greedy kittens...?

[LaLoose]

Hello All,

We have had our 10-week-old kittens for a week now. With every day that passes, they seem to be wanting more and more food. I am trying to stick to the feeding guide on the packets (they are on a mixed biscuit and wet food diet), but they seem desperately hungry. Should I feed them 'til they want no more(!), or are they just being greedy? Any thoughts? Thanks very much for any help you can offer.

Oh, and Old Lady Cat is still mightily peed off, despite lashings of FeliWay and me following the UN diplomatic corps regulations for introducing cats and kittens, so any top tips on solving those issues also mightily appreciated!

Presumably the kittens are up to date with their worming etc?

I free-feed my 10 month old kitten (2 wet meals a day and biscuits topped up when bowl looking a bit empty) He's eating less now than he was at 3 months, because his growth has slowed down and he doesn't spend as much time racing around the garden. (Too cold)

Personally, I'd feed them as much as they want. If they start looking a bit chunky, then regulate their food intake. Cats rarely over-eat, and if they do, it usually balances itself out eventually.

Which food are you feeding them?

Thanks! I will take your very good advice. They are rescue cats and I was advised to continue on what they had been feeding them for a while, so Whiskas Junior Kitten biscuits and pouches.

And yes, up to date with worming

I could be wrong but perhaps look at a slightly higher quality dry food - I think Whiskers isn't that great. Better quality might mean they stay fuller for longer?

My older cat is on Vet's Kitchen, but it has put a lot of weight on her to the extent that I am considering throwing out the remainder of the bag I have in the cupboard. Any other brands you would recommend? Thanks in advance!

i currently have two 12 week old foster kittens and what i do is give them half a pouch each four times a day so smaller meals but with about 3-4 hours in between and leave the biscuits topped up , kittens this age do seem ot eat a lot of food but its because they need the energy for rampaging round the house and growing while they sleep like human babies do, good quality wet food is either butchers classic meat variety or asda fish in jelly which both have no cereal, mine are on royal canin kitten biscuits as this is what the centre uses and provides for fosters

Mine get Applaws biscuits alongside Animonda Carny wet food. Both are cereal free. I buy them online from Zooplus.

They are hungry horses as they grow.

Sounds quite normal.

I fed mine as often as he asked for it when he was a kitten.

Not possible to over feed them at this stage I think. Our 9 month ( quarter Bengal) eats Butchers Classic adult tins, James WellBeloved kitten pouches and Applaws biscuits.
My MIL had to introduce a kitten to an older cat ( both pure Burmese ) and it was daggers drawn with hissing and cat punches thrown. MIL sat on the sofa holding a long strand of wool in each hand, jerking and wiggling the wool. She got the cats playing with a strand each and gradually brought the strands closer together until after about 20 minutes the two cats were playing with the same piece of wool. Best of friends ever since.
Hope that helps. ( don't know whether your old lady will play with wool though, the age gap was only a few years with those cats )

Mine ate four meals a day at that age, I think big lump boy kitten was on a full pouch at each sitting and dainty girl kitten was on half. They've dropped down to three full pouches now (neither will touch dry food, vet happy with weight, not over or under). They're 6 months now and going through a bit of a spurt again but will hopefully drop to two pouches by time they're a year.
I think just play it by ear but I wouldn't restrict the food of hungry kittens, the crying alone would drive me spare!!

I agree. I have just had my leg climbed up because I was cooking cabbage(!) So no food restrictions while they're on this spurt. Thanks so much everyone x