Hello! These questions are pretty food-oriented; I was not sure if my questions should go in health or in nutrition, so I hope this is okay!
1. I usually feed my kittens 3-4.5oz each sitting. I've read multiple times in this site that they should be fed until they're full and walk away; however, the few times I've done that, Henri* inflated like a balloon (artist's rendition attached). She did not appear uncomfortable; she continued to be a wild ball of energy, was playful, inquisitive, and looked normal after she pooped. I had expected the food to give her a pot belly, so the extended sides shocked me. This is my first time having cats, and I was wondering if it was cause for alarm or if their stomachs are just like that?
* Juno does not like wet food. I'm working on building her tolerance for it but at present she doesn't eat enough in one sitting to get an inflated stomach, if that is something cats get. Neither of them get an inflated stomach on dry food.
2. I read that introducing kittens to novel proteins and textures while they were young could help with pickiness as they aged; in addition, I wanted to see if I could find something Juno would like better than the standard chicken or turkey pate. I bought a ton of cans for them, but after that I read about cats with IBD and how some users regretted introducing so many proteins. I was hoping to hear other people's perspective on whether it's worth it to proceed with the introduction, or if I should stick to what they're willing to eat until a change becomes necessary?
Thank you!
1. I usually feed my kittens 3-4.5oz each sitting. I've read multiple times in this site that they should be fed until they're full and walk away; however, the few times I've done that, Henri* inflated like a balloon (artist's rendition attached). She did not appear uncomfortable; she continued to be a wild ball of energy, was playful, inquisitive, and looked normal after she pooped. I had expected the food to give her a pot belly, so the extended sides shocked me. This is my first time having cats, and I was wondering if it was cause for alarm or if their stomachs are just like that?
* Juno does not like wet food. I'm working on building her tolerance for it but at present she doesn't eat enough in one sitting to get an inflated stomach, if that is something cats get. Neither of them get an inflated stomach on dry food.
2. I read that introducing kittens to novel proteins and textures while they were young could help with pickiness as they aged; in addition, I wanted to see if I could find something Juno would like better than the standard chicken or turkey pate. I bought a ton of cans for them, but after that I read about cats with IBD and how some users regretted introducing so many proteins. I was hoping to hear other people's perspective on whether it's worth it to proceed with the introduction, or if I should stick to what they're willing to eat until a change becomes necessary?
Thank you!
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