How much should my 6 month old kitten be eating?

Hello,

My kitten, Dorian, is 6 months old now and he is NEVER full. I feed him 1 can of Friskies wet cat food in various flavors three times a day. He always eats it all immediately and then cries for more. Every time I go into the kitchen he rushes over and starts meowing, and I now have to lock him in the bedroom whenever I eat or he just won't leave me alone (it doesn't matter what I'm eating, most recently it was tomato soup and he still wanted it!).

I read on here that kittens should get as much food as they want, but then I would just be feeding him continuously!!! 

The only other cat I had was an adult when I got him and he would eat 2 cans of food a day, but he would space it out himself and not scoff it down all at once, so I would just leave food in his bowl at all times, and if I went away for a few days I could just leave extra food out for him, knowing he would eat it responsibly. I could never leave Dorian alone to do that. He acts like I'm starving him!! Feeding him more than 3 cans of food a day seems excessive...I'm not sure what to do. HELP!!

Welcome to TCS

What size/amount are the cans you give him ?

They are 5.5 oz, 156g cans.

You might try feeding the same amount more often if you can. 4-5 servings may be more satisfying to him. But at 6 months I wouldn't worry about overfeeding him yet.

Yeah I agree with vball91. Feed the same amount (three cans) but little and often. This might just make him feel a bit fuller for longer.

Thanks everyone! I will try this and let you know how it goes

At this age, I'd feed him as much as he'll eat.  When he gets a couple of months older, you can start cutting back.  Also, feed him small meals throughout the day to keep him full as kittens have a very high metabolism rate.

For how long has he been showing this level of hunger? He could be going through a growth spurt. Oliver (now 8 months) has his days when he's super hungry and acting like you say, then other days (like yesterday) when he doesn't seem to want much at all. Most days are consistently between those. Regardless, I agree that while he's still a kitten, feed him if he hungry!

Also, the food itself may not be filling to him. You may find a different brand will satiate him, or a different variety of the current brand. Less fillers, the better. So grain-free pate options. 

My 5 month old eats about 1.5 can of wet (5.5 oz a can) plus 1/4-1/2 cup of dry a day. 

My 5 month old eats one 5.5 ounce can of grain free food a day and a plate of raw ground meat, chicken livers, hearts, and gizzards. And then he gets one or two thawed mice or one thawed rat.

I feed my kitten Tim one small can of Fancy Feast Kitten Feast a day plus I usually make sure he has dry kibble, Purina Kitten Chow in his bowl. He always gets excited when I get his food ready but most of the time has a few bites and leaves it, but eventually he eats everything. He eats at night and usually he wakes me up in the morning to let me know its time for his breakfast, which he usually doesn't eat right away lol. He also knows when I have lunch and supper he gets a couple of treats. One funny thing he does is he sometimes scoops his dry kibble out of his bowl and eats it off the floor.

Six months is just the start of not free feeding for most cats... Can you get a weight on kitty? My 21 week old is about 9 lbs and he is a lighter eater in my book  at roughly 1/2 cup dry , 3 oz wet with 2-3 oz broth added ( wet is normally grain free ) , plus he eats three to four oz of homemade a day ...

Typically the general rule of thumb is 1/2  oz to one oz of wet per lb for adult  double that for a kitten .... so my 9 lb kitten would easily eat 9-18 oz a day in wet   while a more petite 5lb would do 5-10 oz ... these are just guidelines .... What did the vet say about kitties weight?

has he been wormed ?

also generally kitty will eat more of a grocery food than a more premium

First read the instructions on the bag or can. Try to go by there suggestions. You could also ask your VET. Rule of thumb is not by age but by pound of cat. A kitten needs more fat in their diet so find a good food with a high fat content. Try to stay away from red dye in the dry food. I have three cats.  One is almost 6 months old and is about 6-7 lbs. My second cat is 8 years old and is about 9-11 lbs. My oldest cat is 12-13 years old and is about 10-12 lbs. I give the kitten 1/4 cup two times a day. The other two get 1/2 cup twice a day and all of them get treats in between to curb their hunger. Make sure they have plenty of water at all times. Dry food has little water and wet food is about 80 % water but less food and nutrients. Don't leave food out in bowls all day even dry food. Cats will eat and eat until they look like Garfield. Heavy cats put a strain on their hearts. Err on the lighter side until you see a VET. Different breads could also need different quantities. FYI.... play with your kitten. If you have seen the Cat Daddy on TV, he loves to use a stick with a toy on the end. They need exercise just like humans. If they lay around until the next meal. Not matter how small, they will grow. I hope this helps even though I wrote longer then I should. Good luck and give them lots of love.

Tim seems to prefer his dry food now (Purina Kitten Chow) but will eat his Fancy Feast Kitten Feast when the mood strikes him. He drinks enough water so I am assuming this is ok as he is going on 7 months. I always have some food in his dish as he doesn't seem to over eat and I think he still has some growing to do.

Never, in 100 years, did I ever think I would be joining a "cat site"! Never even liked cats. However, I stole my kitty from our outdoor cats because I knew he would not survive the outdoors. I couldn't let him be eaten by the coons!

Anyway.. As a flight attendant, I am gone 4 days at a time. My "kitty" is now 6 months old and I feed him 2 cans per day. But he still wants whatever I eat!! I used to share all the time but I've got to stop that! He loves when I eat salmon and I still share.. Lol.

I always have the hard food out but he wants nothing to do with it. (Knows the sound of a can being opened).. However, when I'm gone, he obviously survives on the hard food. He has to. And he does. But won't touch it when I'm home!

How do you get them to eat only the hard food? This is getting expensive! Will they ever just eat the hard or have I spoiled him?

Jill

Tim is the spitting image of my Tater Tot!! They are twin tabbys!!

Make sure he gets all the water he wants and maybe try another canned food because my cat I had along time ago didn't get enough water and developed diabetes plus their liver could go bad too if they don't get enough.