can i put my 7 month old on a diet?

hallie_love · 12-08-2005, 09:21 PM

my 7 month old girl anya is ... putting on the pounds, so to speak. i love her to bits, but she's sneaky and eats not only HER food but my other two kittens' food as well. putting her in a seperate room to eat doesn't do anything, because she still eats the leftovers of my others.

does anyone have any ideas about what i can do?

my other two kittens are very lean and healthy, yet anya is just getting a bit too big for her own good at this age. she's very active, but she just eats too much. any suggestions would be awesome. thanks!

my4kitties · 12-09-2005, 03:32 AM

From what I've read here, and I could be wrong, but since kittens are still growing up until at least a year old, it's not recommended for them to be put on a diet.

hallie_love · 12-09-2005, 02:56 PM

see that's what i thought as well.

anya's just a big cat all around, she's about twice the size (in bone structure alone) of my other little one who's only a month younger than her.

i just worry that if i keep feeding her how i am feeding her now, by the time she gets to be a year old when i "can" put her on a diet, she will be even bigger. i was hoping to stop the problem before it became one... i'm just not sure of how to do that.

my4kitties · 12-09-2005, 03:52 PM

In that case, I'd call the vet and tell him/her your concerns. He/She may want to take a look at her and make sure that there's nothing wrong with her. They would better equipped to tell you anything.

Either that, or you may just happen to have a big girl there.

coaster · 12-09-2005, 04:18 PM

I agree with my3kitties. Kittens don't need to, and shouldn't diet. Just pick up the leftover food.

Lisa 216 · 12-09-2005, 07:21 PM

Yes, a good first step would be to pick up the leftover food.

Are you feeding kitten food? That happened to my Snickers, also around 7-8 months of age. My vet had me put him on adult food as the kitten food is very caloric.

What brand and type of food are you feeding also?

roseeden · 12-09-2005, 09:24 PM

One of my kittens is also twice as large as the smallest one of the litter (at 7 months).

As soon as I neutered him, he stopped growing.

k_lo86 · 12-10-2005, 09:13 PM

I have the opposite problem, I have a kitten that WONT grow, LOL. You can definately put them on an adult food. Some people say you aren't supposed to, but I was talking to my vet and since my cat has a skin allergy, I had to put him on adult formula, since that is the only kind that makes skin allergy food. Anyway, she said that after 6 months of age, you can switch them to adult food, they have had enough of the nutrients they need at that point from the kitten food. But everyone's opinion can be different, so this is just mine and my vets.

hallie_love · 12-11-2005, 11:20 PM

thank you all for your replies!

as for the leftover food- i have been picking it up... but that really only works in theory. my cats dont eat all their food at once, they eat really whenever they feel hungry. if i am always picking up their food after they've eaten a bit, they just get hungry later and i'm not always around to feed them.

see, anya was spayed young, at about 4 months of age. i've always wondered if that has anything to do with it. it wasn't my choice to do it that young, it was the choice of the shelter where i got her from... but yeah. she's been big ever since we took her home, but lately it just seems like she's getting TOO big.

i mean, she's even getting a "fat pouch".. and she's 7 months old. i just feel as if there's something i'm doing wrong, and i really need to figure out how to fix it.

really though, all of your help is totally appreciated... by both me and anya

demented_roadie · 12-13-2005, 07:38 AM

Minority is just over a year old, and as a kitten he was always bigger than the rest of his litter. I have him on a combination of raw meat and dry food. The vet has never expressed any concerns over his weight. When is her next check up?

12-08-2005, 09:21 PM	#1 (permalink)
hallie_love Cat Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Waterloo, Ontario, Canada Posts: 117	can i put my 7 month old on a diet? my 7 month old girl anya is ... putting on the pounds, so to speak. i love her to bits, but she's sneaky and eats not only HER food but my other two kittens' food as well. putting her in a seperate room to eat doesn't do anything, because she still eats the leftovers of my others. does anyone have any ideas about what i can do? my other two kittens are very lean and healthy, yet anya is just getting a bit too big for her own good at this age. she's very active, but she just eats too much. any suggestions would be awesome. thanks! __________________ -amanda- thanks willow771!

12-09-2005, 03:32 AM	#2 (permalink)
my4kitties Premier Cat Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Montclair, CA, USA Posts: 4,379	From what I've read here, and I could be wrong, but since kittens are still growing up until at least a year old, it's not recommended for them to be put on a diet. __________________ Cats are grace and beauty in feline form. RIP, my beloved Smokey. (3/23/09-01/14/11) ---------- Renée

12-09-2005, 02:56 PM	#3 (permalink)
hallie_love Cat Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Waterloo, Ontario, Canada Posts: 117	see that's what i thought as well. anya's just a big cat all around, she's about twice the size (in bone structure alone) of my other little one who's only a month younger than her. i just worry that if i keep feeding her how i am feeding her now, by the time she gets to be a year old when i "can" put her on a diet, she will be even bigger. i was hoping to stop the problem before it became one... i'm just not sure of how to do that. __________________ -amanda- thanks willow771!

12-09-2005, 03:52 PM	#4 (permalink)
my4kitties Premier Cat Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Montclair, CA, USA Posts: 4,379	In that case, I'd call the vet and tell him/her your concerns. He/She may want to take a look at her and make sure that there's nothing wrong with her. They would better equipped to tell you anything. Either that, or you may just happen to have a big girl there. __________________ Cats are grace and beauty in feline form. RIP, my beloved Smokey. (3/23/09-01/14/11) ---------- Renée

12-09-2005, 07:21 PM	#6 (permalink)
Lisa 216 Premier Cat Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: New England Posts: 8,001	Yes, a good first step would be to pick up the leftover food. Are you feeding kitten food? That happened to my Snickers, also around 7-8 months of age. My vet had me put him on adult food as the kitten food is very caloric. What brand and type of food are you feeding also? __________________ Owned by Pepper and Pumpkin RIP Snickers 8/22/00 -- 11/28/06 http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/

12-09-2005, 04:18 PM	#5 (permalink)
coaster Banned Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Wisconsin, USA Posts: 17,798	I agree with my3kitties. Kittens don't need to, and shouldn't diet. Just pick up the leftover food.

12-09-2005, 09:24 PM	#7 (permalink)
roseeden Premier Cat Join Date: May 2005 Location: BRAZOS VALLEY, Texas Posts: 5,630	One of my kittens is also twice as large as the smallest one of the litter (at 7 months). As soon as I neutered him, he stopped growing.

12-10-2005, 09:13 PM	#8 (permalink)
k_lo86 Tom Cat Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 520	I have the opposite problem, I have a kitten that WONT grow, LOL. You can definately put them on an adult food. Some people say you aren't supposed to, but I was talking to my vet and since my cat has a skin allergy, I had to put him on adult formula, since that is the only kind that makes skin allergy food. Anyway, she said that after 6 months of age, you can switch them to adult food, they have had enough of the nutrients they need at that point from the kitten food. But everyone's opinion can be different, so this is just mine and my vets. __________________ Thanks to icklemiss21 for this awesome sig and avatar!!!

12-11-2005, 11:20 PM	#9 (permalink)
hallie_love Cat Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Waterloo, Ontario, Canada Posts: 117	thank you all for your replies! as for the leftover food- i have been picking it up... but that really only works in theory. my cats dont eat all their food at once, they eat really whenever they feel hungry. if i am always picking up their food after they've eaten a bit, they just get hungry later and i'm not always around to feed them. see, anya was spayed young, at about 4 months of age. i've always wondered if that has anything to do with it. it wasn't my choice to do it that young, it was the choice of the shelter where i got her from... but yeah. she's been big ever since we took her home, but lately it just seems like she's getting TOO big. i mean, she's even getting a "fat pouch".. and she's 7 months old. i just feel as if there's something i'm doing wrong, and i really need to figure out how to fix it. really though, all of your help is totally appreciated... by both me and anya __________________ -amanda- thanks willow771!

12-13-2005, 07:38 AM	#10 (permalink)
demented_roadie Jr. Cat Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 92	Minority is just over a year old, and as a kitten he was always bigger than the rest of his litter. I have him on a combination of raw meat and dry food. The vet has never expressed any concerns over his weight. When is her next check up?

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