How to tell if a kitten is hungry

How to Tell if Your Kitten or Cat is Hungry? (Signs to watch for)

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Knowing the signs of hunger in kittens is vital to ensure they get the proper nutrition and care.

When kittens are hungry, they typically show physical signs such as searching for food, becoming more active or meowing. They may also start to suckle on anything nearby, like clothing or fingers if they are not getting enough milk from their mother.

Being able to identify a kittens hunger cues not only ensures proper nourishment but also helps in building a stronger bond of understanding between you and your young feline.

Its essential to monitor a kittens feeding schedule and ensure they get enough to eat. Keep reading to find out how to feed your kitten correctly.

Do Kittens Cry When Hungry?

When hungry, kittens can make various vocalizations, including meows and cries. They may also show physical signs of hunger, such as searching for food or becoming more active.

If the kitten is crying, it may be going through a growth spurt when they eat a lot and grow quickly. Moreover, the tone and frequency of a kittens cry can offer clues about its hunger levels; a sharper, persistent meow might suggest an immediate need for food.

However, you must first take it to a veterinarian to confirm that it does not have worms or anything else that could be causing malnutrition.

You can freely feed your kitten if it is healthy. Its rather tough to make a kitten fat because they have so much energy and burn many calories. If youre already free-feeding the kitten and the vet clears it, you can assume its a behavioral issue rather than a medical one.

Change to the best food you can afford (here are some food recommendations for 2-month-old kittens).

If the kitten continues to cry, consider increased enrichment, more playing, and some toys to interact with.

Common Signs That Your Kittens Are Hungry

Kittens will exhibit many signs when hungry, including:

• Vocalizing Kittens may meow, cry, or make other vocalizations more frequently when hungry.
• Searching for food Kittens may wander around or sniff the area for food when hungry.
• Suckling Kittens may start to suckle on anything nearby, such as clothing or fingers, if they are not getting enough milk from their mother.
• Becoming more active Kittens may become more active and playful when hungry and looking for food.
• Moving closer to their food bowl or caretakers Kittens may start to follow their food bowl or their human caretakers more closely when they are hungry as a sign of seeking food.

Common indications that the cat needs food right away include meowing, following you around the house, and pacing between the owner, food bowl, and kitchen.

How Often Do Kittens Get Hungry?

Growing kittens have distinct nutritional requirements that you cannot address by treating them as adults. Please dont make the mistake of restricting meals because their energy needs regularly change as they grow.

Newborn kittens need to eat every 2-3 hours to get all the nutrition. Until about four to six months,kittens can get hungry every few hours and need to eat at least three times a dayto get the food they need. As they grow older, the time between feedings will increase.

Kittens are always hungry since they are developing. Therefore, they require regular feeding, though the time to quit free feeding is entirely up to you. Our veterinarian advises giving them as much food as they desire until they are three months old.

Kittens should not be restricted in their calorie intake. They require a lot of calories since they are busy growing quickly.

Is Your Kitten Constantly Hungry?

Your kitten may only obtain the nutrition required if the food is of good quality. If the food is low quality, it can cause overeating and constant hunger. Consider taking the kitten to the clinic to rule out parasites if it is continuously hungry.

You can check with your veterinarian to see whether hes at a healthy weight and if feeding him extra is safe.

If the kitten is not used to decent food (starved rescue), he may overeat initially, but he will ultimately learn how much is enough. If you rescued a street kitten, it may have known to eat as much as possible but should gradually adjust.

One issue with restricting food while a kitten is that it causes agobbling behavior, which is exceedingly difficult to change and frequently leads to obesity as an adult. This is seen in rescue cats who were starved as kittens.

You can try puzzle feedersif they are feasting on food and eating too quickly. It makes the cat struggle for food, which slows him down. A puzzle feeder can also be used for wet food, but consult your veterinarian before changing your cats diet.

Can You Overfeed a Kitten?

Kittens should be allowed to eat as much as they desire. They have a lot of energy and a lot of room for development.

Allow kittens 6 months and younger to eat as much as they want, preferably 3-4 times per day. You can feed them twice a day when they reach six months, depending on their size. Simply getting them used to a schedule will help them adjust.

Unless its a starved, adopted kitten from the streets who hasnt learned theres always food at your place,you typically cant overfeed a kitten. They eat a lot, they poop a lot, and they play a lot. If your kitten tends to be most active and playful in the morning, an early breakfast might be best to fuel its energy.

Most veterinarians say you cant overfeed a kitten under six months, so feel free to serve them wet food during meals, with a smaller addition of dry food. You can transition to an adult-recommended calorie intact at a year old but consult with your veterinarian first.

Free-feeding a kitten should be fine until it is 5 to 6 months old, at which point you can begin rationing appropriately.Remember that every cat is unique, and the amounts in packs and cartons are only a general guideline.

Wet food is superior to dry food. To ensure your kitten has enough, try wet food 3x a day. In addition to wet food, I recommend keeping a bowl of dry kitten food available. Consult our guide on underfeeding cats, if you have more concerns.

Allow the kitty to eat at his leisure. Refill the plate when it is empty. You dont have to be concerned about a kitten becoming overweight. If youre feeding dry food, mix in a bit of water.

Related: Why Adult Cats Eats Kitten Food

How to Tell if the Kitten Is Full?

Several signs can indicate that a kitten is full:

• Once a kitten has had enough,they will stop eating and may walk awayfrom their food bowl.
• A full kitten maybecome less activeand want to rest or sleep.
• After eating, kittens maystart to groom themselves, cleaning off any food on their face or paws.
• After a meal, kittens maystart to play, indicating they are satisfied.
• Kittens mayknead their paws after a meal, which can signify that they are content and feeling full.

Its essential to monitor your kittens eating habits and consult with a veterinarian to ensure they get the right amount of food and nutrition for their age and size. This will help to ensure your kitten grows and develops appropriately and stays healthy.

FAQs

Can you leave the kitten alone while you sleep?

Leaving kittens alone is not recommended overnight because they need constant supervision, care, and socialization. They may get into mischief, ingest dangerous objects, or get injured. Have someone check on them regularly or keep them in a safe, secure area.

How often do kittens need milk?

Newborn kittens need milk every 2-3 hours. As they grow older, the time between feedings will increase, and they will start eating solid food. At 3-4 weeks, four feedings per day; at 6-8 weeks, three feedings per day. And at 3-4 months, two feedings per day. Consult with a vet for a proper feeding schedule

How often do kittens need dry food?

As a general rule of thumb, kittens should have access to a supply of dry food at all times, so they can eat whenever they want. As long as you give them enough wet food, we suggest leaving some dry food for free throughout the day, so they may snack when hungry.

Its also critical to monitor their weight and body condition to ensure they are getting enough nutrition and not becoming overweight.

Alex, a passionate animal lover, has experience in training and understanding animal behavior. As a proud pet parent to two dogs and three cats, he founded AnimalReport.net to share insights from animal experts and expand his knowledge of the animal kingdom.

My Kitten Is Always Hungry (Am I Feeding It Enough?)

Growing up, I was quite the hungry child, always ready for the next meal. Seeing a similar insatiable appetite in my newly adopted kitten took me by surprise.

Despite feeding him regularly, he seemed to have an endless hunger.

If youre caring for a kitten right now, you might be asking yourself, Why is my kitten always hungry?

Kittens are hungry all the time because of their rapid growth and high metabolic rate. Think of them as growing kids that need all the nutrition that they can get. There can also be certain health issues that can cause a kitten to be always hungry and this requires medical attention.

Lets take a look at the required nutrition that a growing kitten needs and some possible medical conditions that can be fueling your kittens insatiable hunger.

Is It Normal For My Kitten To Be This Hungry?

If you have never seen a hungry kitten before, you have no idea how hangry (hungry+angry) they can get when their little but bottomless bellies need food.

Kittens are eating machines due to their growth spurts and high energy levels. You need to keep feeding the meowing machine.

When kittens are first born, they are very dependent on their mother for food. The kittens will always be crying for their mother for attention and milk until they are old enough to fend for their own.

Mothers milk is best for them as it contains all the required nutrients and antibodies that help to bolster the weak immune systems of her kittens.

For the next 5-6 weeks, the mother cat will be kept very busy from the constant feeding that is required to keep her kittens growing and satisfy their healthy appetite.

How Many Times A Day Should A Kitten Be Fed?

There are different milestones during the growing years of a kitten. The number of times that you need to feed your kitten largely depends on its age.

There are times when a mother cat will bring her kittens to you because she is unable to feed all of them properly.

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Another important point to note is not to remove the kitten from its mother before 12-15 weeks.

Just because the kittens are weaned off their mothers milk at 5 weeks means they are ready to conquer the world.

Removing kittens from their mother prematurely can result in behavioral and health issues as they get older.

Newborn To 5 Weeks Old

If your kitten is still less than 5 weeks old, it needs to be bottle-fed on a regular feeding routine. And by regular, I do mean every few hours even throughout the night.

Pretty similar to how you would care for a baby.

This might not be the best time for you to let your kitten sleep alone downstairs or in a room. Your little kitty requires round the clock feeding every fwe hours.

When feeding a kitten at such a tender age, please only use kitten milk formula from the vet.

Do not feed the poor cat cows milk that you have in your fridge or you will be dealing with explosive diarrhea for a few days.

6 To 12 Weeks

At this age, most kittens will start to wean off their mothers milk. If you have been feeding your kitten a milk formula for the last few weeks, you can slowly start to transition to solid food.

Start off with some good quality canned food a few times a day. You can slowly stop feeding your kitten milk once it has gotten used to solid cat food.

At this age, your kitten will still be a very hungry cat and feeding more than three meals a day is pretty normal.

Keep the food portions small as a kittens tummy is still small and cant hold much food.

It is best to not leave out the wet food for too long to prevent any form of contamination.

12 Weeks To 6 Months

As your kitten gets older, you can start to increase the food portion size and decrease the feeding frequency.

Your cats tummy has more space to contain more food and keep them full for longer periods of time.

This will be the optimal growing phase for most kittens which is why you still need to feed them as much food as they want.

Not only is the quantity of food important but the quality of your cats diet as well.

If you are keen on transitioning your cat to a raw meat diet, now is a good time to do so.

Youll be surprised as to how well a kitten can take to eating raw meat at such a young age.

6 Months And Above

Most kittens will start to slow down in their growth rate once they reach about 80-85% of their adult size. In most breeds, kittens become adult cats at 12-14 months of age.

There are some breeds like the Maine Coon that can take 3-4 years to reach maturity which also explains their huge size compared to other breeds.

A fully grown male Coon can weigh a hefty 25 lbs.

Once the kittens growth rate slows down, it will probably start to eat lesser as well. Feeding your cat about twice a day is more than enough for many breeds.

Should I Let My Kitten Eat As Much As It Wants?

In theory yes because kittens require as many calories as possible to support their rapid growth, especially during the first 6 months,

There are so many recommendations as to how much you should be feeding your kitten based on their age vs daily caloric intake.

Truth be told, it is confusing and can cause some cat owners to feed their kittens lesser than required for optimal growth.

Heres what I did instead when my cat was a kitten.

Every time that my cat was hungry, I just feed him till he wasnt interested in the food dish.

I tried following the instructions on the can label but my cat reacted like I was starving him.

You can follow those recommendations as a guide but your kittens appetite would depend on its activity level, breed and genetics.

It is better to overfeed your kitten than to underfeed it.

If you have a young kitten and plan to leave it alone at home while youre at work, that isnt going to work.

You will need to get someone to come by to feed your kitten or it will get too hungry.

How Do I Know If My Kitten Is Overeating?

Yes, I share your concern about overfeeding your kitten and your cat turning into a giant furry lardball.

I dont know about you but in all my years of keeping and fostering cats, Ive never seen a fat or obese kitten before.

Even the ones that seem a little chonky can still play all day long.

It is hard to overfeed your kitten if you are feeding it a good quality diet.

Most kittens know when to stop eating when they are full but there will always be one or two who will be too enthusiastic about meal time.

Here are some ways to know if your kitten is overeating.

Diarrhea

The main symptom that I look out for is diarrhea. Kittens that overeat tend to have loose stools.

The poo of a healthy kitten should be firm and light/dark brown in color. Just like when we gaze in pride in the toilet bowl after having a good number 2.

If your kitten is having the runs, try feeding it lesser during meal times to see if that clears up within a day or two.

Otherwise, you need to bring your cat to the vet for an examination.

Diarrhea in kittens can be fatal as they will lose a lot of water and electrolytes.

An important heads up.

Your cats poo stinks according to what they eat. My cats poo smelt like radioactive waste when he was on kibbles for the first few months.

And his poo smelt the least offensive when he was on a raw meat diet.

You have been warned.

Swollen Looking Belly

It is normal for your kitten to have a little belly bulge after a full meal.

But if the bulge looks distended and uncomfortable for the kitten, it means that the kitten is eating a tad too much each time.

A good way around this is to feed smaller amounts per meal but increase the frequency.

Vomiting

Cats that eat too fast and too much at one go will tend to regurgitate their food shortly.

This is because the stomach wall expands too quickly which causes the brain to send the signal to Eject! Eject!.

Smaller and more frequent meals can help solve this problem.

Why Is My Kitten Always Hungry But Skinny?

The growth spurt of a kitten is very noticeable, especially during the first 6-7 months of its life.

If you are nursing a very young kitten, it is good practice to keep track of the cats weight to make sure that it is putting on weight at a healthy pace.

A good gain rate would be 3-5 ounces a week and it should be at a healthy weight of about 2-3 lbs when it is about 8 weeks old.

However, there can be times that despite all the food that your cat eats, your little feline friend doesnt seem to gain weight.

Why?

Intestinal Parasites

It is common for many kittens to have intestinal parasites during their early years. more than 50% of cats are infected by these pesky intestinal parasites.

Most of the time, these kittens can get it from their mother or when eating contaminated food.

The more common parasites are:

• Hookworms
• Roundworms
• Tapeworms

These worms will enter your cats body and take up residence in its digestive system, feeding off the nutrients from your cats food.

Your cat might be eating a lot, a good portion of the food is being leeched off by the worms.

This can cause unexplained weight loss in your kitten even though it is acting hungry all the time.

These worms can multiply to be in the hundreds and thousands if nothing is done to eliminate them.

If your kitten has yet to be dewormed, take it to the vet for a check. You will have to provide a stool sample for the vet to examine.

Once these parasites have been identified, your cat will be given dewormer tablets to remove these worms.

Most indoor cats have to be dewormed only once. But if your cat is allowed to roam outdoors, you must check for worms regularly.

Underlying Medical Problem

There are many health issues that can cause your kitten to lose weight even though it is eating well. Kittens dont have very strong immune systems and can fall sick easily.

If you notice that your kitten has been having diarrhea, nausea or feeling lethargic, you need to get it to the vet right away.

Dont sit on it as kittens only have a small window before the cats health can worsen dramatically.

Should I Free Feed My Kitten with Dry Food?

I know of many cat owners who leave out huge servings of dry food for their kittens to munch on the whole day long.

This isnt good for them.

Firstly, dry food or kibbles is just really bad for cats in general let alone kittens who require top-quality nutrition. And please dont feed you kittens human foods as well.

Most dry food contains very little protein and too much carbohydrates. All cats are obligate carnivores and require protein from animal meat to survive.

Secondly, leaving out dry food in the open the whole day long can result in it getting stale and being contaminated. This is especially so if you live in a warm and humid country.

The last thing we want to happen is for our kitten to be eating spoiled food and getting food poisoning.

Nora is a passionate writer with a love for books, animals, and gardening.

Her writing is inspired by her two cats and a loyal dog, who serve as her muses, as well as the tranquility she finds in her garden.

With a knack for storytelling, Nora offers a unique blend of book recommendations, heartwarming animal tales, and gardening insights.

Whether youre interested in paws, petals, or page-turners, Noras world is a treasure trove of engaging content.