Can I feed my kitten 3 times a day

Feeding Kittens 101: What to Feed, How Much, and How Often

What to Feed Kittens

Your kittens dietary requirements are going to be different from an adult cats dietary requirements. To help a kitten grow healthy and strong, their food typically requires:

Margie Scherk, DVM, DABVP of the Cats Only Veterinary Clinic in Ottawa, ON, Canada, described this in detail at the Central Veterinary Conference 2013 in Kansas City: Young cats have growth requirements, which include an increased proportion of animal-based protein and more calcium and phosphorus.¹

Your new kitten will likely have tons of energy and engage in rowdy play, so their food needs to support their body as they burn calories exercising as well as expend energy for growth.

Feeding Kittens Wet Versus Dry Food

Wet and dry cat food are commonly available in kitten formulations, and there are pros and cons to feeding each. To decide which option best suits your kittens needs, talk with your veterinarian and get their recommendation. Here are some pros and cons of each:

• Wet cat food is higher in moisture, so it can be beneficial in keeping kittens hydrated, flushing out the urinary tract, and helping kidneys stay healthy. However, wet food tends to stick to the teeth more, which can be associated with dental disease and painful cavity-type problems for cats.

• Dry cat food is easier to feed in mutli-cat homes and can help scrape tartar from the teeth. However, some cats can overeat with dry food and gain excessive weight, which can be associated with arthritis, heart problems, blood pressure problems, respiratory problems, or diabetes mellitusjust to name a few.

How to Select a High-Quality Kitten Food

It may take some initial time and energy in determining which food is right for your kitten, but your efforts will be rewarded in a healthy, happy, beautiful kitten.

The best way to find the healthiest kitten food is to compare foods, choose a few possible options, and then talk with your veterinarian about which of those is best for your kitten. Consider the protein source in the food and pick a diet that does not contain a lot of filler ingredients.

How Much to Feed a Kitten

Kittens are growing rapidly at this young age and eat a lot of food compared to adult cats. We want to provide their bodies with everything necessary for growth, but we also want to develop healthy long-term eating habits.

Feeding guidelines are variable by kitten. However, most often, using the feeding directions on the bag or can of food is a good starting place, and then you can adjust as needed for your kitten. Your veterinarian can use metabolic formulas to calculate the number of calories required per day based on your kittens current weight.

We want kittens to come hungry for their meal, but we also dont want them to be feeling so hungry that they devour the entire meal in a few seconds. Often, young kittens may eat to cup of food at a time.

If your kitten is thin, we may need to increase the caloric requirement per day. If your kitten is gaining too much weight too quickly, we may need to cut back. Your veterinarian will use a tool called a body condition score to assess your kittens weight.

Healthy Kitten Growth Rate

A general rule of thumb in kittens is that they typically gain about 1 pound per month.

Often, a kittens weight is about 1 pound at 1 month (4 weeks), 2 pounds at 2 months (8 weeks), and so on until about 4-5 months.

Kittens do most of their growing (both height and weight) within the first year and then stabilize from there. Many of the growth plates of the bones in the kitten skeleton close by about one year old.

At this time, after much of the growth is finished, your vet will typically switch your kitten to an adult diet.

Feeding Methods for Kittens

There are two main ways to feed kittens. Each of these ways have pros and cons, so consider the details and talk with your veterinarian about free-feeding versus portioned meal feeding.

Free-Feeding Method

Free-feeding kittens is usually done with dry food, leaving a bowl out all the time so the food is readily available. This is convenient for pet parents, especially if they have busy schedules.

The benefit to this type of feeding is that your kitten can eat when they want and ideally self-regulate how much they need.

One disadvantage to this is that some kittens will overeat and gain excessive weight. Another disadvantage is that in a multiple-cat household, the older cats have access to and may be eating the kitten food.

This is not always healthy for the older cats needs, and more dominant cats may control the kittens access to the food bowl. In these cases, the kitten may not be getting enough to eat. It can be hard to track an individual cats eating habits when they share a free-feeding bowl.

One way to deal with this is by using a microchip-activated feeder that only opens when it scans your kittens microchip. Just make sure another cat is not guarding this feeder and keeping the kitten from eating.

Meal-Feeding Method

Meal-feeding kittens is the second option for feeding. This works well with wet food that cant be left out all day. Feeding specific portions at certain times is also helpful for monitoring exactly how much and what kind of food each cat is eating in a multiple-cat home.

Meal-feeding is more time-intensive for pet parents and tends to require a more routine schedule. You need to make sure you are able to feed your kitten often enough with this type of feeding. There are some cat food bowls that work on timers to automatically release a measured amount of dry food at specified times.

Kittens can also learn to use their instinctual hunting behavior to work for part of their daily food. This helps keep your kitten healthy mentally and physically.

There are many interactive bowls, balls that disperse dry food slowly, and other options available to keep your kitten occupied so his/her meal is not gone in a few seconds.

How Often to Feed Kittens

Younger kittens (6-16 weeks) need to be fed several meals per day, if you are not free-feeding.

As they are growing and burning calories, we want to keep their bodies supplied with energy. Feed meals every 6-8 hours.

Your veterinarian will figure out the total daily calories that your kitten needs, and you can divide that between the number of meals per day. Typically, by the time kittens get to 4-5 months, they can be transitioned to two meals per day, still feeding the total number of daily calories, but in less frequent, larger meals.

Reasons Your Kitten May Not Be Eating

If your new kitten is not eating well or has diarrhea, call your vet and schedule another checkup.

Sometimes intestinal parasites can cause gastrointestinal upset in kittens. It is common for kittens to come home already infected with parasites. They can get some parasites through the placenta before birth as well as in the milk from the mother cat.

Some of these parasites can also be transmitted to people, so good hygiene and preventive care are important.

Bottle Feeding/Orphaned Kittens

Sometimes a mama cat is no longer able to care for her kittens, and we need to help them. This is a big but rewarding task to take on.

These kittens are often days to a week old (they may still even have their eyes closed). They must be bottle fed, every few hours, initially, with kitten milk replacer formulas.

You also need to use a washcloth to gently wipe their genitals after eating to stimulate urination and defecation, as they are unable to do this themselves in the first few weeks.

These bottle-fed kittens are very loyal and loving, but they do require extra attention regarding socialization since the mother cat is unavailable to teach them acceptable play and biting behaviors.

A good reminder comes from Ed Carlson, CVT, VTS (Nutrition). Kittens that are abandoned by their mothers should be carefully examined for visible birth defects such as a cleft palate and medical attention provided by a veterinarian if necessary. Supplementation with a milk replacement formula or a surrogate mother will be necessary to raise abandoned or orphaned kittens. ²

To learn more about cat pregnancy and kitten care, check out PetMDs complete cat pregnancy and kitten guide.

References

References:

1. Margie Scherk, DVM, DABVP: Feeding Cats with Different Nutritional Needs: A Dilemma in the Multicat Household, Central Veterinary Conference 2013 - Kansas City.

2. Ed Carlson, CVT, VTS (Nutrition): Neonatal Nutrition: Feeding Puppies and Kittens from Birth to Weaning, 41st Annual OAVT Conference & Trade Show.

Featured Image: iStock.com/chendongshan

The Complete Feeding Guide From Kittens to Seniors

French author Francois de la Rochefoucauld said that to eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art.

Feeding a cat looks simple enough at first glance. You buy a bag of food with a picture of a cat on it, dump it in a bowl, and wait for your cat to eat when theyre hungry. Its an approach that can work, but it doesnt always bring out the best in your kitten or cat.

Feeding your cat intelligently involves a little more care.

In this cat feeding guide, youll learn how to nourish your cat from kittenhood through their senior years. Youll find out how much to feed your cat at different life stages, how many meals they need per day, and which types of food are best.

Weve broken down your cats dietary needs by age group, giving you a roadmap for good nutrition at every stage of life.

Your Cats Dietary Needs Evolve Over Time

As your cat moves through kittenhood, early adulthood, and beyond, their nutritional needs will change. Meeting those requirements at every phase of life sets the stage for good health.

Your first stop when choosing the right food for your cat? The nutritional adequacy statement.

Usually located on the back of the bag or can, this statement indicates whether or not the food is nutritionally complete and balanced for its intended life stage. The label will read, for example, formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO cat food nutrient profiles for all life stages.

Foods that arent nutritionally complete and balanced will usually be labeled for supplemental feeding only. These foods dont contain the appropriate balance of macronutrients (protein, fat, and carbohydrates) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), and shouldnt be your cats sole source of nutrition.

While youre looking at the label, check out the feeding instructions, as well. For the average house cat, the appropriate feeding instructions are usually placed on the packaging of the cat food.

The nutritional guidelines on the package will point you in the right direction, though you might need to make some modifications to fit your cats exact needs.

Heres a guide on how to feed your cat during the different phases of their life.

#1 Newborn Kitten, Age: 0 to 4 Weeks

During this stage, most kittens rely on their mothers milk as their only source of nutrition. If their mother is present, you wont need to feed kittens at alltheyll know how to feed themselves! That said, if youve rescued an orphaned kitten, youll need to bottle feed.

Kittens require a kitten milk replacement formula, which replicates the nutrition found in mother cats milk. You can purchase kitten milk replacer from your veterinarian or from a pet-supply store. Do not feed a kitten cows milkit doesnt have the right nutritional balance to nourish a newborn kitten.

Kitten milk replacer might come as a powder, which is mixed with water according to the package directions, or as a ready-to-feed liquid formula. Ready-to-feed formula does not need to be mixed up, but its more expensive than powder formula.

Leftover reconstituted milk replacer can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours after which time it must be discarded. Once opened, ready-to-feed liquid formula can be stored in the fridge up to 72 hours, then must be discarded. Warm up cold formula thats been in the refrigerator before feeding it to the kitten.

How Much Should You Feed Your Newborn Kitten?

If your kittens mother is available to nurse, the kitten will nurse freely. If youre bottle-feeding, follow the instructions on your package of kitten milk replacer. Exact amounts might vary depending on the brand of milk replacer, but in most cases, youll feed about 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) of liquid kitten formula per 4 ounces of body weight daily.

For example, a 2-week-old kitten weighing 8 ounces would get about 4 tablespoons (60 milliliters) of liquid kitten formula daily divided into equal portions across several meals. This might look like 10 milliliters of milk replacer formula six times a day or 7.5 milliliters eight times a day.

How Often Should You Feed Your Newborn Kitten?

Newborn kittens that are nursing from their mother feed frequently, latching on to nurse once every one to two hours. However, when bottle feeding, the kittens are receiving a larger volume of formula, so they dont need to eat this frequently. Feed kittens ages newborn to 4 weeks old every three to four hours, or six to eight times per day. Very young kittens (newborn to 1 week old) or those that seem weak can be fed every two hours.

Also Read: Best Wet Food For Kittens

#2 4- to 8-Week-Old Kitten

Kittens usually begin the weaning process around their fourth week. During this time, theyll start gradually shifting from milk or formula onto a solid food diet, which delivers the protein, fatty acids, and nutrients that fuel their early development.

Also Read:The 8 Best Cat Bowls

From 4 to 5 weeks of age, bottle-fed kittens still need milk replacement formula, but you can also start slowly transitioning the kitten to a diet of watered-down kitten food. Start by replacing some of the kittens usual meals with a loose slurry of wet kitten food and kitten formula on a spoon. Next, gradually start feeding your kitten from a shallow saucer. Once the kitten is 5 to 6 weeks old and eating kitten food well, you can discontinue bottle feeding.

Kitten Lady has an excellent video on transitioning your kitten from kitten formula to solid food.

How Much Should You Feed Your 4- 8-Week-Old Kitten?

At this stage, your kitten is growing rapidly and needs about three times as many calories per pound as an adult. Your kitten might need 60 calories per pound of body weight. As calorie contents vary among different foods, consult the package of the kitten food youre feeding to determine how much to feed your kitten daily.

How Often Should You Feed Your 4- 8-Week-Old Kitten?

Compared to newborn kittens that eat every one to four hours, older kittens 4 to 8 weeks old usually eat every four to six hours. Frequent meals are still essential to accommodate your kittens small stomach and high energy demands.

#3 8- to 16-Week-Old Kitten

At this exciting stage of development, your kittens personality is developing and their predatory nature is becoming ever more apparent. By 8 to 10 weeks of age, a kitten is fully weaned and should be eating a meat-based kitten food that delivers plenty of protein, animal-derived fatty acids for brain and eye development, and the right levels of vitamins and minerals.

How Much Should You Feed Your 8- to 16-Week-Old Kitten?

During this phase, your kitten is developing rapidly and requires plenty of calories to support that growth. Growing kittens might need 250 to 280 calories per day, with larger breeds like Maine Coons and Ragdolls requiring as many as 360 calories daily. To ensure your kitten is getting enough food to meet their calorie requirements, check the label on the package of the kitten food to find out how much to feed your kitten daily.

How Often Should You Feed Your 8- to 16-Week-Old Kitten?

Three to four meals per day is ideal, but kittens older than 8 weeks can also free-feed on dry food. Be careful with free-feeding. While your kitten should be gaining weight at this stage, too much dry food can lead to excess weight gain.

Also Read: Best Kitten FoodTop 5 Best Kitten Foods on the Market Today

#4 4- to 6-Month-Old Kitten

During this stage, your kitten will start to settle into their dietary routine. Thats why its vital to make sure youre establishing good habits for adulthood. Feeding a varied diet can keep your kitten from becoming finicky and keep them mentally stimulated. Kittens who eat a dry diet at this stage will likely get hooked on the crunch and might not want to eat wet food later in life.

Wet or canned food is usually rich in species-appropriate animal-based protein, is lower in carbohydrates, and has a higher moisture content (70% to 80%) than that of dry food (6% to 10%).

How Much Should You Feed Your 4- to 6-Month-Old Kitten?

At this stage, kittens still need about twice as many calories per pound than adult cats. Refer to the feeding guidelines on your kittens food to determine how much to feed per pound of body weight.

Kittens in this age group need around 60 to 65 calories per pound of body weight per day. For example, a 5-pound kitten should consume about 325 calories per day.

How Often Should You Feed Your 4- to 6-Month-Old Kitten?

While a four-month-old kitten will need about three to four small meals per day, you can reduce daily feedings to two to three meals by the time your kitten is six months old. You can also give your kitten treats throughout the day, but calories from treats shouldnt exceed 5% to 10% of total daily caloric intake.

#5 6 Months to 10-Year-Old Cats

Older kittens still need plenty of calories to fuel their growth, but their metabolism will start to gradually slow down and their nutritional needs will start to look more like those of an adult.

Around the time of your kittens first birthday, you can start the transition from kitten food to an adult diet. Note, however, that larger-breed cats might continue to grow until theyre 3 to 4 years old and might continue to eat a growth-oriented diet. Talk to your veterinarian for advice on when to switch your large-breed kitten to an adult diet.

How Much Should You Feed Your Adult Cat?

As your kittens metabolism starts to slow down and they reach adulthood, you might notice them start to put on excess weight. Obesity is a common issue among adult cats and, when not corrected early on, might lead to health complications later in life. Regular exercise and a well-controlled diet will help to prevent obesity and keep your cat in good shape.

Whether you feed your cat homemade cat food or the best commercial cat foods, its critical to feed the right amount per day. But theres no single amount of food that every cat should eat each day. Calorie needs vary from cat to cat, with many factors coming into play.

When deciding how much to feed your cat, youll have to consider their breed, age, reproductive status, underlying health conditions, and more. In general, however, the recommended daily caloric intake is about 20 calories per pound of body weight. Your vet can advise you about how much to feed your cat to maintain an ideal weight.

Click here for a calculator that helps you identify how many calories your cat needs per day.

How Often Should You Feed Your Adult Cat?

After your cat reaches 6 months of age, you may feed two to three meals per day.

Also Read: Best Cat Food Guide

#6 Senior Years (11+ Years)

Compared to young and middle-aged adults, senior cats have unique nutritional needs. They often exhibit a reduced ability to metabolize protein and therefore tend to lose muscle mass.

Senior cats require more digestible protein to support lean muscle mass and stay healthy. Cats at this age might also develop arthritis and other inflammatory conditions, making omega-3 fatty acids a particularly beneficial addition to the senior cats diet.

Since older cats might have difficulty eating because of dental problems, wet or moist food is better for senior cats.

How Much Should You Feed Your Senior Cat?

Senior and elderly cats require more calories per pound of body weight. If your senior appears to be losing muscle mass, consider increasing their calorie intake to 30 to 40 calories per pound. The majority of those calories should come from animal-based protein, which helps to prevent sarcopenia (loss of muscle due to aging).

How Often Should You Feed Your Senior Cat?

Continue to feed your senior cat two to three meals per day.

Also Read: Best Cat Food For Senior Cats

Cat Feeding Chart

Final Thoughts

Your Cat Needs Water Too

In addition to the correct food regimen, its also important that a cat has access to clean water. Proper hydration helps to prevent constipation and reduces the risk of urinary system diseases like urinary tract infections and blockage.

Access to fresh water is essential, regardless of if your cat eats dry or wet food.

Consult With Your Veterinarian for More Advice

Even with the knowledge shared in this article, you should consult with your veterinarian for your cats individual dietary needs. Your veterinarian will be able to recommend the ideal diet and feeding regimen for your cat based on your cats age, lifestyle, dietary preferences, and overall health status.

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1. Guide to Raising Unweaned & Underage Kittens, UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program. https://www.sheltermedicine.com/library/guidebooks/?r=guide-to-raising-unweaned-underage-kittens/caring-for-kittens-from-birth-to-eight-weeks

2. https://resources.bestfriends.org/article/bottle-feeding-kittens#Feeding