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Question

"My 6-month-old kitten just won't stop eating. She demolishes her wet food in the morning, only to eat dry food during the day as well. How do I stop this? I'm worried she might become obese."
— Ashleigh

Answer

The key here is working out just how much she is actually eating. You may find that even though you 'constantly' see her eating, over the course of the day, she may not be eating that much food.

You see, cats are 'grazers'. If they could have their choice, they wouldn't eat just one meal, instead they would eat around 15 very small meals in a day. Add that instinct to the fact that your kitten is going through a growth spurt that demands she eats increased amounts of calcium, protein and fat, and this never-ending eating might not be so strange after all.

Here's how you can tell if there is a problem. First of all, measure everything you feed her. Then subtract whatever is left to give you the total amount she eats in a day. If this is more than what the feeding guide on the back of the packet says she should eat, then she is in fact eating too much.

To put an end to this binge eating, have a look at what she is munching on. She needs to be on a high quality dry kitten food. The higher the quality of the food the more protein it will have. And just as you know yourself, meals that are high in protein fill you up more quickly meaning less trips back to the bowl and less food eaten over the course of the day.

Leaving out smaller serves and no more than her recommended daily amount will also hold the key to reeling in this ravenous eater.