So Kittens Eat More Than Adult Cats?

[Elizabethriki]

Hey everyone. I was telling my cousin that I am hoping feeding our kitten doesn’t get more expensive when he gets older since he’ll need more food as an adult. She told me that kittens eat more than adult cats. Is this true? I always thought it was the same as humans, the older we get, the more we eat till we become adults.

 

[tabbytom]

Yes, kittens eat more as they are in the growing stage. They need all the pros and nutrients from wet food to aid their growth. They have to be fed a few times a day and be fed as much as they can eat at one sitting.

They’ll eat more when they are having their growth spurt at the later part of their kitten age as they near the adult age.

Their food intake will taper down as they approach the adult age and once they reach adult age, they’ll eat less times but not necessarily eat less during the meal, but definitely much less times and amount compared to when they are kittens.

They are kittens till they reach maturity at one year old but for the bigger breeds, it takes 2-4 years before reaching maturity.

So for now, feed as much as you can and as often as you can with wet food. You can never overfeed a kitten. Feed the kitten wet food meant for kittens or get food that are labeled ‘For All Life Stages’. This you do not have to switch to adult food when they become adults. You only change to adult food for them if they are on kitten food. Wet food keeps them hydrated.

Dry food are full of carbohydrates and they make your kitty fat. Not good if your kitty is not drinking water from any source.

 

[Kieka]

A five month old kitten could easily eat 200 calories in a day. Some kittens have been recorded eating 100 calories per pound per day in really biggrowth spurts. An adult 8 pound cat will need about 160 calories in a day (average for most indoor cats), which is 20 calories per ppund. It is just the huge growth they go through and fueling their bodies needs. Once they are adults they aren't growing, just maintaining energy needs so calories needs decrease in most cases.

 

[Elizabethriki]

Awesome, thanks for the info. Our kitten is 4.5 months old and eats how much the labels say. We have him half on wet food and half on dry food. 3 feedings of dry, wet, and water mix and 1 dry food feeding (overnight). I was just curious since it seemed odd to me that they would eat less as adults than as kittens. We do give him kitten and all stages wet and dry food since I did also hear that it’s much easier since we won’t need to transition him to adult cat food later on. He seems to enjoy all of them.

 

[tabbytom]

I don’t t follow the labels on the cans. I follow my boy and feed him whenever he’s hungry and let him eat as much as he wants

He’s 1 year 9 months old now and I still let him eat as much as he wants to and he never over eats.

 

[Azazel]

Remember that kittens grow really fast. They become adults within the span of a year. They are also carnivorous hunters and need lots of food to fuel their energy. They are much different creatures than humans.

 

[Yanaka]

Concurring with everything other posters have said. Feed him wet food as much as he wants, that’s where better nutrients and calories will be. Dry food, depending on the brand and quality but even if it’s top notch, it’s like eating cereal. You have to eat a butt load of it to meet with nutritional needs and you get fat and sick doing so. I also believe that it’s ok to leave your kitten without food during the night as long as you feed him before going to bed and then early morning when you wake up (or he wakes you up). That doesn’t work if you sleep 12h a night or don’t want to be bothered before 10, but I trust you now have a natural alarm clock that knows when it’s 6 or 7 am It trains your kitty to be fed meals rather than have food available all the time. But if you have long days and no bugs you can leave some wet food out.

Vets also love to tell people that their kitten is overweight. But trust us, your kitty will naturally go from fat little otter to slim leopard after a year (and controlling what your now-adult leopard eats and weighs). Just feed it all the wet food and clench your jaw while your bank account weeps silently.

 

[Yanaka]

I don’t t follow the labels on the cans. I follow my boy and feed him whenever he’s hungry and let him eat as much as he wants

He’s 1 year 9 months old now and I still let him eat as much as he wants to and he never over eats.

I thought I’d do that too, but my boy is slowly losing a waistline and is getting heavy on the shoulders whereas his sister is very slim and neat. So I don’t think we should always trust our cats so much

 

[tabbytom]

I thought I’d do that too, but my boy is slowly losing a waistline and is getting heavy on the shoulders whereas his sister is very slim and neat. So I don’t think we should always trust our cats so much

So far, my boy looks pretty good and at times I like him to eat more but he just refuse to eat if he has enough.

I like him a little pudgy as it is nice to hug him and I don't like to hug skin and bones. He's maintaining his weight pretty well too.

 

[Yanaka]

So far, my boy looks pretty good and at times I like him to eat more but he just refuse to eat if he has enough.

I like him a little pudgy as it is nice to hug him and I don't like to hug skin and bones. He's maintaining his weight pretty well too.

Aww. Of course I have that side where I like him pudgy. He’s my little lion. But I like him in better health more—it’s my fault though! He does not stop having an appetite.

 

[ramscici]

A great thread -- I was going to ask something related to this but might be good to just ask here. Should one continue feeding kitten food until the cat is 1 year? I've heard mixed things. Mine are both over 6 months and I still feed kitten food.

 

[tabbytom]

Should one continue feeding kitten food until the cat is 1 year?

Till the kitty is one year old (normal breeds, bigger breeds mature at between 2-4 years old) he's very very much a kitten still. Go ahead and continue to feed with kitten food or food meant 'For All Life Stages' till he turns into adulthood. If you feed him the latter, you don't have to change to adult food unless you want to.

My boy is on food 'For All Life Stages' since he was 3 weeks old till now. He's 2 years and 9 months now.

 

[ramscici]

Thanks tabbytom !