question

[Samantha Puppy]

I've never raised cats from kittenhood before, so I'm sort of in the dark as far as growing is concerned. While my boys have gotten a lot bigger than they were when I got them, they still very much resemble kitten age more so than adult. I believe Sushi was born in July which puts him at what, 8 months? And Kirin was born in August which puts him around 7 months. At what age should they start looking like full-grown adult cats?

Also, they're getting fed wet food twice a day - once in the morning and once at dinner time - and dry food is out for them to nibble on at all times. I feed them wet food twice a day because I was told that while they're growing they need more nutrients. Now that they're getting older, should I start weaning them off the morning food? If not now, when? And how? Cold turkey or slowly?

Thanks for all your help in advance!
Jaime

[catnapper]

You can still feed them twice a day, but reduce the amount given, or go to once a day, whichever you'd prefer.

Harry is 8 months old too, and just recently he's been starting to take on that adult cat look. Abby has yet to get there, but I'm starting to see little adult looks from her... real little adult signs They will ocntinue to grow til about a year and half. Pouncer didnlt really fill out until then.

[catmandu]

Usually about a year,maybe a year,and a half to two,for some Cats,they will grow,into the shape,that they will have,for thier adult life.The exceptions,are the minatures,like Rocca,Diane,and Precious,who,even,at thier Adult ages,6,to 10,still look,like Kittens,and are about 8 Pounds.

[Samantha Puppy]

Originally posted by catnapper
You can still feed them twice a day, but reduce the amount given, or go to once a day, whichever you'd prefer.

I would love to get them down to once a day, at dinner (but still leave the dry food out). Kirin gets very persistent in the morning and usually starts trying to get me out of bed around 5am to feed him. If I don't get up and do it to get him off my back, he keeps crawling all over me and my husband, I can't sleep anyway, and my husband is NOT a morning person and Kirin usually ends up getting "thrown" off the bed and my husband's in a horrible mood for the entire morning.

So if I could figure out how to get them to adjust to being fed once a day, I would love to do that. About what age would you suggest that I do that?

[cubby31682]

I still give Cubby a can of cat food. I only use it as a treat every now and then. He is getting a little to big boned (I'd rather use the term big boned than plush) now though. As a kitten he never got canned food. He always refused to eat it. Then once he became an adult he loved it.

I would think to only give them a half a can to share now. Then slowly reduce the amount you give them. We have never been good at getting any cat weaned off of anything though.

[catnapper]

I'd start sooner than later switching them. I've been switching mine from kitten food to weight management food the past few weeks... let me tell you, I have FOUR very unhappy kitties! They go from yummy fatty kitten food to bland tasteless weight management. All because Uncle Allen couldn't keep his paws off the kitten food.

Hubby feeds my guys at 5:30 every morning. He has no choice - they are insistant. I feed them again when I get up three hours later when I roll out of bed (I am NOT a morning person either) and then I toss more food in the dishes as the day progresses. They get one last feeding as I let Nicki out for one last potty break before bed, about 10:30. They get little amounts all day long. Jen Luckenbach watched me dish out food once and she almost fell over with how little I put out. I said "If I put out more it'd be gone in 2 seconds, then they'd be screaming for more food in another hour, because the kittens only eat a little bit and then the big guys move in and pig out." Hence Allen's current extra plush state --- LOL

Anyway, the kittens are VERY upset that I've been trying to alter their feeding schedule. I used to add more food every few hours, and every few days I reduce the number of times I toss food into their dishes. I'm now down to about 4 times a day where I add food. Harry is insisting that he's dying but I don't believe it. Not for one second.

Someday I'll get back down to twice a day (when hubby feeds them and bedtime, with snacktime around hooman dinnertime)

[shais_mom]

I switched Kloe to Adult food shortly after she was spayed b/c she would eat the adult food over the kitten food. Now my problem is Kloe wants to eat Kylie's prescription R/D food which is a lot of nothing. And you guessed it Kylie wants Kloe's food.
I am wondering if I should switch Kloe to Lite food b/c since she has been spayed she is getting quite the pooch on her belly.
She already looks like an adult cat. But am hesitant to do so, b/c I don't want to hurt her later in life by depriving her of nutrients she needs now. Course she is doing it herself by eating Kylie's R/D food.