Feeding Question

mellieanne

mellieanne

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Hello! I'm both new to this forum and new to being a kitty owner! I just adopted my cat, named Charles, from the shelter a little over 2 weeks ago and just want to make sure I'm feeding him the correct amount.

Charles is 2 years old (I'm not quite sure of his weight...going to guess around 8 lbs? He has a vet appointment this weekend so I'm sure I'll find out then). He had been fed dry food (Science Diet) at the shelter, but I switched him to canned. Luckily, he has a huge appetite and I have no problems getting him to eat the wet food...gobbles it right up and I think he prefers it to the dry. I'm giving him one 5.5 oz can per day (split into two feeding sessions 12 hours apart in the morning and evening), but I am also giving him a bit of Wellness dry food in between (probably around 1/8 to a little under 1/4 cup during the day). Is that amount of dry as a snack is appropriate or am I feeding him too much food? He always seems to want to eat, but I guess he just has a really healthy appetite? haha

Thanks! :) 
 
ondine

ondine

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I am sure others who know better than I will chime in soon but it doesn't sound like a lot to me. It may have to be cut back as he gets older and less active.

Congratulations - and thank you for adopting a "non-kitten.". They are usually overlooked at the shelters.
 
ldg

ldg

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Well, my adult cats that ranged in size from 10 to 15 pounds each ate about one 5.5 ounce can of food today when I fed canned (I feed raw food now). I split it into three meals: before work, after work, and before bed. But really, his daily calorie requirements depend on his current weight, his ideal weight (if his current weight isn't his ideal weight ;) ), his level of activity... what you might want to do is weigh him. (Stand on the scale, see your weight. Hold him while standing on the scale, and see what his weight is). Track it twice a week for two months, and adjust his food amount as necessary. :)

If you want to learn a little about cat nutrition, this is a great, very easy-to-understand site written by a vet: http://www.catinfo.org

She has a food list that can help you identify high protein, low-carb foods (which is just what he needs, though it is important the protein be animal-based, not plant-based).
 
lilin

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MellieAnne said:
Hello! I'm both new to this forum and new to being a kitty owner! I just adopted my cat, named Charles, from the shelter a little over 2 weeks ago and just want to make sure I'm feeding him the correct amount.

Charles is 2 years old (I'm not quite sure of his weight...going to guess around 8 lbs? He has a vet appointment this weekend so I'm sure I'll find out then). He had been fed dry food (Science Diet) at the shelter, but I switched him to canned. Luckily, he has a huge appetite and I have no problems getting him to eat the wet food...gobbles it right up and I think he prefers it to the dry. I'm giving him one 5.5 oz can per day (split into two feeding sessions 12 hours apart in the morning and evening), but I am also giving him a bit of Wellness dry food in between (probably around 1/8 to a little under 1/4 cup during the day). Is that amount of dry as a snack is appropriate or am I feeding him too much food? He always seems to want to eat, but I guess he just has a really healthy appetite? haha

Thanks! :) 
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It kind of depends on the kitty. It's not just about weight, but also activity level.

If the vet says his weight is good now, and you notice him gaining, maybe cut back a tad. Or, alternatively, you could put his dry food snack in one of those treat balls so he has to work a bit for it.

The guidelines the food gives you aren't always perfect. Go with how his body reacts to the amount of food he's getting.
 
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mellieanne

mellieanne

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Thank you for the responses everyone!

He's fairly active in the evening (I don't think he is much during the day when I'm not there). I'll definitely check with the vet to make sure he's at an appropriate weight :) Unfortunately I don't have a scale (perhaps fortunately for me) =p I am planning on picking up one of those food puzzles...he's pretty food motivated so I think he'd love something like that.
 
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