Our two are nearly 8 months old. They have Royal Canin kitten biscuits out all the time. Breakfast is a Royal Canin Kitten wet food pouch each, same again in the evening, sometimes I add another one to share if they have eaten it all quickly. A chicken neck each every week. They have water out, but neither drinks very much. I put Whiskas Cat milk out most days - Ripley, the female likes it but her brother Jonesy doesn't drink much of it. They both weigh about 3.7 kg as of 2-3 weeks ago. Jonesy is long and slender. Ripley has had a bit of a podgy tummy the last month of so. I looked at those silhouette pictures and according to that she is a bit overweight.

Should I worry? If so, what should I do? Seems difficult to try to feed them separately. I don't see her eating more than her brother. Is the cat milk too much? Her shape hasn't really changed for a month. But maybe another growth spurt is coming? Any thoughts and the benefit of all your experience will be appreciated!

My two are nearly 8 months old and as of last week 4.5kg. I constantly worry I'm over feeding them, however their bowls are licked clean, and they have defined waists when you look down on them, and I can easily feel their ribs. They look all muscle to me but I have also noticed they have belly pouches. They are both neutered males, so I googled it yesterday and this is something that would appear is related to their breed. I believe all cats have a belly pouch to an extent to protect that area when they are fighting and kicking each other. Mine are on wainwrights kitten pouches and James wellbeloved kitten pouches. Hendrix will have royal canin sensible for breakfast, but I don't leave additional biscuits down as jagger only likes one called Arden grange and he will scoff the lot, so I use it as a treat/bribe in small quantities. But they have the equivalent of 4.5 pouches a day each over four mealtimes. They are eating me out of house and home!

I can't copy the information I found yesterday but it says the belly pouch is more prominent on the Egyptian Mau and bengal and helps them to twist and jump and that both are noted for their speed.

It's put my mind at rest a bit but I will be interested to hear other opinions on this as I'm still concerned my two are greedy boys!

Up until 12-18 months they will still be growing. It's important to make sure they get an appropriate amount if food in order to grow properly.

They don't sound like they have loads of food, so it could be that they are have a lull before a growth spurt.

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Lollo

At some point you are going to have to change the way that you feed them. Free feeding dry food is often going to result in an obese cat. Some cats can self-regulate, but many cannot. Whether that change is needed now or 4 months from now, or 6 months from now, at some point you are going to have to do it. Your vet would probably be the best resource for helping you sort that out. But eventually what you are going to want to do is either cut out the dry food and go for only wet food, or carefully measure out the dry food such that each cat is eating one measured portion each meal, and no more. If your cat really is overweight now, then I would just go ahead and make the change now. That's my $0.02.

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The little monsters 3

I appreciate the advice. As she still has growing to do, I am assuming it is a lull before another growth spurt - but it is best to start measuring portions and not allowing free feeding. I have done that from yesterday. As it happens, the measured portions are about as much as I have been putting down, but then the OH might have topped up dry food if he saw it empty.

At least this way I am more certain we are not over feeding and hopefully she'll get a growth spurt and shoot up and along!

Thanks everyone

I would not free feed biscuits if you feel they are getting tubby. Although people often say kittens should be given as much as they want until adult hood, I don't believe that should be the case for older kittens ie closer to a year old. I have known cats be overweight at that age.

If it were me I would give a couple of meals of wet and then measure out the recommended amount of dry rather than a full bowl

There are definite recommendations for kitties as to how much wet food they should be fed and how much dry food. I'd let them have a little more if they were hungry. I had an overweight kitty once who developed diabetes (which is very difficult to control in a cat).

Interesting facts about the primordial pouches on bengals. Raiden has a very prominent one. I'd read somewhere that lions and tigers have them as well and it's to allow them to gorge on a feast of a kill and to allow their stomachs to expand. As the "kills" don't come that often, this gives them extra storage for the food. But I've also read about having that extra fat there to survive fights.

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The little monsters 3