Your cat is still young, its hard to say, it may be a growth phase..  Does
it go outside, he may have learned to hunt and is supplimenting his own
diet.  My adult cat gains weight in the spring and summer for this reason.

Try increasing exercise.  A string on a stick can keep a kitten running for
hours.  A laser pointer is also irresistable to some cats and you can get
him to sprint across the yard a few times a day.  It should be just as much
fun for you.

Stonehenge at iampoor@anywhere.com wrote on4/21/05 7:21 AM:

Most cats don't seriously over eat on dry food left out for free feeding,
especially if they're young and active.  If you are actually still feeding
the kitten formula, try switching to the adult formula. The kitten food
likely has more calories, and at 9 mos. she doesn't need it anymore.

We do. However, I would recommend feeding your cat wet food twice a day.
Wet food is much better for cats than kibble.

It really depends on the breed, I have a Himalayan at 7 months looks fat but
she not, and she is free feed dry. If you can still feel ribs when you pet
her she OK.
DeborahY

Iams is full of grain fillers and poor protein sources, so your cat is
eating more of Iams to get the same nutrition she would get from less of a
premium brand.  Not only is wet food better for cats, but it usually
contains less grains than dry food.  I suggest switching your cat to
scheduled feedings of a premium wet food like Wellness, Innova, Chicken
Soup, Newman's Own, Evolve, Felidae, Pinnacle, Solid Gold, or Nutro.  You
can rotate brands and flavors.  Follow the directions on the can for how
much to feed.  My cats get approximately 5.5oz of wet food a day (1/2 in
the morning, half in the evening), and then 1/8 cup kibble as a bedtime
snack.