New kitten....questions & advice (merged)

foreversomeday

We recently adopted a 13 week old kitten called Bernard from the CPL. He had been living with a foster family and she told us he was on Felix kitten food pouches but she wasn't sure how much as she was looking after other cats too. She did say he was greedy though! Oh, she also put down Hills dry food science diet as well but I wasn't sure about that as I thought that was a complete food, rather than the whiskas and felix biscuits which are designed for nibbling?

So we got home and we have been feeding him whenever he seems hungry but trying not to go over the amount recommended on the cat food box, which is 2-3 pouches per day, fed over an average of 4 meals. But he seems hungry all the time, and I don't know when he is actually hungry and when he is trying it on - my mum has always kept cats, so I know they will try to be fed several times more a day than they usually need to be. We are going to start putting dry food down for him to nibble on as well, I think. At the moment he has been here since about 11am on Sunday and since then he has eaten 6 and a half pouches of felix kitten food. Which sounds fine since I write it down! Perhaps I am being silly...

He has been wormed and I haven't registered him with a vet yet but will phone them tomorrow.

Buttonmoons

I wouldn't feed the reccomended amount on the back of the felix/whiskas boxes. They say something silly like 4 sachets a day, If my cat ate that much she'd be a heffalump!
I give mine about 1 1/2 sachets a day and she has a handful of biscuits down to graze on.

Try maybe giving a 1/3 of the packet at once? I normally only give my cat that at once, because otherwise she will leave most of it to go off, or wolf it down and expect more within the hour.

foreversomeday

Okay, I have been giving him 1/2 the sachet each time and he seems hungry again too soon. I forgot to look this up before I started, because I am so used to adult cats being fed twice a day I forgot about kittens having smaller stomachs!

orlao

I'd feed a kitten little and often and probably as much as he wants......growing animals need a lot of food but I'm sure you could introduce dry food by now which might fill him up more but it's very long time since I've had a kitten so maybe the theory has changed

Worth having a chat with your vet.

craftyfox

my 2 boys are about 6 months old and brothers and one will eat when he is feed and be ok and the other is just on the scrounge all the time and will eat anything he can get into his mouth ---- last night he polished off half a plate of chips and 2 slices of garlic bread and still managed half a tin of cat food (which he ate straight from the tin) and the other just ate the cat food in the dish

so it's hard to tell what is the best way to feed him but i would try and get him onto dry food and give the pouches as a treat twice a week

moogy

my boy is 18 months old and eats 3 pouches and 2 big handfuls of dry a day! his sister eats about half of that and she's fatter than her bro. he is a greedy so and so, if theres food he'll try and eat it, he really likes salt and vinegar crisps!!!
i'm sure if he's healthy and running round and playing you're doing everything right, if his behaviour changes and he becomes sluggish have a word with your vet but as i say if he's happy enough dont worry!

foreign_correspondent

he is a growing lad - to be honest, I would probably feed him as much as he wants and just keep an eye on his general shape and weight!!

XDA

I am interested in rehoming a cat but im wondering if my work commitments would make me unsuitable?

I work all day (Mon to Fri) and leave home at about 7.30am and get home for about 6pm. I live with my brother who works similiar hours but leaves home abit later than me and arrives back before me. Evenings and weekends would be ok, as I dont really do much then.

Therefore, Im guessing that it would probably be unfair to keep a cat inside all those hours? I'd probably not want it left outside due to traffic and other cats/dogs roaming free.

I's really love a cat, but I guess it just wouldnt work out? Do any of you cat owners work full time? What do you do?

Thanks.

Little_Chicken

You could get a house cat? there are are a high number of cats needing rehoming that are suposed to stay at home. I have 2 indoor cats and they're happy as larry. They just curl up and sleep all day...

SkipE

My husband and I work similar hours.

Our cat is currently staying indoors but thats her choice as she hates the cold.

When it is warmer however she sometimes chooses to be outside and stays out all day. If we are going to be home later than 5-6pm we dont let her out as I think thats a bit long for her. Shes always there waiting for us when we get home.