Cats are hungry all the time!

I just don't understand it, guys. My two kittens are on the Science Diet and are fed properly every day, yet both of them are constantly crying for food throughout the day. We feed them half of their food in the morning before my girlfriend and I leave for work and school, and then the other half before we go to bed at night so they don't scratch at our door at 5 in the morning because they're hungry.

What gives? They're each fed the proper amount of food but they act like they're not getting enough. The 'older' male cat weighs about 6-7 pounds these days and is around 6 months old, so we feed him 3/4 cup a day. The younger kitten is very young and she only gets 1/2 cup a day.

Any ideas?

You could try free feeding them. Keep in mind that kittens should have access to dry food at all times. If they are just scarfing it down then it might not work.

There are a couple different ways to free feed. You could put out their daily amount all at once and let them snack throughout the day. Or get a larger feeder or a big bowl and fill it up when it gets empty after a few days.

You can also get them on a better quality of food. Science Diet is not all that great I don't believe. Lesser quality food doesn't keep their hunger satisfied for a long time and they eat more.

I would feed them more frequently - it's a long time from early in the morning til bedtime. cats do best on little and often. I feed mine 3 times a day (in the morning before work, when I get in from work and before bed). I'd add an extra feed in the middle of the day if I could, but I'd have to set automatic feeders every day to do that and they're ok on 3 meals a day. They are definitely ready for something to eat when I get home from work though.

The younger they are the more often they need to be fed, too. So as yours are kittens I'd try to feed them as often as is practical throughout the day. Perhaps you could leave food in puzzle feeders or hidden around the house for them to find during the day? Or just leave food down all the time.

Originally Posted by HRP

I just don't understand it, guys. My two kittens are on the Science Diet and are fed properly every day, yet both of them are constantly crying for food throughout the day. We feed them half of their food in the morning before my girlfriend and I leave for work and school, and then the other half before we go to bed at night so they don't scratch at our door at 5 in the morning because they're hungry.

What gives? They're each fed the proper amount of food but they act like they're not getting enough. The 'older' male cat weighs about 6-7 pounds these days and is around 6 months old, so we feed him 3/4 cup a day. The younger kitten is very young and she only gets 1/2 cup a day.

Any ideas?

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I use Science Diet Kitten food for Persi and he never gets anything else except dry cat food and I keep his bowl full at all times. He is just under 8 months and weighs 9 pounds. He loves the stuff but as you can see from his photo below he is mainly fur, not fat at all. I plan on switching him to regular adult food when he becomes an adult and will probably alter my feeding at that time but now I freely feed him what he wants and he eats like twenty times a day but small portions each time.

I would not do the free feeding thing even though I believe they need to eat more often - because the stronger (male) cat will end up eating it all, and the other one won't get any - unless you keep them separated all day. Can you get home at lunch to monitor a quick meal?

Originally Posted by Larke

I would not do the free feeding thing even though I believe they need to eat more often - because the stronger (male) cat will end up eating it all, and the other one won't get any - unless you keep them separated all day. Can you get home at lunch to monitor a quick meal?

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You're spot on, here. We used to just leave food out all day but the older male would constantly be eating out of both food bowls and poor Penny wouldn't have anything to eat by the end of the day. Roscoe also was starting to get a bit fat for his age...

Since we've started feeding them twice a day his weight has been great and so has hers. If it's the food that's the problem, are there any other recommendations besides Science Diet? The MSPCA recommended it to us so we've been sticking to it...

Well, we've had lots of cats over lots of years and all lived to be pretty old. We've never (except for spec. instances of real allergy, intolerance, etc.) given them anything but Purina dry (various) and popular cans, like Fancy Feast (all kinds), Whiskas, you name it - which means I also don't use cheapo store brands unless the labels look very good, but don't feel the need either to spend on designer food, or even SD, Iams, etc. and the cats have always been healthy and happy.

I have been feeding our kitten Nutro can food and he is eating the Nature's choice weight management for indoor cats. He also eats all the dry and my two adults have nothing to eat. Luckily I am home and can put him to bed sorta speak for the adults to eat. People on this board turned me onto Nutro. The cans are double that of Friskies but I want to do my kitty right this time. The adults eat can twice a day the sametimes you feed. The kitten likes his can more often in the morning. Do you two leave at different times? Good Luck!

Originally Posted by Larke

Well, we've had lots of cats over lots of years and all lived to be pretty old. We've never (except for spec. instances of real allergy, intolerance, etc.) given them anything but Purina dry (various) and popular cans, like Fancy Feast (all kinds), Whiskas, you name it - which means I also don't use cheapo store brands unless the labels look very good, but don't feel the need either to spend on designer food, or even SD, Iams, etc. and the cats have always been healthy and happy.

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Fancy Feast is like McDonald's for cats. I would try to stay away from that one altogether.

There is a ton of information on the Health and Nutrition forum on quality cat food. You will learn what to read on the label to see if it is a quality food or not. Sharky is our resident guru on quality food and her recommendations are good.

Natural Balance
Merrick
Felidae

Those are just a few of the better foods.

You are not likely to find any of those in your local grocery store. Do a search in the forum and you'll find probably more information than you wanted.

I feed my two 6 month old kittens (who also weigh in the 6 pound range) three times a day and they have continual access to dry food also. Currently they are liking the Chicken Soup for the Kitten Soul.

Some kittens will prefer dry food over wet and vice versa and if you happen to get one of each you won't have problems with them fighting over their food, either. Peeka likes the wet best, and Boo prefers dry but they both eat both.

Both of them, however, prefer Adult Cat Pixel's food, and she prefers theirs.

This is how all cats are, so mix up their bowls to confuse them.

I'm wondering about something... I'm in Canada, and our food & drug agencies have pretty stringent rules about most things, though whether cat food gets the same treatment as people food I don't know, but I wonder if the formulation used here for e.g. FF, is the same as in the U.S. or not?

I would free feed them too

I can't free-feed them, the older male eats all of the food and gets fat.

He's such a jerk.

Can you not add in an extra meal time? Are you out from early morning til bedtime?

My girlfriend works full-time and also has a part-time job and I'm a full time student with a part-time job as well. Often I leave early in the morning around 7 or 8, and won't be home for another 12-14 hours. Same goes for her.

Originally Posted by Larke

I'm wondering about something... I'm in Canada, and our food & drug agencies have pretty stringent rules about most things, though whether cat food gets the same treatment as people food I don't know, but I wonder if the formulation used here for e.g. FF, is the same as in the U.S. or not?

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I'm in Canada as well and I don't really know the ingredients in FF since I just wouldn't feed them a cheaper food so haven't bought it, but you can always check the ingredients on any can to find out if it's good or not.

My first instinct would be that the FF is probably brought in from the US (as is Merrick's) and is probably the same formula, but that's just a guess.