6 month old kitten - kitten food really necesary?

We adopted 2 tabby female cats that are at least 6 months old. At first we fed them dry kitten food plus some wet food in the evenings. However our depressed (recently had lost it's litter mate) 2 year old cat was gaining weight rapidly. We were not able to split feedings so that they each only ate their own food - our older cat was eating the kitten food too.

We eventually just went to IAMS Adult food for all of them. We split a can of fancy feast chicken feast between all three or tuna fish every evening.

Is this ok or do we really need to find some way to get the younger cats only eating kitten food?

It kind of feels like one of the kittens is getting a bit of a belly. Am considering taking her in to the vet next week.

Feed predominantly the wet food and just use the kibble for treats until it's gone.  Dry food should not be the primary food for many reasons, and obesity is one of those reasons.  It is very high carbohydrate and cats need low carbohydrate foods because they lack enzymes to turn carbohydrates into energy.  They use meat and fat for energy and most carbohydrates turn into fat.  In the wild, kittens eat what their parents eat, and none of it is dry food. 

Thank you for your reply! I do get that, however we have 3 indoor cats and have been feeding two stray cats that have been coming around (we took them in to get fixed and shots). So we go through a lot of food and do not have the resources to buy all wet food for out indoor cats. 

We could probably bump up the wet food though and feed them some in the morning and evening with dry in between.

I also saw a post where someone talked about cooking chicken and feeding them the broth and plain chicken so I think I will supplement with that too.

But otherwise is it awful to be feeding them the adult food along with it?

Thanks!!

The actually eat less on wet food.  I've been feeding two ferals on the Dollar General Mixed Grill food, 80 cents for a 13.2 ounce can.  It's mostly by products but its MEAT, not veggies or grains.  10% protein, 6% fat, 1.5% fiber, 78% water, 445 calories per can.  They really like it.  There's no carbs at all so occasionallly I mix in a little Iams with it, not enough to upset the balance though.

I just wanted to add about feeding cooked chicken: yes, that's fine as long as the plain meats (meaning without all the vitamins, minerals, and other supplements cats need for health) you feed aren't more than 10% of the cats' diet. If you want to feed more cooked chicken, there are supplements available that you can add to cooked meat: depending on where you buy the meat and what cuts you buy, that can be fairly cost-effective. There's a separate forum on the site for cooked and raw foods. I use a supplement (EZcomplete) and find that pork is very cost-effective and our cats love it.

I agree with Red Top Rescue's thought about feeding low-carb, grain-free foods with byproducts! I'd rather feed grain-free, low-carb canned food with byproducts than either a dry food or a canned food with muscle meat and a carby ingredient like wheat, corn, potato, or peas.

Have fun with your new cats!