10 Best Kitten Food in the Philippines 2024 | Buying Guide Reviewed by Veterinarian

Protein is the building block of life, and kittens need a high amount (at least 26% crude protein) for proper growth. But not all protein is created equal. Focus on named animal sources like chicken, fish, or lamb listed at the top of the ingredients list. These naturally contain essential amino acids, including taurine.

Avoid foods with generic terms like "poultry meal" or "meat by-products," as these often contain lower-quality protein sources.

Aside from making food more palatable, dietary fats provide concentrated energy and contribute to healthy skin and coat, essential for keeping your kitten looking and feeling their best. 

Aim for at least 9% crude fat in your kitten's food, prioritizing sources rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Think tuna oil, sunflower oil, or even chicken fat for a balanced blend. These fats also support brain development, crucial for your curious kitten's learning and exploration.

While carbohydrates provide readily available energy, too much can lead to health problems like diabetes in cats. Keep an eye out for kitten food with no more than 10% carbohydrates, ideally from digestible sources like sweet potatoes, green peas, or potato starch. Remember, kittens are not designed to process grains like corn or wheat efficiently, so steer clear of foods with those as fillers.

Taurine, an essential amino acid found naturally in meat, fish, and poultry, is crucial for your kitten's health as it supports healthy vision, heart function, and digestion. 

To ensure your kitten gets the taurine it needs, choose kitten food that specifically mentions taurine in the ingredients list or guaranteed analysis section. 

Kittens need a diverse range of vitamins and minerals for optimal health. Look for food enriched with vitamins A, B12, D, E, K, niacin, riboflavin, thiamine, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, folic acid, Biotin, and choline. 

These play essential roles in everything from bone growth and immune function to vision and nervous system development. A complete and balanced kitten food should provide all the necessary vitamins and minerals your little furball needs to thrive.

Be mindful of fillers in kitten food, like cellulose, corn, or wheat. These ingredients are often added to bulk up the food, offering minimal or no nutritional value. While cellulose, a plant-based fiber, can aid in stool formation, an excess can hinder nutrient absorption and potentially contribute to digestive upset in sensitive kittens. 

Similarly, grains like corn and wheat are difficult for cats to digest and provide little nutritional benefit for these obligate carnivores who thrive on animal protein.

Wet food has a higher moisture content, making it a good fit for kittens that usually don't drink much water. This includes meat chunks blended in gravy or fish, such as tuna in mousse form mixed with milk.

Tiny kittens also don't have the set of teeth to chew dry food well, so wet food may be the best choice to ensure they get enough nutrition. The drawback, however, lies in their cost, as they are usually more expensive. Wet kitten food also cannot stay fresh for long once served. 

Dry food, with its crunchy texture, can help promote good dental hygiene by encouraging chewing and scraping away plaque and tartar buildup. However, it's important to ensure your kitten has access to fresh water at all times to avoid dehydration.