When we got Orion at the shelter on Saturday, the vet there told us he was overweight. Her explanation was that they feed the cats there far, far more than the normal amounts cats should get because they are in such a stressful environment and all the shelter cares about is whether they eat at all.
Anyway, she told us to to:
a.) Get him a weight-loss cat food like Science Diet Light; and
b.) Schedule his feedings, ie, don't free feed him.
I've been reading other threads here and I don't know what to think of this now. They gave us regular Science Diet to feed him (because that's what he'd been eating at the shelter) but I've learned from here that SD isn't considered a good cat food. We'll be switching as soon as I can get to Petco again - I was thinking to Nutro and a mix of wet and dry? Is that ok?
As for the scheduled feedings, we've been trying to do that since we got him home. Following the instructions on the bag, we give him a little less than 1/2 cup dry twice a day. He does start eating right away when we put the food down for him. But when we go to pick it up (after an hour or so), there is still so much food left in his bowl! I don't want to be starving him.
Should we just leave it out? Are we giving him way too much?
Thanks for the help... all the food choices are so overwhelming!
Anyway, she told us to to:
a.) Get him a weight-loss cat food like Science Diet Light; and
b.) Schedule his feedings, ie, don't free feed him.
I've been reading other threads here and I don't know what to think of this now. They gave us regular Science Diet to feed him (because that's what he'd been eating at the shelter) but I've learned from here that SD isn't considered a good cat food. We'll be switching as soon as I can get to Petco again - I was thinking to Nutro and a mix of wet and dry? Is that ok?
As for the scheduled feedings, we've been trying to do that since we got him home. Following the instructions on the bag, we give him a little less than 1/2 cup dry twice a day. He does start eating right away when we put the food down for him. But when we go to pick it up (after an hour or so), there is still so much food left in his bowl! I don't want to be starving him.
Thanks for the help... all the food choices are so overwhelming!