When to switch from 'Kitten Growth' to 'Adult Maintain' feedings

[Pam and Will]

Hi folks!

So with looking at raw diets and commercial or make you own I see various amounts to feed to kittens and adult cats. Kittens to compensate for their crazy growth rate in the first year or beyond? For adults to maintain a healthy weight. When do you consider a SV switch to the feeding amounts? I've heard they grow for the first 4 years or so. Given the first year seems to be the bear or SV share of the growth.

We will be switching our guy over to raw once he becomes settled in.

Thanks!

 

[WitchyWoman]

The very best way to determine how much to feed, IMHO, is by regularly weighing the cat and determining with your vet if the growth weight is on target. However, a general guideline: feed 2-3% of body weight per day; kittens up to 6mos. -- feed 3-4x per day. To calculate ounces to feed: (body weight) x 16(to convert lbs to ounces) x .03. So a 4lb cat = 4 x 16 x .03 = 1.92 ounces/2 ounces per day.

I used this guide when mine were kittens and considered the 3% as a minimum so if they ate that much, I was happy and if they ate more, I was happier. It's difficult to determine "the" amount to feed with a kitten because they will vary in energy and growth. If there's food left in the dish, feed less. If the cat cleans the plate, try feeding a bit more. Kittens simply need as much food as they will eat and it's trial and error until they plateau at their adult weight.

You'll know when your cat is going through a growth spurt because appetite will increase noticeably over what it normally eats. Two of mine had these growth spurts through their 2nd year. I didn't expect a growth spurt in their 2nd year and was surprised when their appetites went up considerably. Then I noticed that they were getting taller and longer which I thought didn't happen after 1-1.5 yrs.

Now that they're adults, it's still trial and error to keep them at a healthy weight. My 24 lb F2 eats between 1-2 lbs per day. My 14 lb F2 thinks he should be able to eat that much but he has a tendency to be portly so he's restricted to 6-7 ounces per day. My picky eater F6 -- well, it's a cause for celebration if he eats 2 days in a row.

 

[Pam and Will]

Thanks for the info Deborah! Leto will be 1.5 years next month, we'll start with the suggestions and see how much he eats. Knowing for the first little bit his appetite will be a bit off till he settles in.

 

[WitchyWoman]

When does he come home? I thought it was tomorrow but probably have that confused with someone else's kitten.

 

[Pam and Will]

Oh yes! Tomorrow is pickup day!! Keeping him on his current food till he seems comfortable in his new home then will do a slow transition over to raw. I say 'raw' and have to picture Gollum "Give it to us raw and wriggling!" We'll exclude the wriggling part!

 

[WitchyWoman]

Are you going to get any sleep tonight? Such a wonderful change to your life you're going to experience tomorrow. My guys eat whole prey and while the prey is dead and doesn't wriggle on its own, it sometimes become airborne when one of my boyz decided to play with his food

 

[Patti]

My rule of thumb it to let them eat as much as they want, as long as they are not becoming overweight.

 

[Pam and Will]

Hahahaha!! Flying... what do you feed as whole prey?

We are SO anxious.. though I wore myself out today with errands so we don't have anything to do but spend time with him, even took off work. My wife has been cleaning up and room preparing... breakables put away for now! LOL

 

[WitchyWoman]

They eat quail, chickens, mice, rats, rabbits, guinea pigs. They used to eat ground raw when babies but don't like any kind of ground now. I buy them buffalo meat when I can find it and they love it.

 

[Pam and Will]

Yea, I don't think we'll go the ground route. First start with some course chopped to make sure he adjust to it, then increase the size of the bits. For bones going to start with chicken wings to make sure his system adjust to it. Maybe some sardines mixed in for fishes.