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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Is it really, truly impossible to overfeed a kitten?

19 replies

PaperDoves · 07/01/2023 15:25

Kitten is 13 weeks old and growing like a weed. He also refuses to eat anything that isn't squeezed out of a crinkly packet so despite trying several different brands of dry food, all of which have been rejected, he only eats wet food.

The kitten pouches claim he should only need 2-3 pouches per day but he's gobbling down 4 per day and would prefer even more, but I cut him off at midnight like the little gremlin he is.

The internet says you can't overfeed a kitten and I've been happy to feed him as much as he wants at great expense, but I've noticed he's amping up the frequency of food requests and his stools are suddenly soft instead of firm, which can perhaps be a sign of overfeeding (?).

He puts away a pouch and a half for breakfast alone and I don't know where he puts it or how exactly he gobbles it down so fast. It's like me eating an entire turkey for breakfast in ten minutes, then coming back for seconds two hours later.

When we first got him the advice was to feed a young kitten six times per day, and I thought we'd gradually move to two or three meals per day but kitten has no interest in cutting down. Like a hobbit, he has breakfast, second breakfast, elevenses, lunch, dinner and supper.

He looks very healthy, is bright eyed and energetic, has a lovely soft coat and his ribs are easily felt. He's been wormed regularly as well.

So... feed as much as he wants? Or limit the amount, and if so, how much is reasonable? He's on Blink Kitten.

He's also very sweet 🥰 Photo of the little gremlin hobbit below.

Is it really, truly impossible to overfeed a kitten?
OP posts:
Clarich007 · 07/01/2023 15:31

Oh he's beautiful your little Hobbit.
Not had kittens for a few years, but I remember feeding them freely. That settled down at around 12 months.
I'm glad he is so healthy and happy. Decent quality food certaily helps.

TwoMonthsOff · 07/01/2023 15:33

So beautiful ❤️

Brightstar84 · 07/01/2023 15:34

He is so gorgeous ❤️ sorry nothing to eat on the feeding front - but agree Blink is good quality

PaperDoves · 07/01/2023 15:36

Clarich007 · 07/01/2023 15:31

Oh he's beautiful your little Hobbit.
Not had kittens for a few years, but I remember feeding them freely. That settled down at around 12 months.
I'm glad he is so healthy and happy. Decent quality food certaily helps.

Thank you, he's just the loveliest!

I fed my previous kittens (many, many years ago) freely but it was dry food. I imagined when we got this kitten he'd eat wet a couple times a day and have free access to dry all day and night, but he had other plans!

OP posts:
custardbear · 07/01/2023 15:51

They eat so much lol - we have two juvenile boys and even now they can easily eat 3 pouches each and graze on complete bix. They also pinch the puppy food too ... she's daft as a brush and lets them do it!

PaperDoves · 07/01/2023 19:40

custardbear · 07/01/2023 15:51

They eat so much lol - we have two juvenile boys and even now they can easily eat 3 pouches each and graze on complete bix. They also pinch the puppy food too ... she's daft as a brush and lets them do it!

How old are they? And how much dry food would you guess they eat per day?

OP posts:
custardbear · 08/01/2023 06:03

They're about 1.5 years. 3 pouches each and I buy one of those larger whiskas pink bags of bix approx every 6 weeks. We do have an older female who doesn't eat bix but also has 2-3 pouches a day (she's 8 years old)

Fluffycloudland77 · 08/01/2023 11:24

Our bengal was on 4.5 pouches a day, 5 if DH put him to bed and got gaslight by the cat.

No biscuits though because he was prone to UTI.

Moggy girl is on one tin of gourmet a day and unlimited biccies.

Clarich007 · 08/01/2023 11:30

My cat is 8 now, a rescue that I got at 2 years, so I don't know his history.
He eats all day and has the biggest appetite of any cat I have owned. He is a roamer though and gets lots of exercise, hence the appetite.
Good luck with your beautiful hobbit gremlin 😻😂

Clarich007 · 08/01/2023 11:35

Cat tax paid 😻

Is it really, truly impossible to overfeed a kitten?
Is it really, truly impossible to overfeed a kitten?
Fluffycloudland77 · 08/01/2023 13:31

There is a chance this is a rumour started by kittens and we bought it.

whataboutsecondbreakfast · 08/01/2023 15:40

We've had four cats from kittens over the years - they've always had unlimited dry food and a couple of pouches of wet. As adults, they get a pouch of wet a day (split over two meals) and unlimited dry.

PaperDoves · 08/01/2023 20:38

Fluffycloudland77 · 08/01/2023 13:31

There is a chance this is a rumour started by kittens and we bought it.

😂😂😂

OP posts:
PaperDoves · 08/01/2023 20:57

Clarich007 · 08/01/2023 11:35

Cat tax paid 😻

He's beautiful 😻😻😻 I just found a recent thread about all the cats who won't eat a thing, so it's a relief to find at least a couple people whose cats are also ravenously hungry!

OP posts:
TwoMonthsOff · 09/01/2023 18:20

PaperDoves · 08/01/2023 20:57

He's beautiful 😻😻😻 I just found a recent thread about all the cats who won't eat a thing, so it's a relief to find at least a couple people whose cats are also ravenously hungry!

On the other hand…….
www.mumsnet.com/talk/the_litter_tray/4706298-my-cat-is-fat?page=7

ChristmasTensions · 09/01/2023 18:22

What I find reassuring is to leave dry food out constantly then give a limited number of pouches per day (less than you do). That way, you know they will help themselves to dry food if they are really hungry and they have the wet food as their main meals.

floppybit · 09/01/2023 18:24

Mine were eating 6 pouches a day each as kittens!! They are not fat, they were just growing

stayathomer · 09/01/2023 18:24

I know you don’t want to hear this but I think wet food is either like take away is to us and they can’t get enough, or it’s just not filling. We have times when the cats will only eat wet food and it’s like they will never get enough, they miaow at us like they’re starving just after being fed. It’s not like that on dry food, they eat and then leave. Saying that one of our cats wouldn’t eat dry food if it was the last food in the world!!

Eastereggsboxedupready · 09/01/2023 18:43

It takes energy to be that gorgeous op!!

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