Finding the best kitten milk replacer can be a bit of a minefield, especially if you’re already short on time thanks to those mewling mouths and frequent feeding sessions. But don’t worry—we’ve done all the hard work for you. Our reviews include a roundup of the six best kitten milk replacement powders available on the market today.
All you need to do is read about each product, then order the one you think will work best for your hungry kittens. They’ll be thankful!
A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites in 2023
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Best Overall
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PetAg PetLac Milk Replacement |
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Best Value
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Hartz Kitten Milk Replacer Formula |
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CHECK PRICE |
Premium Choice
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PetAg KMR Milk Replacer Powder |
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CHECK PRICE |
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Nutri-Vet Powder |
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GNC Pets Ultra Mega Premium |
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CHECK PRICE |
The 6 Best Kitten Milk Replacers
1. PetAg PetLac Kitten Milk Replacement Powder — Best Overall
As the best overall kitten milk replacer, we recommend the PetAg PetLac Kitten Milk Replacement Powder. This formula is designed to be easy to digest for tiny kitten tummies, as well as containing live probiotics and probiotics that help to support your kitten’s digestive system as they grow.
This kitten milk replacer is formulated to closely match the fat, protein, and nutrient levels found in mother cat’s milk. Among other ingredients, it contains taurine, other amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and milk proteins. All in all, you can be confident that this is a great choice for your tiny kittens.
- Good value for money
- Made in the U.S.A.
- Provides complete nutrition
- 858 kcal/kg
- Contains 33% protein and 18% fat
- None that we can see
2. Hartz Kitten Milk Replacer Powdered Formula — Best Value
If you’re looking for the best kitten milk replacer for the money, we suggest trying the Hartz Kitten Milk Replacer Powdered Formula. Containing real milk protein, this powder has been precisely formulated to support your kitten in all areas of their growth. It contains calcium, taurine, lysine, and linoleic acid, all of which contribute to your kitten’s healthy development.
This powdered kitten formula is high in calories and fats, meaning it’s a great choice for underweight kittens who need an extra boost. However, it isn’t easy to clean out of the bottles once you’re done feeding, and it doesn’t mix up easily. Even still, we put this as the best kitten formula for the money on our list.
- Good value for money
- 5,000 kcal/kg
- Contains 30% protein and 40% fat
- Fully balanced nutrition
- Can be difficult to clean from bottles
3. PetAg KMR Kitten Milk Replacer Powder — Premium Choice
As our premium choice, the PetAg KMR Kitten Milk Replacer is an excellent product. This is the number-one selling brand for good reason! The highly digestible formula provides complete nutrition for growing kittens, so you don’t need to worry about adding any supplements. The essential milk proteins are balanced by all the vitamins and minerals your kitten needs.
We like that this is available in three can sizes, meaning you can choose the one that suits the number of kittens you need to feed, without worrying about having not enough or too much formula. The only reason this didn’t make it into our top two is that as a premium product, you’ll end up spending quite a bit more if you have many kittens to feed! Apart from that, this is a great choice.
- Available in three can sizes
- Contains 42% protein and 25% fat
- Includes prebiotics
- 740 kcal/kg
- Expensive
4. Nutri-Vet Kitten Milk Replacement Powder
The Nutri-Vet Kitten Milk Replacement Powder is made in the U.S.A. and combines protein, fats, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids to provide complete nutrition for growing kittens. It also contains probiotics that will help your kitten develop a strong and healthy digestive system.
It includes whey protein as one of the first ingredients, which supports the development of healthy skin and muscles. It also contains Nutri-Vet’s blend of ingredients known as Opti-Gut, which is designed to support every stage of your kitten’s growth.
- Available in two sizes
- Contains 30% protein and 40% fat
- 5,150 kcal/kg
- Some kittens don’t like the flavor
- Difficult to mix
5. GNC Pets Ultra Mega Premium Milk Replacer
The GNC Pets Ultra Mega Premium Milk Replacer is made with natural milk proteins and uses a powder formula based on skim milk to provide all the essential nutrients and nourishment that a growing kitten needs. The enriched formula is easy on small kitten’s tummies too. It’s specifically designed to support the development of healthy bones and teeth and strong muscles and to make sure your kitten’s immune system is working effectively.
The one thing we didn’t like about this formula is that it can be a little harder to mix than other powders, leaving lumps even when it’s been extremely well mixed.
- Contains 42% protein and 25% fat
- 740 kcal/kg
- Doesn’t contain probiotics
- Can leave lumps even when mixed well
- Expensive
6. Nutri-Vet Milk Replacement
The Nutri-Vet Milk Replacement. This formula helps kittens to grow rapidly thanks to its high calorific content, but one thing you’ll have to watch out for is that some kittens don’t like the taste of this particular blend. Luckily, it’s available in three different can sizes, so we recommend starting with the smallest and making sure your kittens will drink it readily.
This kitten milk is formulated by veterinarians, so you can be sure that it contains all the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals your kitten needs to grow strong and healthy. It does contain dried egg powder, though, which can trigger allergies in some cats.
- Contains 42% protein and 25% fat
- 5,200 kcal/kg
- Some kittens don’t like the taste
- Doesn’t mix well
- Contains egg
Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose the Best Kitten Milk Replacer
Choosing the best kitten milk replacer can be tricky, especially if you’re already under time constraints due to looking after your new kittens, who can be pretty demanding when they’re hungry!
Our guide is designed to help you choose the best kitten milk replacer for your individual kitten’s needs.
Who should buy a kitten milk replacer?
There are a few different scenarios where you could need KMR.
- The kittens have been orphaned. Sometimes, kittens get left without their mama cats for a variety of reasons. These kittens are usually fostered out to someone who’s able to dedicate the time to regularly feed, care for, and clean them.
- The mama cat can’t provide enough milk. If a mother cat has a particularly large litter of kittens, she might have trouble producing enough milk for them all. In this case, the runts might be in danger of becoming underweight. KMR can be used as a supplement to the mother cat’s milk and given to any of her kittens who seem hungry.
- For older or ill cats. Because kitten milk replacer provides a complete range of nutrients, it’s an excellent choice if you need to entice an old or sick cat to eat. Sometimes they might not feel like eating kibble or wet food but can be tempted with a bowl of KMR.
What makes a good kitten milk replacer?
Kitten milk replacers should contain a range of quality ingredients designed to support your kitten’s development. Here’s what to look for in particular:
- Protein and fat content. All kitten milk replacers should clearly state how much protein and fat they include, as well as how many calories they provide per kilogram of product. These quantities are designed to mimic the amounts found in cat’s milk, so you can be sure your kitten will be receiving the nutrition they need to grow strong and healthy.
- Probiotics and prebiotics. These help your kitten develop a strong digestive system, reducing the chances of them developing an upset tummy. You may see a prebiotic called FOS listed, which stands for fructooligosaccharides. These are added to help encourage the growth of good bacteria within your kitten’s intestines.
- Vitamins and minerals. Most KMR will contain vitamins such as A, D3, E, and B12. Calcium should also be present to help your kitten develop a strong skeletal system.
- Amino acids. Taurine is an important nutrient for all cats and should be present in KMR, too. Linoleic acid helps kittens develop a healthy coat.
Size of can
Kitten food comes in a range of different can sizes, and it’s a good idea to work out how much KMR you’re going to need each day before purchasing the wrong size! If you’re only feeding one kitten and have a huge can, chances are that the remaining powder may go bad before you have a chance to use it all. Many KMR powders should be kept in the fridge or a cool and dry place once opened, but always be sure to check the specific instructions on your particular brand.
Some KMR manufacturers state that you can freeze unused powder to retain its freshness for up to six months, but others specifically state not to do this. Again, be sure to check before purchasing, especially if this is something you anticipate needing to do.
How much kitten milk replacer should you be feeding?
As a rough guide, you should aim to be feeding your kitten 8 milliliters of KMR per ounce of their weight. Using our best overall KMR as an example, 1 tablespoon of powder mixed with 2 tablespoons of water makes approximately 34 milliliters of formula, which is enough to feed a kitten that weighs 115 grams for one day. This should be split into feeds every 3–4 hours.
As your kitten grows, you can increase the amount of KMR you’re feeding them until they’re between 4–6 weeks of age. At this point, you can also offer KMR in a shallow bowl and a bottle, as your kittens begin to wean onto solid food. By six weeks, your kittens should be fully weaned onto solid food, but you can continue to free-feed KMR at a rate of 1 teaspoon of powder per 5 pounds of body weight until your kitten stops requesting it.
Regardless of whether you feed your cat dry or wet food, you need a bowl that is sure to keep the mess contained—you can do just that with the Hepper Nom Nom Bowl. This is designed with your cat’s comfort in mind. The whisker-friendly bowls are low and wide to prevent whisker fatigue, and the wide catch tray ensures that all food stays exactly where it should—inside the bowl. At Excited Cats, we’ve admired Hepper for many years and decided to take a controlling ownership interest so that we could benefit from the outstanding designs of this cool cat company!
Conclusion
After rounding up our reviews of the best kitten milk replacers available on the market today, we’re sure you’ll find one that’s perfect for your little kitten!
As a quick recap, as our best kitten milk replacer overall, we selected the PetAg PetLac Kitten Milk Replacement Powder. With an easy-to-digest formula that’s designed to provide complete nutrition for kittens who can’t feed on their mothers and enriched with both pre- and probiotics, this palatable powder is a great choice.
As the best value kitten milk replacer, we recommend the Hartz Kitten Milk Replacer Powdered Formula. High in calories and fats, this provides complete nutrition for growing kittens and contains real milk proteins and a blend of vitamins and minerals.
Hopefully, this review has made your job of choosing the best kitten milk replacer or best kitten formula a little easier. We know it can be difficult to choose between all the options available, when all you want is to provide the best nutrition possible for your kittens.
When you see your kittens thriving on their milk replacer, all those middle-of-the-night feeds will be worth it!
Featured Image: Adina Voicu, Pixabay
