Can kittens eat human food or treats? Is it safe for young cats?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
My kitten always goes crazy when she smells chicken/meat and she starts sniffing the pizza box and meowing begging me to give her some, is it ok if I give her or should I let her stick to her kitty food until she's a little bit older? also is it ok if I give her treats, or is she too young for that?
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on February 5th, 2017
Limit table food as much as possible. It is fine to give a tiny bit as a treat or reward occasionally as long as it does not contain onion or garlic. Cat specific treats can be used as rewards for positive behavior and during play. Again, limit quantities to avoid obesity.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on November 8th, 2017
A six month old kitten should be eating kitten food until about 1 year of age. A kitten formula will provide the nutrition necessary for growth. Table food should not be fed regularly, but a tiny tidbit occasionally, as a treat or reward, will not harm him.
3Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Food & Nutrition
I just had my cat spayed and was told NOT to feed her human food i.e. chicken, turkey, etc., why? I only feed her a few pieces for a treat not as a full meal - I give her regular cat food for a regular meal.
Too much human food adds extra calories a cat doesn't need. In addition, it can make them picky, as they tend to like human food better and then won't eat their cat food. It's fine to give as an occasional treat, but I actually never give my cats human food at all. For a treat for them, I give them Temptations or canned food. I hope this helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Can I give to my 6 months old kitten cat food and table food?
A six month old kitten should be eating kitten food until about 1 year of age. A kitten formula will provide the nutrition necessary for growth. Table food should not be fed regularly, but a tiny tidbit occasionally, as a treat or reward, will not harm him.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Food & Nutrition
Is it okay to give a kitten about 4 months old, cat treats? If the kitten is eating Purina One Kitten food, would it be okay to try to switch to another brand of kitten food, or another Purina brand kitten food? When do we switch from kitten food to
Yes, it is OK to give kittens treats, but make sure that they do not make up more than 10% of her diet. If you decide to change brands of food, make sure to transition slowly over a period of a few days to a week to make sure that she does not get any GI upset due to a diet change. I rotate my cats' food regularly and they do not have any GI problems, but until you know about Callie, I would take it slowly. I think rotating brands is a good idea as long as she tolerates it well. We normally recommend changing from kitten to adult food around 6 months of age. I hope that was helpful and answered your question. Thanks for using Boop by Petco.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Food & Nutrition
Hi! I was just wondering if I can feed my kittens normal food not just dry food?
I'm not 100% sure of what you are asking. When you say "normal food" do you mean human food? If so, then the answer is no - they can't eat human food as their sole source of nutrition. Our food is not balanced for a cat's needs. It is best to feed cat food ESPECIALLY when they are kittens. They can have occasional human food (meats) as a treat but again, not as a sole source of nutrition.
If you mean, canned cat food versus dry - either is fine.
If you mean adult food versus kitten food - no, kitten food should be fed until they are a minimum of 8 month of age.
I hope this answers your question. If not, you are welcome to post again - please be as specific as possible.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Hi my dad gave my 8 week old some pieces of white bread with some cat food and was wondering if that was ok?
It is not ideal to feed your pets people food like bread however a small amount should be ok and should not harm your cat. If you do decide to give people food as treats, do so in only small amounts. Use foods that are bland and easily digestible (like a small piece of bread) and have low calories. One of the biggest problems with feeding people food to pets is that it can cause them to become overweight. It can also make them picky eaters in the future.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Food & Nutrition
What fruits, vegetables, legumes, and grains can cats eat without any adverse effects? My cats like nibbling on potatoes, beans, and peas but I want to make sure it is safe for them to eat. Also, can I supplement my recovering cat’s diet with kitten
I recommend keeping table foods to 10% or less of the diet. All the foods you listed are not toxic and could be offered: onion, garlic, and fatty foods would be the main ones to avoid. I don’t think supplementing with KMR would be necessary for your other cat - you would be better off offering canned cat food mixed with water as it is nutritionally complete for an adult. While petroleum jelly would be okay you may have difficulty getting your cats to eat it.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
What can i feed my cat besides dry catfood?
You can feed him a wet cat food, cat treats on occasion, and as a very occasional treat, some boiled white meat chicken (no bones). It's best to stick with a diet of 99% cat food to both meet your cat's nutritional needs, but to also keep them from getting obese from too many treats.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Food & Nutrition
Is it okay to feed my cat "people" food?
People food is just that – food for people. Cats are obligate carnivores, and as such, have a delicate balance of protein, carbohydrates, fat, and vitamins and minerals that must be maintained. Cats should eat a balanced high quality diet in order to meet all of their nutritional needs. Unbalanced diets with vitamin/mineral imbalances risk a variety of health problems. Home cooked diets are not as commonly recommended, but are preferred by some cats and pet owners. If you opt to go down this road, a carefully crafted recipe by a specialist in veterinary nutrition should be used with proper vitamin and mineral supplementation. Even with a commercial diet, occasional treats of boiled white meat chicken, turkey, salmon, or tuna can be perfectly fine in small quantities.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Hi i have a 8 week old kitten and was wondering if i could start feeding it dry food. I also have some whiskers adult food but was wondering if it was alright to give it a little. I have some Webbox tasty sticks and was wondering if it was alright to
By 8 weeks old, you can absolutely start to give your kitten dry food. If they are accustomed to eating wet food, consider making the transition gradually by mixing the wet and dry foods together over 5-7 days. While it would not necessarily be harmful to eat small amounts of an adult cat food, it would be best to exclusively feed kitten food for the first year of life since these foods are balanced for growth. Some of my favorite brands of kitten foods include Science Diet ( http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=29250 ), Royal Canin ( http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=31886 ), and Purina ProPlan ( http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=31190 ), and I have included a few examples. It would be fine to give an occasional Webbox tasty stick as a treat, but avoid offering too many. I hope this helps and that all goes well!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Yuka doesn't seem interested in dog treats at all but she likes the cat treats. Are those good for her or should we stop feeding those to her
You can feed her cat treats as long as you only give her small quantities as cat treats are usually much higher in calories which will likely end up gaining a lot of extra weight when she gets a little older.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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