Kitten Size Question

[Huskyluv]

Hi folks, I am curious about sizing since one of my kittens is totally bucking the "standard" growth trends. I've done internet searches but only come up with the standard growth charts. So I'm wondering if anyone has experience or insight on the growth patterns of smaller kittens. One of my kittens is growing at about a pound per month...pretty standard (her mom is a 9 lb adult, no info on dad).

My mystery kitten is extremely tiny. At 8 weeks she was 1 lb 1 oz and now at 12 weeks she's 1 lb 12 oz. BUT her mom is a small girl too at 5 lbs full grown. We did have a number of health issues to get past (worms, URI, ear infections, diarrhea) but we are still not seeing significant weight change now that we've gotten past most of those hurdles.

If she turns out to be a small girl like her mother, would her weight history thus far be in line with what it should be?

I just don't know if I should be doing more than what I am doing already or if this is considered normal for a smaller feline. Any thoughts?

For reference, her 4 littermates were all little as well. One of her littermates died at 9 weeks old and my mother-in-law is fostering her sister who is 1 lb 15 oz at 12 weeks...so also a tiny kitten.

 

[Kieka]

My girl was a tiny one too. She was malnurished and underweight when she came to me at 3-4 months old and barely over a pound. By 6 months she was right around 3-4 pounds and at a year she was 6 pounds. Definitely not the benchmark of a pound a month and that was with her having unlimited food access. Usually that pound a month is seen up to 5 or 6 months old, followed by slower growth until full grown.

As long as your little one is healthy and happy I wouldn't worry too much. Especially since Mom is on the smaller size I dont think she will be a large cat in general.

Rocket is now 7 pounds 9 ounces but a lot of that is muscle that she added on after she was full grown.

 

[Huskyluv]

Thank you, that makes me much more confident in her sizing. She was a bag of bones when I got her but now she feels so much better. Before it was like petting a fur covered skeleton, now she feels like she's got a little padding although she is still so very small and has only gained 11 oz while my other kitten has gained pounds in the same timeframe.

I have been feeding 4 times per day and leaving a bowl out overnight. I cannot free feed during the day or the other kitten will eat both of their food!

I had wondered at what point the pound per month thing no longer applied so thank you for that info.