What to feed a 10 month-old fat kitten

Hi all!!

Well, our little baby boy is about 11-12 lbs and he is only about 10.5 months old. We are worried about his health and wonder what we should be doing to get him to be leaner. His adopted sister, is eating just enough and stable at 7 lbs (she is the same age). We are currently free-feeding them nutro dry kitten food (not that much) and a 1/2 a pouch/can for each kitten per day. The boy frequently visits the dry food, and when the wet food's out he can't help but eat Emma's share too. Is there any type of food I should put him on to lose weight (without having Emma lose that much weight either)?

Thanks so much for the help!!

p.s. They are both domestic shorthairs (tabbies).

I would either feed them just wet or stop free feeding them. Definately stop on the kitten food, it is fattening. Dry food is more fattening in general.

Is your boy cat neutered? It is prone for male neutered cats to become overweight.We have 3 neutered male cats and 2 out of 3 are overweight.Our Gizmo is 20 lbs. and only a year old and our Turkey is only 7 months old and he is 13lbs.,Where our female cats are all under 10 lbs. And we also leave the food dishes filled up all day long so they can eat freely...As long as he seems healthy it shouldn't be much of a concern unless he becomes extremely overweight...

Have you brought this worry up to the vet??
If not do so

I would recommend mix some adult food in the dry and increaseing the wet

I would stop feeding them the kitten food if your boy is getting overweight, they are old enough that it isn't completely neccesary to feed them kitten food. That being said, 11-12 pounds may be normal for him, esp if he is a big cat. Definitely get your vets opinion on whether or not he is in fact overweight before

Yah I agree. They are old enough to get off of kitten food. Also doing distinct meals instead of free-feeding will prevent many obesity.

They don't need kitten food any more - you could have stopped that at about 6 months old. And I would not free feed - stick to a schedule (more/less) and feed a measured amount twice a day. I'd also feed either all dry or all canned - not mixed.

If you have to, feed them in separate rooms. They will learn to eat their portion when you put it out.

I would disagree on wet/dry combo. Yes all wet is very good but if you can't do that then next best is a combo. Maybe morning meal is dry and nighttime meal is wet. That way you know they are getting a higher moisture content than an all dry diet.

Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

They don't need kitten food any more - you could have stopped that at about 6 months old.

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I think you'll find most people disagree with this. They really need the extra calories (especially for their growth spurts) at least until they are 10 months. Some folks prefer to feed kitten for a year. We fed kitten for just under one year. 10 months is not a bad time to start on adult food though - he's had a good start in life with the kitten food.

However, before putting any cat on a diet, talk to your vet - every cat is different just like people and 110 lbs on one person would look fat or skinny on someone else. Let your vet guide you since they can better tell the size of the bones of the cat and whether it is muscular or fat. It is also very dangerous for cats to lose weight very fast.

I disagree with two things here. I think a kitten needs kitten food until about 9 months or so unless the vet says otherwise. Also, there is no reason to feed only wet OR dry. It is great to mix them if you can't feed all wet. Lots of cat owners do that, it is common. I would definately not feed just dry unless your cats are doing okay with that.

I agree with Yosemite on the kitten food, they do really need it while they are still growing.
Has you vet said your kitty was overweight or is it you believe he is overweight in comparrison to your girl?
Boys do get much bigger than girls normally, this may be a normal weight for him.

Originally Posted by stormy

IHas you vet said your kitty was overweight or is it you believe he is overweight in comparrison to your girl?
Boys do get much bigger than girls normally, this may be a normal weight for him.

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We have a perfect example of this at our home. Bijou and Mika are full brother and sister (i.e., they have the same mother and father) and Bijou is just under 16 lbs and Mika is about 8-9 lbs. She looks like a kitten beside Bijou and she is not a kitten. Bijou is very muscular and strong - Mika is tiny and very dainty.

Let your vet be your guide to whether your baby is underweight, just right, or overweight.

Also, let me add my 2 cents re food - a wet food diet IMHO is much better for your cat and helps to avoid crystal problems especially with neutered males. Our cats get about 1/2 cup per day of Royal Canin Siamese dry food but the rest of their diet is canned. Also dry food is often full of fillers and calories and it is a complete myth that dry food helps clean their teeth.

We have this problem in my house, too! I feed one cat in the kitchen and the other cat in a spare bedroom on top of a small desk. My older cat was eating the kitty crunchies and the kitty was eating all the wet food. Now, when I put down wet food in the mornings, the kitty comes with me to the bedroom and I shut the door so my older cat will be able to eat in peace. The older cat won't jump up on the desk in the spare bedroom, so the kitty's food is safe. So, you'll have to referee at feeding time when you serve the wet food. Plus, don't free feed! I have a measured amount of food that I serve them 3 times a day. That has helped tremendously!

Stephanie

Also, if you do deceide to switch don't forgot to mix half and half or else the poor guys stomach would get all messed up. defiantly get with a vet first and see what he/she has to say. Is the kitten excersiing enough also? My Cats go CRAZY over laser pointers...(my three year old is getting a big tubby so he gets extra playtime) Defiantly check out if medical problems are an issue though.

hi everyone, thanks SO much for the helpful replies!!! we were just at the vet recently to check out what turned out to be a hairball cough, and the vet didn't say anything about his weight, we just think he is looking a little chunky . but i will be taking all your suggestions into consideration, as we've also been thinking of switching them to adult food for a while. i mean mochi seems healthy and active, he's alert and so smart. i think i'll also be trying the set meals thing, maybe that will help emma to eat more too. thanks so much guys!!