Ragdoll Cat: kcal intake

Hi folks,

I have a 2 yr,3mth old Ragdoll cat.  She has a very healthy appetite and would certainly eat more than I typically give her.

I've been feeding her canned wet food, striving for ~ 200 kcal per day, via kitchen weigh scale for those Evo95% larger cans etc.

As well as ~ 50 kcal of dry Orijen.

She is currently 10.5 lbs.  

I have read that Ragdolls will / may? keep growing until age 4.  Is that true? 

Anybody else here have 1st hand experience with Ragdoll growth rates?

I have no experience, sorry, and nobody else seems to be answering.  You might try the ethical breeding & showing forum since Ragdolls are purebreds and breeders would know this info.  You might be able to find some linking through Google as well.  I have one friend who does not breed but has had Ragdolls for years, and she feeds a raw food diet and those are the most beautiful and healthy cats I have ever seen!  If you are interested, she might be able to tell me herrecipe.  I know she uses supermarket meat AND used to use Arctic Mice and Arctic chicks, but I think she discontinued one or both of those.  There are lots of threads relating to a raw food diet here, so I'm sure you would do well if you could get your cats onto raw or at least partially raw.

I love Ragdoll kitties. :heart2: I have also heard that they don't fully mature till after three years of age! I thought this was interesting and informative. http://www.ragdoll-cats.com/Rgdfcts.htm

I do know that they should probably eat about 25 calories per pound per day till they are fully matured monitoring their weight at the same though. But, that would be a good rule of thumb, I think.

This fully packed informative thread will help and it is not just for raw feeding there are links in there for many, many cat nutritional topics. http://www.thecatsite.com/t/263955/helpful-resources-raw-home-cooked-cat-food-forum

For any cat, regardless of breed, feed to the correct condition. So if she's in fine condition now, not too fat and not too thin, active and spunky, then that's the right amount for her. Monitor her condition (for her entire life) and adjust caloric intake accordingly. That's just about all we can do, since metabolism is such an individual thing.

Fair enough.

My first cat seemed satisfied with his 200 kcal per day.   Didn't meow for more. He was 11 lbs.

This ragdoll is eating ~ 250 kcal per day (200 wet, 50 dry) and she meows if I walk anywhere near the food area.

I've appealed to her wants/needs by putting the kibble into a timed feeder that rotates 4x / day. 

Good point on just monitoring the general appearance though - she's very spunky and looks good at the moment.  Neither fat, nor thin.

I tend to agree. Ragdolls are cats, in the end, and even if they are one of the larger breeds, their nutrition should be about the same, adjusted slightly for size.

Have you tried consulting with the breeder who sold you the cat? They should be able to provide breed-specific advice and guidance. 

Marc999 said:

she meows if I walk anywhere near the food area.

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Three of my six do this to me all day long. Drives me nuts because I feed the cats on counters in a laundry room that is on the main floor and attached to the garage. So I am continually in and out of that room. The three fatties are the ones always demanding. I schedule feed but still they want more even though they don't need more.