Have I created a monster?

catnip

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Sorry for yet another query but I'm a bit worried. I'm getting concerned by how much food Harry seems to want to eat!

He has settled down after having diarrhoea; his poo is now almost normal consistency, a bit loose (although still smelly
). However the past few days he is constantly looking for food! Today he got through 450g of wet and a handful of dry. This alone seems like way too much to me but he has actually been driving me mad looking for food. If I hadn't put my foot down he would have eaten even more.

Is it an attempt to replace lost nutrients after having an upset tummy or is he just plain greedy? I'm getting concerned as he isn't supposed to eat as much when the food is high quality but he really is insatiable. What is the recommended allowance for 6 month old cats? I've done a few searches both here and in google but I haven't found anything useful. Thanks!
 

kittys mom

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450g....so, about 15 ounces???? That's a LOT of food. Then again, at that age...they do tend to eat a lot.

I remember when my kitties were little *sigh*, Tre was seriously ALWAYS on the rampage for more food. (actually, that hasn't changed too much). He would eat as much as I would let him. He seemed to grow out of that around...8 months.
 
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catnip

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Thanks for your reply. It seems like a huge amount to me given that before I put him in the cattery for a week (last week) he ate 300g a day and a very small amount of dry. So I guess that's 10 oz?

I'm trying to break any bad habits as soon as possible. He is being extremely cheeky and trying to get into EVERYTHING I eat; I have to put him in a separate room when I'm even eating my cereal in the morning.
 

tarasgirl06

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First of all, your cats are ADORABLE. But then, YOU KNEW THAT.

Yes, Harry's probably trying to replace everything he's been losing lately and so he's pigging out a bit. He'll probably taper off soon, and of course, you can always be the one who determines how much he gets -- directions on all of the foods are pretty good indicators of how much of each he's supposed to eat, and at 6 mos., kittens are growing wildly and need LOTS of nutrients and calories.

Harry sounds like The Personality Kit. He must be a joy to have in your life. I LOVE little black shorthaired male cats! (Yeah, I love ALL cats. But those remind me of my beloved King Sunny-a-Cat, the love of my life.)
 

urbantigers

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At his age I wouldn't worry too much, but I would keep an eye on it and don't let him continue eating that much food for too long. That's a lot of food, even for a growing kitten, and if he continues to eat as much as he likes you could find yourself with an overweight cat before long. Is he neutered yet? Neutered cats need less food than entire cats and it's often post neutering that they start to pile on the weight.

Jaffa was about that age when I had to start measuring and weighing his food. I'd put some dry out in the morning (enough for 2 cats for the day) and he would eat the lot there and then. He's ok with what he has now (about 300g wet in 3 meals) but he'd eat more if I gave it to him. He had a meal of wet about an hour ago and is happily asleep on the bed now, but if I offered him another 100g he'd happily eat it all. Fortunately he knows when he gets fed and doesn't demand food between meals as he knows he wont get anything, although he does start asking for it when it gets near mealtime. Some cats are just greedy (and Jaffa is one of them!).
 
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catnip

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Originally Posted by urbantigers

At his age I wouldn't worry too much, but I would keep an eye on it and don't let him continue eating that much food for too long. That's a lot of food, even for a growing kitten, and if he continues to eat as much as he likes you could find yourself with an overweight cat before long. Is he neutered yet? Neutered cats need less food than entire cats and it's often post neutering that they start to pile on the weight.

Jaffa was about that age when I had to start measuring and weighing his food. I'd put some dry out in the morning (enough for 2 cats for the day) and he would eat the lot there and then. He's ok with what he has now (about 300g wet in 3 meals) but he'd eat more if I gave it to him. He had a meal of wet about an hour ago and is happily asleep on the bed now, but if I offered him another 100g he'd happily eat it all. Fortunately he knows when he gets fed and doesn't demand food between meals as he knows he wont get anything, although he does start asking for it when it gets near mealtime. Some cats are just greedy (and Jaffa is one of them!).
I postponed his operation as he was very stressed out after the cattery last week so he will be getting neutered within the next couple of weeks. Yesterday I wasn't thinking as he normally doesn't overeat and it was only when I looked at what I had given him that I got worried! He isn't being quite as demanding today; he ate about 150g wet this morning and I'm not giving him anything else until this evening apart from a little dry to graze on.

Thanks for the advice and reassurance
 

jenc511

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Lucy was a big fat pig after her illness, surgery, and stay at the e-vet. After a couple of weeks, she is back to eating normal amounts of food. I imagine the stress of an illness and the stay at the cattery contributed to his body being out of whack enough for him to be so hungry.

If it doesn't resolve on its own, you will want to consult a vet, but I wouldn't get too worried right away. Lucy was literally eating 3-4x the daily recommended amount. She's back to eating a normal amount. I posted a thread about her eating tons of food and stealing bread (the only food left out on our counters) because I was horrified at how much my slinky little kitty was eating. Like I said, she's back to normal and regulating her own food intake without eating massive amounts of food.
 
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catnip

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Originally Posted by Brokenheart

Has he been checked for tapeworm?
I de-wormed him last week and just after that he started eating like this. He is also doing MASSIVE stools, about 3 a day. He seems perfectly healthy apart from this but I'm getting to the stage where if it keeps going, I'm heading to the vet.
 
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