How much to feed 4 month kittens, canned food

[lishal]

I just got two kittens that are both 4 months old. I'm feeding them wet food three times a day 6-7 hours apart and have dry food out in between wet food meals. One of my kittens seems to be getting quite plump around the middle and has a really healthy appetite, he weighs around 4.2lbs. The other doesn't seem like he's eating enough and weighs 3.5lbs. The plump one can easily gobble down 3oz per meal, the other I can usually only get to eat 1.5oz per meal and he tends to graze off the dry food a lot more.

I'm feeding them four different varieties of Friskies Pates and Tiki Cat Chicken that I'm rotating so they don't get bored and so that I don't break the bank on the Tiki Cat. The dry food is Royal Canin for Kittens. I'd love to be able to feed them only wet because much healthier for them, but I'm worried the skinny kitten won't get enough food if I phase out the dry. I'm also concerned that the plump kitten is eating too much because he is quite round at the end of the day. I know the general rule of thumb is that you feed them what they can eat so they will grow to the right size, but I don't want him to get fat. They are both very active, they bounce off the walls, chase each other around and can play for a solid 3 hours and probably more if they didn't already tire us out lol.

 

[vball91]

Have you had them checked out by a vet yet? It would be good to rule out any health issues in the smaller one especially. He does seem a little underweight.

Dry kitten food is pretty dense in calories so I am surprised he is not gaining more weight if that is what he prefers. How much of it is he eating?

You may want to try getting him on a more timed meal schedule to encourage him to eat more at meal times. If he knows that the dry is always available, he may just always graze on the wet food.

 

[lishal]

They were checked out earlier in the week. The vet didn't say anything about the big kitten, but he did say the little one needs more food. Neither of them have health issues otherwise. The little one can polish off an entire cup a day of dry food, the bigger one doesn't seem interested in it. I've gotten the little one more on a meal schedule now. They get fed three times a day and even though I have to follow the little one around with his dish until he eats, he's at least doing that and I think he's gaining a little weight too.

 

[rachelinaz]

My husband mixes the kibble with the wet. Not sure if it adds or takes away calories.