Complete cat food must contain meat. I’m vegetarian but I’d never limit meat in my cat’s diet. Unlike humans, cats need certain amino acids, such as taurine, that can only be found in meat and fish. Some good-quality meat cat foods also contain veg such as carrots, and some cats enjoy this (my cat won’t touch it!), so I’ve included a meat-and-veg cat food product among the recommendations. The kibbles are high in readily-available protein, calcium and other nutrients, which your growing kitten needs and the recipe also contains taurine (an amino acid, essential for kitty’s eyesight) plus added vitamins and chelated minerals to help maximise nutrient absorption. Most importantly, cats of all ages love it – but at this price, you will want to promote your feline to more affordable adult food as they grow a bit older. Royal Canin Feline Health Nutrition Sterilised Adult Wet Cat Food Jelly: The best wet cat food for weight control Alarming-sounding ingredients such as ‘animal derivatives’ and ‘meat meal’ often refer to byproducts of the meat industry. This stuff is meat, and perfectly safe (all pet food sold in the UK has to be safe for human consumption) – it’s just not meat that humans traditionally eat. It’s high in the meat proteins and essential amino acids (such as taurine) that cats can’t live without, and it may be just as tasty for your cat as rump steak is for you. Kittens need even higher levels of protein in their diet than adult cats, to aid their rapid growth. Many reputable companies make food especially for juniors.

IAMS Low Fat Complete Dry Cat Food for Adult and Senior Cats

Iams is nutritionally complete, wheat-free, and contains 89% animal protein (higher than most other cat foods, including some wet varieties). It’s specially designed to support a strong immune and digestive system, and helps to reduce tartar built-up. May be too tough on senior teeth and gums, though. Recipe with a nutrient profile that has been specially adapted to suit the needs of neutered or less active cats that have a tendency to gain weight Your cat loves it. If your cat has a preference for a particular brand and variety of complete cat food (‘complete’ is really important, we’ll come to that next), then that really is the top factor. Food can be nutritionally all-singing/all-dancing but if your cat doesn’t like it, it’ll go to waste. Cat food that isn’t complete is usually labelled ‘complementary’. In other words, treats. No cat can live on Dreamies alone, as much they might wish to.Strong, lean muscles: the food’s moderate fat content, high levels of animal protein and L-carnitine all help your cat to maintain a healthy weight and good muscle tone, even if they are less active as a result of advanced age Royal Canin, now owned by Mars but founded by a French vet in 1968, was the first pet food brand to create foods tailored for different breeds and different sizes of dogs and cats. This meaty wet food for neutered cats (which is to say, most healthy pet cats) is complete, but its energy and fat content is carefully balanced to help relatively inactive cats avoid gaining too much weight. It’s also designed to support your cat’s urinary health, and will appeal to cats who don’t like very rich food. There’s no variety of flavours to choose from. Instead, Royal Canin differentiates its food according to the type of cat it’s aimed at, claiming that cats are more interested in nutritional quality than flavour varieties. My kitty isn’t convinced, but many cats love Royal Canin, and it comes highly recommended by vets. Iams is now owned by Mars (yep, chocolate Mars), along with Whiskas, Sheba, Royal Canin, Kit-e-Kat and Dreamies. Choccie link aside, Iams maintains a long-standing reputation for dry food of the highest nutritional quality.

for Vitality Light in fat/Sterilised Adult/Senior - IAMS

Key specs – Type: Dry kibbles; Bag sizes available: 1.6kg and 2.1kg bags available from other retailers; Flavours available: 1Shaped pellets: flavourful kibble, designed with your pet’s mouth shape in mind, making them easy to bite and chew