How much to feed 6 month old kitten?

My kitten acts as if he's starving constantly. He's approximately 6 mo's. He's a flame point meezer and he acts out constantly b/c he either wants food or attention. He's a total sweetheart but he's driving me and my other cat nuts.

I'm feeding him dry kitten food but I intend on switching him to wet when he's older for obvious reasons. I just figure it's easier to get him the calories he needs with a kitten formulation dry. I'm feeding one cup per day & that is broken into 3 even meals. The 1 cup is according to the pkg. I also give him a half can of Friskies Pate' per day with his 2nd meal.

He weighs 6.3 lbs.

Should I just keep dry out for him constantly? He's going to be a big boy. His paws, and head are gigantic.

He reminds me of my boy, Sundar (AKA bottomless pit).

I try to have feeding times as much as possible as then they know and don't hound quite so much.  I'm loathe to leave dry out as they will expect food to be around all the time, and if you switch to wet or raw, that's not going to happen

Like I said I deff plan to switch to wet eventually. It's just easier for me to insure he's getting adequate nutrition to feed dry while he's a kitten. Wet usually requires double the normal amount for kittens, and they usually can't eat that much. He probably could, but my suspicion is that he would still be hungry after three 5.5oz cans a day.

I'm already feeding 3 times a day. I should really only have to feed him twice a day at this age.

I'd give the wet 3 times a day. All my cats are fed 3 times a day, being a high energy breed I don't think they'd like just 2 meals per day.

I'd be afraid to feed him all dry now because you hear so many stories about cats getting "hooked" on dry and not wanting to switch over to wet later on. My guys are about a year old now, but through kittenhood I pretty much fed them however much they wanted. They were growing like crazy and both came from bad backgrounds. I just figured they were playing catch up in the growing department. They both were, and still are, healthy weights at 8 and 10 pounds respectively. I understand my method might not work for every cat, but mine seem to have a healthy relationship with food and only eat when they're actually hungry.

I don't have a problem with feeding him wet three times a day, but finding the right amount seems difficult. This is also complicated by his uber-jealous sister who is determined to try and eat his food (and vice-versa), as she's just sure she's missing out on something. It doesn't matter if they are fed the exact same thing either. I fed him wet for a week b/c I had to mix an antibiotic in with his food twice a day.

Can she not just eat his food as well? I feed on a couple of large plates and they all share

I really wouldn't worry about what his weight is at just 6 months old

i feed my cats dry food in the morning and wet at nighttime..during the day i give them treats as well

I think it would be helpful if people could understand the difference between scientific fact and opinion.

I am in favor of a raw diet for cats and I believe that the high ratio of carbs in dry food is detrimental.

On the other hand, I cannot deny that the majority of people feed their cat dry food and cats live longer and healthier lives than ever before.

I don't buy that dry food is good for cats teeth, but most vets push that idea so you can't scold anyone for believing it. 

The zealotry regarding this stuff on this site clearly scares people off.

She won't eat from the same plate as him. It goes like this: he finishes his plate, he then runs her plate and roots her out of it. She's smacked him maybe twice, and he left her alone. Otherwise, he would have eaten her food too. That's why I have to feed them separately.

To make matters worse she likes to graze instead of eating everything at once. So I have to hide her food on the counter, until she whines for it and hold on to him to keel him from stealing it. It's exhausting...

Here's what my vet told me, so take it with a grain of salt.  She told us to feed our kittens as much wet food as they want 2-3 times/day and free feed dry until they are six months old.  After that, we are to drop the kibble completely and feed them only wet food 3-4 times/day, adjusting the amount according to how they look (Are their bellies getting fat?  Can we feel their ribs? etc.), just like we feed our other cats. 

The kittens only get kibble when they are locked in their room (when my husband and I are both sleeping and/or gone) so the cats (who are kibble addicts) can't get to it.  The kittens eat the same food as the adults, but we give the kittens a little more per meal (1/4 - 1/2 ounce) than we do our other cats.  Each cat/kitten has their own bowl and we spread them out (Gidget in the far corner of the dining room, Angel and Demon in the near part of the dining room, kittens in the kitchen) so the kittens are less likely to try to steal the cats' food.  Of course, if the kittens get too close to our girls' food bowls, they get swatted. 

bigperm20 said:

Like I said I deff plan to switch to wet eventually. It's just easier for me to insure he's getting adequate nutrition to feed dry while he's a kitten. Wet usually requires double the normal amount for kittens, and they usually can't eat that much. He probably could, but my suspicion is that he would still be hungry after three 5.5oz cans a day.
I'm already feeding 3 times a day. I should really only have to feed him twice a day at this age.

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Where did you get that information? There are cans for kittens. You just have to look for them.

Kittens actually should eat three meals a day.

You could teach your girl to eat on a schedule and not graze, it will take time and patience but can be done if you wish, and do separate them so she can eat all she needs at meal times. If he's finishing his and still wanting more is he getting enough?

TX_Kat said:

Here's what my vet told me, so take it with a grain of salt.  She told us to feed our kittens as much wet food as they want 2-3 times/day and free feed dry until they are six months old.  After that, we are to drop the kibble completely and feed them only wet food 3-4 times/day, adjusting the amount according to how they look (Are their bellies getting fat?  Can we feel their ribs? etc.), just like we feed our other cats.    The kittens only get kibble when they are locked in their room (when my husband and I are both sleeping and/or gone) so the cats (who are kibble addicts) can't get to it.  The kittens eat the same food as the adults, but we give the kittens a little more per meal (1/4 - 1/2 ounce) than we do our other cats.  Each cat/kitten has their own bowl and we spread them out (Gidget in the far corner of the dining room, Angel and Demon in the near part of the dining room, kittens in the kitchen) so the kittens are less likely to try to steal the cats' food.  Of course, if the kittens get too close to our girls' food bowls, they get swatted. 

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Well, like it says in the post, my little guy is 6 mo's approximately. I have no idea exactly, as I was unable to get his pedigree papers from the previous owner. She lost them in a move from home to a college. The vet estimated his age.
He seems to be fuller eating dry kitten food, but maybe I wasn't feeding him enough canned. I was basically feeding him the same portion as my 10 month old cat Oksana. Which = .5 can 3*day. I can try giving him another ounce or so. Do you actually weigh it? If so I need a kitchen scale.


-Missy I wrote all this before I saw your post but it applies and I think I answered some of what u suggested:

Any ideas on how to keep him from running to eat her food when he's done? Even when I feed them seperately & have him locked upstairs, that's the first place he runs when I let him out. He knows she doesn't wolf down her food like he does. I've tried for a day or two just taking Oksana's food up when she finishes and not putting or back down until the next feeding time. I was hoping she'd take a hint and finish her food. No dice. How long should I take her food away from her when she finishes before giving up? She really makes me feel guilty b/c she usually will just nibble at her plate. She cried like crazy those couple of days.

bigperm20 said:

 I've tried for a day or two just taking Oksana's food up when she finishes and not putting or back down until the next feeding time. I was hoping she'd take a hint and finish her food. No dice. How long should I take her food away from her when she finishes before giving up? She really makes me feel guilty b/c she usually will just nibble at her plate. She cried like crazy those couple of days.
 

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I wouldn't bother weighing, just give him what he'll finish in a meal.

Oksana being 10 months old is probably quite set in her routine now, it's going to day more than a day or two to retrain her. Hopefully someone else has some training advice for you, perhaps browse those who switched from dry to wet to raw feeding and see what they did.

As far as feeding him what he'd finish in a meal... I tried that and he ate almost 2 packages of Whiskas Filet Mignon before he said "¡No mas!" That's almost 7 ounces of food in one sitting. Then he sprawled out on the floor and slept. He occasionally growled/moaned like a lion after he's just eaten a caribou.

I'm not so sure he knows when to stop. Oksana was like that when she was a kitten, now she just picks at her food like a spoiled toddler.

Oh, Oksana eats 2.75 oz of food per meal and she never finishes that.

He's pretty much slept all night but he's been super sweet and friendly, so maybe you're on to something. He is usually acting out wanting food, so I guess he's just a growing boy, and is a big eater. He takes after his daddy there

7oz is only 198g, given that my grown cats eat around 100g per meal, a kitten eating double that isn't really odd especially one who sounds like he's quite hungry at meal times.

Can you add in some raw meat too? that will help with making him chew and slow down, and fill him up more than Whiskas.

So long as he's not eating until he vomits I'd feed as much as he wants. You'll probably find he'll settle down and eat less in a little while.

Hello everyone  i have been lurking in this forum and decided to finally create an account.  Well i can say that i love it here  

I also have the same concern, i have a 5 month old kitten and i am not sure if feeding her more than 3 times a day is good.  She seems to be always hungry that's why.

Kittens need a lot to eat - more than adult cats - and at 5-6 months they are still growing quite fast and will be hungry.  They are also usually very active.  Unless your kitten is getting fat feed her as much as she wants to eat.  The best way to tell if she is fat is to look up 'condition scoring'.  She would be classed as a kitten until she is 9 months old for show purposes so at 5 months she has quite a way to go.