One in a Billion Kitten | Royal Canin UK

Your kitten is... One in a Billion

You adore your new kitten. You want to do the very best by your paw-fect companion… But with so much information out there, we bet you’re feeling a little confused! If it feels like we’ve read your mind, stick with us, because we’ve launched our One in a Billion campaign to make it a whole lot easier for you, developed by leading experts you can trust.

Feeling confused? It’s not just you!

Our research has shown¹:

More than half (55%)...

... of the kitten owners we surveyed didn’t know that kitten food has adapted nutrient levels to support growth which differs from adult cat food

Half (49%) also...

... didn’t know that kittens should not go outside until they have been neutered or sterilised.

1 in 5 (21%) wished...

... there was more accessible kitten specific information available

With 11 million cat owners in the UK...

... nearly a third (28%) would like more advice on how to set up their homes to improve kitten’s happiness!

Luckily for you, we’ve spoken reputable experts and even a well-known interior designer to make it super easy to know how to help your kitten flourish into a unique One in a Billion.

Introducing: The Kitten Dream House

Kittens need to stay inside until they’ve been neutered, meaning a great home set up is critical for their development. We’ve teamed up with British interior designer and TV presenter, Whinnie Williams to create the ultimate kitten set up to inspire you! Built in Whinnie’s signature look and feel, each aspect of the design was built in partnership with renowned International Cat Behaviour Expert, Dr. Sarah Ellis to keep best practice in mind.

The Kitten Dream Home build, explained:

1/5

Safe spaces

Secluded heated cushion dens positioned in elevated locations give the kittens quiet cosy opportunities to rest and sleep. A chill-out canopy offers kittens the perfect place to relax and watch the world go by. Multiple levels offer vantage points and increase perceived safety.

2/5

Depositing pheromones and scents

Hessian walls allow kittens to stretch out to full height for optimal scratching. Soft protruding brushes provide ample opportunity for facial rubbing. Both features allow kittens to deposit their pheromones and individual scents, which help them to feel this is their territory and they are safe and secure in their surroundings.

3/5

Feeding and drinking stations

Feeding and drinking areas are close enough to each other to encourage drinking after eating, but far enough away to prevent the risk of contaminating the water with food. Shallow ceramic feeding bowls avoid scary reflections, prevent sensitive whiskers being stressed by touching the edges of the bowl and allows for thorough cleaning. The water fountain, simulates running water, indicating to kittens the water is fresh - which is why so many love drinking from the tap!

4/5

Allowing predatory behaviour during feeding

Puzzle feeders are integrated throughout the design and layout to encourage kittens to ‘hunt’ for their food, as their ancestors would have done in the wild. This encourages them to use their brains and bodies, keeping them physically and mentally fit.

5/5

Multiple opportunities for play and exploration

Varied structures, such as dual entry hiding holes, a climbable wall, staircases, toys and cat grass encourage exploration and play – enriching the kitten’s day.

I had lots of fun putting this together with Royal Canin, it’s great to see they are so invested in making sure cats have the right environment to thrive. I am particularly proud of the feeding area, which is both functional and stylish... In the three years I have had Jimmy, I can vouch for the sheer amount of information out there for your pet. It can be quite overwhelming for kitten owners, and a lot of it is not entirely true.
Whinnie Williams – Interior Designer

Home set up 101

Unsurprisingly, you might not have a leading designer to hand to build a bespoke space for your kittens! But not to fear, because we’ve got a list of easy top tips to help you build a space they will love:

Kitten-friendly feeding: Your kitten has unique nutritional needs, so create a dedicated feeding area free from distractions and away from their litter box and sleeping area. Remember that during their intense growth spurt until 12 months, kittens require specific kitten food containing tailored nutrients such as essential amino acids, calcium, and phosphorus to fuel their development. Mixed feeding with wet and dry food can also help ensure your kitten gets more hydration and a variety of textures to keep it interesting.
Choose purr-fect feeding and drinking vessels: Wide, shallow bowls made from ceramic, while minimising any pesky reflections, which may scare them. Avoid reflective metal and plastic bowls, plastic can absorb and interfere with smells. Ensure your bowls have ample space for whiskers and are easy to clean, as leaving old food remnants is a common reason kittens can go off their food.
Comfort zone: Treat your feline friend to deep, comfortable bedding that is soft and warm, with raised edges or ‘lips’ which makes them feel like they’re nestled in a cloud of comfort and security.
Prime potty spots: Help your kitten maintain their dignity by placing litter trays in secluded spots, far from their dining areas. Choose clumping, unscented litter for easy clean-up and ultimate freshness.
Harmony in multi-cat homes: Foster a harmonious environment by providing plenty of resources for each cat. Set up multiple feeding and water stations (kittens like to dine in private), multiple scratching areas and litter boxes in lots of different locations. Ensure there are plenty of safe havens where each cat can claim their own space and feel right at home.

Nutrition 101

Just 1 in 5 kittens are getting the right nutrition they need to grow [2]! We spoke to our own veterinarian, Dr. Lauren Hayes BVetMed MRCVS for feeding advice for new kitten owners:

“Your kitten will need a kitten specific diet until they are 12 months of age. Think of them like children in an adult’s body: even if they look fully grown, things like their digestive tract, cognitive and immune functions are developing incredibly quickly, and so they continue to need a diet optimised for growth. Once neutered, feed a neutered specific kitten diet to help prevent unnecessary weight gain.”

Top tips:

Feed

A kitten specific food until 12 months of age, and once neutered, switch to a neutered specific kitten food to prevent weight gain.

Small but regular

Kittens like small but regular meals!

Mixed feeding

Wet food creates both a lovely sensory experience for your kitten and can also help ensure they get enough water to stay hydrated.

Weigh it out

Using a digital scoop or digital scale in accordance with the measurements on the packet.

Nutrition Guide

Learn more in our dedicated kitten nutrition 101 guide.

Kitten feeding and nutrition

Kitten Products

Kitten Dry Food

Kitten Loaf In Sauce

Kitten Sterilised

Mother & Babycat

Your most common questions about nutrition, answered!

Why has my kitten gone off their food?

Every kitten is an individual. Each of our Royal Canin diets have feeding guidance which has been specially calculated to ensure a complete and balanced diet. The feeding guides are located at the back of the bag, pouch, or tin as well as the product page on our website. Remember that if you’re mixed feeding, you’ll need to adjust the levels of dry food you give your kitten (which helpfully is explained on the back of the bag!) The amount you feed your kitten will depend on your kitten’s weight, age in months and whether they have been neutered. Should you still have questions on how much to feed, please contact our Nutritional Helpline vial this link: www.royalcanin.com/uk/contact-us

I’m confused about the right amount to feed my kitten?

Cats and kittens generally have small meals, little and often, when we feed them, we need to take this as well as how and what we feed into account. Dry food should be left no longer than 24 hours once it has been placed into the bowl and wet food should be discarded after 1 hour. Once open, dry diets should be stored in their original bag and resealed between feeding, we would ideally advise the bag to be placed into an airtight container as well. For our wet diets, once opened, these should be kept in an airtight container and placed within the fridge. When stored correctly, open wet food should be used within 72 hours.

If kittens like small meals, how do I stop the wet food I leave out from going off?

There could be a few reasons as to why your kitten hasn’t eaten. Should you be concerned, we would firstly recommend discussing this with your vet. Should you want to try encouraging your kitten to eat, you can add a small amount of warm water to soften the kibble and this can also enhance the flavours and aromas of the diet. If you do add water, use warm, not boiling water, as boiling water could damage the nutrients within the food. Please make sure that none of the water is discarded as it will contain vitamins and minerals from the kibble coating; you need to make sure your kitten consumes this with the rest of their meal to ensure a balanced diet. You could also consider using the Royal Canin kitten wet food alongside the dry.

My kitten hasn’t eaten, what should I do?

The actual ingredient or percentage of meat is not as relevant, this is because a kitten requires nutrients not ingredients. For example, felines have a certain requirement for levels of protein, fat, minerals and vitamins in their diet, rather than requiring a certain percentage of chicken, beef or any other animal/meat in their diets. We concentrate on the nutrients that the combined ingredients provide and ensure that they are providing a complete balanced diet. We can get good, high-quality nutrients from a number of different ingredient sources, including meat, fish, plants and grains.

Is meat content important when picking a kitten food?

From weaning, (stage 2) we would recommend the Mother and Babycat mousse and dry kibble. Once they reach 4 months of age, (stage 3) we would recommend our Kitten diets. Once neutered, it is worth switching your kitten to our Kitten Sterilised 6-12 month diet, as your kittens energy needs and therefore calorie intake changes after neutering. If you are unsure on which product to feed, please contact our Nutritional Helpline vial this link: www.royalcanin.com/uk/contact-us

Sources:

¹2024 research by Royal Canin sampling 1,000 current or former kitten owners from within the last 18 months ²PDSA Animal Wellbeing Report 2023