Best dry cat food for indoor cats-Expert recommendations to choose.

Question

I researched the best dry cat food as I just adopted a new kitten that's going to be strictly indoors. i have been experiencing my little guy not eating enough and seeming low energy. i went through reviews from trusted sources like Business Insider and Cats.com and after comparing many options these two kept coming up as the top choices:

Royal Canin Indoor Adult Dry Cat Food

Tiki Cat Born Carnivore Baby Kitten Health Dry Cat Food

however, i am having trouble deciding which one would be better for me and i would love to get your expert advice and hoping maybe some cat owners or veterinarians on this forum can also share their advice.

i usually free-feed dry kibble but monitor portions closely. Which one is recommended for me? Any suggestions or advice would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Dr. Chris Vanderhoof, DVM, MPH · Accepted Answer

Hi M.,

If you truly have a kitten (less than one year of age), then of the two you have listed, only one would be appropriate for that life stage, which would be the Tiki Cat. The Royal Canin you have listed is only intended for adult cats at least a year or older. There are Royal Canin kitten foods available you could also look into. I usually advise free-feeding kittens is fine as they have so much energy and a lot of their energy intake goes into growth. But once they reach about a year of age, you do need to monitor portions very carefully. At that point, I like to aim for less than 350kcal per cup for dry food. The Royal Canin diet you have listed does fit that criteria once your kitty is old enough. The Tiki Cat foods are just a little over.

I might also add, hopefully you've had your kitten checked out at a vet since adoption. It's important to have some assurance the low energy and appetite are not due to any medical/health concerns.

Best dry cat food for indoor cats-Expert recommendations to choose.

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