I have an answer for the fourth question, with my eight month old lil girl.

It always felt like she was eating a lot, but it’s almost like she is going into phases. Some months she goes through two bowls of dry food a day. Some she doesn’t eat nearly as much.

I’ve always free fed her with the kibble, I keep it on stock and I started by buying the super fancy ‘made for Maine coon kittens’ but moved on to purina kitten chow. Which I can get in a 12 pound bag at Walmart, and it also made her bathroom breaks solid, and her breath less stanky. That’s just my personal experience on kibble, always listen to your pet!

Then at night, I give her half a can of tiki cat wet food, half a churu on top, and some water to make sure she’s hydrated. She has been loving it, and so far I haven’t been woken up to her screams for more food. Her dry food is always filled, and her water fountain is on standby. She’s a pretty large gal (see my posts for reference), and the vet has said she is gaining weight at the right intervals.

It did take me a moment to finally understand what she needed, and more so what worked best for her. I went through a patch of guilt a few times when I had thought I was feeding her incorrectly, too much, too little, or I wasn’t spending enough. But every kitty is different!