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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.

Original poster

Should I let kitten eat as much as she wants?

40 replies

LilLilLi · 20/02/2023 10:31

I have a 12 week old kitten, health checked, vaccinated and up to date on working/flea treatment so don’t think it’s worms, but she wants to eat all the time!

She has dry biscuits out all the time and clears the bowl at least once a day, as well as a pouch of wet food a day split into two meals. The wet food is good quality, 93% meat so I thought would be quite filling but she is always looking for more and on the occasions where I do give her more she eats it all.

Advice online is conflicting, and I don’t want to make her unhealthy!

Cat Tax -

Should I let kitten eat as much as she wants?
Should I let kitten eat as much as she wants?
OP posts:
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Original poster
LilLilLi · 20/02/2023 10:32

Worming*

OP posts:
Twoshoesnewshoes · 20/02/2023 10:35

Awwwww she’s so cute!
I find they eat loads in this early teenage bit - generally I feed them if they really seem hungry and this phase calms down after a few weeks and they have finished their current growth spurt!
but I’m not an expert in any way, hopefully someone will be able to advise.

CatChant · 20/02/2023 13:08

Kittens eat voraciously but they are doing a huge amount of growing and rampaging so they need a lot of fuel.

I’ve never limited their food at this age and I’ve found their appetites settle down as they get bigger.

She is beautiful, by the way.

FormerlyPathologicallyHappy · 20/02/2023 13:08

Yes free feed, they grow so quickly.

Pixiedust1234 · 20/02/2023 13:19

Shes growing rapidly during this stage. Kittens (or any babies) have a very small stomach so need approximately 4 to 6 meals a day of good kitten food. Just checking she's on kitten and not 1yr+ food?

Let her appetite guide you during this stage unless you start to see wobbly fat love handles then consult a vet but I highly doubt this will happen, she's just being a baby 😍

VeryQuaintIrene · 20/02/2023 13:21

She's gorgeous and I'm sure she needs everything she's asking for. That said, all the cats I've ever known with these markings have been quite greedy and quite rotund...

Should I let kitten eat as much as she wants?
VivietteConstantine · 20/02/2023 13:31

Definitely give her as much as she needs - she's a growing girl!

Is she on a kitten food? Mine always like Applaws kitten in tins, and Wild Freedom, a Zooplus own brand one.

Original poster
LilLilLi · 20/02/2023 14:00

She is on kitten food, and she is very grateful that you have all told me to feed freely 😂

Thank you, I was worried about making her fat but I feel reassured I’m doing the right thing.

OP posts:
Pixiedust1234 · 20/02/2023 14:30

Please start telling yourself "its not fat, its fur" 😂

Original poster
LilLilLi · 20/02/2023 14:52

Pixiedust1234 · 20/02/2023 14:30

Please start telling yourself "its not fat, its fur" 😂

Can I use that excuse too?! 😂

OP posts:
Clarich007 · 20/02/2023 18:46

I had 12 week old litter mate sisters, and they were the same, they never stopped eating. I just assumed they were growing. It calmed down after a few months,butI fed them freely. She's gorgeous by the way. My cat has the same markings.

Clarich007 · 20/02/2023 18:49

Here's my boy

Should I let kitten eat as much as she wants?
Clarich007 · 20/02/2023 18:49

Here's my boy

Should I let kitten eat as much as she wants?
Should I let kitten eat as much as she wants?
Clarich007 · 20/02/2023 18:50

Sorry posted twice!

Florissant · 20/02/2023 18:59

He's so gorgeous we need to see multiple photos of him!

Clarich007 · 20/02/2023 19:38

Oops sorry, but thank you.
He wasn't looking his best in this photo, he was recovering from serious cat flu. He had a nasty virus which gave him 8 weeks of constant runs. 2 weeks in he developed cat flu, despite being up to date on all his flu jabs. I thought he would die at one point. It was scary.

Clarich007 · 20/02/2023 19:47

I must apologise for this awful photo.
This is the reality of cat flu. Please vaccinate your precious cats and kittens x

Should I let kitten eat as much as she wants?
Should I let kitten eat as much as she wants?
Should I let kitten eat as much as she wants?
Florissant · 20/02/2023 19:48

Poor baby. He's better now, though?

BlueKaftan · 20/02/2023 19:51

Aww bless him. My girl gets allergies and sneezes her head off.

IloveRickyGervaisAndHisTeeth · 20/02/2023 19:53

Give her more wet food - 1 pouch, 2 or 3 times a day, but leave dry food down all the time. Cats don't usually overeat, unless they aren't getting enough protein

girlofsandwich · 20/02/2023 19:57

Adorable! My boy is 13 months old and leaving dry food out to graze is absolutely out of the question, they're all so different😂

I fed him as much as he wanted as a young kitten and he still bit through thick bags of food, got into the treats drawer, ate a blob of butter from a hot frying pan and got his head stuck in instant porridge pots from the bin. I still have child locks on all my cupboards and nothing can be left out.

He is a perfect weight and no worms, the vet said he is just food motivated! Portion control is not his thing so I'm very careful to keep him really active and not overfeed now he's a little older.

I feed him mostly good quality wet food mixed with some water on a licki mat now, and end each meal with a tiny bit of dry food either in a food puzzle, a treat ball or one piece placed all around the house that he can hunt for and he's calmed down a LOT now. I can make a ham sandwich in his presence 😂

Just be careful of hot hobs when they're into human food! I always put a pot of cold water on any I've used.
It's sort of handy that he loves food because he's easily distracted and lured out should he squirm somewhere he shouldn't.

Enjoy the kitten years they are so funny!

girlofsandwich · 20/02/2023 20:00

Clarich007 · 20/02/2023 19:47

I must apologise for this awful photo.
This is the reality of cat flu. Please vaccinate your precious cats and kittens x

Aww poor boy! He's so gorgeous, glad he's better it's hard to see them so poorly.

Clarich007 · 20/02/2023 20:00

He is thank you Florrisant. All better now. He was born on the steets, so he must be a tough cookie.

Clarich007 · 20/02/2023 20:02

Girlof sandwich, I'm sorry but that made me laugh especially the porridge pot. 😂😍

Lorddenning1 · 20/02/2023 20:08

Mine have a pouch each, twice a day, plus biscuits out all day. The biscuits are normally gone by the morning.