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- Apr 1, 2008
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We have an 8 year old neutered male cat.
Zane is a sweet guy and gets A LOT of attention.
Up until 2 years ago, he got wet food a few times a day and unlimited
dry food. At that time he was thrilled any time a wet food can was opened.
He became significantly overweight (18 lbs.). We brought him in for a checkup
and the vet gave us a feeding chart which defined four 3 oz. cans of
Purina wet food as optimal and dry food not healthy as a primary food source
for a cat. He has lost 5 pounds and is now stable around 13 lbs (his vet's target weight)
Unfortunately this process has made him into a neurotic cat.
We feed him wet food 4 times daily at 9am-2pm-7pm-12am.
He licks the gravy off the top and then is gone. In the next 1/2 to 3 hours
after, he cries for dry food
(which now is the food that thrills him) and rushes over
to the feeding area even though wet food is there. Not all the time, but often.
He jumps up to investigate any time we walk toward the feeding area (maybe they will give me dry food).
I think I understand what's going on. He wants the kind of food to which he has limited access.
He usually eats more wet food a half hour before being given a new can.
Generally he eats no more than 1/2 to 2/3 of the can, so we throw out a lot of catfood.
He's increasingly crying at 5am for food (usually having eaten most of it).
We've tried giving him dry food at 12am but he wolfs it down without chewing
(he did chew it when it was in unlimited supply) and
often throws it up. With dry & wet food available at night, he won't
eat the wet. This is making us crazy. I'm grateful for any suggestions.
--Joel
Zane is a sweet guy and gets A LOT of attention.
Up until 2 years ago, he got wet food a few times a day and unlimited
dry food. At that time he was thrilled any time a wet food can was opened.
He became significantly overweight (18 lbs.). We brought him in for a checkup
and the vet gave us a feeding chart which defined four 3 oz. cans of
Purina wet food as optimal and dry food not healthy as a primary food source
for a cat. He has lost 5 pounds and is now stable around 13 lbs (his vet's target weight)
Unfortunately this process has made him into a neurotic cat.
We feed him wet food 4 times daily at 9am-2pm-7pm-12am.
He licks the gravy off the top and then is gone. In the next 1/2 to 3 hours
after, he cries for dry food
(which now is the food that thrills him) and rushes over
to the feeding area even though wet food is there. Not all the time, but often.
He jumps up to investigate any time we walk toward the feeding area (maybe they will give me dry food).
I think I understand what's going on. He wants the kind of food to which he has limited access.
He usually eats more wet food a half hour before being given a new can.
Generally he eats no more than 1/2 to 2/3 of the can, so we throw out a lot of catfood.
He's increasingly crying at 5am for food (usually having eaten most of it).
We've tried giving him dry food at 12am but he wolfs it down without chewing
(he did chew it when it was in unlimited supply) and
often throws it up. With dry & wet food available at night, he won't
eat the wet. This is making us crazy. I'm grateful for any suggestions.
--Joel
