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Granted, growing kittens have a very steep growth curve, and their total daily energy needs do increase as they grow, but I have never had any kitten consume that much food, nor do I want to. I can just imagine the health issues that will probably result from eating all that food in a single day!

Free-choice feeding methods should be used for underweight and slow-growing kittens. Free-choice feeding is often preferred because it reduces the marked gastric distention that sometimes accompanies rapid meal feeding in young kittens. However, providing unlimited food for free-choice intake is inappropriate for overweight and obese kittens. A defined food quantity should be measured using a measuring cup and then offered as meals or fed free choice until gone. Spaying/neutering increases the risk for obesity; therefore, free-choice feeding to neutered kittens should be done very cautiously.

The feeding frequency should be 3 - 4 times daily for meal-fed kittens less than 6 months old. By 6 months of age, most kittens tolerate twice daily feeding. In general, transition to an adult diet should be done in 12 months of age.

One word about Fancy Feast - my vets call it "additive kitty junk food." On occasion we receive Fancy Feast as a donation. I use it as a treat. Each cat will get about a teaspoon of the stuff on top of their regular meals when I have it around. Fancy Feast has a lot of sugar in it, btw.

Now, about the quantity.

Kittens have small stomachs (at eight weeks, the stomach is about the size of a walnut), but large appetites, so feed small amounts often. Dry complete kitten food soaked in warm water or warm water added to canned food, is ideal. These are then mashed up to produce a gruel. A small amount of gruel can be smeared around her lips to encourage her to eat.

Don't be tempted to wean early, as it could be damaging to her immature gut, which is not ready to cope with solid food. Continue giving her the 4.3 ounces of formula per day as I mentioned in a previous thread. Start with one tablespoonful five times a day of solid food, and adjust if she is leaving food in the bowl, or is still hungry. Kittens are occasionally tempted to overeat, but normally they know what's right.

From weeks 6-16 kittens should be fed about four times a day and after that, reduce to two to three times daily. You can feed dry food without moistening it from around 10-12 weeks. Kittens naturally enjoy crunching their food, and dry kitten food helps make their teeth healthy and strong.

At first, she will probably eat everything at a single sitting, but will gradually develop adult behavior, eating a little, then returning to eat a bit more.

In general, cats are creatures of habit so try to feed her at the same time and place each day.

Feed her in a quiet area, away from the hustle and bustle of your home. Set her food bowls on a surface that's easily cleaned, like a tiled floor or mat. (An aside for all cat guardians: If you have two cats, keep their bowls a reasonable distance apart to avoid confrontation or bullying, especially when you're feeding a kitten and older cat together.)

A cat's digestion is easily upset when you change food, whether it's from canned to dry or between different brands. If you do change her diet, slowly increase the amount of the new food over a period of at least five days so she can adjust. Don't be surprised if her tummy gets upset in the beginning.

You should keep wet kitten food in the fridge, but always bring it to room temperature before serving so it smells more appealing and can be digested comfortably. This could take a couple of hours. Alternatively, you can microwave wet food for a short time in a microwave-safe container.

After the meal and a visit to the litter box, leave her for at least an hour to digest before playing with her.

Don't keep opened canned food for longer than 24 hours nor leave uneaten wet food in her bowl for longer than 20 minutes. Throw away her leftovers and wash the bowl thoroughly.

Don't feed dog food to your cat, as cats have unique nutritional needs. Also avoid feeding her bones from chicken, pork or fish - these can splinter and lodge in her throat, or worse! They can pierce her stomach walls and intestines.

Avoid feeding her milk, as it may cause digestive upsets. Some foods, like chocolate and onions, can even be toxic to kittens and cats, and should be avoided at all costs.

Resist the temptation to spoil her with table scraps, as she might become a finicky eater who never wants to return to kitten food. Table scraps also tend to be high in calories and may cause unwanted weight gain.

Scritches to that wee Sadie!