How much food do old cats need?

After reading many times here most cats need 4-6 ounces, preferably one 5.5 ounce can, every day, I wondered if Patricia should eat more of whatever I give her - which right now is dry Blue Buffalo Healthy Aging. It is available 24/7, so I was surprised it took two days to eat 1/4 cup. I know she likes it in kibble form (but she won't sniff the wet BB) and is not sick in any way. I timed how long it took to eat a full cup of dry food - five days. Her weight is normal - nine pounds and change. But if most cats eat a lot more than she does, it can't be good for her. Is she eating enough? Should I try to get her to eat more? I have no idea how much she was eating in Ohio because she always lived with another cat until last December and all three cats shared one set of bowls. I do remember she was not nearly as lazy before Wilbur died.

If her weight is fine and she seems healthy I wouldn't worry about it.  It's an average, some cats eat a lot, some cats don't eat much.  My cat on kibble got less than 1/4 cup a day, on raw she gets about 5 ounces a day and she is at least 15 or so. 
 

Cats are like people - the figures you read are averages.  As GoingPostal says, what matters isn't how much the cat eats but it's condition and if it's gaining or losing weight.  Look up 'condition scoring' on your favourite search engine as it's the best way to determine if a cat is an appropriate weight.

GoingPostal said:

If her weight is fine and she seems healthy I wouldn't worry about it.  It's an average, some cats eat a lot, some cats don't eat much.  My cat on kibble got less than 1/4 cup a day, on raw she gets about 5 ounces a day and she is at least 15 or so. 
 

Click to expand...

Wow, that's quite a difference!  From 1/4 cup kibble to 5 oz of raw.  When you say she is 15, are you talking age or lbs?  Sorry, just asking, because 5 oz of raw seems like a lot!  My very hyper little man is currently only eating about 3.5 oz of raw every day (course he only weighs about 10 lbs), and my overweight one is eating about the same, 'cause we're trying to slim him down some, and his current weight is almost 14 lbs.

I guess 5 oz really isn't that much, I just keep thinking how little 1/4 cup of kibble is in comparison!    Sorry

My mom's cat Sonja, who is around 15-17 years old, probably eats less than one 3-oz can of Fancy Feast every day. She's fed 2 cans but the dogs barge into her area and clean her plate every chance they get, so it's hard to tell how much of it she's getting :anon:. But she's always been a tiny thing, only around 6-7 pounds in her prime.