How often should I feed my kitten? I am trying to feed him before I go to work and after I get home so I can schedule his litter box times to make sure he's going where he's supposed to. Is this good or should i be feeding him more or less often?
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Feeding 5 month old
- Thread starter wolvena
- Start Date
If you plan to feed him twice a day...most dry kitten food bags have recommended amounts to feed...just make sure you feed your little one a brand with beef, chicken, lamb or another protein as the first ingrediant. Avoid those brands with rice, corn, wheat or any "by product" as the first ingrediant.
Katie
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #3
I think the most important is WHAT you are feeding, not necessarily how much or when. A 5 month old is still a kitten. They should have premium high quality dry food available quite often. He should probably not have free run of your house if you are unsure of his litterbox habits. Beware too because at 5 months, if he isn't neutered he will start spraying any day now. I don't think you can time when he goes to the bathroom either. How long have you had him? Cats are pretty good at figuring out where to go to the bathroom, unless they are over 4-5 months and not neutered, then there is no telling where they will decide to mark.
Good luck!
Good luck!
Iams is decent but not spectactular. I would definately split up the meals. I leave dry food available all the time for kittens. When they get older is when I change it to certain feeding times if necessary.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #6
Jen:
We had a kitten who went outside of her litter box all of the time. We tried everything to try to get her litter box trained and it didnt work. We had to get rid of her because of it. This is why I'm paranoid now and am trying to time his litter box runs so that I can be sure he's going where he's supposed to.
I tried to make an appointment to have him neutered and the two vets I called told me I need to wait a couple more weeks because he's too young. They also both said he wont start spraying until he's at least 6 months.
My regular vet recommends Iams. The humane society was feeding it to him before I adopted him, and I didnt want to change his food.
We had a kitten who went outside of her litter box all of the time. We tried everything to try to get her litter box trained and it didnt work. We had to get rid of her because of it. This is why I'm paranoid now and am trying to time his litter box runs so that I can be sure he's going where he's supposed to.
I tried to make an appointment to have him neutered and the two vets I called told me I need to wait a couple more weeks because he's too young. They also both said he wont start spraying until he's at least 6 months.
My regular vet recommends Iams. The humane society was feeding it to him before I adopted him, and I didnt want to change his food.
Careful with that advice, I have had and heard of a number of cats who have sprayed well before 6 months, oh even my little female kitty. I didn't know at the time and I waited until 5 months to spay her and she sprayed all over the place hehe. I wouldn't just count on the vets advice. Kittens can be spayed and neutered at 8 weeks old, many vets do it, I would find another because waiting until 6 months is just asking for trouble
Especially since you had trouble in the past.
Another small red flag from that vet is that he recommended Iams, unfortuantely many vets do because guess what they usually sell? Iams! hehe. It is not huge deal, especially since that is not what the thread is about. I tend to get off topic sort of. But just know that Iams is not a very good brand of food, maybe do a little research on here for some better options. Vets are not nutritionists and often just recommend what they sell.
Anywhoo... make sure you have at LEAST 2 litterboxes, he gets neutered ASAP, and maybe confine him to a small room until he is neutered so you don't take any chances. Like a bedroom, laundry room, breezeway, or even a finished basement.
Another small red flag from that vet is that he recommended Iams, unfortuantely many vets do because guess what they usually sell? Iams! hehe. It is not huge deal, especially since that is not what the thread is about. I tend to get off topic sort of. But just know that Iams is not a very good brand of food, maybe do a little research on here for some better options. Vets are not nutritionists and often just recommend what they sell.
Anywhoo... make sure you have at LEAST 2 litterboxes, he gets neutered ASAP, and maybe confine him to a small room until he is neutered so you don't take any chances. Like a bedroom, laundry room, breezeway, or even a finished basement.
Don't take this the wrong way, but are you a nutritionist?
Nope I am not
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When my cats were little I free fed dry and gave wet at night before bed.
If you are interested in learning more about better brands of food you can check out the health and nutrition section
If you are interested in learning more about better brands of food you can check out the health and nutrition section
At 5 months old, he would be ok with 2 meals a day. I'd put down dry in the morning and if you want to give canned food, make it the evening meal. It really depends on his body build. If he'll be big like a maine coon type, then give him more then if he was built smaller.
Jen,
As far as vets and what they sell - EVERY vet I've been too has Science Diet they are selling - not Iams. My cats are Iams cats and have done very well on it. They hate SD and I don't like it either. My 2 rexes were 15 yrs old and 17 yrs old and always on Iams their entire lives - with NO health problems/medical problems. You might think its not good food, but a lot of breeders raise their cats (healthy) on Iams.
Jen,
As far as vets and what they sell - EVERY vet I've been too has Science Diet they are selling - not Iams. My cats are Iams cats and have done very well on it. They hate SD and I don't like it either. My 2 rexes were 15 yrs old and 17 yrs old and always on Iams their entire lives - with NO health problems/medical problems. You might think its not good food, but a lot of breeders raise their cats (healthy) on Iams.
How much is too much dry food? He has been eating the kitten can food and adult dry food but he won't stop eating the dry food! I was locking him in the bedroom but right now I am cleaning for fleas in there. My poor adults want their dry food and I have no other room to put him in.
When Radar was 5 months he was having wet before I went to work and wet dinner right before bedtime, and I was free feeding dry so he could snack whenever he wanted, keeping it topped up so that he always had food no matter what. Kittens tend to prefer to eat little and often.
I am now (at 7 months) giving only a certain amount of dry every day because he is such a pig that he could quite happily eat half a bag of dry food a day if he was allowed, in fact we've had to put his bags of dry out of reach because he got into them a couple of times and gorged himself. I blame it on the cornish rex part of his genes!
I am now (at 7 months) giving only a certain amount of dry every day because he is such a pig that he could quite happily eat half a bag of dry food a day if he was allowed, in fact we've had to put his bags of dry out of reach because he got into them a couple of times and gorged himself. I blame it on the cornish rex part of his genes!
A lot of vets around here sell Iams and that is all they recommend to use. I just don't care for their ingredients. I admit, it has been awhile since I have even peeked at the Iams ingredients but I know they are/were grain heavy and use by-products. I belive when they were bought by procter and gamble they switched to lesser quality ingredients. But on the other hand, I don't think the by-products are the main ingredients. I don't know, it has been awhile. If they suddenly switched their ingredients for the better then someone please let me know. I prefer foods with no by-products. But Iams is one of the better selection at your average grocery store. For the money you pay for Iams, you could just as easily fork over the same amount or in some cases less for a healthier natural more holistic food. That is IMO, Iams is not awful, I just don't care for or recommend it, same with Eukanuba, Purina, Science Diet, etc..
