I'm new and I have questions!

[Russian Blue]

Hi Everyone,

I'm new here and looking forward to meeting a new group of cat lovers! My kitten Nakita is currently being spayed so I am trying to occupy my time by posting in cat threads!

I was wondering how much your cat eats? I know there are many factors to consider: age, breed of cat, activity level. But I'm concerned about Nakita. Since I picked her up 2 months ago, she eats such a little bit. She is coming up to 6 months old and she is 3 pounds. On a good day she eats 1/4 of a cup of dry cat food. She's not that interested in canned food.

Can I hear anyone else's experience with a similar age cat? The vet checked her out and says she is fine, but when I read about other people's cats they seem to eat so much more. Even when I read the side of the food bag they say a cat should be eating 7/8 - 1 cup! Nakita would have to be force fed! :eek:

Just looking for other people's experiences.

[Barbara]

Hi Russian Blue,
welcome here! You must have loved to see Egypt today -she could be a Russian Blue, don't you think?

Regarding Nakita:
ok she is a Russian Blue and no Maine Coon. Russian Blues are maybe a little bigger than Abys (I have an Abyssinian and a mix) but with every cat there are larger and smaller purrsons as well. Filou, my Aby, is 8 pounds since he is 15 months old. But he's male. His cousin Xeline, a girl, is only 6,5 lb (3 years old). If you look at that 3 pounds for 6 months is small but not impossible. At that age most cats are mini because they move so much.

If I read what they write on the cat food boxes, I see that most cat food companies recommend about double the amount my boys eat.

Filou, the smaller, eats more than Tigris the bigger (13 lb). Both keep their weight now for more than 5 years although I serve small amounts of food whenever they ask for it.
I know that there are pets (most dogs but even cats) who do not stop when they eat and who will get really fat if you are not aware of it most of the time. You may be as happy as I am because Nakita only eats as much as she wants.
You could add some treats like malt paste etc.

If you feel you can trust your vet, then she's just a skinny teenager. And if she is playful and happy then I guess she's ok.

[Cataholic]

Welcome to PT, and I am sure you will love it here. Hmmm...a skinny mini, huh? I think if the vet checks her out, says she is fine, and is acting healthy, then wait and see. You could have her tested for hypothyroidism...which would speed up her metabolic rate, and could explain the skinniness. What about finding a food she adores? Has she been tested fo worms? Is she being spayed today? Let us know! And, again, welcome.

http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/6603/animation/wenegrana.gif
First of all , welcome to our Pettalk-family !! It is a lovely place to be !!!

Don't worry if your cat eats less than other cats . Remember that a cat always knows how much she (or he) needs ; it will also NEVER over-eat !! So , if your sweetheart looks healthy , is active , and acts like a happy cat , there is NO need to worry !
If you are not sure , you can always ask your vet .
Success !!

[slick]

I agree with the others in that you don't need to worry about too much. I volunteer with our local Humane Society as well as do a lot of cat-sitting for friends and have come across many "sleek" felines that don't have a big appetite. One such cat "Etta-J" eats about 1/4 cup dry a day and in the evening she picks at a bit of wet food, but not much. She's heathly, active and happy. Enjoy your furrball and know that you will probably never have an overweight kitty!

kiss, kiss
slick
max & speckles

[Rocky'smomma]

Hey there..I am still not sure about the food thing myself with kitties...my Rocky is 6 months old and he doesn't eat that much either...he eats numerous times a day, but only takes a few bites at a time when he eats...i have read to always leave food in their bowls at all times so that they can eat when they get hungry...I have already been told that Rocky is going to be a BIG cat because when I took him in 3 weeks ago he weighed in at 4.8 but he does have huge paws though...do you have a pic of your sweetie?

[boscibo]

I have a 6 month old kitten - Hanna. She eats like a horse. I think she is going to be a big cat - huge paws and she's just big. She is almost as big as my 7 year old cat!

I free choice feed all my cats adult science diet, and she also gets a little bit (maybe 2 tbsp,) of canned once a day. Plus Pounce or Temptations cat treats. I let Hanna eat adult food because she started not eating her kitten food and preferred what the other cats were eating. And she still acts like she's always hungry. I think she is going to be one of those cats that I'm going to have to watch the weight on....

[Uabassoon]

I'm not too sure exactly how much food my cats eat. Every morning I put one scoop of food in each of their dishes (but they share food so I don't know who eats how much). The scoop that I use is one of those 3 oz tuna tins. Then they each split a can of fancy feast (3 oz). I know that they each eat their own half of that because they eat it all the second I give it to them.