When do I start feeding my Maine Coon cat adult cat food?

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When do I start feeding my Maine Coon cat adult cat food? Answer: when they become adults (!) which is latter than normal as they are the biggest domestic cat breed.

Kitten foods

Because kittens grow rapidly, the average kitten gains half an ounce (14 g) a day. Although this wouldn't apply to a typical Maine Coon cat because they are bigger than normal. They need a growth formula food. 

The average domestic cat is basically full-grown and sexually mature at nine months of age but see below. It takes a human about 13 years to reach the same level of growth. The fast growth takes a lot of nutrition.

Adult Maine Coon feeding
Pic assessed as being in the public domain.

10-week-old kittens need about twice as much protein and 50% more calories per pound than adult cats. At 12 weeks of age a kitten's energy needs are three times that of an adult cat.

Kitten food is also formulated with DHA (an omega-3 fatty acid) to help support brain and vision development and it has extra vitamins and minerals to support the immune system.

At six months of age a kitten still needs 25% more nutrition than adult cat. A kitten's body uses the protein in her food to build muscles and protein plays an important role in circulation and coat growth.

Kittens can be fed in a free choice way, meaning that they can eat when they like, or they can be fed at specific meal times.

Transition

The consensus is that cat owners should switch from kitten food to adult cat food around the kitten's first birthday at 12 months of age. As the large cat breeds develop more slowly this should be pushed back to around 18 months or two years of age.

Late developers

We know that the Maine Coon cat is a late developer and doesn't become an adult cat until considerably later than normal. Some say it takes to the age of four for a Maine Coon to be fully grown. I suspect that this is an exaggeration but I think it will depend on the individual cat. Some, as we know, are huge.

Although, I have seen different information on the later transition from kitten to adult in Maine Coon cats.

Transition period

Purina states that the transitioning should be over 7-10 days to avoid any digestive upset. They recommend that on the first two days of transitioning the owner should serve 75% of their normal kitten food and add 25% of their new adult cat food.

On days 3-4, it should be a 50-50 split between kitten and adult food.

On days 5-7 it should be 25% kitten food and 75% adult cat food followed by on days 8-10, serving adult food only. 

If there is some resistance to this transition it should be slowed down to give the kitten more time to adjust. You might like to discuss the matter with your veterinarian.

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