Is my cat eating enough

mooncat89

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Aug 8, 2014
Messages
40
Purraise
10
She is about 6 and a half months and she's eating 54 grams 3 times a day. Is it enough? Should I give her more?
 

irinasak

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Jul 23, 2013
Messages
410
Purraise
66
Location
Romania
 
She is about 6 and a half months and she's eating 54 grams 3 times a day. Is it enough? Should I give her more?
I am assuming it is wet food? If so, 162 grams/day seems an appropriate amount for an adult cat. At 6 months, she is still growing, so she is having growth spurts and she needs to eat as much as she wants. When she'll be around one year old I would start measuring the quantities.

However, a better way to determine how much she should eat (after she stops growing) is to calculate 18-24 calories/pound of ideal weight. So if her ideal weight is 9 pounds (4kg), she should be eating around 180 calories/day. 
 

mrsgreenjeens

Every Life Should Have Nine Cats
Staff Member
Advisor
Joined
Aug 13, 2009
Messages
16,391
Purraise
7,130
Location
Arizona
I don't know grams
, but as IrinaSaK pointed out, since she is still basically a kitten, she should not be limited in her intake just yet.  Does she appear to be satiated, or does she act like she wants more.  If she acts like she wants more, and eats more if you give it to her, than I would give her more.

How much a cat (kitten) should eat is just like a human....it all depends on that individual.  Every single one is different.  And WHAT you feed them makes a difference too, depending on the calories, so there are obviously some variables. 

Maybe this article will help:  http://www.thecatsite.com/a/how-much-food-should-i-feed-my-cat
 

catman513

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Oct 11, 2011
Messages
133
Purraise
55
Location
Cincinnati
Feed kittens until they ignore the food. They need all the nutrition they can get when growing.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #5

mooncat89

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Aug 8, 2014
Messages
40
Purraise
10
Ok, I'm just concerned. Now I give her 70grams 3x a day which seems like a lot and I am also having problems with the price. She eats so much I won't be able to afford the wellness core pretty soon, I won't touch the other stuff with a 10 foot pole, wellness is the only good canned Fresno has but once I get a freezer for the raw things should be easier.  
 

irinasak

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Jul 23, 2013
Messages
410
Purraise
66
Location
Romania
It won't be like this forever (well, it could be, I have one male that seems to be always hungry, but I also have two females that know when to stop). An adult eats less than a growing kitten.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #7

mooncat89

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Aug 8, 2014
Messages
40
Purraise
10
Hey, I have a new concern. Now she is eating 94 grams 3x a day, that's almost a whole 5.5oz can. Are you sure that's appropriate?
 

catman513

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Oct 11, 2011
Messages
133
Purraise
55
Location
Cincinnati
As a rough rule of thumb, a growing kitten weighing 4 pounds generally needs 275 calories per day.
 

chwx

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Jan 10, 2014
Messages
167
Purraise
35
While I don't follow the "feed as much as they want" guideline, I do feel 5.5oz may not be enough for a growing kitten, especially if you're feeding a lower calorie food. Does the can say how many calories it has? My female (Also about 6mo) could easily eat 6-8 ounces per day on a canned only diet. I feed her in a "community bowl" with my other two cats (11mo and 5yo males) and they get 5.5-6 ounces of canned each day along with 1-1.5 cups of kibble (Daily rations between all 3 cats, not individual servings. I start with 1 cup of kibble but they get an extra 1/2 cup overnight if they eat everything and still seem hungry) since I feed both types. If I were feeding them just canned food the boys would need about 7-8oz per cat, per day at their full size with the variety of foods I feed. Sally is probably about 5-6 lb, Pinball (11mo) has likely hit the 12lb mark and Oliver is roughly 10-11lb.

Does she act hungry or does she ever walk away from the bowl with food still in it? How is her weight?
 
Last edited:

stewball

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Sep 11, 2013
Messages
11,747
Purraise
809
Location
Tel Aviv
While I don't follow the "feed as much as they want"
guideline, I do feel 5.5oz may not be enough for a growing kitten, especially if you're feeding a lower calorie food. Does the can say how many calories it has?
My female (Also about 6mo) could easily eat 6-8 ounces per day on a canned only diet. I feed her in a "community bowl" with my other two cats (11mo an
males) and they get 5.5-6 ounces of canned each day along with 1-1.5 cups of kibble (Daily rations between all 3 cats, not individual servings. I start with 1 cup of kibble but they get an extra 1/2 cup overnight if they eat everything and still seem hungry) since I feed both types. If I were feeding them just canned food the boys would need about 7-8oz per cat, per day at their full size with the variety of foods I feed. Sally is probably about 5-6 lb, Pinball (11mo) has likely hit the 12lb mark and Oliver is roughly 10-11lb.

Does she act hungry or does she ever walk away from the bowl with food still in it? How is her weight?
of they'reb all eating out of the same bowl you can'know how much any of them are eating.
I free
 

chwx

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Jan 10, 2014
Messages
167
Purraise
35
Not entirely sure what point you're trying to make? I watch my cats to see that everyone eats. I've done the separate each cat and feed X amount each day as well as fed canned only and know what my cats individual needs are. None are overweight or gluttons. If I had a few extra arms (and more space than a 1 bedroom apartment so I'm not shoving cats in closets to feed them) I'd be more willing to go back to individual feedings but with only 2 arms and 3 cats + a dog to feed it isn't feasible to do 3x/day.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #12

mooncat89

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Aug 8, 2014
Messages
40
Purraise
10
Ok so before she was eating almost three cans a day and looked like a pot bellied pig, now she eats 8.25oz a day and she looks like a piglet in running pants (not as fat). I had her run up and down the hallway everyday but it seemed like I'd have to keep her running all day to keep the belly from being so fat! Now I throw some raw chicken in the mix to save some canned and I swear she sprouted wings! I think she ran like 13 feet in 1/64th of a second but that belly is still there. The can says "Calorie Content: This food contains 1,349 kcal/kg or 210 kcal/can ME on an as feed basis." She doesn't really act very hungry, she acts like a pig when she eats more so I think she is kind of a fatty. I know kittens will gorge themselves but it's so much food all the time. If I were to feed her 15 grams less she would act hungry.
 

miagi's_mommy

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 19, 2004
Messages
8,151
Purraise
1,146
A lot of kittens swell up after they eat. The same thing happens to puppies.
 
Top