pudgy kitten?

Question

i feel like my kitten is eating too much and is starting to get a little fat. I feed him dry food twice a day and 2 tablespoons of moist food a day. He is almost 9 months old. Im just feeding him basic dry food (ninelives, purina, etc), should i be switching over to a more "expensive" brand that is more filling to him?

he is small length-wise for his age. and he defiently gets enough exersize!

Answer 1

It's probably kitty fat, but man, you feed him a lot! try feeding him dry food in the morning and wet food at night. keep it small , you'll know if he's hungry!

Answer 2

Ideally he should be on one of the more "expensive" or premium foods. Cost really shouldnt be an issue as the food has more digestable ingredients in it than the grocery store brands (ninelives, friskies, purina cat chow etc.), Higher digestability means more absorbtion of the nutrients which means less waste in the litterbox. Also, their poop wont smell as bad, shedding will be kept down a little, and kitty wont feel hungry all the time. The cheaper foods are the human equivalent of eating McDonalds or Burger King everyday. Sure they taste good, but the outcome is unhealthy and fat. I switched my own cats from Purina Cat Chow to Nutro and have not been dissapointed at the results.

Answer 3

Well, I believe he only needs to be fed dry food once a day. Maybe a tablespoon of moist food once or twice a week - I have never used wet food - real wet food, ive given my cat tuna before...-
You really need to watch how much you are feeding the cat and what you are feeding it - its not that the food isnt filling - he is probably used to you feeding him that much. Try and decrease the amount of food you give him steadily... But please be careful, cats can develop numerous problems due to overeating - diabetes and such...
Also you should try and play with the cat at least 15 minutes twice a day so he doesnt become fat and lazy and develop problems...
Jenny

Answer 4

You don't need a more expensive brand- kittens tend to over indulge, so they may eat constantly. If he is 9 months- he might be almost adult size and starting to slow his growth- so he needs less food. Iams and Sci Diet are better quality, yes, but unless you are planning on showing in competitions, it isn't necessary. We feed purina and nine lives to our cats- all have lived over 15 yrs before we put them down b/c of old age.

As for weight: good for you wanting to keep it down- obese cats lead to a lot of problems, including diabetes. You should be able to feel the definition between each rib, but not able to see them- that is a healthy weight.

As for food- you didn't say how much dry food you were feeding him. A lot depends on their metabolism as well. My adult cat gets roughly 1 cup of dry food a day (I use whatever is on sale- mostly nine lives or purina) and wet food is a treat only. He is also extremely active for a cat, so a less active cat would need less.
For how much to feed him, you want to go by the rib definition above- it is the best measure on an individual basis- every cat has a different metabolism.

Answer 5

Your cat is getting fat because you're feeding him food with crappy fillers that his body isn't made to digest. NineLives, purina, and all the others that can be purchased at your grocery store are primarily made with corn products and preservatives. Even some of the better foods still use a tiny bit of corn products, but the main ingredients include chicken, lamb, and rice. I'd recommend removing the wet food from his diet altogether, and placing him on an adult food. He's old enough that he won't have a problem getting the nutrition he needs from just the adult food.
As for the dry food you choose, try to steer clear from Iams and Eukenuba because of the testing they do on animals, and try to find one without corn or cornmeal in the first 4 ingredients. You can also choose not to free feed him, which would control the amount of food he is eating and help manage his weight.

Answer 6

My kitty is the same way. Mine is an outdoor cat too so in the winter so does get a little bigger.

However with age, it could even be that he's not growing up as fast and the food needs to go somewhere. Kitten foods fatten up too. My cat was scrawny but fattened up when i went back to kitten food. maybe it could simply be time for adult cat food.

I don't think expensive brands are more filling, they just have a healthier content. If you feel better going for a more expensive brand and worry about weight, get a brand with weight control.

Hope i could help.

Answer 7

You dont have to add the moist food in with the dry you know.

Because your kitten's rate of growth is slowing, and his nutritional needs are changing somewhat, it's important to monitor feeding amounts and weight gain. As early as six months, kittens can begin to develop weight problems from overfeeding.
Continue to feed your kitten three or four times a day, a total of up to 3/4 cup of nutritionally complete kitten food.

Answer 8

My older cat was pudgy when she was young. The vet recommended a "weight control" cat food. Also, our vet compared basic dry foods to junk foods like hot dogs, and the slightly more expensive kind to whole meat foods like steak. We've used Iams since then and both cats love it. We buy 1 bag every 3-4 weeks for our two cats.

Try several different brands to see what your cat enjoys, and don't forget to play with/exercise your cat just as you would a dog. :)

Answer 9

Our cat had the same problem. We fixed it by just simpily giveing her less food a day. So we only feed her a smallish amount of food each day. But shes still fat because she sleeps on the chouch all day! Hope it works!

Answer 10

the funny thing is..what most people dont know is that dry cat food is more fattening to cats then wet food. try sitching to wet food packets or cans. see if that helps. lol