How Much Do Kittens' Appetites Fluctuate?

My 6-month-old boy has always been a little funny about food. When we first got him, at 8 weeks, his sister would chow down on anything we put in front of her, but he needed coaxing/finger feeding to remind him that food was yummy. Mostly, he was super distracted by playing and exploring.

After about a month, his appetite increased, and he was happy eating whatever we put in front of him.

Now, about a month after neutering (he's completely healed and happy now), his appetite has decreased again. He's not a huge fan of wet food, but I feed it to him and his sister three times a day anyway. Both siblings reject any form of canned chicken. Otherwise, my girl will eat anything. I found that my boy prefers Blue Wilderness salmon pate for kittens, Royal Canin pate for kittens (this is what they've been eating since they were weaned), and Simply Nourish grain-free duck and pea pate for all life stages. His favorite is the duck. He's becoming less and less interested in the Royal Canin, which is frustrating...

I have also noticed that he's been eating less of the dry food (free fed when I'm at work for 10 hours), although he is still eating it.

Is this normal for kittens? I thought he would still be gobbling everything up at this point, like his sister. He's super active and loving toward us and his sister (lots of wrestling and cuddling), and he drinks a good amount of water. He also goes crazy for treats! Specifically Wellness Kittles.

Do you have a kitty cam do actually know how much of the dry food he is eating while you're away 10 hours a day? Is it possible he's actually eating quite a bit of that kibble while you're gone?

That being said, I had two male kittens, and they tended to be like yours....one was a little piggy, and the other needed to be hand fed to get him to eat. Luckily I was retired when we got them, so I could hand feed him several times a day. Now they are ten years old and I STILL have that problem...one is a little piggy and the other I still need to coax to eat

Is your boy losing weight? I would say as long as he's not losing, and is gaining a little each month, he's getting enough food.

BTW, the Simply Nourish has more calories per can than the Royal Canin Kitten, and I think it's a better food, if it makes you feel any better about serving it.

He should still be eating like a horse, but the fact that he goes crazy for treats means that his appetite is still there, so that's good! You may have a finicky eater, and need to play with foods a bit. I know you want to stick with the very best foods, but a wise member here once said, "The very best cat food is the one your cat will actually eat." Just...keep experimenting for now. A decent mid-grade cat food that he loves is going to do more for him than a high-grade food that he only picks at, in the long run.

LOL, mrsgreenjeens and I posted at the same time. Take her advice as the VERY BEST, and add mine in as a fallback position!

At about 6 months, he should be "finalizing" his teething process.

I always think it's a good idea to take a 6-8 month old kitten to a vet for a dental well-check just to verify that there are no gum or teeth issues stemming from the kitten's new set of choppers.


Maybe it's just me, too, but I also think getting a blood chem panel and CBC at the same time is good to have around for a reference point for the health file. Who knows how helpful that could be in the future. But, of course, that is an extra, optional expense.

is he intimidated by his sister at all? Sometimes there is a hierarchy and feeding at the same time in the same place is okay for the dominant cat but the other is hesitant. Maybe that's why he eats from your hand: its one-on-one, sis can't dominate......just a thought. Dental issues are also a possibility like Mrs. Greenjeans mentioned.

My cat goes through phases--she'll eat normally for a few weeks, then for a week or so, her appetite will fall off, then she'll go back to normal. She's been that way since she was young. I'm not sure of the reason, but I'm beginning to suspect that she gets slightly constipated every so often, and just like humans, her appetite goes off.

Thanks, everyone, and sorry for the delayed response! It was apparently a brief fluctuation, because he's back to eating like a horse again.

Excellent news. I was pretty sure this was just a glitch, but I'm glad to KNOW that it was!

Yes, that IS good news