Overweight Kitten??? And treats for his teeth?

artem

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Hey guys.  It's me again.  :)  The initial issues with Hunter are more or less resolved, so I figured I'd start a new thread.  We did finally find a dry food he likes.  He's still not eating massive amounts of it, as I give him wet food on demand, but it's nice to have something I know he'll eat while I'm at work, especially for nights I'm stuck in later than expected.  I will not continue free-feeding him as an adult, but will probably leave out a small amount occasionally, if I know I have a long day ahead of me (something like 10-15% of his daily calories, which I think is normally the allowed treat budget).

But now I'm starting to get worried about how much weight he's been gaining.  I don't think it's the dry food, as he's still more nibbling on it than really eating it.  He eats a lot of wet food though, possibly even when he's not hungry.  I'm going to post pictures and I mostly was hoping to know if he is getting too heavy and, if so, do I need to start restricting his food access?  Just taking away the dry isn't going to do it, a he was gaining even before I introduced it, and he eats it very moderately (I measure how much I put in the bowl and he eats a full meal for his size spread out over two or three days, which shouldn't be enough to be a problem).  Is he just getting a bigger build as he matures or do I have a problem brewing here?  I don't know if this belongs in Health or Nutrition, but am taking a guess that it's more of a food issue:

Here is Hunter between 3 and 4 months, a little after I first got him:


And today, between 4 and 5 months (before I cut the bell off his collar.  He's not microchipped yet, so he needs to wear something, although I'm considering switching to a woofwear one as I've heard good things and don't like how easily he can escape the one I got from Petsmart):


For his age, he is an appropriate weight (he was 4.1 pounds at 16 weeks) but it may be too much for his build.  Should I be worried or am I over-reacting?  He is a rag doll which is generally a bigger breed, but has been small for his age since I've gotten him.  He is not a big player for a kitten.  I do try and engage him with the wand toys, but he loses interest after 10 or 15 minutes and walks away if I make things too challenging for him.  I have experimented with all the popular attachments and have tried rotating in new ones.  He's interested in the new ones until they're attached to a wand, in which case he decides he doesn't care any more.  He does really like that "undercover mouse" toy and will play with it for hours, but it's not that much moving around.  He likes chasing balls we throw also and is a huge fan of the "ball-in-track" games, so we think he prefers toys that stay on the ground, if anyone has any other recommendations.  We don't have much of an issue with play aggression or other "bored" behaviors, so we think he's just low-energy for a kitten.  Is he likely to be a low energy cat, if he's already this calm, or do some kittens actually gain in energy as they get older?  He is definitely healthy, doesn't seem to be in any pain or discomfort when he is chasing something and will go nuts for some light-up balls we got as a less-frustrating alternative to the laser toy and isn't distressed by the wand toys just not terribly interested.  He is not scared of me at all either, not even close, and is generally interested in what I'm doing and enjoys following me and just watching me move around.  Oh, and if it helps, he is not a jumper.  At nearly five months old, the only things he'll climb are his cat tree and scratching post and he still seems uncomfortable making large jumps.  I have sticky tape ready for the countertops, as I'm sure he'll change his mind one of these days, but right now they appear to be beyond his ambition.

Also, are there any treats I can offer to get him chewing?  We're not doing a raw diet.  I did look into some of the treated commercial brands (I don't even keep uncooked meat for me in the kitchen so untreated is still not an option) but they all came already ground or in small pieces.  As the only aspect I'm really concerned about is the dental health one, that doesn't do me any good.  But his adult teeth are coming in and I'd really like to keep them healthy and really doubt he's going to let me brush them.  I am currently giving him, for treats, Greenies, Deli Turkey and some jerky treats originally designed for dogs (but checked the ingredients to make sure it's fine for cats.  It is, is just meat and a few herbs that are not toxic to dogs or cats).  Is there anything else I can offer he will chew on?  He's one of those weird cats that actually does chew his dry food (I see and hear him crunching away at it), but I don't want that to become a dietary stable.

For dry, he is on Royal Canin kitten, as it is literally the only one he'll eat.  We feed a mix of wet brands, but the two main ones are Royal Canin and Wellness (both core and the regular variety, as he'll gladly eat either).  He like Fancy Feast, but it's only an occasional treat as I don't love the ingredients.  I'm not sold on the necessity of grain-free, but want him eating something that is in case he develops an intolerance later in life.  Thinking along the same lines, I'm trying to mix up his protein sources, but he's not a fan of any of the non-poultry items I've tried, even when mixed in with foods he does like.  And he's still too young for me to feel comfortable letting him skip a meal because he doesn't like what's being offered and he knows it, so he'll just wait until I give him something he likes.  Plus, he hates Nature's Variety, in every flavor, even the chicken.  And I have no idea why, as he'll eat pretty much anything else that is turkey or chicken flavored but I've stopped buying it altogether as he's very clearly telling me he's not interested.
 
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emandjee

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Honestly, he isn't overweight at all, perhaps on the contrary, if he is a ragdoll mix? From my understanding, kittens weight are proportionate to their age (in months): 2 months--2 lbs, 3 months--3 lbs, 4 months--4 lbs, etc. My kittens are now nearing their 1 year marks, and I swear my female kitty (11 months) outweighs my male (1 year the end of this month). I believe Ragdolls continue to grow until they are about 4 years old, so the growth process can be slow. They are much more low-key and mellow, so maybe that is the case with your kitten. I'd personally keep trying to get him to exercise while he is young, though. Getting him vet checked for any medical issue is also important, especially to rule out any heart conditions (HCM) the breed is commonly known for.

A good idea would be to monitor his weight using a scale if you have a regular one. Weigh yourself only first, then carry the cat and weigh yourself together again, then subtract the difference. Or, you can get a baby scale online to get a more accurate weight.

Treats/dry food for teeth are actually a myth, it's as effective as you eating cereal to "clean your teeth". Dry food will have much more carbs that actually increase plaque build up! On feline's teeth, it typically shatters the kibble, not really rub against the teeth and gumline, where tartar and gingivitis are more prone to occur. Google it and see for yourself! The only way to clean your kitten's teeth will be by physically rubbing his teeth using either a small toothbrush, cotton gauze, cloth, etc. I bought CET toothpaste in poultry flavor and the tiny toothbrush to get my kittens used to brushing. They actually do not mind getting their teeth cleaned because they love the toothpaste flavor, and they're typically under a minute! 

Google YouTube, and put in "brushing your cat's teeth" by somersvetgroup in their search box for details in the how to's. The younger the kitty, the easier the process really is. It's also a great way to assess your cat's dental health! Good luck! 
 

chloe92us

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I think everyone with a ragdoll has wondered if their kitten is fat at some point. They are big cats, and naturally have a fat pad around their abdomen. If you can feel the ribs easily when he's standing, he's fine. I have a 6 month old ragdoll, and he looks like a butterball turkey! But my breeder says he's perfect, and every other picture I see of ragdolls at this age look like butterballs too. If anything, at 16 weeks I would think he/she is a little underweight at only 4 pounds.
 
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artem

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He's actually a full pedigreed ragdoll, albeit a pet quality one as I am neither breeding nor showing.  And I'm glad to hear he's probably all right.  He was much more underweight when I got him, I think, but he's been catching up.  I don't think he liked the food the breeder had him on, as I've seen the way he eats and the only dry he'll really touch is Royal Canin, which I am certainly not taken away just yet if he doesn't look fat.  I'm not concerned about the numbers on his weight, he just looks much heftier in the later pictures than he did when I received him.  But I do want him to receive enough food to grow to whatever his final size is meant to be.  I'm also glad to hear other people with Ragdolls have had the same worries, as he does have some fat on his belly and just looks so much wider than he did last month.  Hopefully it's just a part of him growing up.

I will look into the tooth cleaning, though.  I was mostly thinking of foods as I had heard the teeth thing about raw and he will chewing on bigger (cooked) treats.  I doubt he'll like it, but I'll ask the vet (who I am going to see on Monday) to help walk me through the proper way to do it, as that's how I figured out how to trim his nails.  Thank you so much for your help and I will definitely be picking up a better scale to weigh him!  My scale goes in intervals of .5, which is fine for a human, but too big for a four-five pound kitten.
 

xcourtney3

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Agree about using CET poultry flavored toothpaste. I just started brushing my cats' teeth and they are almost 5 years old. They are fine with it because they love the toothpaste, I just let them lick a little of it off the toothbrush before and after so they think they are getting a treat. 
 
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