How Much And Often To Give Cat Food

At about eight weeks old, kittens should be fed little and often. If you are feeding dry kitten food which can be left out for longer than canned food, you can try providing it on a continuous basis for the kitten to nibble as required.

Such a routine should be avoided, however, if your kittens show a tendency to be overweight. Four or more meals a day for the kittens is normal, and can be gradually reduced to about three meals by the age of three to four months, and two meals at six months.

The young adult cat – The feeding regime can gradually be reduced to one main meal as the kitten reaches adulthood at nine to twelve months of age.

However, young active cats become very hungry if they have to wait 24 hours between meals. Many owners therefore offer a snack in the morning, with the main meal at night.

If this is done, it is important to ensure that the main meal is reduced in quantity by the equivalent of the earlier snack, so that too many calories do not lead to weight problems.

Most breeds of cat reach their adult size at about a year of age, although some of the longhaired breeds continue to develop until they are about four years old.

If you do have a slow maturing cat, it is essential to ensure that adequate food of high quality is available throughout the growth period. A routine of two or three meals a day with dry weight protein value of over 30 percent should continue over the growth period in order to maintain peak development.

The young, active adult cat often cannot last a whole day before the next meal and will need an extra snack in between. A Persian kitten matures over four years and frequent, nutritious meals need to be given during this time.

The 12 week old kittens are likely to be demanding three meals a day. A Burmilla introduces her kitten to grown up food. Good quality kitten food will be as nourishing for a still nursing mother as it is for the growing kitten.

A nursing queen provides everything for her kittens, including perfect diet, for at least the first three weeks of life. A brown Burmese kitten has lost its mother, but is not phased by having to join a litter of bull Terries puppies for lunch.