How Many Calories Does Kitten Need?

[tigger99]

i have a 3 month old kitten and as of now i free feed dry food, i leave out about 3/4 cup and he usually only finishes about 1/2 throughout the day. then i split a 3 oz can and give him half early afternoon and half at night. not sure how many calories a kitten as this age is supposed to get or if I'm feeding enough

the dry food is blue buffalo grain free kitten formula and the wet food is blue buffalo basics grain free kitten formula.

 

[Neo_23]

Check out the posts in this recent thread: How Much Food Should A Kitten Eat?

 

[EmmiTemmi]

What you're doing for feeding is almost exactly what I did when I got my 4mo kitten. But he hated the BB dry so I ended up switching to something else. Have fun with the kitten!

 

[LTS3]

There is no set calorie intake for kittens. You just feed them as much as they want to eat. Kittens are rapidly growing and need tons of calories and nutrients to grow. If your kitten isn't screaming constantly for more food, then you are feeding enough. If there is leftover food at the end of the day, try reducing the amount so you're not throwing out too much.

 

[Neo_23]

There is no set calorie intake for kittens. You just feed them as much as they want to eat. Kittens are rapidly growing and need tons of calories and nutrients to grow. If your kitten isn't screaming constantly for more food, then you are feeding enough. If there is leftover food at the end of the day, try reducing the amount so you're not throwing out too much.

I would have to add to this that it isn't necessarily true that kittens don't need a minimum amount of calories or that they can't overeat. It's that very young kittens (under 4 months) need to eat A LOT, so it would be very difficult to over feed them (there just aren't enough hours in a day). But, once kittens start getting to about 4 or 5 months it's a good idea to start regulating their food more. It is actually possible to over-feed older kittens and to get them stuck on bad eating habits. My vet who specializes in feline nutrition suggested to me to feed about 100-130 calories per kg of weight between 4-6/7 months. Then, when their growth starts slowing down you can start slowly cutting back on calories.

By about 4 or 5 months I would start doing scheduled feeding and keeping better track of calories. This chart from the Animal Medical Center of Chicago is a good guide: https://www.animalmedicalcenterofchicago.com/pdf/CalorieRequirementsForCats.pdf, but specific calorie intake may depend on your cat as well. Keep track of their weight and ensure they are at a healthy size.

 

[tabbytom]

I agree with LTS3 mentioned.

No need to confuse yourself with all the calculations. Feed them till their heart’s content. Kittens are active and burns lots of calories. They know how much to fill up and be satisfied. Ya, feed then as much as they can eat at one sitting and their food intake will taper down as they grow older.