Feeding a 10-week-old Somali kitten

Ten weeks old — you're right at the start of one of the most important feeding windows in a cat's life! Kittens have genuinely different nutritional needs from adult cats: they need much higher protein, more calories per kilo of body weight, and specific nutrients like DHA, calcium, and phosphorus to support rapid bone, muscle, and brain development. Get this phase right and you're setting your Somali up for a long, healthy life. So — how old exactly is your kitten, do you know the breed (sounds like you might!), and are they currently eating anything, or are you starting from scratch?

Brilliant timing to get this sorted then. Somalis are an active, medium-sized breed that tends to stay quite lean and energetic, so good nutrition really matters for them. At 10 weeks, her stomach is tiny and her metabolism is running fast — she needs to eat little and often rather than one or two larger meals. Can I ask: are you open to wet food, dry food, or a mix? And do you have any sense of her current weight, or have you had a first vet check yet?

Great — 700g at nine weeks is pretty normal for a Somali, so she sounds healthy. Here's what I'd recommend: Royal Canin Kitten wet food in the individual pouches. It's specifically formulated for kittens up to 12 months, with high protein, optimal calcium-to-phosphorus ratio for bone development, and the texture is easy for very young kittens to manage. At her age and weight, aim for around 4–5 small meals a day — roughly half a pouch per meal, so about two to two and a half pouches across the day. Don't leave food down for long; fresh portions every few hours keeps things hygienic and helps you track how much she's actually eating. Royal Canin also publish a feeding guide on the pack based on target adult weight, which for a Somali is around 3–4kg — use that as your baseline and adjust as she grows.

You can introduce a small amount of Royal Canin Kitten dry alongside it — it's a good way to expose her to different textures early on, which makes life easier later. But at 10 weeks, wet food should be the main event. It has much higher moisture content, which is important because kittens (and cats generally) have a low thirst drive and get a lot of their hydration from food. If you do offer dry, just put out a small amount in a separate bowl rather than mixing it in, and always make sure fresh water is available. For now though, lead with the wet and treat the dry as a supplement rather than a staple.

The clearest signs are: she finishes her portions without immediately acting frantic for more, she's gaining weight steadily (your vet can track this), her coat looks glossy rather than dull, and she's energetic and playful — not lethargic or excessively vocal around mealtimes. At this age kittens grow fast, so her portions will need to increase every couple of weeks. Weigh her weekly if you can and adjust upward as she grows. Your vet appointment next week is perfect timing — mention what you're feeding and they can confirm she's on the right trajectory. You're doing all the right things.