Congratulations on being a kitten owner! This is a special time for both of you, filled with opportunities to start your kitten's life with her

Your kitten may be small and cuddly now, but before you know it, your grown-up cat will be pouncing around. To ensure your kitten will be a happy, healthy cat for years to come, it's important to recognize her kitten-specific needs now.

All kittens need the basics - precise nutrition, time to sleep and play, and lots of love - but kittens have individual needs, as well. Cat owners tend to think of these early years as the "healthy years" and may not give enough consideration to feeding practices. But because of features like size, breed, age, environment, exercise, heredity and others, a "one size fits all" approach to nutrition just won't work. Improper feeding can increase your kitten's risk of obesity, poor muscle and bone development, and poor immune response.