How Much, and How Often, for This Kitten
Take the question the vet can answer better than any packet can: given this kitten's actual weight, age and body condition today, how much food should she eat across a full day, and into how many meals should it be divided? Packet guides describe a typical kitten; the vet is looking at yours, including whether she is lean from a shaky start or already round from enthusiastic feeding at her previous home. Young kittens generally eat little and often, with meals spreading further apart as they grow, so ask what the rhythm should look like now and when it changes. Ask also how you will know the amount needs adjusting — what rib feel and waist shape you are aiming for, and how quickly a growing kitten's needs climb — so portion changes at home follow her condition rather than her appetite alone, since a persuasive kitten will always argue for more.
Wet Food, Dry Food and What Is Already in Your Cupboard
Bring a photo of the food you are using, including the back of the pack. Ask whether it is formulated for kittens rather than adult cats, because growth places different demands on energy and nutrients, and whether a wet food, a dry food or a mixture makes sense for her teeth, hydration and your household's routine. Some kittens drink readily; others barely visit a water bowl, and wet food quietly carries moisture into a cat who will not. Ask where water should sit — many cats prefer it away from the food bowl — and whether a fountain is worth trying for a reluctant drinker. If you want to feed differently from the food she arrived on, for any reason, say so at this visit; the vet can sanity-check the new choice before you buy in bulk and discover she refuses it.
Changing Foods Without Upsetting a Small Stomach
Ask exactly how a switch should be staged. The usual pattern is gradual — a little of the new food mixed into the old, with the balance shifting over several days — but a kitten who has had loose stools, or who arrived mid-switch from a rescue, may need a slower path or a pause on the food she is stable on. Ask which signs mean slow down, which mean return to the previous food and phone the clinic, and how long a soft stool after a change is unremarkable before it is worth reporting. Sudden wholesale changes are a common cause of a miserable kitten and a worried owner in the first fortnight, and they are avoidable with a plan written down. Write that plan where whoever feeds her will see it, with dates, so a well-meaning second feeder does not jump ahead two stages in one day.
Treats, Milk and the Extras Worth Asking About
Treats feel tiny and add up fast in a small animal, so ask what share of her day they should take and what makes a suitable reward for training and handling practice. Ask about milk directly: despite the storybook image, many kittens handle cows' milk poorly once weaned, and water is the drink she needs. Bones, raw feeding, home-cooked meals and table scraps are all worth raising openly if they feature in your plans, because the vet would rather discuss them now than meet the consequences later. Note the answers where the household can see them, then turn the agreed amounts and meal times into assigned duties in KinsLe using Care Teams, so a partner, a teenager and a visiting grandparent all serve the kitten the same day of meals.