they should transition to adult cat food.
How to Choose Cat Food for Kittens in the UK
- Pick Foods That Contain the Right Ingredients and Nutrients to Sustain a Growing Kitten’s Health
- Choose Wet Food to Keep Your Kitten Hydrated, or Combine It With Dry Food for Added Crunch
Select Food With the Right Ingredients and Nutrients to Meet a Growing Kitten’s Needs
Look for Food With Whole Meat or Fish as a Main Ingredient, Rather Than Those With Animal Digest or Byproducts
Those with “animal digest” or “meat/fish byproducts” as the meat sources should be avoided, as these are cheap waste products from the human food industry and could be anything from scales to heads to bones. One thing they are probably not is nutritious and protein rich, so they won’t do your kitten any favours.
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Ensure That the Recipe Contains at Least 30% Protein to Aid Muscle Growth
Moisture makes up the bulk of the food, but as it doesn’t contribute anything nutritionally we want to know the content without it: the “true” protein. This denotes the accurate amount of protein that your kitten will be ingesting. There are explanations online to help you work out the percentage of protein when only “crude protein” is listed, but it can be a little confusing.
For all of the products in our recommendations section, we have done the calculations for you. For dry food, this is as simple as checking the back of the container. Because there is very little moisture content, the number you see is very close to the true protein, so you can easily compare it to that 30% we’re looking to get close to.
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To Support Development, Opt For a Food With 20% Fat as Well as Beneficial Ingredients Like Omega Oils, Taurine, Calcium and Zinc
These are the recommended vitamins, fatty acids and minerals that you should scan the ingredients list for, and why you should make sure your kitty has them:
- The essential fatty acid DHA (listed as omega 3 and 6): for brain, skin and coat health.
- The amino acid taurine: Cats cannot produce this themselves and it is needed for eye and heart health, as well as reproduction later in life for females.
- Vitamins and minerals: Calcium is vital for teeth and bones. Also, look for as many of the vitamins A, E, C, D, and zinc as you can for optimum overall health.
Avoid Foods With Too Many Carbohydrates as Fillers, or Consider a Grain-Free Formula if Your Kitten Has a Sensitive Stomach
For this reason, many brands are making “no-grain” or “grain-free” kitten foods, whereby the calories are derived from protein and fats, or sometimes other carbs like potatoes – so even if you choose grain-free you’ll still need to make sure the majority of the food is animal based.
Rarely, some cats can have grain intolerances or allergies – another reason why these no-grain foods are becoming popular. It is best to check with your vet if you think your kitten may need a specialist diet or if they are displaying signs of illness, to ensure they are getting the correct nutrition or find out if it’s down to something else.
Go For Moisture-Rich Wet Food to Keep Your Kitten Hydrated, or Mix With Dry Food for Added Crunch
However, a mixture of wet and dry can help your kitten get used to both, which will benefit them later in life as they won’t grow into fussy cats that refuse biscuits, as at an older age they can tolerate dry food varieties.
Dry food is often cheaper and more convenient, as it can be bought in bulk and stored out of the fridge. So, if you want to go for dry, or a mix, again make sure that it has a substantial protein content, real ingredients and is mixed with water.
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10 Best Kitten Food in the UK
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Lily’s Kitchen Complete Wet Food｜Chicken Dinner | | The Purr-fect Meal, From Packaging to Recipe! | |
2 | Purina ONE Kitten Dry Cat Food Chicken and Wholegrain | | A Special Nutritious Formula Containing Helpful Functional Bacteria and DHA | |
3 | Whiskas Kitten Wet Cat Food Pouches in Jelly | | Delicious Poultry Slices in Jelly for a Balanced Meal | |
4 | Nature’s Menu Kitten Food｜Chicken | | Easily Digestible and Made With Just 2 Ingredients | |
5 | Meowing Heads Smitten Kitten Dry Food | | Vet-Approved Dry Food That Combines Chicken and Fish | |
6 | Thrive Complete Kitten Food｜Chicken | | Moisture-Rich, High-Protein Food With No Nasties | |
7 | James Wellbeloved Kitten Food｜Turkey | | Tasty Wet Food for Kittens With a Sensitive Stomach | |
8 | Wellness CORE Grain-Free Kitten Food｜Turkey with Salmon | | Low-Carb, Grain-Free Kibble Made With Poultry and Fish | |
9 | Applaws Natural Cat Food for Kittens｜Tuna | | A Simple Yet Nutritious Recipe to Be Eaten Alongside Dry Food | |
10 | Eukanuba Dry Kitten Food｜Chicken Liver | | A Bargain Dry Option That’s Packed With Vitamins and Antioxidants |
The Purr-fect Meal, From Packaging to Recipe!
As an added bonus, the very lovely packaging is completely recyclable (unlike pouches) so you can do your bit for our planet whilst your kitten benefits from moisture-rich wet food. Apparently, it’s also completely delicious! Our favourite pick of the bunch.
PurinaONE Kitten Dry Cat Food Chicken and Wholegrain
A Special Nutritious Formula Containing Helpful Functional Bacteria and DHA
Purina is a well-known manufacturer of cat food, so you can trust them to come up with a recipe that your cat will love, and is good for them too. The high quality ingredients are easily digestible, with crunchy morsels that will also help to care for their oral health. Taste, texture, and essential nutrients, this is why it's at our no. 2 spot.
Delicious Poultry Slices in Jelly for a Balanced Meal
Our no. 3 recommendation is from another popular cat food brand who's been in the business for over 50 years - Whiskas! This pack of 12 is made up of different types of poultry, including chicken, duck, and turkey that come in convenient portioned pouches.
The product line contains tailored meals made from natural ingredients, enriched with the necessary vitamins and minerals they need to grow healthily. Your kitten will surely love the yummy poultry slices and jelly texture!
Easily Digestible and Made With Just 2 Ingredients
The ingredients are ethically sourced for peace of mind, and it’s fantastic value so you can stock up for a few months safe in the knowledge your kitten is getting a premium quality diet.
Vet-Approved Dry Food That Combines Chicken and Fish
There are absolutely no additives or dodgy ingredients, and it features both chicken and fish for a truly tasty supper. They’re also a great ethical company who create their recipes alongside veterinarians.
Moisture-Rich, High-Protein Food With No Nasties
The omegas come from pure sunflower oil, and the moisture content is nice and high to hydrate sufficiently. It’s a bit of a splurge but completely worth every penny, or you could supplement it with dry food.
Tasty Wet Food for Kittens With a Sensitive Stomach
There’s also omega-rich oils and a few extra vitamins for even more nutrition. Reviewers state that their kittens love the taste so much they refuse anything else, so bear that in mind as the price per kilo is fairly high!
Wellness CORE Grain-Free Kitten Food ｜ Turkey with Salmon
Low-Carb, Grain-Free Kibble Made With Poultry and Fish
It’s packed with added vitamins, DHA, and healthy fats, with real meat and fish. Some may be put off by the price for only one bag, but if you have a sensitive kitten on your hands it’s a great buy.
A Simple Yet Nutritious Recipe to Be Eaten Alongside Dry Food
Tuna is naturally rich in protein and contains taurine and omega 3’s for eyes and heart health, but there are no other added vitamins or minerals so you would not be able to feed kittens this product alone.
A Bargain Dry Option That’s Packed With Vitamins and Antioxidants
Unfortunately, there are some suspicious sounding derivatives, although they are low on the list and 91% of the protein is meat derived. It’s a good price too, with smaller sized bags available to test the waters and larger sized bags to save a few more pennies.
Top 5 Kitten Food
No. 1: Lily’s Kitchen ｜Complete Wet Food｜Chicken Dinner
No. 2: Purina｜ONE Kitten Dry Cat Food Chicken and Wholegrain
No. 3: Whiskas｜Kitten Wet Cat Food Pouches in Jelly
No. 4: Nature’s Menu ｜Kitten Food｜Chicken
No. 5: Meowing Heads ｜Smitten Kitten Dry Food
View Full RankingThe descriptions of each product are referenced from content available on manufacturer, brand, and e-commerce sites.