how accurate do I need to be in feeding?

ut0pia

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I don't know Jake's exact weight. I know his weight +- 3 pounds. Is that good enough to use in my calculations of how much food he needs?
 

sharky

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do you have a home human scale?? if so weigh yourself then weigh your self holding kitty and get a reasonably accurate wt ( +- 1)

most feeding guideline s cover 5 lb increments so yes u could be reasonably assured of feeding right
 
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ut0pia

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Originally Posted by sharky

do you have a home human scale?? if so weigh yourself then weigh your self holding kitty and get a reasonably accurate wt ( +- 1)

most feeding guideline s cover 5 lb increments so yes u could be reasonably assured of feeding right
Thanks I did that. So..I'm supposed to feed Jake about 1 cup of taste of the wild. Since I'm also feeding him wet food I'm confused how much I have to give him. I feed him not very much wet because I don't have time to do more than 1 feeding, so he gets 1/3 of a 6 oz can once a day ...
 
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ut0pia

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Yup around 13-14 pounds..He's 8 months old
 

jack31

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What kind of wet? 1/3 of a can is 2 oz of wet and a cup of dry?

He's only 8 months though...

Because a cup of TOTW is 390 calories and 2 oz of wet is about probably 65 calories wow.

My boys are 9.5 lbs and only get about 140 calories a day or they start gaining--and the vet is happy with their weights--although they are both 2 years old.

Leslie
 

sharky

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Sounds about right... My 14lb 2yr old who eats mainly dry eat 3/4 cup, 13lb boys eat 1/2 cup and 3oz wet one is 2 yr and one is 18 months ( their dry has 443 cal a cup so they eat less of it than when they ate taste )
 
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ut0pia

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Hmm maybe I'll start giving him 3/4 cups of dry instead of 1 cup and 2 oz of wet. I am scared he will gain weight because I think he has that tendency.
BTW wet food he gets is authority.
 

jack31

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If the wet is authority and is adult then the calories I mentioned are accurate as that is what I feed. Don't know the calories on the authority kitten--wish I did though.

Leslie
 

goldenkitty45

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You know, I've owned cats a long time and even when breeding I never "measured" any food. I went by the general health and weight of the cat (from picking them up) and their general "looks" - not too fat on the sides, etc.

I only free feed kittens for about 4 or 5 months at the most, then give them 2 meals a day. I've never had an overweight cat. They all have been the proper size for their bone structure.

Charlie is gonna be 3 yrs old in August - he weighs a solid 11-12 lbs. Jack is 8 1/2 months old and is a solid 8-9 lbs. Both are muscle heavy - not fat.
 
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ut0pia

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Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

You know, I've owned cats a long time and even when breeding I never "measured" any food. I went by the general health and weight of the cat (from picking them up) and their general "looks" - not too fat on the sides, etc.

I only free feed kittens for about 4 or 5 months at the most, then give them 2 meals a day. I've never had an overweight cat. They all have been the proper size for their bone structure.

Charlie is gonna be 3 yrs old in August - he weighs a solid 11-12 lbs. Jack is 8 1/2 months old and is a solid 8-9 lbs. Both are muscle heavy - not fat.
Well I never thought about it until now. I've just been refilling Jake's bowl of kibble when necessary but I'm afraid he will gain weight this way. And at the same time if I limit it I don't want to starve him especially since he's only 8 months old and still has a bit of growing to do...
 

sharky

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Generally most vets I have talked to say kitten food 12-18 months ... the old stand by is 12 months and has been since well before me


If you worry about wt , add more wet and decrease dry .... ie 1/2 cup dry and 4 oz wet
 

yourlovingcat

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Am I one of the only people out there who leave dry food out all the time? I have had several cats over the last 30 years, and have never had a problem with one that ate too much and became obese. My friends who own cats have usually only had a problem with free range feeding when the cat was a stray. It seems like strays were always short on food, so that when they have food available they would eat as much as possible, and this carried over to their feeding habits in their new home. Any thoughts on this?
 
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ut0pia

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Originally Posted by sharky

Generally most vets I have talked to say kitten food 12-18 months ... the old stand by is 12 months and has been since well before me


If you worry about wt , add more wet and decrease dry .... ie 1/2 cup dry and 4 oz wet
I think I will do that! Thanks


Originally Posted by Yourlovingcat

Am I one of the only people out there who leave dry food out all the time? I have had several cats over the last 30 years, and have never had a problem with one that ate too much and became obese. My friends who own cats have usually only had a problem with free range feeding when the cat was a stray. It seems like strays were always short on food, so that when they have food available they would eat as much as possible, and this carried over to their feeding habits in their new home. Any thoughts on this?
It probably depends on the cat and its genes
I was just noticing some flab on Jake's tummy
He is definitely on the heavy side.
 

darkmavis

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OK, I am thoroughly hijacking this thread here...

The feeding guidelines are just that- guidelines, right?

My cat hasn't been eating as much the past few days, I think maybe because of the heat but maybe not, not sure yet. BF is worried and I am a bit too, but maybe since she is eating better food the past week or 2 (have been switching from Purina ONE Natural to Taste of the Wild, almost all TOTW now) then she doesn't need to eat as much? She won't eat much wet, will rarely finish a 1/2 of a 3oz can of Wellness so last night i gave her 1/3 can and she almost finished it. We're going to keep track of her weight, but when do i need to worry?
 

sharky

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Yes they are Guidelines..
Example I have 5 cats
2 girls and 3 boys ...

one girl Zoey is 8.5-9 lbs yet eat s like a 15lb cat

Dahlia is about 12lbs and eats less than Zoey

One boy is 13.5 lb s eats about 3.5 oz wet a day and 1/2 cup ... other boy is 14lbs and eats a cup of dry ( should eat 1/2 to 2/3 according to guidelines).. the other eats a little wet and dry
 
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