Can I start my kitten on adult food?

[gonewithtthewind]

He's 1 on the 1st of January. He's on kitten food currently and I was planning on keeping him on that until he was 1 but it seems like it just isn't filling him up at all. He's on two pouches of wet food (whiskers) and has lilys kitchen dry kibble with it, he has access to the kibble all day but he seems to be eating it all in one go, crying for more so I give him more dry stuff which he eats and then he has the wet food and dry food in the evening again and we top the kibble up before bed. He seems to just be constantly hungry, he has a few treats but not many, he's up to date with his worming and all that, the vets say he's fine. It just seems like he's constantly moaning for food. I just wondered if the kitten stuff isn't filling him up as well? Like is that possible? I don't want to start him on adult food now if it'll harm him, I was planning to ask the vet if it's safe to do so as he only has a month or so until hes 1 anyway? Thought I'd ask here? Is there anything we can do? Thank you

He might just be greedy, some are. He’s training you to feed him every time he meows. They are crafty buggers!

I had to swap my kitten to adult food around 8 months as the kitten stuff was too rich so gave him diarrhoea & he did fine on adult food.

The rules of the litter tray state no starting a thread without posting a pic of your little cutie, so let’s see him

It's fine of course. Kittens once weaned can eat everything adult cats can eat, and of course naturally this is all they would eat.

Yes, it'll be fine. My youngest cat has been on adult food since I adopted her (approx 4/5 months) - I had 5 other cats at the time and couldn't really separate their food! She's 3 now and in rude health.

Ours was on 4.5 pouches a day at that age.

5 if dh put him to bed that night.

My kitten wouldn't touch kitten food, wanted to eat what the adult cats where eating, the adult cats love kitten food though ? Tried every variety, but nope.
I believe kitten food just has more calories in it, presumably because they have more energy and need more calories. Won't do them any harm to eat adult food.

Kitten food has more calories so either he is having you on or he actually needs more food.

He may also just be a natural binge eater and need his meals splitting up.

Most cats of a year old will be eating 2 pouches for breakfast, a bit of kibble available through morning, possibly 1 pouch at lunch with kibble put down again and 2 pouches at bed time with some kibble put down for overnight. Is this cat male because they often eat more than females. Your cat may be hungry. I would feed a bit more.

Most cats of a year old will be eating 2 pouches for breakfast

they really won’t.

OP weigh your cat and look at the feeding guide on the box of pouches.
Even my heaviest cat only has 2 pouches and some cat biscuits each day.

My boy was eating heaps in the 2 months before and after his first birthday. 2-3 pouches a day and unlimited dry food. My vet told me they are growing so much and unlikely to be “trying it on” for food at this age, so to make sure he always had access
to food.

As others say, kitten food has MORE calories in it, so if/when you switch him over, he may eat even more in volume, but that’s because it’s lesser in calories.

i swapped my fellow over gradually (different food pouch each day) over a period of a month when he was about 14 months old (late, as I was moving him at 12 Months and didn’t want too many changes at once). He was fine, settled in and at 18 months, refused the extra pouch of food I gave him as a treat on his b’day!

My BSH was the worlds greediest kitten. I was paranoid she'd end up overweight but the vet said to let her eat as much as she wanted as a kitten as she was growing. She's now a tiny 3.5kg adult who grazes all day. She still moans if her food bowl is empty but eats a couple of pieces after I fill it then wanders off.

Bloody hell - that's a massive amount to be feeding 😳

Mine get a pouch each a day plus a bowl of dry between three of them. I also cat sit for a living and I don't know a single cat that's fed anything close to that amount.

I did at that age because the elderly cat started eating the kitten food and got properly chunky on it.

OP to answer your question ours have all been on adult food from four months with absolutely no problems whatsoever.

5 pouches a day?! How big is your cat?

Ours gets 1 in the morning, 1 in the evening and free access to biscuits. I think that's in line with what's on the box.

To answer the OP's question, she's been on adult food since we got her at 6 months, and she now (at age 8) gets either 'normal' food, or sometimes 7+ food depending on any offers, what flavours are available at the time, and what she's had most of recently (for variety).

If he's neutered then he should.be OK on adult food. I'm sure mine were on adult food from about 9 months.

I leave dry food out for my 2 and then they get 1 pouch between them 2 or 3 times per day.

The vet told me once that undoubtedly the manufacturers had spent millions on developing kitten foods; but it was too rich for some kittens; and to give ours adult food. (He had diarrhoea and it disappeared on adult food)

My two have one wet pouch each morning and evening, and free access to a bowl of dry food all day. The vet is happy with their weights.