Feeding my kitten the right amount daily.?

Question

I have a 5 and a half month kitten who weighs 4.5 lbs. I just wanted to know what is the right amount of food to be feeding her for her age and weight. I usually give her a little bit of Natural Balanace dry food in the morning (not quite a handful) then later in the day I will give her half of a 3 oz can of Natural Balance. I know that dry food is not that great for cats; she eats more canned that dry. Should I be feeding her half of the can in the morning and the other half at night? Or should she be eating the canned food three times daily? I haven't had her that long so I am still trying to get her on a normal eating schedule. All answers are appreciated!

Thanks, Brooke!

~Oh by the way, does anyone know how much a groomer would charge to have soft paws put on? I'm really opposed to de-clawing.~

Answer 1

You should try just leaving food in the bowl for them all day. Kittens at that age will only eat what they need to survive. So over eating wouldn't be an issue.

Answer 2

Energy Requirements for Kittens and Adult Cats  

Age  kcal/lb body wt  

Kittens: 10 weeks  113  

20 weeks  59  

30 weeks  45  

40 weeks  36  

Adult Cats: Inactive  18  

Active  20-30  

Pregnant  45  

Lactating*  56--145  

The chart above tells you the calorie requirements for kittens.  If my math is right - and I make no claims that it is - your kitty is 20 weeks old and so needs to eat 59 calories per pound per day.  That translates to 236 calories per day.

You need to know how many calories are in the food but unfortunately it's not listed on their site.  I hate to say it, but unless you contact them for that info, you'll have to go with the instructions on the bag/can.  But remember that these are ballpark figures and they tend to be generous.

Feed in a manner that fits in with your schedule.  If you want to do 2 meals per day, that's fine.  If you can manage 3, great.

Answer 3

Okay I have had a kitten before and what I would do is feed it can 2 times a day (one quarter of the can per serving). I disagree with keep dry out 24/7. Dry isn't the healthiest for cats. It can make throw up. I gave it twice a day but not that much. Some days she would be extra hungry but she would tell me. That seemed to fix it!

Soft Paws: Soft paws make it so you can do it yourself I thought! My friend got soft paws and she never said anything about a groomer... Well best of luck and i hope you love your kitten very much! (I am getting a kitten tomarrow because my older cat is lonely because his friend died at age 19)

Answer 4

You should leave your dry food out 24/7 for your cat and she wille eat it when she feels like it.  The canned food, you should give her about 2 spoons every 2-4 hours.  Definetely leave the dry food out at night so she can eat if she gets hungry.