Nutrition for kitten

Question
Hello Dr. Fry:
Recently I took in a feral kitten from the neighborhood, and he has become the joy of my life. "Harpo" adjusted very easily & quickly.
I have been feeding the whole colony for over a year now, with an economical brand of dry food that claims to have "100% complete & balanced nutrition" with some occasional canned food, and they are all thriving. This is what I can afford to continue with for the colony, but I want the best for "Harpo." He is about 8 months old, neutered and an indoor cat.
Is there really a difference in quality among the different brands? They sure all look the same. Also, should I incorporate canned food or any supplements? I will follow whatever you recommend.  

Answer
Yes there is a big difference in foods.  Some food companies litterally use road killed or diseased animals for food while others use human-grade meats.

Look for MEAT as the first ingredient.  NO by-products and NO artificial preservatives.  Some good companies are Natural Balance, Flint River Ranch, Innova, Felidae, Wysong....just make sure to read the labels and ask the pet store or call the companies to find out sources of ingredients.  Canned food is good to increase water in the diet but not necessary unless there is a urinary problem.  You can give a multi-vitamin or use something like Nupro or Vita gravy.

And whatever you can afford to feed the colony is fine but please make sure that you are getting assistance in spay/neuter.  You can find out more info at Alley Cat Allies ...  http://www.alleycat.org/

GOOD LUCK!