The Best Royal Canin Kitten Wet Food

Royal Canin was founded by a French veterinarian in 1968. Since then, the company has made developing “tailored nutrition” it’s mission. Tailored nutrition is pet food that provides, “…the exact level of natural antioxidants, vitamins, fiber, prebiotics, and minerals that are essential to your pet’s unique health needs.”

Royal Canin is probably best known for their breed-specific recipes, such as cat food for purebred Persian cats. But they also create formulas that provide precisely the right nutrition for pets at every stage of life. For cats, that means kitten, adult, and senior recipes.

Royal Canin makes a wide variety of kitten food recipes for you to choose from. Some are designed for specific breeds and ages while others work well for just about any kitten. So many choices may feel overwhelming, so we reviewed some of the best Royal Canin kitten wet foods available to help you choose the best option for your kitten.

A-Z-Animals’ Top Picks for Royal Canin Kitten Wet Food

1. Best Overall: Royal Canin Feline Thin Slices in Gravy Wet Kitten Food

For most kittens, our #1 Best Overall choice for the best Royal Canin kitten wet food is Royal Canin Feline Thin Slices in Gravy Wet Kitten Food. This recipe, which is formulated for kittens between four and 12 months old, features thin slices of meat in gravy that are easy for most kittens to eat.

This recipe primarily contains meat protein, including chicken, chicken by-products, chicken liver, and pork liver. All of these ingredients improve the protein content of this food. Plus, they also contain high levels of amino acids, which help improve your kitten’s overall health. Combined with prebiotics, this high-quality protein supports your kitten’s digestive health and promotes optimal stool quality.

To improve the moisture content of this food, it contains a high level of water. In fact, water is listed as the first ingredient. Therefore, this food works well for kittens that need extra hydration.

The formula includes a blend of antioxidants, including vitamin E, for immune system support. The company also adds fish oil for increased omega fatty acids. These provide vital nutrition for kittens’ healthy brain and vision development.

A couple of reviewers said that this recipe was too expensive. One reported that her cat got diarrhea from eating this food.

Pros and Cons of Royal Canin Feline Thin Slices in Gravy Wet Kitten Food

Best Overall

Royal Canin Feline Health Nutrition Kitten Thin Slices in Gravy Canned Cat Food, 3-oz, case of 24

• Contains thin slices of meat in gravy
• Best for kittens between 4 to 12 months
• Added fish oil for omega fatty acids
• Good for healthy digestion

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2. Best for New Kittens: Royal Canin Mother & Babycat Ultra-Soft Mousse

Like most wet kitten foods, first ingredient in Royal Canin Mother & Babycat Ultra-Soft Mousse is water, which makes it easier for kittens aged one through four months and momma cats to eat. It also provides essential hydration.

Plus, this formula also contains high levels of protein and meat, including chicken and chicken liver. We appreciate that it contains plenty of organ meats, since these are especially high in protein and other nutrients. In addition, this food contains plant-based ingredients that are high in protein, including wheat gluten. These ingredients add a lot of protein. Keep this in mind when looking at the complete protein content of this food.

The recipe includes an exclusive blend of antioxidants and vitamins to support young kittens’ growth and development. Prebiotics, combined with high-quality protein, support digestive health and balanced intestinal flora to promote optimal stool quality.

Many cats love the smooth texture of this food. Plus, the texture is extremely soft, which makes it easier for new kittens to eat. For this reason, many people use this food for weaning purposes.

A couple of reviewers reported that their cats got diarrhea from this food.

Pros and Cons of Royal Canin Mother & Babycat Ultra-Soft Mousse

Best for Affordability

Royal Canin Mother & Babycat Ultra-Soft Mousse in Sauce Wet Food

• Formulated to provide nutritional needs to pregnant and nursing mothers and to kittens from 1 - 4 months old
• Contains vitamins and antioxidants to support your kitten's growth and development
• Includes highly digestible protein and prebiotics for healthy digestion
• Features DHA for brain development and health

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3. Best for Digestion Support: Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Kitten

For kittens with both short-term and long-term digestion problems, we recommend Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Kitten. It features a soft texture that many kittens find extremely easy to eat. Therefore, it works for kittens that are currently weaning.

Because this is a veterinary diet, you will need a prescription to purchase it. For this reason, it is best for kittens that really have digestion problems. Your vet will be able to advise you whether your kitten falls into this category.

This formula contains extremely digestible proteins to prevent upsetting your kitten’s stomach, as well as prebiotics to regulate their system. Furthermore, it includes a high energy content, which is vital for your kitten’s growth.

Plus, the company added fish oil to increase the omega fatty acid content of this food. These extra fatty acids work to improve your cat’s skin and coat as well as their digestive system. Because it is designed for gastrointestinal problems, this formula includes adapted levels of certain nutrients.

The only negative review for this recipe had to do with shipping, not the product itself.

Pros and Cons of Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Kitten

Best for Digestion Support

Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Kitten

• Perfect for kittens that are currently weaning
• Promotes healthy digestion
• Contains extremely digestible proteins
• Added fish oil

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4. Best for Older Kittens: Royal Canin Health Nutrition Loaf Canned Kitten Food

Our choice for older kittens is Royal Canin Health Nutrition Loaf Canned Kitten Food. Most of the foods on this list have a soft, watery texture. This texture makes the food extremely easy for kittens to eat. However, older kittens don’t need their meals to be so soft. In these cases, we recommend this loaf canned cat food, which is formulated specifically for kittens up to 12 months old. It provides the same nutrition as other kitten foods on this list (except Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Kitten) but helps transition your kitten towards adult textures.

This formula mostly contains pork by-products, chicken, chicken liver, and pork liver. All of these ingredients combine to provide plenty of protein and amino acids for your feline. However, wheat gluten appears further down the ingredient list, providing quite a bit of plant-based protein as well.

Royal Canin has added antioxidants to this formula, which prevent oxidative stress and improve your kitten’s immune system. Furthermore, all of the ingredients are highly digestible to prevent digestive problems.

A few reviewers reported that their kittens didn’t like this food. Two said that their kittens experienced diarrhea after eating it.

Pros and Cons of Royal Canin Health Nutrition Loaf Canned Kitten Food

Best for Older Kittens

Royal Canin Feline Health Nutrition Loaf in Sauce

• Helps transition toward adult textures
• Contains pork by-products, chicken, chicken, and pork liver
• Added antioxidants 
• Very easily digestible

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Choosing the Best: What to Look For

Not all Royal Canin kitten wet foods are the same. Therefore, when you’re choosing one of these foods, there are several things that you need to keep in mind. For instance, price, protein, grain inclusion, and ingredients all play a vital role in the food’s overall quality.

Let’s take a look at each of these factors.

Price

The only person that knows your budget is you. Your budget is vital to choosing the correct option for you. While expensive cat food may be perfect for your kitten, if it isn’t in your budget, then the food probably isn’t right for you.

Royal Canin tends to be more expensive cat food. Therefore, all of their foods cost a bit more than you might expect. Keep this in mind when shopping.

Protein

Cats are obligate carnivores. Therefore, they must consume meat as a regular part of their diet. Many amino acids they need only appear in meats, as well as other ingredients. Therefore, your feline must consume meats to thrive, or they will develop nutrition deficiencies.

Your little kitten evolved to hunt prey and eat mostly meat. While veggies and grains can have a place in their diet, they should not make up a huge portion of their diet.

Therefore, the meat included in your cat’s food should be high-quality. Generally, this means it should be whole meat or meat meal. Pet companies make meat meal by dehydrating whole meats, removing most of the moisture content. This ingredient works well for dry dog foods with lower moisture contents.

Beyond moisture, these meat meals contain the same nutrients as whole meats.

Grain-Inclusion

Grains have become a bit of a controversial subject in the cat food market. There are many uses for grains in cat food. For instance, pet food companies often use them to keep fatty carbs out of cat food. Plus, many experts push the use of grains to keep other, potentially harmful, ingredients out of cat food.

In this way, many consider grains to be the lesser of two evils.

Often, cat owners think that grain-free foods are low in carbohydrates. However, pet food companies typically include starchy veggies in place of grains when making grain-free foods. Therefore, grain-free foods typically don’t contain few carbohydrates.

Furthermore, most allergies in pets are related to meat proteins. In fact, grain allergies rarely occur.

Ingredients

The ingredients in cat food heavily affect the quality. For instance, cats need a variety of amino acids to thrive. Most of these amino acids come from meats, though veggies and other ingredients often include some amino acids as well. Furthermore, many cat foods add amino acids to ensure completeness.

Usually, cat foods include some level of carbohydrates, as well. Often, these include grains, which have lots of carbohydrates in them. However, starchy veggies also include lots of carbohydrates, making them a positive choice for grain-free cat foods.

The Different Types of Royal Canin Kitten Wet Foods: Pros & Cons Compared

Royal Canin creates a variety of different foods for kittens. However, when you narrow it down to wet foods only, there are really only two different options available: veterinary and non-veterinary diets.

Certain cats will do best on certain kitten foods. Therefore, it is vital to understand the differences between these food types. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of each option.

• Non-veterinary kitten food: Designed for the average kitten, this food contains everything kittens need to thrive and nothing else. These recipes are the “usual” options on the shelves.
• Veterinary kitten food: If your kitten has chronic or short-term illnesses, then they may require a veterinary kitten food. This type of food requires a prescription from a veterinarian.

Non-Veterinary Kitten Food

Veterinary Kitten Food

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