Raw Kitten Food 101: Your Guide to Raw Food for Kittens

When you bring a new kitty into your home, you’ll have some important decisions to make. One of the most critical decisions will be deciding which food to feed them. As you know, the diet that you choose for them will help influence their growth, development, and sometimes even behaviour.

With all that in mind, we believe that feeding a raw food diet for kittens will get them on the right path toward a happy and healthy life. Let’s get into all the benefits of starting your fresh feline on its raw journey.

The benefits of a raw food diet for kittens

Before you start a raw food diet for kittens, we first wanted to go over the benefits of feeding raw food to a kitten. There are many benefits of raw food for kittens and cats, like cleaner teeth, healthier skin, shinier coats, and a healthier digestive tract, meaning smaller, less smelly stools. 

If you’ve got a fussy feline or two on your hands who are very particular about what they eat, the great taste of a raw food diet for your kittens will make them change their mind. Most pets readily take to a diet that is rich in flavour with a high content of meats and omegas.

If you’re thinking of feeding your kitten raw cat food in Canada, we recommend our Bold by Nature raw diets. They are low glycemic diets made for your favourite feline with limited ingredients and no unnecessary additives or sugars. These also act as a great raw food diet for kittens and are some of the best food for cat allergies or sensitivities.

The moisture content in our raw diets also benefits your cat’s health. Some kittens don’t make many trips to their water bowl, and as a result, suffer from being under-hydrated. Our raw diets’ high moisture content keeps your cat thirst-free while also aiding them in healthy urinary tract support and nutrient absorption by providing increased digestibility.

So kittens can eat raw food?

They sure can! Just like human babies, young animals need strong immune systems to grow healthy. They’re growing rapidly, weaning from mom, discovering new sights and sounds, receiving vaccinations, and experiencing the stress of moving to a new home. It’s a lot to experience right at the beginning of life and leaves their systems more vulnerable.

As creatures of habit, adolescence is a great opportunity to foster and nurture good eating habits, as cat food preferences are developed as a baby, and the same goes for cats in the wild. Mother felines like lions, tigers and bobcats transition their offspring from milk straight to meat. Many breeders tend to follow this same philosophy, transitioning their kittens right onto raw post-weaning. Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they must consume a high-meat diet in order to survive. Feeding a raw diet rich in meat, bone, and organ provides kittens with an abundance of nutrients essential to proper brain and musculoskeletal development (proteins, fats like omega 3, and essential vitamins and minerals. 

Our Bold by Nature raw cat food isn’t necessarily designed as raw kitten food, but it is easier for young cats to digest, as they mimic ancestral diets. These diets are kept straight and simple, with meat, bone, and organ blends that are rich in naturally occurring digestive enzymes and probiotics. 

With that said, providing a variety of our raw diets as raw kitten food may be the natural support they need to grow healthy and strong. To ensure an optimal diet, we always recommend rotating your proteins and providing your kitten with as much variety as possible. 

Transitioning your kitten to a raw diet

Thinking of switching to Bold by Nature as raw kitten food? It’s literally as easy as going cold turkey! Yep, that means you can feed them their last meal of traditional foods at dinner and start the next morning with Bold by Nature Turkey for Cats. If you don’t want to go cold turkey, you’ve got other options! Kittens and cats are often easiest to transition by slowly mixing in canned food with their raw diet. This can be done over the course of a few weeks, gradually adjusting the ratio of canned to raw, until they are completely accustomed to their new diet. When feeding raw food to a kitten, smaller, more frequent meals cater to the natural instincts of these feline babies and help with nutrient absorption and digestion. Overeating or eating one large meal vs 3 small meals can cause decreased digestion and overall nutrient absorption.

How can raw food help with health problems?

Just like people, cats are no strangers to developing health problems throughout their lives. Did you know raw diets can actually help benefit your kitten with health issues?

If your fur buddy has hyperthyroidism, a Bold by Nature diet could make a great thyroid food for cats. Cats who experience hyperthyroidism can undergo weight loss and the additional protein found in our raw diets can help maintain a restorative weight and provide overall health benefits. It is also believed that a diet high in protein and low in carbohydrates can even help reduce the risk of hyperthyroidism. While our formulas contain limited ingredients, they’re also low glycemic, making them a great choice for cats with hypothyroidism.

Raw food for kittens is also great if they have kidney problems. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, up to 20% of cats develop chronic kidney disease! That’s 20% too much in our books. Our hydrating diets can be used as raw food for kittens and may help keep this illness in check. Diets with low protein may cause your favourite feline to lose weight and when dealing with kidney disease that could worsen their health. Our Bold by Nature diet for cats is excellent raw food for kittens and its high protein content makes it a great kidney diet for cats that are looking to pack a couple of pounds back on.

Where can I get Bold by Nature products?

Ready to make the switch to raw? If you’ve found your answer after considering raw dog food vs kibble, You can purchase Bold by Nature products, like raw food for a kitten or other raw pet food, online or at your local retailer. If you’re unsure of which stores carry Bold by Nature products, you can use our location finder to explore retailers near you. If you have any questions, like why your cat may be throwing up after eating, please feel free to contact us!