When to move to two meals per day?

[angieh]

Atm Pip is having his kitten biscuits in small amounts as and when he asks for them ................ when should I try and get him to eat morning and evening as Kizzy does?

He'll be eating adult bics as soon as he finishes the kitten variety. He is nearly 7 months old.

Thanks for any advice.

[dollie]

my kitten is 10 months and ive just started feeding her twice a day...

[Elaine]

Eva stopped eating kitten food at around 7 months, she was a big girl then and the vet suggested that maybe she didnt need all the extra calories at that time.
Dont think there is any real hard and fast rule Angie, trust your instincts. If you feel he doesnt need as many small meals then gradually reduce the mid-day one. xxx

[angieh]

He's a sturdy little boy, well quite a big boy really and although I am sure not overweight, he is such a hoover that he'll eat anything left lying around. He has started going outside, so is using more energy. He does let me know if he's hungry!

[dandysmom]

Can't help here; mine have always had three meals a day: they eat when we eat. Even when they were kittens. And Leia really has four meals, as the midnight snack is more of a meal than a snack.

[Tink]

i'm not very helpful as i free feed...

[John]

I always feed as and when there hungry..usually a pouch in the mornng and evening..but leave dried down all day..

[Aquatic]

I put food in Felix's bowl when it's empty so there's always food in his bowl if he's feeling a bit hungry :D

[calismum]

Once mine get to around 9 months I'd discuss changing to adult feed with vet if they were of a good weight and build. If ok then I usually always had dried food down all day and wet feed twice a day.

I only ever had one cat that didn't do well and had to go back on to a lunchtime meal for a few weeks.

Pip looks a big strong boy,I'm sure he'd be ok on two meals. Just keep an eye on his weight for the first few weeks.

[Hollyp]

Around 8 months here :)

[calista24]

This is a great thread and one we were just wondering about too ;)

Cali is 1yo in a fortnight, and up to now has grazed, though we have been leaving smaller amounts the last 2-3 months.

She has a 30% wet / 70% dry diet and we were thinking of having 'mealtimes' .

I even read a cat food site yesterday that said cats rarely over-eat (hello, there are 2 porkers in our street!), so to leave it down all the time!

I'm now putting down more in the morning and evening, with a minimal amount of lower calorie (royal canin neutered female) during the day / handful overnight which is sometimes touched,sometimes not.

If she hears us go in the kitchen she often comes running along, as like us, it is probably better to have many little meals a day than 2-3 big ones!

Just an aside, has anyone heard their cats tummy rumble if they are really hungry,- loud! (for their size) :-D

[dandysmom]

"it is probably better to have many little meals a day than 2-3 big ones!"

My theory exactly. Leia, who is a BIG cat, but not fat, has maintained her weight at 14 pounds for years on 4 small meals a day.

Never heard a cat's tummy rumble! :mrgreen:

[pinklizzy]

Imogen has access to dry food all day and a sachet of food split into 4-5 meals a day-she was 2 in March. She's a very small cat despite being neutered.
I feel that giving them lots of small meals speeds up the metabolism and is more like the way cats would naturally eat-catching small rodents throughout the day rather than digesting two larger meals.

[angieh]

Yes ............ they are a long way from lions and tigers digestively speaking!

[pinklizzy]

I suppose the big cats tend to eat large meals in one sitting, so to speak?

[angieh]

Yes, and then can go for a long while without eating again.

I do love the picture in my head .... "in one sitting". The whole pride at table, napkins around their necks and Sir raising his cutlery ready for the onslaught.

[niki71uk]

i changed to adult food quite early with cass,she kept eating tobys food,and vice versa,so was waste feeding kitten food really lol

[dandysmom]

I did the same: Dandy ate the girls adult food and they adored the kitten food :roll: I gave in too!

[Kobster]

I started feeding my older boys three times a day (up from two) when I got the kitten as I couldn't see feeding one and not the other two. I think I like the smaller more frequent meal approach. They certainly approve! But I would certainly never feed less than twice a day. Imagine how slow our metabolism would be if we only ate once a day! My kids are on a 100% canned food diet, so I have to meal feed, can't leave food down. Feeding three times a day is going to be fun if I ever go out of town and have to hire a sitter! But its worth it if its better for them!