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New cat, eating too much?

post #1 of 13
5/30/11 at 5:40pm
Thread Starter 
Our new (and first) cat found us, not the other way around haha, so came to me a little thin. Not direly, but she felt a little boney. I also think she is either small or under a year old. Anyway, I've been tracking how much she eats - two cans and 2/3 cup dry. I've been feeding Blue Wilderness dry and have tried Wellness pouches, Innova, and Blue Wilderness wet (her favorite was DEFINITELY the Wellness pouch!). Should I be letting her eat this much?
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post #2 of 13
5/30/11 at 5:47pm
Unless she is a large breed cat (like a Maine coon) then that is Way too much food for every day feeding.
Is she still skinny? I might have her tested for thyroid issues.
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post #3 of 13
5/30/11 at 5:51pm
Thread Starter 
We've had her five days, she has put on a little weight, her spine is less noticeable when you pet her, how much should I let her have? I'll be bringing her into the vet this week as our predetermined time limit for someone to claim her is up.
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post #4 of 13
5/30/11 at 6:03pm
For right now, it should be okay for her to eat as much as she wants, but once she gets to normal size, if you continued this amount she would balloon in size quite quickly.
If she checks out as healthy, I'd probably give her as much as she wants for a couple weeks and then after that start to taper off to somewhere around less than a can and say between 1/8-1/6 a cup and then continue to adjust to an amount that doesn't cause weight gain.
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post #5 of 13
5/30/11 at 6:05pm
Thread Starter 
OK thanks! I was beginning to wonder!
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post #6 of 13
5/31/11 at 4:27am
There are guides to proper body weight, but essentially you should be able to feel a cat's backbone and just feel its ribs.

Your cat probably needs to be wormed, treated for fleas, etc. Almost any outdoor cat will have tapeworms and likely others. One of the topical treatments will take care of the fleas immediately (get Advantage, Revolution, or Frontline--don't use the kind you get at WalMart, such as Hartz--read a little on the internet and you'll know why), and Frontline also treats most worms, but not tapeworms. If the cat is producing classic "tootsie roll" poop, you're in good shape, but if it's very soft, smells particularly bad, or has blood in it, the cat should be checked for internal parasites (giardia, coccidia, TTF).

Many of these things are common to outdoor cats, which is why an outdoor cat rarely lives more than about 5 years. Add in cars, dogs, predators, and cruel people, and you'll understand why indoor cats almost always have a life 3 times that length.

Oh, and the kitten should be tested for "the Big Nasties," Feline Leukemia (FELV) and Feline AIDS (FIV). Both are survivable, but life-shortening.
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post #7 of 13
5/31/11 at 9:55am
Thread Starter 
OK so I shouldn't keep feeding her to her heart's content until her spine is can't be felt and her ribs shouldn't disappear. She may not be too thin then, just small. Vet is booked until late next week which sucks.
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post #8 of 13
5/31/11 at 10:19am
Quote:
Originally Posted by golightly View Post
OK so I shouldn't keep feeding her to her heart's content until her spine is can't be felt and her ribs shouldn't disappear. She may not be too thin then, just small. Vet is booked until late next week which sucks.
The vet will be able to tell you for sure, but here is a chart showing a cat's weight http://placervillevet.com/feline%20body%20condition.htm
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post #9 of 13
5/31/11 at 10:19am
Thread Starter 


Here is a picture of her.
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post #10 of 13
5/31/11 at 4:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by golightly View Post


Here is a picture of her.
It's hard to tell since she's laying down, but she doesn't look skinny At All.
Your vet will be able to tell you though.
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post #11 of 13
5/31/11 at 6:12pm
Thread Starter 
Judging by the body condition scale she is slightly underweight, thanks for that! I'll be sure to reign her in once she hits "ideal."
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post #12 of 13
5/31/11 at 6:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by golightly View Post
Anyway, I've been tracking how much she eats - two cans and 2/3 cup dry.
Just for comparison, my two cats combined have 1/2 a cup of dry and one 5.5oz can of wet a day that they split (1/4 can 2x a day and 1/4 cup at night). They get a couple treats as well though.
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post #13 of 13
6/1/11 at 12:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by golightly View Post


Here is a picture of her.
It's sort of hard to tell but she does not look malnourished or too thin from just this photo. I'll be anxious to hear what your vet says and be sure to give her the full treatment, shots, checked for worms etc. And the "Blue Nasties" as someone else mentioned.

Congrats on the new addition to your household!
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