how much is too much?

stampit3d

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I have 2 cats that are both just a year old. Male and fixed. Indoor cats.
I have switched to Natural Choice Kitten food within the last month. (dry)
I have noticed that thier coats have become softer and more silky and shiny, so i`m sure this food is good for them....but both of them are starting to look pudgy at the bottom of their bellies....like a fatty roll starting.
I`m planning on buying CAT food the next time instead of KITTEN food....but I bought a 20 pound bag of the KITTEN stuff at almost $40 last month and want to use it up before buying more. I`d heard not to take them off kitten for for the first year...that they are still kittens even if they are as big as cats.
They get between 1 - 1&1/2 cups of this dry food between them everyday.
Is this too much, enough, or should I buy some CAT food and mix with the KITTEN food so that it is not so rich???Any ideas? I don`t want them to get too fat!
They are both quite energetic all AM and again for an hour or 2 in the evenings...so they DO get their exercise!
Thanks! Linda
 

StefanZ

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You can surely mix up a little with grown up food. It isnt dangerous as long as the base is kitty food (kitties do need extra much taurine and more fat).

Our kitten (3 years now) ate up his kitten food, ate after it his kind fathers grown up food, and after it he meowed after more!
We used Hills.

He went never a fat boy, he had hard wrestlingmatches with his massive father, long races and so he played a lot. He is still wellshaped as harmonic castrate and playfull as always.
 

icklemiss21

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He is probably old enough to go on cat food - i know a lot of people start on cat food at 9 months.

30 cals per lb is the recommended amount (according to my vet) for cats so would probably be a good amount to feed for a older kitten who is a little pudgy as they need more - so look at what you are feeding and the weight of your cats and work out what is best for them

According to this site, it is 486cals per cup so depending on how much they weigh it would be ok for maintenance to feed between them 1 cup (8lbs each) or 1.5cups (12lbs each).
 

vibiana

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I've got one who's about 9 mos old and I don't feed her kitten food. She will eat ANYTHING I give her. LOL She eats some canned and some kibble.
 

leto86

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I free-feed my boys, and they went on adult food when they were about 4 or 5 months old, after they had free run of the house. All 4 of the cats have a different tpye of Body, Poptarts big, but has no fat roll or sack, whichever you like to call them. Gordito isn't really pudgy, but has a fat sack.. Nacho is the perfect body type, no fat sack, not pudgy at all.. well defined looking boy. and Orion is the smallest of all of them.. slender, fit looking cat.

The best person to ask how much he should be eating would be your vet.
 
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