how much do i feed my kittens?

[simpleblue]

i just got my kittens (16wks) Natural Balance Ultra Premium Dry Food (for all stages)

it cost me 50$ for a 16.5 lb bag

the packages says:


"Kittens should be fed free choice to promote healthy growth and adequate weight gain."


does this mean to give them as much as they will eat?


wouldn't they overeat?


i will be feeding them canned as well as soon as i can find a high quality brand that i can buy in bulk to save.

thans

 

[jen]

Kittens should have access to food at all times. Leave a big bowl out or get one of those big feeders. I use one and it works great.

 

[omis]

Most kittens will stop eating when they've had enough. But, some cats will continue eating as long as food is available.

I just keep a dish of dry food out in he kitchen for them. If you notice that they do nothing BUT eat, then you may have to prepare scheduled meals.

Just make sure that they get plenty of exercise to put that food energy to use.

 

[planetofthecats]

Most kittens will do OK with free-feeding on a good dry food supplemented with canned food once a day. Their normal instincts would stop them from overeating.

While most cats do not have overeating issues, it's good to keep on eye on your kittens just in case they turn out to be among the exceptions. (Also, some older rescued cats will overeat b/c they've not been used to having a steady supply of food.)

I think (Dick Van Patten's) Natural Balance Ultra is a really good dry food without having to go up to the very top tier of Wysong, Felidae, etc. Kitten food has higher levels of protein and fat than adult foods - Natural Balance has levels close to typical kitten foods.

Here is a guideline for Nutro Natural Choice Complete Care Kitten dry which you can apply as a rough guideline to the Natural Balance Ultra: Kitten 4-6lbs, up to 19 weeks: 7/8-1 3/8 cups/day

Have you looked at the Natural Balance canned foods? I've found them to be pretty good. Nutro Natural Choice canned kitten foods are also good.

 

[andrewweilin]

From what I understand (and from what I've discussed with my vet), free feeding is a fine option for kittens. However, varying circumstances will require you to find the appropriate feeding habits for your loved ones. My kittens began to slightly overdevelop in their bellies because the three of us live in a small studio apartment. Less space means less playing area so they're probably not as active as kittens who are allowed to roam outdoors. I still give them a generous daily portion although it is monitored.

In the end, as with all things (YOUR diet included), the best way to find the correct solution is to experiment!

 

[vik61]

My kittens aren't four pounds yet. They may be approaching two pounds. I am wondering how much canned food I should be feeding them.

 

[naturestee]

Originally Posted by Vik61

My kittens aren't four pounds yet. They may be approaching two pounds. I am wondering how much canned food I should be feeding them.

I'm wondering that too. I have two 2 lb kittens that are free-fed dry. I'm feeding canned once a day and at the moment they're sharing one 3 oz. can. Is this good? When should I increase it? Lily can and will overeat canned, and she gulps it down so fast (and will steal Eve's in the process if we don't watch). I don't know how to guage how much is good for one meal.

 

[kuuyku]

If I leave kibble out, they will eat almost constantly so I feed them 2-3 times a day. Raw in the morning and kibble in the afternoon. I am trying to wean them towards a 50/50 raw/kibble diet, right now, I have them on a 25/75, R/K ratio.

 

[meow meow]

My kitten is about 18 weeks old and somewhere around 4 lbs. He eats 1 3 oz can of Nutro Max Kitten per day (1/2 in am, 1/2 in pm) and about 1/3 C of Nutro Max Kitten dry per day. He doesn't eat the canned all at one time -- he takes a few bites here and there for about 2 hours to finish it.

I hope he is getting enough!

 

[vik61]

Oh boy, I'm only feeding the two pounders maybe two tablespoons each three times a day. That's only three tablespoons a day?~!

Off to look for information on this. They seem like they have both a lot of energy and a lot of snoozy/sleepy time.

 

[sharky]

Give as much as kitty will eat .... I advise against not measured free feed as one naturally preserved food can go stale quick and you never know how much the kitty is eating...

My 9lb 2.5 yr old eats kitten food and eats about 1 cup per day

 

[ragsmom]

Wow! I guess I should quit worrying. My Sami is 17 weeks and weighs almost 6 pounds and I for some reason felt she was not eating enough. She gets two 3oz cans of Royal Canin Kitten a day, sometimes 2 1/2 cans, along with free fed Wilderness Kitten kibble. She has really slowed down on her growth and weight gain and I was afraid I was not feeding her enough or something. She has plenty of energy....sometimes more than I can deal with! And her coat is wonderful, so I guess she is fine. Sometimes she leaves some of the canned food and goes back to it later. Maybe I will just start feeding her only what she will eat in 30 minutes or so. My wallet will thank me!