I'm wondering if this is enough wet food...?

[chickpea616]

OK, now I'm getting the whole "wet food" thing with the kittens. Picked up some Fancy Feast for kittens pate and they love it! (Well, most flavors - they do not like the ocean whitefish for some reason). Anyway, I tried splitting a 3-oz can for them in the morning, at lunch, and in the evening. They graze dry during the day but not much. They seem like they are still so hungry!! Sometimes I just give them a can each at the feeding time....

They are 7 months old, but they are SO tiny. People mistake them for a lot younger - you can see the little ones ribs...and I'm not sure how much they weight. Am I feeding too little? Should they each get a can at each feeding time (so 9-oz per day per kitten VS 4.5-oz per day per kitten)?

We've only had them a few days so I'm still trying to figure it all out - I know a lot of previous posts I've read say go by weight but I don't know how much they weigh...thoughts?

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!
Kittens at this age need as much as they can consume to fuel the incredible amount of growth that's occurring, including their brain, nervous system, bones, et al, so give them enough that you see a little bit left on the plate.
However much that might be of canned, for three meals daily until they're at least a year old, likely longer

 

[Azazel]

Yeah, I’d just give them as much wet food as they want if they’re under 6 months.

 

[chickpea616]

Excellent! Thanks!! (I don't know why I worry about over feeding so much)

 

[Furballsmom]

For some adult cats, feeding kibble and not getting enough exercise can cause weight issues, but your little ones are ok, --you're doing a terrific job with them

 

[She's a witch]

You can also feed them one big 5.5/6oz can divided between two of them, it may make sense economically. But I’m not sure if fancy feast have bigger ones? Also, I’d introduce as many brands, types and flavors as possible at their young age, to avoid pickiness when they are adults, just make sure anything new is introduced slowly in case they’re sensitive to change.

 

[Azazel]

If they're not really eating the kibble then I would slowly just remove it over time if you're okay doing an all canned food diet when they're older. Canned food is a lot healthier so this would be ideal.

 

[Pjg8r]

I have two that are between six and seven months and they eat about 12 ounces a day at this point- they split a can of Friskies in the morning, each get a can of fancy feast at noon, each get a can of tiny tiger about 4, and split a can of Friskies right before bed time. They rarely leave anything but when they do my big guys are happy to finish it. I leave 1/4 cup kibble for them overnight (they are still by themselves overnight) and they finish that before morning.

I second giving them different textures and brands. Mine also did not like the seafood fancy feast kitten at all. I stopped giving them kitten food at six months so that also may be why they eat more since the other brands are not as calorie dense.

 

[GaryT]

Theo always has dry food and usually has some can food left on his dish most of the time. This doesn't stop him from literally yelling at me and howling at me when I am in the kitchen. He gives me a LONG drawn out meow. He has never had people food but, he is such a beggar when I am making something in the kitchen. Sometimes he will leap off the floor grabbing at whatever I have in my hands. I have never had a cat like this before.

The vet says he is a healthy weight (just shy of 8 pounds) and looks good. He is not scrawny when I have him wet at bath time. He is just such a character!

 

[Furballsmom]

Theo!! Lol

 

[sivyaleah]

Our kitten can easily eat up to 9 ounces of wet food daily when she's really hungry PLUS the kibble we leave out for her. Most days she doesn't now that shes past 6 months, it seems to be more like 6 ounces lately of the wet. Morning and night we giver her an entire 3 ounce can and she eats what she wants and then she gets an afternoon and late evening snack of 1/2 can that she splits with our older girl. She's been mostly eating Fancy Feast Classics - it's her preference even though we offer other better quality too. As already mentioned kittens need a lot of calories and can and should eat as much as they want. Seems to me, based on my experience, that they are pretty good at self monitoring themselves when they don't need as much; I don't think they eat just for the sake of eating out of boredom.

 

[tabbytom]

They are 7 months old, but they are SO tiny.

At this age they are still very much considered as kittens till the reach maturity at age one (for smaller breeds. Larger breeds take 2 - 4 tears to reach adulthood).

Feed them as much as they can eat (wet food) at one sitting, 4 - 5 times a day. They need all the nutrients and minerals from real meat and added supplements that comes with the can.
At 7 months old to adult, they go through a growth spurt phase which they'll eat much more than normal and their food intake will taper off after one year old.

Being kittens, they are very active and they need all the calories to burn. They need around 250 calories a day or slightly more if they are hyper active. Look at the can and find the printed calories stated per can.

My boy when he was a kitten till adult after the growth spurt, very active, gets around 7 3oz cans and a day and that's around 350 calories. Now he gets 250 calories a day. Sleeps a lot and play a lot and no treats and he's not overweight nor skinny. He just past 4 years old yesterday.