My 8-month-old kitten is overweight. Should I switch to adult food?

Question

My name is Ashley. My cat is 8 months old and I adopted him at 3 months at the animal shelter. He was very underweight and I have been feeding him kitten food. Today I asked a lady that volunteers with cat adoptions if I should change food and she agreed that I should if he seems to be overweight. And he does seem overweight, he plays regularly, he's just heavy. I mixed some adult food in his bowl today to switch home over. I hope I made the right decision. Should I have done that? Thank you. Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 8 months and 2 days old | 13 lbs

Lauren Jones VMD · Accepted Answer

Hi Ashley! I typically prefer keeping all growing cats on kitten food until they are 1 year old. Since Mars seems to be gaining too much weight on the kitten food, consider cutting back on his portion rather than switching to adult food. There is no need to worry about feeding some adult food tonight. Simply go back to kitten food tomorrow and hang onto his adult food in a sealed container for a few more months. When possible, Mars should be fed 2 meals per day. Use the chart on his bag of food to get a sense for how much he should eat based on his weight (use his ideal body weight rather than his current weight since he is overweight) and age. Strictly control how many treats he receives and avoid any table food, as these tend to be the biggest culprits in weight gain.

My 8-month-old kitten is overweight. Should I switch to adult food?

Most Helpful Answer

Related Questions

What fish dog food helps dry skin if my dog eats Science Diet?

What's the best way to feed my hamster when I'm going on a trip?

Can chickens eat bell peppers daily and what about veggie salads?

Is Purina Layer Pellets good for chickens? What other feeds exist?

My newly adopted pet won't eat hay. What can I do to encourage it?

My mice eat all their food together from one bowl. Is this normal?

Share