She's not starving herself, she will eat on her own if I'm not home or if I'm asleep. But if I'm available she makes it pretty clear that she would like some company while she eats!

Aww, you're so sweet OP. Thank you for your generosity in rescuing this little kitten. Rescue kittens can depend on you heavily, but I'm sure it will eventually grow out of it. Cute!

I remember moderating this

You are very sweet, the kitten is lucky to have you.

Kittens are so hard to refuse aren't they? That's so sweet! Is she rambunctious? I have a very playful kitty. He'll be 2 next month.

I, too, rescued my kitty, and I'm so glad I did! Good for you for being such a caring person!

#42 - Congratulations.

Good for you for rescuing her OP :) we took in a kitten in October of 2013 and she's a great cat now. Free feeding isn't always the best/healthiest option though. It can lead to obesity and diabetes, so it's generally better to feed a bit, pick up what they don't eat, and do the same in the afternoon. I'm sure you know what you're doing, I just wanted to clarify that for anyone who was confused. :)

You could try giving her wet food once a week and walking away. It would give her something she really wants to eat and practice doing it without you around. Give it to her right before you leave for the day.

But being that it's a kitten, the ability it free feed is more beneficial. They need more calories and have faster immune systems.

Yes, #57, I understand that. That's why I stated that OP knows what she's doing but that for most adult cats, free feeding isn't such a good idea. I was just clarifying. :)

Aww, this makes me so happy!! :')

Hey OP I have a question: because your name is Veganvampire I am assuming you're a vegetarian, if you're not I am sorry. As a vegetarian how can you feed your cat store brand foods knowing it has different types of meat or dead animal in it with out being a hypocritical. On the other hand, if you feed your cat a vegan diet, how can you force it to live your life style without feeling hypocritical.

#63 some people are vegetarian/vegan not just because they don't agree with how the animals are raised and killed. Some people just don't like the taste of meat or dairy products or have dietary restrictions.

Plus humans have the ability to be vegetarian if they want to, but cats need a very high protein diet and would probably refuse a vegetarian meal. So that comment doesn't make sense.

Kudos to you OP. Rescue kittens can be a handful. Both of mine are rescues and they where very cautious in the beginning. They should grow out of it!

#42 nobody gives a ****

The comment does make sense because OP is most likely a vegetarian because she doesn't agree with how animals processed and killed. Store brand cat food has processed and improperly killed animals in it. I am wondering if OP feels hypocritical feeding her cat that diet when she rejects it. I am basically asking if it is ethical for a vegan to have a carnivore pet, I am well aware that a cat would reject a pure vegan meal but there are vegetarian products in cat food, it is not purely meat. This is irrelevant to my question of OP's feelings towards the cat food though

Dang, you're lucky she doesn't pig out. We tried free-feeding my formerly stray cat for maybe 30 minutes before realizing he has absolutely no portion control. After being nursed back to health/strength he started trash-diving too, and about a year ago he had to have emergency surgery after eating some non-food items that got stuck. He hasn't missed a meal in over 3 years, but he'll still eat anything, any time, anywhere. I think he's secretly part Lab.

I agree your headache hurts but I think it's amazing what you've done for her. I'm sure her bugging you is worth all the amazing years you'll get with her.

Congrats! You win at being awesome :D

#50 free feeding is not the reason for diabetes etc. in cats! It's the food... dry food and everything with sugar and to much plants is the problem! Cats can't digest most plants, need 7-10% (animal based) fat, ~13% good quality, animal protin, 0% of carbohydrates and water... yes, I feed my cats raw (supplemented) meat. they are free feed, the cat lost some weight and both are completely healthy (got the bloodwork checked)

How can you be so sure of her reasons without hard proof, a lot of vegetarians choose that lifestyle to be healthy, not because of how animals are processed stop assuming about the lifestyle of the OP without proof

Because being a vegan isn't healthy... Either she doesn't like the way animals are treated and processed or she doesn't like chicken, meat, and fish. I believe it is the latter. Look up any healthy course and it will contain meat. Any healthy diet also contains meat.

#90, cats are obligate carnivores. They need meat to survive. You are deliberately asking stupid questions to get a rise out of everyone when we already know the answer is 'the cat has to eat meat based cat food' otherwise she would have to make a raw diet supplemented in taurine. Given that she's only had the cat a week which one do you think is the more likely scenario?

Trvr- I am vegetarian (although it has nothing to do with my username), for ethical reasons, and no, I don't believe that it is hypocritical of me to feed an animal the diet they require to survive. I'm vegetarian because I don't like to support cruelty to animals, and forcing a vegetarian diet on a carnivore would certainly fall under the category of cruelty to animals. Besides, a lot of vegetarians and vegans tend to take things way too far, and while I do strongly disagree with how slaughterhouses are run, I also feel that it is important to have balance in my life. I can't dedicate every waking second to crusading for animal rights. I do what I can to help the cause while still remaining happy and healthy. Plus, I actually buy a high quality brand of pet food which uses humanely grown meat :)

Also nobody needs to hear your personal views on how vegetarianism or veganism isn't healthy. It's not constructive and it's also an unfounded claim. You can eat unhealthily as a meat eater OR as a vegetarian or vegan but a diet without meat or animal products can be nutritionally whole, also. Also- I'm a meat eater in case you felt like personally attacking me too.

Thank you so much to everyone who has posted lovely comments about me for rescuing a stray!! It's kind of strange to hear so many people making a big deal of it; for me it just wasn't even a question. I was raised to help animals in need, and I love cats, so of course I took her in! :P To #45- surprisingly, no. She's very calm and quiet, although she loves to cuddle. I kind of wonder if she's just enjoying the chance to curl up and relax in comfort and safety for the first time in months... And #50- I suppose it depends on the cat, some of them will overeat given the opportunity. From my experience, it largely depends on how they get fed as kittens. If they're used to always having food available from the start, they tend not to abuse it. But if they're raised knowing this is all they get and it will be taken away in X amount of time, then they get used to having to gobble it up before it's gone, at which point if you switch to free feeding they will gorge themselves. But in general, it is much healthier and more natural to graze throughout the day rather than eating two or three big meals (and that goes for all mammals, humans included, not just cats!) and since she seems to be perfectly fine self regulating her food intake, I am perfectly happy to let her. :)

I don't think my cats really know the difference. Pretty much my whole family is vegetarian & while we do feed them the dry bags of food from the grocery store, they eat my soy cheese, bacon(I think they like it more than I do), & sausage when I offer a bite.

Have you considered placing a few dishes in the main rooms your in do she can eat in the same space you are in and give you less of a headache?

I feed control by leaving down during the day and picking up at night. My cats are on a weight control food though and those are the instructions my vet gave me too.

okay what? How the **** is that even logical

@63

You're a great person. I'm glad there are still people like you in this world.

Personally attacking you? Did you read what I wrote? I simply had a question which the OP answered and for that I am very thankful. People were claiming OP was a vegan because she wanted a healthy life style, not because she disagreed with slaughter houses and I proved their claims untrue, and OP validated that by stating her reasons for being vegan are exactly as I stated. I had a simple question about how she dealt with the controversy and she gave an answer I am happy with and agree with. I never attacked anyone, I was simply wondering a vegans view on having a carnivore pet. I have nothing against vegetarians and I never said I did. I was just frustrated at people claiming I was wrong for assuming OP was a vegan for not liking how animals are processed.

How is it logical to want to know a vegans view on a cat eating processed foods she protest? Feeding her cat the very thing she vowed to avoid? It is a very logical question that I was curious about that has nothing to do with the FML. OP stated that she does not go to extremes with being a vegetarian and that justifies feeding her cat the food it needs, which is a correct and reasonable answer.

I wish I could +1 your comment, OP. You're a fantastic person!

117 you phrased it very badly then. You told her she was either a hypocrite if she fed the kitten meat or that she was terrible if she forced it on a vegan/vegetarian lifestyle. You then went on to say that the lifestyle is unhealthy, which as someone said, is untrue. I would classify such under personal attack. And this is coming from a meat eater that is attacked a lot by vegans/vegetarians.

Just quick. You should feed your cat smaller portions. Anything more than she can eat in one go is too much.

If you have a room that you spend most of your time in, can you move the kitten's food into it? that way you don't have to get up as often for the kitten to eat. Then later you can try moving it elsewhere.

About a week ago >.

Why are you down voted?

That's so sweet I'm glad there are people like you in the world to look out for animals like that.

Then why are you complaining about it here then if you are so happy?