Pudgy cats

My two boys have always struggled with weight. Now Fiona is getting tubby. She eats when Rocko eats as a way to stay Alpha.

I feed the meow mix cans 2x daily divided 3 ways. I will also put out a handful each of dry food am and pm. I know the dry food is too much but Rocko sort of freaks if he doesn't have it so i like to have some down. How much per cat should I put down am and pm? 1/2 cup each? 1/4 cup each? 1/3? etc.

I know some of you don't agree on using weight management food so I want to know if I am using the regular food how much to give. Or if it is ok to give the w.m. food because I also feed wet 2x daily. (Which is mandatory)

Any help or insight is appreciated.

What dry food are you feeding and how much do your cats weigh?

To figure out how many cals your kitties need, we need the above info before anyone can say how much food they need.

Oops! Good idea!

Rocko is 14 lbs. ReeRee is also. Fiona is 9.

My vet wants Rocko to be 11-12, ReeRee also and Fiona around 7.

I feed Authority Sensitive Stomach Turkey. But I have also fed Nutro Max Roasted Chicken for adults. I have also done the weight management of both brands but as soon as they lost and went off it they gained again.

What's their activity level like? Tiring them out with more and/or longer play sessions will burn some calories off of them.

Their activity level is fine. I play every day with them. They play with each other. I just wanted to see if people had an idea of how much is the least I should be feeding them and the max. So I can have a gauge. I don't want to starve them.

Generally speaking:

an active adult cat requires 30-35 cals per pound
an inactive cat requires 18cals per pound

to maintain their current weights.

Taken from: The Cat Owners Home Veterninary Handbook

A few thoughts come to mind:

dry food: switch over to a grain free, least amount of carbs. (cats turn cards into fat.....so look for a food that is higher in protein and fat, lower in carbs)

wet food: what is the carb level in the meow mix food?

- if it were me, I would count up all the calories they are getting now, to get an estimate of their daily intake....If Rocko is 14lbs and eating 500 cals a day currently, to lose some weight he needs to decrease his caloric intake...

The key is slow and steady for weightloss...If he's eating 500 cals a day, and his food is fairly carby, then switching to low carb, he would lose some weight OR lowering his caloric intake to 475, then 450, etc. would help him lose some weight too.

hope that helps

ETA: check out this thread: http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...ny+weight+loss

You need to reduce the calories slow and steady, not BOOM all at once.

The average cat only needs \t\tabout 200 - 250 calories/day.

There is a lot of information on the site below:
http://www.catinfo.org/

From the above site:

Example 1: If your cat weighs 18 pounds but really should weigh 12 pounds, please make sure that he is consuming at least ~180 calories per day. (12 pounds lean body mass X 15 calories/pound/day = ~180 calories/day)
Example 2: If your cat is a proper weight at 12 pounds, a simple formula for the minimum caloric needs to maintain the weight of most cats is (13.6 X weight of cat in pounds) + 70. Younger/more active cats may need more calories.
So if your cat weighs 12 pounds and does not need to lose weight, please make sure that he is consuming ~233 calories/day. (13.6 X 12) + 70 = 233.

Click to expand...

I have read before that you should calculate the calories needed depending on the weight your cat should be at.

So, if Rocco needs to be 11.5lbs, his caloric needs should be:
(13.6 x 11.5) + 70 = 226.4
He should not eat less than 172.5 calories

If Fiona needs to be at 7 lbs, her caloric intake should be:
(13.6 x 7) +70 = 165.2
She should not eat less than 105 calories...

You guys are awesome! Thank you so much!

Hi, One that helps me is that I measure out my food daily.
If you just fill up the bowl with dry you dont know what they are eating.
Try measuring the food and adjust accordingly.
My cat gets 3 oz. wet and measured out dry I can't remember I think
its 1/2 of 1/3 cup dry ( not very much ). divided into a couple meals.
She likes the crunch and its a quality dry. I dont want my cat any bigger