Cat Food Question & Update

[akw94]

Hi,
My cat has been doing well with our recent switch to healthier cat food. Although I don''t notice any real difference, I am happy that we made the switch. We go between Tiki Cat, Merrick and Evo.
My question is, how much do you feed your cat? I feed one small can in the morning and one in the afternoon/evening. She still seems to be pretty hungry and seems starving when it''s time to be fed. I used to leave out the dry food so she could graze throughout the day but have stopped feeding dry food, and I heard it''s unhealthy to leave it out b/c they overeat. I do think my cat is overweight b/c she has a pouchy stomach which hangs down. However, I don''t want to feed too little. The can says 1 can per 3lbs body weight. If that''s the case, I''m definitely under-feeding b/c she''s certainly over 6 lbs. So I wondered what everyone else is doing.

Thanks!

 

[AmberGretchen]

Hi dixie - that''s great that you''ve switched to some better brands. Here''s the info I''ve gotten from my vet about feeding amounts:

First, they should be really hungry at mealtimes, and should eat all the food put down for them within 15 minutes or so (if not it should come back up). They should also have set mealtimes and not free-feed, as you are already doing.

Second, the pouch almost definitely means overweight. If you google "cat ideal body condition" or something like that there are good illustrations of what to look for in determining if your cat is overweight. But remember they are supposed to be very lean and muscled predators.

Third, to determine actual feeding amount, its best to consult the vet. We started by feeding 1/2 cup Innova dry per cat per day, and have now cut down to 2/3 cup for all three cats twice a day, to try to help our two fatties slim down even more. But its really individual to the cat, and it is dangerous to feed them too little, so really, its worth at least a phone call to the vet to see what he/she recommends for feeding amounts, given that you want kitty to lose some weight.

I hope that''s helpful!

 

[chrono]

I'm doing solely canned food too and I follow the weight guidelines as listed on the can. I use the larger 5.5 oz or 6 oz where it is recommended to feed 1 oz for 3/4 lbs of cat body weight. So I pop open a fresh in the morning and give her half, and refrigerate the remaining (saran wrapped). In the evening, I give her the rest of the can. But I also have a lighter kitty.

If you are feeding the smaller 3 oz canned food and with a heavier cat, then its 1 can in the morning and 1 can at noon and 1 can at night. If you can't swing the afternoon feed due to being at work, then either increase to 1.5 cans per feed twice a day, or feed kitty as soon as you get home, then add a 3rd feed before going to bed at 10 pm or as late as you can.

 

[akw94]

Hi Amber and thanks! I actually have an upcoming vet visit scheduled so I will add that to the list to talk about. I wasn''t happy with the last vet so I''m switching and hopefully she''ll be more helpful.

Chrono, thanks! I have thought about adding a third can and I would have to do it the way you suggested. I definitely can''t do a noon feeding so would have to do a late afternoon and then late evening.

Thanks!

 

[AmberGretchen]

Dixie - I''d definitely check with the vet about feeding amounts - the amounts listed on the food containers themselves are almost always inflated, especially for relatively sedentary indoor kitties.

 

[spike13]

This site has some great info about feeding:
http://www.catinfo.org/

Somewhere there''s a table you can use to figure it out.

Generally I feed them 3 times a day and follow the 15 minute rule. Whatever they don''t eat in 15 minutes I put up.

 

[laine]

Date: 5/4/2008 11:38:31 PM
Author:dixie94
I do think my cat is overweight b/c she has a pouchy stomach which hangs down. However, I don''t want to feed too little.

I''m not sure that necessarily means your cat is overweight. My cat has a random belly pouch--its just loose skin that hangs down. I really don''t get it because he''s never been overweight or pregnant (obviously, he''s a male) or anything like that. The skin has just always been there. It seems like some cats just have that.

If course, if its actually belly fat on your cat and not just loose skin, I''d be concerned...

As for how much food, we free-feed dry food (mix of innova and a cheaper food), so I''m not much help to you. The two cats (about 10 and 8 lbs) get maybe 1/2 to 2/3 cup twice a day.

 

[spike13]

Date: 5/6/2008 8:48:29 AM
Author: laine

Date: 5/4/2008 11:38:31 PM

Author:dixie94

I do think my cat is overweight b/c she has a pouchy stomach which hangs down. However, I don''t want to feed too little.

I''m not sure that necessarily means your cat is overweight. My cat has a random belly pouch--its just loose skin that hangs down. I really don''t get it because he''s never been overweight or pregnant (obviously, he''s a male) or anything like that. The skin has just always been there. It seems like some cats just have that.


If course, if its actually belly fat on your cat and not just loose skin, I''d be concerned...


As for how much food, we free-feed dry food (mix of innova and a cheaper food), so I''m not much help to you. The two cats (about 10 and 8 lbs) get maybe 1/2 to 2/3 cup twice a day.

I can''t remember what that loose skin is called, but there is a name for it. You''re right, it''s normal and is not in and of itself an indication your cat is overweight. The best way to tell is to look at your cat from above. You should see a slight waist. Here''s a chart that may be helpful:

http://www.placervillevet.com/feline%20body%20condition.htm

 

[Babyblue033]

I definitely don''t follow the feeding guidelines on the cans, if I did that I would be feeding about 2-3x as much as I do now

Currently I feed a 13.2 oz can of EVO for morning and then dinner for my 5 cats (18, 15, 12, 11, & 7lbs). I used to feed more but they weren''t finishing it and I gradually decreased the amount until we were down to 1 can per meal. I do have one cat that I separately feed extra dry food, as he always has trouble maintaining healthy weight but I no longer feed dry food as I was very concerned with their long term effect.

How long has it been since you switched? It''ll take some time for your cat to get used to the new routine/diet, especially if she''s used to having food available for her 24/7. I used to do the same until I learned about various health issues that can cause, including obesity. But I know my guys definitely made a huge stink about it when I switched and acted like I was starving them to death

 

[LegacyGirl]

If your cat has been fixed (esp if it is a female) the pooch is normal. You only need to worry about their weight if they have a round appearance like this http://freakytrigger.co.uk/share/tub_cat.jpg

Also when a cat is fixed they tend to be a little bigger. I''ll try to get a pic of my cat to show you the pooch. I was worried about her weight too and this is what my vet told me.

 

[tberube]

Hmmm...Amber, on your pouch comment. My male siamese is fit as can be and still has a little pouch. My vet said that most cats get that after being fixed. Other people I have asked about it have said the extra fat is to protect their organs, if they ever fight, etc.

Every cat is different, I believe, especially between indoor and outdoor cats. Ozzie is an indoor cat, and he's fed 1/4 cup of dry food in the morning, 1/4 cup at night, and 1/4 can (1.5 oz) of wet cat food along with his evening feeding. The recommended dry amount is more than we feed him, so we reduced the amount of dry to make up for the wet.
Ozzie is not fed to graze, but sometimes he's more hungry than other days.

 

[AmberGretchen]

Hey guys - I didn''t mean to offend anyone with the pouch comment, but our vet did tell us that our kitty with the pouch was overweight. On the other hand, there is clearly fat as well as skin in her pouch. Other than the pouch, she looks to be in good body condition - clearly observable waist from above, and visible flankline. I would say that our two overweight kitties are probably around a 5 or a 6 on the chart that someone posted a link to, but our vet seems to think they should be down around a 4 ideally. She says that people''s perceptions are a bit skewed of what a kitty is supposed to look like - as predators, they are supposed to be extremely lean.

That said, I''m not willing to take drastic measures to get my cats down to there if they don''t go naturally on a reasonable diet over time.

 

[AmberGretchen]

Also important to note: none of my kitties have any other health issues whatsoever, and were pronounced completely healthy and normal by my vet at their checkup a month or so ago - and visually they are very healthy kitties, bright clear eyes, clean teeth, shiny healthy fur, and reasonably active for house kitties.

 

[tberube]

Date: 5/13/2008 1:37:46 PM
Author: AmberGretchen
Hey guys - I didn''t mean to offend anyone with the pouch comment, but our vet did tell us that our kitty with the pouch was overweight. On the other hand, there is clearly fat as well as skin in her pouch. Other than the pouch, she looks to be in good body condition - clearly observable waist from above, and visible flankline. I would say that our two overweight kitties are probably around a 5 or a 6 on the chart that someone posted a link to, but our vet seems to think they should be down around a 4 ideally. She says that people''s perceptions are a bit skewed of what a kitty is supposed to look like - as predators, they are supposed to be extremely lean.

That said, I''m not willing to take drastic measures to get my cats down to there if they don''t go naturally on a reasonable diet over time.

Oh sweetie if you mean me, no offense taken! I''ve learned, since owning my kitty, that every pet owner has different information about what''s right, wrong, or okay about raising their pet. But the one thing we all have in common is our love for our little furries.

 

[akw94]

Hi,
Thank you for all the comments! I''ve been out of town w/o internet access so haven''t had time to respond. My vet appt. is next week so I''m looking fwd to her perspective.

Thank you again and I will respond more once I catch my breath! I do appreciate everyone''s thoughts.

 

[AmberGretchen]

Date: 5/13/2008 9:40:57 PM
Author: tberube

Date: 5/13/2008 1:37:46 PM

Author: AmberGretchen

Hey guys - I didn''t mean to offend anyone with the pouch comment, but our vet did tell us that our kitty with the pouch was overweight. On the other hand, there is clearly fat as well as skin in her pouch. Other than the pouch, she looks to be in good body condition - clearly observable waist from above, and visible flankline. I would say that our two overweight kitties are probably around a 5 or a 6 on the chart that someone posted a link to, but our vet seems to think they should be down around a 4 ideally. She says that people''s perceptions are a bit skewed of what a kitty is supposed to look like - as predators, they are supposed to be extremely lean.


That said, I''m not willing to take drastic measures to get my cats down to there if they don''t go naturally on a reasonable diet over time.

Oh sweetie if you mean me, no offense taken! I''ve learned, since owning my kitty, that every pet owner has different information about what''s right, wrong, or okay about raising their pet. But the one thing we all have in common is our love for our little furries.

Thanks tberube - I volunteer in a shelter and have had to tell an awful lot of people who bring their dogs for public training classes that they are overweight, and I''ve seen people take it very personally (I think sometimes people make the very flawed assumption that I''m somehow commenting on *their* weight, not their dog''s). Anyway, I just wanted to be sure no one thought I was making disparaging remarks, but rather was trying to share helpful information. You are totally right - its abundantly clear that everyone posting in a thread like this loves their furry "kids" because otherwise they wouldn''t care enough to try to figure out what''s right. And in a world of pets being seen as disposable, that''s way more than most people ever get to

 

[tberube]

Date: 5/14/2008 10:39:31 AM
Author: AmberGretchen

Date: 5/13/2008 9:40:57 PM

Author: tberube

Date: 5/13/2008 1:37:46 PM


Author: AmberGretchen


Hey guys - I didn''t mean to offend anyone with the pouch comment, but our vet did tell us that our kitty with the pouch was overweight. On the other hand, there is clearly fat as well as skin in her pouch. Other than the pouch, she looks to be in good body condition - clearly observable waist from above, and visible flankline. I would say that our two overweight kitties are probably around a 5 or a 6 on the chart that someone posted a link to, but our vet seems to think they should be down around a 4 ideally. She says that people''s perceptions are a bit skewed of what a kitty is supposed to look like - as predators, they are supposed to be extremely lean.



That said, I''m not willing to take drastic measures to get my cats down to there if they don''t go naturally on a reasonable diet over time.

Oh sweetie if you mean me, no offense taken! I''ve learned, since owning my kitty, that every pet owner has different information about what''s right, wrong, or okay about raising their pet. But the one thing we all have in common is our love for our little furries.

Thanks tberube - I volunteer in a shelter and have had to tell an awful lot of people who bring their dogs for public training classes that they are overweight, and I''ve seen people take it very personally (I think sometimes people make the very flawed assumption that I''m somehow commenting on *their* weight, not their dog''s). Anyway, I just wanted to be sure no one thought I was making disparaging remarks, but rather was trying to share helpful information. You are totally right - its abundantly clear that everyone posting in a thread like this loves their furry ''kids'' because otherwise they wouldn''t care enough to try to figure out what''s right. And in a world of pets being seen as disposable, that''s way more than most people ever get to

That''s so good of you, to volunteer in a shelter! I''ve always said that if I ever get the time for it, I would do the same.

Since I first brought home my cat, I have been exceedingly obsessed with making sure he stays at a "healthy" weight...I''ve done hours of research on wet food vs. dry food, desired food ingredients, brands, amounts to feed, etc. etc. I refused to buy junk but I didn''t want to travel 10 miles out of my way or spend past my limit on the food, so I have settled on Nutro Natural brand wet and dry food.

The last thing I want is my pets to become overweight, or otherwise unhealthy, because of me. So that extra bit of knowledge is important to have. And it''s funny, because I have a friend or two, who loves their cats just as much as I do, and they outright feed them really cheap grocery-store dry cat food, let them graze, never feed canned (because it''s stinky), and give them 7 or 8 kitty treats a day...and they seriously always think they have no control over the weight of their animal. It puts things into perspective for me.