Kitty Question....

**Cookiebaker** · 11-04-2011, 08:42 PM

Hey, PT'ers....its been a long time since I posted on a regular basis. Anyway, I just have a quick question that hopefully you can answer.

How long do you leave wet cat food down for? Does it go bad after a couple of hours??

just in CASE you were wondering why I had that question....YES, we rescued a 12 week old kitten from Animal Control last week. He is a mediium-haired, black and white kitten -- he actually reminds me a bit of Vermontcat's Samantha.

So far, he is working out to be the best.kitten.ever. He is SO snuggly....loves my girls....tolerates their loudness, pokes, and loving pats (ie bonks) on the head. He especially loves my 4.5 year old, curling up with her, playing with her and following her around. He tolerates Malone, and Malone tolerates him. I had forgotten how uber sweet it is to have a purring kitty in my lap as I relax in the evening.

So, yes, my question....also, how much should a kitten be eating? My vet said as long as he was peeing/pooping enough...but how much is enough?? He is eating about 1/4 cup dry food, and 1/8th can of wet food per day. I'm guessing he really doesn't need all that much and he is probably doing just fine. I'm just a worrywart. haha

Oh, and the most important detail of all...his name is PATCHES.

**Cookiebaker** · 11-04-2011, 08:46 PM

I'll try to attach a picture...its been so long, I'm not sure I remember hehe

**cassiesmom** · 11-04-2011, 09:30 PM

What a darling kitty!

**kitten645** · 11-04-2011, 10:00 PM

OMG what a cutie! xxxooo

**Taz_Zoee** · 11-04-2011, 11:20 PM

He is adorable!! Welcome to a wonderful home Patches!

I feed my cats different than most people. They always have dry food in their bowls. This works for now since they are both at good weights. I couldn't do that with my RB kitty Taz. He got too big on free feeding.
I also give my two kitties 1/8 of a can of wet food each day. They usually eat it all up in about 10 minutes (long enough for me to do my daily stretches), then I pick up the plates and wash them. If he seems to not be eating the entire 1/8 of the can maybe give him less for now until he gets bigger. But just keep an eye on him and if he seems to be getting "plump" then cut back on his amount of food. Or if he seems a bit thin then give him more. This is also how I manage the dogs weight. The bag might give suggestions on how much to feed, but those aren't set in stone. I think all cats are different...just like we are.

I can't wait to see more pictures of Patches! (hint hint)

**orangemm** · 11-05-2011, 05:52 AM

What a little darling!

**Karen** · 11-05-2011, 08:08 PM

Welcome Patches! I have a kitty nephew in upstate New York whose name is just Patch! He's orange and white, though. And welcome back, Cookiebaker, good to hear from you!

**katladyd** · 11-06-2011, 01:38 AM

I have three cats with three different dietary needs. Ming needs to watch his weight, Mac needs to put some on, and Kimba is a young, growing cat who needs good nutrition. I have found, like so many other people one here, that if I free feed Wilderness Dry (all my boys adore the Duck variety) all of their needs are met. They each get a small amount of wet twice a day. For my wet, I feed Wellness Chicken and Herring, Royal Canin Adult Instinctive, or Max Cat Venison or Duck. All three of them eat all of the above with gusto, so I stick with these for the most part. Solid Gold Indigo Moon is a very good dry that I also feed them sometimes.

**Pinot's Mom** · 11-06-2011, 07:04 AM

Welcome, Patches!!

Welcome back Cookiebaker!

Put me in the Blue Wilderness category. Pinot is not free fed; she would be 30 lbs. She gets 1/4 cup of the dry with a spoonful of canned twice a day mixed up into a gravy with a bit of water. There aren't any leftovers, so I can't advise on how long to leave it out, but I wouldn't think it would be very long, as they recommend the leftover in the can get refrigerated.

**Cookiebaker** · 11-07-2011, 10:38 AM

Thanks everybody! I will try and post new pictures of Patches and my girls soon.

I guess my question was not so much about how much food to offer, but how much food should he be intaking? It just doesn't seem like very much to me at all -- but then again, I'm used to a 70# yellow lab who inhales anything i put down in front of him.

Patches is pooping and peeing regularly...I scoop twice a day and there's always something in there, so I guess I just won't worry.

He got his foot hurt last night....I still feel badly about it. My husband was feeding the dog, and went to close the closet door, and didn't notice that Patches had his paw in the hinge side of the door. The yelp that ensued was not a pretty sound, and Patches limped around for the rest of the evening, and wouldn't jump. But by today he is back to his happy-go-lucky self and I don't think any permanent damage happened. Its just a good reminder to always be aware of where little paws might be that we aren't expecting them to be!!!