My Cat Eats Alot

darly

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I have seven month old kitten, she eats soooo much. I have to refill her dish everytime I pass it. I know she doesn't have worms, and that she is perfectly healthy but I can't understand how she can eat constantly, and still catch mice even. Is there any suggestion as to why she might eat so much, and how I can change it?
 

mrblanche

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Is this dry or wet food?

Is the cat an indoor or outdoor cat?

Caloric intake varies a lot, depending on a number of factors. I'd say if the cat isn't losing (or gaining) weight, seems happy, drinks enough water, and eliminates normally, you don't have much to worry about.

There ARE premium foods that are claimed to require less to make the cat feel "satisfied."
 
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darly

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Dry food, she always has access to water, and I sure do have to clean that litter box. She doesn't lose weight, and she isnt a fatty, she stays indoors, I would hate to find her on the road, I've had my share of those tragedies its an aweful experience. Thank you for your input
 

yosemite

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MrBlanche has a good point. Often the dry foods we give our cats is more grain than meat so our pets need to eat more of it to get the nutrition they need, especially growing kittens.

Sparky is our resident guru when it comes to nutrition and has posted much information on quality food. Take a look through some of the food/nutrition threads here and you'll see a great deal of information that she has posted about different foods and their benefits/drawbacks.
 

jen

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Why do you keep refilling it? Stick to once or twice per day. You should only be feeding her the amount listed on the bag. Probably around 1/2 cup per day max. What brand do you feed?
 

sharky

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Originally Posted by Yosemite

MrBlanche has a good point. Often the dry foods we give our cats is more grain than meat so our pets need to eat more of it to get the nutrition they need, especially growing kittens.

Sparky is our resident guru when it comes to nutrition and has posted much information on quality food. Take a look through some of the food/nutrition threads here and you'll see a great deal of information that she has posted about different foods and their benefits/drawbacks.
lol... my name is Sharky... thou sparky is very cute


Premiums will be a bit more filling over grocery.. as most are more nutrient and calorie dense .....

What are your feeding?? if one of the first 4 to 6 ingredients are CORN , CORN meal or Corn grits these dont digest well and in some cats will cause them to eat more ... SAME idea if there is say chicken by products that is not as digestable as chicken or chicken meal ... also check for HOW many grain s , Many premium foods even have rice, oatmeal , barley or rice wheat and corn.. one meat to one grain is a good ratio

BAG guidelines are USUALLY the HIGH end of what MOST should eat... in general a 10lb adult cat should get about 1/2 cup of dry
 
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darly

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I feed her wiskas, I have tried premium foods and she eats just as much. I keep refilling the dish because I don't like to hear her cry.
 

sharky

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did you leave her one premiums like say orijen for 12 weeks??? that is when it starts to taper...

what do you have access too?? right now she is eating LOADS of corn , meat by products and chemical preservatives
 
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darly

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I was wrong it was Cat Chow, Healthy Nutrition for indoor cats, I stopped giving her kitten chow because she ate that like a horse. She seems to have slowed down eating since I got her, I think part of it is because she was maybe only four weeks when I got her, and she didn't get much food where I got her from, she was small, and desperately cute, and came as a gift so my Boyfriend could break up with me, so I adore her. I don't know what to do, your suggestions are great. Though thank you
 

goldenkitty45

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She eats cause you keep filling up the bowl. If she's spayed you are looking at a very fat cat unless you start giving portion meals.

Try feeding a certain amount in the morning and again in the evening. Don't keep filling up her bowl! BTW is it kitten food or adult food. At her age she can be eating adult foods.
 

yosemite

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Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

She eats cause you keep filling up the bowl. If she's spayed you are looking at a very fat cat unless you start giving portion meals.

Try feeding a certain amount in the morning and again in the evening. Don't keep filling up her bowl! BTW is it kitten food or adult food. At her age she can be eating adult foods.
I believe she said she stopped giving her kitten chow.
 
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darly

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But I feel like taking away her food would be like someone taking away my food. She is on adult food for indoor cats, and she isn't fixed.
 

jen

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First of all, she needs fixed asap.

Second of all, have you tried instead of filling her bowl every time you walk by, just put a couple pieces in the bowl. Then get her interested and active in something else.
 

goldenkitty45

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Yes, please get her spayed. You don't want her to wind up pregnant. That could be part of the problem with her crying if she's going in and out of heat - nothing to do with food. And she's at risk for cancer or pyrometria (both could kill her if left untreated).

If you don't want to go cold turkey with 2 scheduled meals, try to ease her into it. Start with 3 meals during the day. Ignore her crying for food. Get her interested in other things rather then the food bowl.

Once she's spayed if you don't stop the all day feeding you will have a very fat cat in a short time and it will be worse problems. Overweight cats have more health risks. Remember you can kill with kindness (over feeding) - if you want her to have a healthy life, you'll change the feeding habits now rather then later!
 

laureen227

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i agree w/everyone on the spaying thing - unfixed, not only can she get some pretty serious things, like GK said, but she will also likely pee in places you don't want her to

i've found, w/mine, that they eat far more of the lower quality drys than the higher quality ones... this is when i've been desperate for food, & unable to get to the pet or feed store for the good stuff & resorted to buying supermarket food.
just my

welcome to TCS!
 
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darly

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Originally Posted by Jen

First of all, she needs fixed asap.

Second of all, have you tried instead of filling her bowl every time you walk by, just put a couple pieces in the bowl. Then get her interested and active in something else.
I dont think my cat needs to be fixed actually, I am completely against fixing a cat if she wont be in contact with other cats AND if she were to have kittens, I don't see that as a problem. I appreciate your suggestion though. Cats that are in contact with males in homes who don't want kittens are deffinate candidates for spaying.
 
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darly

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I know alot about cats too, I have had others. She does not pee in random places. None of my un-spayed females ever have. None of them have ever been unhealthy either. She is not over fed, she eats alot, but she isn't gaining weight, she isn't un active either, she plays with my dogs all the time, she rarely sleeps through the day
 

jen

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That is a huge risk for cancer and particularly Pyometra to leave your female cat intact (same with males but they just can get cancer, no pyo). I don't know if you have ever gone through Pyo but that is a nasty, horrible and deadly illness when the uterus fills with pus (which builds up every time the cat goes into heat) and the pus becomes infected. Bacteria is continuously left behind each time a cat goes in heat and eventually it will become infected. Plus doesn't heat just get annoying? Man I couldn't stand that.
 

goldenkitty45

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A friend of mine recently lost several breeding females from pyrometria because they were not bred (this was pedigree cats). You are putting your female at high risk for death if you don't get her spayed.
 
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darly

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If I have my cat vet checked regularly, I see no risk. Please don't attempt to push me on this idea. She is very healthy, and her first heat was quiet, she was just affectionate.
 
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