If you’re asking whether any harm will come to an adult cat if they accidentally eat cat food, rest assured that nothing will happen to them. If you want your cat to live a long and happy life, you need to understand the very specific dietary needs of your pet.
Difference between kitten and adult cat food
Adult cat food and kitty food are also formulated differently because they meet different physiological needs. Following are some of the main differences between them:
amount of protein
As with calories, kittens also need high levels of protein in their food to facilitate the tissue building process. This is why commercial cat food has a much higher protein content (35%-50%) than adult cat food (25%-40%).
Minerals and Vitamins
No matter what age, any cat needs healthy amounts of minerals and vitamins to stay healthy. Nonetheless, kittens require approximately twice as much phosphorus and calcium to facilitate the bone formation process. This is why cat food contains higher levels of these minerals than adult cat food.
Can cat food be beneficial for adult cats?
After comparing the nutritional profile of kitten food to adult cat food, it would appear that there is no difference for an adult cat to eat kitten food.
When adult cats become senior (after 11 years of age), they also become susceptible to a number of diseases, some of which cause a loss of appetite, leading to weight loss. If your senior cat is losing weight due to lack of appetite, you should consider giving him kitten food.