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Kitten Nutrition Check: Signs Your Diet Is Actually Working 🐾

  • 79 days ago
  • 4 min read

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Kitten Nutrition Check: Signs Your Diet Is Actually Working 🐾

By Dr. Duncan Houston BVSc

You’ve upgraded your kitten’s food — air-dried, raw, or high-meat wet. 👏 Now comes the big question:   How do you know it’s working?

This article gives you clear, vet-approved signs that your kitten’s nutrition is truly supporting growth, digestion, immune strength, and long-term health — plus what to fix if it’s not.


✅ Signs Your Kitten’s Diet Is Working

1. 💩 Healthy, Consistent Stool 

  • Small, firm, dark brown stools (not runny or too dry)
  • Once or twice daily is normal
  • Low odor = highly digestible diet

2. 🧴 Soft, Shiny Coat 

  • Glossy fur with minimal dander 
  • No bald spots, flakes, or itching 
  • Good hydration = skin bounce-back

3. 🐾 Lean Muscle + Energy (But Not Zoom-Crazy) 

  • Kitten looks sturdy, not bloated or skinny 
  • Zoomies are normal, but they should also rest well
  • No overexcitement or sugar-crash behavior

4. 🧠 Focused Play + Confident Behavior

  • Engages with toys and people 
  • Explores, adapts, doesn’t cry constantly 
  • Good diet = better serotonin, better resilience

5. 🩺 Great Breath, Eyes, Ears, and Teeth 

  • No fishy or sour breath 
  • Clear, bright eyes without gunk or tear stains 
  • Ears stay clean (wax is normal, buildup is not)

🚩 Red Flags That Something’s Off 

  • Loose, sticky, or unpredictable stool 
  • Strong-smelling gas or breath 
  • Scratching, shedding, or flaky skin 
  • Low energy or long periods of hiding 
  • Bloated belly or "skinny but round" body shape

If you see these signs, it may mean: 

  • ❌ Too many carbs or fillers in the diet 
  • ❌ Overfeeding or underfeeding 
  • ❌ Protein source is too rich or reactive

📏 What You Can Track Weekly 

  • 🪙 Weight (should gain steadily — not fluctuate) 
  • 📝 Stool quality (firm, shaped, consistent) 
  • 📸 Photos for coat and growth tracking

💡 Use a kitchen scale or pet scale — aim for slow, steady gain of 50–100g/week (depending on age and breed).


🛒 Best Foods for Visible Results 

  • 🥇 Ziwi Air-Dried Raw – high protein, organ-rich, low carb 
  • 🥇 Feline Natural Freeze-Dried or Canned – balanced and highly digestible 
  • 🥇 Big Dog Raw (for kittens) – in AU/NZ markets

Plus: 

  • 🥛 Raw goat milk or kefir for probiotics + hydration 
  • 🧠 Freeze-dried organ toppers for mental enrichment

💬 From Dr. Duncan Houston

“You don’t need a microscope or a degree to see if your kitten’s food is working.   Trust what you can see: the coat, the poop, the energy, the sleep. Real health is visible — and natural food makes it obvious.

🐾 Coming next:   Why Your Kitten Needs Play As Much As Protein

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