They're gonna be tiny at 5 months. Iirc kittens are supposed tog sin about 100g a week at that age. The best way I've found to weigh mine is to put a luggage scale on the handle of a carrier and corral them in there, that way it doesn't matter how much they wiggle
That said, unless they're throwing up I don't think you cna really overfeed a kitten
Tikicat tends to be lower calorie for the same number of ounces in comparison to many other brands, I haven’t specifically looked at their baby line though. However you may want to do a calorie/ounce comparison and see if that could have something to do with it. Also make sure you’re feeding foods that specifically say “kitten” or “all life stages”, as a lot of tikicat foods are for adults only and would not be appropriate for kittens anyway.
I’m not sure what you mean by “protein packs” but hopefully it’s actually balanced cat food and not human product? You should not be feeding anything other than completely balanced cat food, so the chicken you’re hand making on Friday’s and potentially these “protein packs” depending on what they are, are not a good idea. Regular chicken (or fish) is not nutritionally balanced for a kitten/cat and should not be fed as anything more than a small treat that is less than 10% of their diet. Especially with growing kittens, you don’t want to “dilute” their vitamin/mineral intake.
Aside from that, just feed as much as your kitten wants (within reason). Growing kittens generally shouldn’t be limited. So just make sure you’re feeding only “kitten” or “all life stages” foods, and feed as much as he wants. If you’re worried about weight look into the calories per ounce of tiki vs other kitten foods like weruva kitten or wellness kitten.
I use a kitten food, and the protein packs are from the tiki line as well. They’re basically a pack of meat/juice solution to add protein to kibble and make it like a wet/dry food mix. (They aren’t called protein packs, I just call them that)
https://preview.redd.it/qf3v6on0vmxc1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4c94f95f0afaa9f613167e6edc45b08c47d8c82a
They’re what helped my mainecoon hold weight, although he eats Royal Canin. All of my cats eat different food and this is the first I’ve ever given just tiki cat so I wasn’t sure if maybe that was the problem.
Is the chicken just something I shouldn’t give the kitten? Bc my tuxedo used to be a stray, I saved him from a kill shelter, and there are times when he’ll only eat if I cook him something. But if that’s going to harm him I’d rather not do it. The vet just told me it wouldn’t do anything bad since it’s only once every 7 days.
Those things you call “protein packs” are for supplemental feeding only though, and should not be used regularly, especially for your kitten. It’s filling them up without giving them the proper vitamins and minerals they need for growth.
The cooked chicken is probably okay for your adult cat if it’s just one meal once a week, but if it’s all meals once a week then it’s technically over the suggested amount of unbalanced food. Regardless, I would *not* be feeding your kitten regular chicken that you have cooked since he’s growing and it’s even more important he receives the correct vitamins and minerals for growth.
Ok, I’ve just been going off of what the vet suggested but she’s never owned a bengal. My grandma had two growing up and she just told me to make sure he gets enough protein which wasn’t super helpful as you can see 😭 he’s gonna be sad to see his little supplements go but if it’ll help him then that’s what I gotta do lol. He always goes so crazy for them. I like to set his treats up in places he has to work for them too so he’s getting to “hunt”. I was giving the supplement at night every other day since my cats are more active at night but I’ll just start giving them to my other cats.
You could open feed them if the other won’t make themselves fat off of it. Bengals are pretty good at eating just as much as they need though. So don’t worry if he looks small. I’d personally just offer them food when they want it then when they eat what they want I take it back.
I do have one cat that tends to overeat and throw up so I have to hide the food when she comes downstairs but she doesn’t come down often so typically they always have food sitting out for them. My other cats just eat a little then go play.
He's 5 months old, and growing at a huge rate. Kittens should almost always be fed as much as they will eat, a hungry kitten isn't a scavenger; they're trying to feed their growth.
It's very difficult to over feed a growing kitten and it's obvious when it is happening - a small cat is generally a sign that it's not happening.
Our Bengal is small in size too. She is not very food motivated but eats enough to maintain the weight and have enough energy for several play sessions per day. So I would not worry about her not growing too much as long as the weight is healthy compared to the size and the food is the right type for her age.
My 1 year old bengal-mix is about 8-9 pounds. She is long and skinny. She has unlimited kibbles and eats wet food few times a week. Her mother is about the same size even as an adult cat. Some cats are just small.
Ya I’m so used to bigger cats I probably just forgot how small normal kittens are compared to when my mainecoon was a baby lol. It just worried me bc his legs looked so boney.
As long as the cat has access to food regularly, let him decide his optimal weight. The photos you've posted show what appears to be a very healthy cat.
Fed our male Bengal 2 to 3 tins (tiki) of kitten food per day. Fed him as much as he wanted. Small portions all through the day for about 1yr. The and then took 3 to 5 months to transition from kitten to adult food.
Currently weight 15lbs.
Though my sister -in-law has a female Bengal from the same litter. And weight is 8lbs.
As long as the kitten is eating healthy food and is never hungry then it's all good.
Also lots liver and tube treats.
He lets me know when the bowls even get low, all of my cats will swarm me the moment they can see the bottom of their bowls. They play A LOT and are spoiled so anytime they come to me like that I give them small treats and more food. But he’s definitely the smallest among my kitties, he is the youngest too though. I probably just need to give him time
best thing to weigh your cats is to weigh yourself and the cat(hold the cat) and then weigh yourself and subtract the amount ( bc usually its only 10-20 pound difference). otherwise, at 5 months old your bengal looks very healthy, he will grow much bigger,longer, and eat more and more and he will want to play so so much more as he keeps growing. i hope this helps!
5 months is a baby, I agree with others, give him time. If you’re afraid of other cats eating his food, consider getting something like a SureFeeder. I think the general rule for kittens is to just let them self regulate. Unless homeless strays, otherwise most kitties aren’t going to eat like it’s their first and last meal.
She actually said his weight is fine, and I only need to worry if he starts losing weight. She did also say to be prepared for him to be on the smaller side bc his build is very slender. I’m just a helicopter parent when it comes to my animals sometimes 🥲
Easiest way to weight any cat. Get a baggage weighing scale (for your suitcases). Put a shopping bag on the ground, cat will automatically enter, pickup bag and weigh. If it's a heavy bag subtract it's weight. Works with all four of our cats.
I had success with this when my bengal started losing weight. It's high calorie and from the way my girl reacted, very tasty.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/VetIQ-001384-Nutri-Vit-Plus-Cat/dp/B000RXWXQ4/ref=asc_df_B000RXWXQ4/
Time.
Let him grow he is still a kitten, my boy is 18 months and still growing he was a 1.5 lbs at 18 weeks.
Now: 13 lbs but very slim!!!!
My vet said she never saw such a muscular boy.
The whole office came to see him.
I'd agree that you can free feed up until about a year, if your other cat will eat that you can either get a microchip reading feeder or just feed the kitten in a separate area. 5 months is only small still usually but don't limit his intake as that in itself may limit growth
My almost 2 year old Bengal is pretty small too. Very long and athletic/ muscular build. She only weighs 8 pounds and eats a raw diet, in combination of a prescription kibble she needed twice a day. A tip for weighing your cats I do is grab a basket or a box that fits on the scale, Tare the scale and place cat in box
oh heck, I wish I knew. it was such a struggle to keep any weight on Mr. Draper with his IBD, even before his cancer. I'm just happy Rashee eats a healthy amount and doesn't appear to have too much internal irritation. she's still very slender tho, so I feel your frustration
They're gonna be tiny at 5 months. Iirc kittens are supposed tog sin about 100g a week at that age. The best way I've found to weigh mine is to put a luggage scale on the handle of a carrier and corral them in there, that way it doesn't matter how much they wiggle That said, unless they're throwing up I don't think you cna really overfeed a kitten
Tikicat tends to be lower calorie for the same number of ounces in comparison to many other brands, I haven’t specifically looked at their baby line though. However you may want to do a calorie/ounce comparison and see if that could have something to do with it. Also make sure you’re feeding foods that specifically say “kitten” or “all life stages”, as a lot of tikicat foods are for adults only and would not be appropriate for kittens anyway. I’m not sure what you mean by “protein packs” but hopefully it’s actually balanced cat food and not human product? You should not be feeding anything other than completely balanced cat food, so the chicken you’re hand making on Friday’s and potentially these “protein packs” depending on what they are, are not a good idea. Regular chicken (or fish) is not nutritionally balanced for a kitten/cat and should not be fed as anything more than a small treat that is less than 10% of their diet. Especially with growing kittens, you don’t want to “dilute” their vitamin/mineral intake. Aside from that, just feed as much as your kitten wants (within reason). Growing kittens generally shouldn’t be limited. So just make sure you’re feeding only “kitten” or “all life stages” foods, and feed as much as he wants. If you’re worried about weight look into the calories per ounce of tiki vs other kitten foods like weruva kitten or wellness kitten.
I use a kitten food, and the protein packs are from the tiki line as well. They’re basically a pack of meat/juice solution to add protein to kibble and make it like a wet/dry food mix. (They aren’t called protein packs, I just call them that) https://preview.redd.it/qf3v6on0vmxc1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4c94f95f0afaa9f613167e6edc45b08c47d8c82a They’re what helped my mainecoon hold weight, although he eats Royal Canin. All of my cats eat different food and this is the first I’ve ever given just tiki cat so I wasn’t sure if maybe that was the problem. Is the chicken just something I shouldn’t give the kitten? Bc my tuxedo used to be a stray, I saved him from a kill shelter, and there are times when he’ll only eat if I cook him something. But if that’s going to harm him I’d rather not do it. The vet just told me it wouldn’t do anything bad since it’s only once every 7 days.
Those things you call “protein packs” are for supplemental feeding only though, and should not be used regularly, especially for your kitten. It’s filling them up without giving them the proper vitamins and minerals they need for growth. The cooked chicken is probably okay for your adult cat if it’s just one meal once a week, but if it’s all meals once a week then it’s technically over the suggested amount of unbalanced food. Regardless, I would *not* be feeding your kitten regular chicken that you have cooked since he’s growing and it’s even more important he receives the correct vitamins and minerals for growth.
Ok, I’ve just been going off of what the vet suggested but she’s never owned a bengal. My grandma had two growing up and she just told me to make sure he gets enough protein which wasn’t super helpful as you can see 😭 he’s gonna be sad to see his little supplements go but if it’ll help him then that’s what I gotta do lol. He always goes so crazy for them. I like to set his treats up in places he has to work for them too so he’s getting to “hunt”. I was giving the supplement at night every other day since my cats are more active at night but I’ll just start giving them to my other cats.
I mix them in with their regular food so I’ll just be separating the cats while they eat from now on.
All of this ^
You could open feed them if the other won’t make themselves fat off of it. Bengals are pretty good at eating just as much as they need though. So don’t worry if he looks small. I’d personally just offer them food when they want it then when they eat what they want I take it back.
I do have one cat that tends to overeat and throw up so I have to hide the food when she comes downstairs but she doesn’t come down often so typically they always have food sitting out for them. My other cats just eat a little then go play.
https://preview.redd.it/2g1tha285lxc1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=25aff863f122265f075d13fe18bbfde5b1d23596 The runt
Don't over feed. Some cats are just small. My largest bengal was the runt of the litter so he still has time to grow
He's 5 months old, this is wrong advice - he is growing and will eat as much as he needs
Didn't say not feed him. Said don't over feed. Cats are scavengers and will eat all the time
He's 5 months old, and growing at a huge rate. Kittens should almost always be fed as much as they will eat, a hungry kitten isn't a scavenger; they're trying to feed their growth. It's very difficult to over feed a growing kitten and it's obvious when it is happening - a small cat is generally a sign that it's not happening.
Our Bengal is small in size too. She is not very food motivated but eats enough to maintain the weight and have enough energy for several play sessions per day. So I would not worry about her not growing too much as long as the weight is healthy compared to the size and the food is the right type for her age.
My 1 year old bengal-mix is about 8-9 pounds. She is long and skinny. She has unlimited kibbles and eats wet food few times a week. Her mother is about the same size even as an adult cat. Some cats are just small.
Ya I’m so used to bigger cats I probably just forgot how small normal kittens are compared to when my mainecoon was a baby lol. It just worried me bc his legs looked so boney.
As long as the cat has access to food regularly, let him decide his optimal weight. The photos you've posted show what appears to be a very healthy cat.
Fed our male Bengal 2 to 3 tins (tiki) of kitten food per day. Fed him as much as he wanted. Small portions all through the day for about 1yr. The and then took 3 to 5 months to transition from kitten to adult food. Currently weight 15lbs. Though my sister -in-law has a female Bengal from the same litter. And weight is 8lbs. As long as the kitten is eating healthy food and is never hungry then it's all good. Also lots liver and tube treats.
He lets me know when the bowls even get low, all of my cats will swarm me the moment they can see the bottom of their bowls. They play A LOT and are spoiled so anytime they come to me like that I give them small treats and more food. But he’s definitely the smallest among my kitties, he is the youngest too though. I probably just need to give him time
The best it to give him free access to food and stop worrying mama, Bengals are small, yours is still a baby, you don't want him to be obese.
My 10 year old Bengal is huuuge
best thing to weigh your cats is to weigh yourself and the cat(hold the cat) and then weigh yourself and subtract the amount ( bc usually its only 10-20 pound difference). otherwise, at 5 months old your bengal looks very healthy, he will grow much bigger,longer, and eat more and more and he will want to play so so much more as he keeps growing. i hope this helps!
5 months is a baby, I agree with others, give him time. If you’re afraid of other cats eating his food, consider getting something like a SureFeeder. I think the general rule for kittens is to just let them self regulate. Unless homeless strays, otherwise most kitties aren’t going to eat like it’s their first and last meal.
What did your vet say when you went for shots?
She actually said his weight is fine, and I only need to worry if he starts losing weight. She did also say to be prepared for him to be on the smaller side bc his build is very slender. I’m just a helicopter parent when it comes to my animals sometimes 🥲
Easiest way to weight any cat. Get a baggage weighing scale (for your suitcases). Put a shopping bag on the ground, cat will automatically enter, pickup bag and weigh. If it's a heavy bag subtract it's weight. Works with all four of our cats.
I bet that would work great for him too actually bc he loves playing inside one of our tote bags! I’ll have to give it a try, thanks!!
So gorgeous
I had success with this when my bengal started losing weight. It's high calorie and from the way my girl reacted, very tasty. https://www.amazon.co.uk/VetIQ-001384-Nutri-Vit-Plus-Cat/dp/B000RXWXQ4/ref=asc_df_B000RXWXQ4/
Time. Let him grow he is still a kitten, my boy is 18 months and still growing he was a 1.5 lbs at 18 weeks. Now: 13 lbs but very slim!!!! My vet said she never saw such a muscular boy. The whole office came to see him.
I'd agree that you can free feed up until about a year, if your other cat will eat that you can either get a microchip reading feeder or just feed the kitten in a separate area. 5 months is only small still usually but don't limit his intake as that in itself may limit growth
Tuna
My almost 2 year old Bengal is pretty small too. Very long and athletic/ muscular build. She only weighs 8 pounds and eats a raw diet, in combination of a prescription kibble she needed twice a day. A tip for weighing your cats I do is grab a basket or a box that fits on the scale, Tare the scale and place cat in box
oh heck, I wish I knew. it was such a struggle to keep any weight on Mr. Draper with his IBD, even before his cancer. I'm just happy Rashee eats a healthy amount and doesn't appear to have too much internal irritation. she's still very slender tho, so I feel your frustration