Switching Kittens From 4 Meals A Day To 3

[nerdgirl5]

I adopted 2 rescue kittens about a month and half ago. After a few growing pains (diarrhea and finally finding food they both love that agrees with them), the diarrhea went completely away with one and *mostly* away with the other (some of her poops weren't as formed as the other).

One cat is 5 1/2 months old and the other is 4 1/2. The 5 1/2 is spayed. The 4 1/2 hasn't gotten neutered yet (he will in around a month and half).

I told the vet they were eating 3 cans of wet food a day (with some kibble mixed in--Wellness kitten chicken wet and Orijen Cat/Kitten kibble) spread over 4 meals--a full can each at 8am, a half a can at 1pm, 1/2 a can at 7pm and a full can at 11pm (all with few pieces of kibble mixed in). She said, "Maybe she's eating too much and it's too rich for her system. Try cutting them down to 3 meals a day with a little less food--maybe 2 and 1/2 cans a day each).

I did, and it did the trick. Diarrhea is gone.

Problem is, they are NOT happy about only eating 3 times a day. And, I'm currently working at home and usually eat lunch around 1pm and dinner around 7pm so they're used to eating around the time I do.

I'm keeping them on the 4 times a day, just with a little less food but...ultimately I want to switch them to 3 meals a day (same amount of food) and then, when they're adults, 2. Sometimes I take freelance jobs and when they're adults, I'd like the freedom to feed them in the morning, go to work and feed them in the evening (without having to hire a catsitter).

Any suggestions on how to do this without them bugging me and begging for food (I don't think they're hungry--they're just used to eating at those times and like the routine).

Thanks.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!
The thing of it is, kittens need as much food as they will eat, to fuel the incredible growth of all of their systems, bones, brain, eyes, nerves etc etc until they've matured, which could easily be two years or longer.

Now that their digestive system are stabilized, I would find a food that you can continue to give them more of, four times a day along with kibble for overnight because that's too long for small tummies to go without food.

You can determine this by putting plenty of food on their plates, and find out how much is enough. Then you'll have a decent idea going forward.

Eventually you'll be able to go to three meals and then two, but again, be sure they're getting enough. There's no way to calculate how many calories, it's literally up to each kitten as to how much fuel is required.

 

[nerdgirl5]

Thanks.

 

[lisahe]

I agree with Furballsmom -- unless your kittens are gaining a lot of weight, keep feeding them as much food as they'll eat. Just spread it out among the four meals, like you're doing. They may be able to grow into eating all their food in only two or three meals a day. (Cross your fingers for that because not all cats can do it! Ours can't. Tven if you do leave for the day, though, there are ways to spread the food into three or four meals.)

 

[nerdgirl5]

Thanks for this. When I was fully giving them 3 cans (plus kibble toppers), the older one did seem to be gaining a belly. With this slight adjustment, she looks normal.

I will continue with the four meals and experiment with how much to feed. Even bring it up to 3 cans a day (plus kibble) starting tomorrow and seeing how they do.

Thanks again to you and Furballsmom for these replies.

 

[Furballsmom]

As things go along, let us know how things are progressing

 

[nerdgirl5]

Will do! Thanks.

BTW, they're growing like weeds. Each has gained roughly a pound and half since they arrived and are MUCH bigger. It's very cool to watch.

 

[Furballsmom]

I'm glad they have you !

 

[nerdgirl5]

 

[lisahe]

Will do! Thanks.

BTW, they're growing like weeds. Each has gained roughly a pound and half since they arrived and are MUCH bigger. It's very cool to watch.

Yes, it's amazing how much they can grow! Our cats kept growing until they were at least two -- they did get a slow start because they were so underfed when we adopted them -- which isn't that uncommon! (I do wonder if that's particularly the case among young rescues?) That's also the big reason to keep feeding them a lot while watching, like you're already doing, to make sure they're not growing in the wrong way, like all in the belly.

 

[nerdgirl5]

Yes. Mine were rescues and were emaciated when they were found and had parasites, etc. In fact, one was so underweight, he couldn't get all his shots/get neutered at 2 months. He gained 6 ounces his first week with me and has been growing consistently (I brought them to my vet and did two fecals--both negative).

And yes, when they were on 3 cans fully a day, the older one started getting a little bit of a belly--not good.

Also, I'm a little concerned about leaving kibble for them overnight (long story short, my former cat ate kibble most of his life, got diabetes and when I switched him to low carb high quality high protein canned, it reversed his diabetes and he never had to have insulin). Also, kibble can cause SO many health problems down the line. And, I'm scared of it causing urinary crystals. I've been adding just a little (on average 5 pieces of kibble on top of each wet canned meal) just to help add on the weight, etc, nutrition. But I'm scared to start a precedent with them and get them used to it. Do you think it's crucial to leave the kibble out in the middle of the night?

 

[lisahe]

Your poor kitties! It's bad enough when rescues are underfed but when they have parasites that make it worse, it's so much harder! We were lucky with ours that they were just underfed (they came from a too many cats household of some sort) and their only health issue was their typical post-shelter respiratory infection.

Anyway!

I share your feelings about kibble: we weaned our cats off it in their first couple of months with us. Our previous cat had kidney disease (among other health problems) so I didn't want to get them started on a bad track for that, plus our cats are Siamese mixes with quirky digestive systems that don't do well with carbs. So no dry food for them!

I guess the main way I'd answer your question about nighttime kibble is this: If you feed a caloric meal at bedtime and then a decent-sized meal shortly after waking up, the cats should be fine. Beyond that, unless you live in a very tropical place, it's also probably fine to leave some wet food out at night.

All that said, if you think you do need to leave some dry food out at night, there's Dr. Elsey's, which apparently doesn't have any carby fillers. It seems like decent food, the sort of stuff I might be willing to feed small amounts of if I didn't think our cats would love it too much and backslide -- they really adored their dry food when we adopted them! I seem to recall that some people have mentioned leaving, say, some dry food overnight in a treat ball so the cats have to work for it, though I can imagine our cats (especially the one that would eat constantly) getting addicted to the treat ball.

 

[nerdgirl5]

Thanks! That's exactly what I'm doing now, btw. Feeding them a big meal at 11pm and a big meal when they wake up. I leave the wet food out and they normally finish it within 45 minutes (they usually eat most of it when I put it down and then graze for the next 40 or so minutes).

I started out with Royal Canin Kitten kibble (cause the rescuer had fed it to them) and just switched them to Orijen, which has no meal or carb fillers. That said, I am planning on weaning them off it by the time they're around 6 and 7 months old (I'm waiting till after his surgery). I'm also planning on switching their food (Wellness is SO expensive and my vet said that Wellness--even the wet--can cause crystals--so I add a little water to their wet, have a fountain and they drink water every day cause it's fun).

Speaking of upper respiratory issues, one of them sneezes (very wet sneezes and occasionally snot comes out). When he first came, he had a few sneezing jags (continuously sneezing for about a minute) and I realized he had something in his nose he blew out. Now, he sneezes maybe once or twice a day, has no discharge (that I can see--meaning none from his eyes) and has a ton of energy (he's becoming a crazy tween in the past few days and now is scaling up my kitchen counters like Spiderman and jumping high, lol).

At what point should I be concerned about it and bring him to the vet?

 

[lisahe]

Yes, Wellness is expensive, particularly since, IMHO, it's not the best of foods. I do feed our cats a weekly small can of Wellness Core pate -- usually kitten (though I hate that it has meal for that price!) or turkey/duck -- because they love it but I wouldn't want feed it all the time.

I'd probably check in with the vet by phone about the sneezing but (depending on what the vet says) I probably wouldn't be too concerned right now if there's no discharge, the cat's eating, etc. The viruses for those URIs can stay with a cat for life: our previous cat had little jags (that's just the right word!) of sneezes and occasional eye goop for her whole life. I seem to recall that the vets assumed she had a Herpes virus since that's what they usually saw from the shelter at that time. Brooksie had a pretty bad case: she was so listless that we had to bring her in for fluids. Our current cats also got URIs but lighter cases, maybe because they were given some sort of vaccine at the shelter.

 

[nerdgirl5]

Yes, agree with you about Wellness. In fact, IMHO, Fancy Feast is a better food than Wellness. I use the chart that vet Lisa Piersen put together at catinfo.org.

I'm planning on switching their food to, possibly, Fancy Feast kitten with a topper of Cats in the Kitchen Chicken Frick A Zee as a topper after his surgery and see how it agrees with them. And, ultimately, doing Fancy Feast classic chicken pate with a Chicken Frick a Zee topper when they're adults.

Thanks for the info about the sneezing. If it gets worse, I'll bring him in but right now, aside from the occasional sneezing he seems fine.

 

[lisahe]

I think Wellness Core is the best from Wellness -- I slightly prefer the two foods I mentioned to Fancy Feast pates now that Wellness has taken out the carrageenan. My only objections to Fancy Feast are the added color and flavors, plus the sodium nitrite in some; I also wish they didn't have menadione. I have no problem with byproducts, though, and gladly feed a can of Fancy Feast a week: the cats love it so it's easy to feed.

Too many of Wellness's foods (including even some of the Core foods) have really carby stuff, like potato and peas, that I refuse to feed, meaning that over all, I guess I see it as sort of a wash, though Fancy Feast definitely gets my vote on price and ease of feeding!

And your idea of feeding FF with some Weruva is a good one. Our cats especially enjoy the Double Dip Cats in the Kitchen food: I don't like feeding them a lot of beef so that's sort of a good compromise food! Same for their chicken/fish combo foods, which the cats always lap right up.

 

[nerdgirl5]

Agree about Wellness Core being the best from Wellness. It's too pricey for me, sadly, so I'm just feeding them the regular kitten. But will not continue with Wellness once they're adults (actually planning on switching them out of it in a few months and seeing how they fare...)

And I agree about some of you FF objections. Right now, it's cost effective and pretty healthy and I love that the turkey & giblets classic has a lot of protein, low phosphorus and that mixed with Chicken Frick a Zee seems like a good bet.

 

[white shadow]

I love that the turkey & giblets classic has a lot of protein...

Dr. Mark Peters, the discoverer of Feline Hyperthyroidism (ages ago!), cites a study that suggested a causal link between turkey & giblets varieties and Hyper-T. (fish 'flavors' a well).

I haven't used T&G ever since I read that, also years ago.

Here's one version of his writings:

Measures that may help minimize the risk of hyperthyroidism in cats
✜ Avoid diets that predominate in fish or giblet flavors​

LINK: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232534900_Hyperthyroidism_in_Cats_What's_causing_this_epidemic_of_thyroid_disease_and_can_we_prevent_it (scroll down - pp806/813)​

.

 

[nerdgirl5]

Thanks! Dr. Peterson's office is actually in my neighborhood and I know them well.

Just read that study and it actually says "liver and giblets" vs. "turkey and giblets."

Though before I start them on turkey and giblets, I will call his office and double check.

Thanks!

 

[white shadow]

.
I don't mean to be picky, but, it really is T&G !

OK....first, no manufacturer (that I know of) produces a 'flavor'/variety branded/identified as "liver and giblets".

Then, here's a copy & paste from Dr. Peterson's original blog article from May 2011:

Possible risk factors:

• Certain varieties of canned cat good, such as fish, liver, or giblet flavor (7, 10,18).

LINK: Animal Endocrine Clinic: Why Has Hyperthyroidism in Cats Reached Epidemic Levels?​

T&G canned food is only one of the many noted possible causative factors for Hyper-T.......
.