Need advice on feeding times and amounts

Hello all,

I would greatly appreciate some advice on my following problem.  My cat for about a year now, has basically refused to eat any dry cat food.  This is ok with me, except for the problems that this seems to be causing her stomach.  I originally had her on a can or two of friskies a day.  I realized that was too much food, and started to cut her down.  Well, her stomach decided it wanted nothing more to do with friskies, even though her brain and taste buds did!!  I experimented with her wet food diet, trying EVERYTHING!!  Her brain, taste buds, and stomach finally agreed on any and all varieties of Fancy Feast.  This is great!  But here comes the tricky part.  I only feed her one can a day, and leave out a bit of dry food for her to munch on.  She will eat, reluctantly and only when I am not home, some dry Canidae Life stages food.  It seems when I am home however, she will not, and this is causing problems.  When I am home, she wants her wet food earlier and earlier, and if I don't wake my body up to feed her, it seems that her stomach gets upset, and she will spit-up, well spit.  From research and earlier advice, I am pretty sure this has to do with stomach acid.  Following earlier advice from a fellow cat site member (thank you again if you are reading this!!), I split her meals into 3 times a day.  1/3 of a can at about 12 pm, the other 1/3 at 2 or 3 before I leave for work, and the rest of the can, the half, when I get home from work at bit after midnight.  This helped to control the spit disaster until about a week ago.

Here is where I need some help!!  She is a hefty cat, hence the reallly controlled feeding.  I don't know if I should start feeding her more at her meals so her stomach stays full, or cut her meal into 4ths.  I can't be waking up very early everyday, it is quite hard to fall back asleep!! And due to my late working, I go to bed at very odd hours!  Would splitting her food in 4th, maybe feeding her a bit at midnight, then the rest when I finally go to bed, help this, or will she just start demanding more food?  As stated before the thirds diet worked for about a month before she decided that waking me up earlier and earlier, then spitting up the clear stuff, would make me concerned... again!  I don't know if feeding her more would help that, but hinder her weight loss, or if a bit more food would not make a difference to her already pudgy belly!!  I would love if she would eat a bit more dry food, not because it is better, but so that she will always have some sort of food in her stomach!!!  Sadly I am unable to get home while working, and have no one else that could stop in and give her some wet food while I am away.  That is also why I would like a bit of dry food.  

She also seems to get excited for food, anytime she hears my bed move.  If I roll over, I hear her meowing for food.  I generally leave my bedroom door open, as sometimes she likes to sleep with me.  I know cats have intense hearing, but would shutting my door help any? Kind of like a physical sign to her that just because I rolled over does not mean I am getting up to feed you.  I know it blocks me from hearing her meow, and waking me up, but since I can't hear her, I also can't hear the tell tale signs of her starting to vomit up her spit.  I don't want to pretend that if I don't hear it, it is not happening!!  

Additional details if they help!  Everything else with her is normal!  She plays, she poos, she pees, she drinks to get fluids, and good gracious does she love to eat!!  She is about 9 years old, and just had her yearly shots with the vet I think in June or July.  

Any advice on a better way to feed her, while allowing me to get some sleep, would be fantastic.  And if there are any kind of supplements, or special treats, or anything that I can give her in addition to her food, to help this situation, I am willing to try it!  Even if told that trying to make her play for longer periods of time would help, I am fine pestering her to move for longer periods each day! (although advice on how to get a pudgy cat to move more would be great too!)   If a trip to the vet is in order, well, I will fight the cat into her carrier, and haul her in!  She stresses badly, so I try to avoid unless absolutely necessary!!

Thank you!!  And my cats stomach, my carpet, and my feet also thank you

As cats age they should be fed wet food and not dry. She is probably starving on one can of FF. It is not very protein dense(which thwarts hunger). Two cans for sure, feed her 1/2 of second can before you go to bed and shut bedroom door. I leave mine in garage Saturday night so I can sleep in later on SUnday. I feed mine 1/2 at 6 am and 1/2 at 800 am and 1/2 at 4pm and half at 10 or 11 pm

bonepicker said:

She is probably starving on one can of FF

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This! I really doubt one can of FF is enough for her. If she won't eat the dry, she needs to eat something. I would do at least 2 cans of the FF. If she is fat on that little food I would guess her metabolism is slowed. If you think she is having a stomach acid problem then you are right to split into multiple feedings. I think feeding her more will fix your problems. 

I agree that I would try and get her off the dry and feed her only wet.  Also agree that one 3 oz can of FF is not enough.

Have you tried one of those feed timers?    I haven't used one but I have read comments here from those who do and those who have even used it for wet food.

   feed mine 1/2 at 6 am and 1/2 at 800 am and 1/2 at 4pm and half at 10 or 11 pm

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That's about the schedule I'm on as well give or take a couple of hours depending on my schedule.  But I usually feed 4 times a day about 5.5 to 6 oz of wet food a day. 

Thanks for the advice all!. She has struggled with her weight since I have had her. This diet seems to be working since she had not gained any weight at her last vet visit. Didn't lose any though either. ...

Also she is not exclusively on her dry food. In fact most times she will not eat it. I have it there in case something happens to me and I can't get home right away. I am in a new city and know no one that can come get her. It is there really so that she won't literally starve if something happens. I hope nothing ever does, but since I can't predict the future, I like to try to plan ahead.

I will try the wet food increase but, again, I'm also worried about her weight. And actually confused since others tell me one can is good for a pudgy lazy cat. ... and I have had a few vets yell at me for over feeding her when I was giving her two cans. I slowly weaned her down to one, and she has been there since probably February, or March. And I have tried every type of canned food I could afford. She wanted noting to do with anything, besides Fancy Feast, and for some odd reason, the friskies, even though it made her sick!!:doh3: (I kept some of that around during the transition in case she would not eat at all, as I have been warned a cat not eating for even a day is NOT good. The rest of the wet stuff that she would not eat found a good home at the shelter). I cannot afford the two dollars a can stuff. And sadly can't afford a automatic wet feeder. Reviews I have read on those aren't that great either. We play every night too!!! Her last blood work earlier this year came back fine as well!! I guess I just have a fat cat...

Now to the part the cat will be happy about!! Do I increase her food slowly?? I don't want to make her sick!!

Thanks!!

And just because I saw this emoji and thinks bananas are hilarious, I am posting the dancing banana!!

First fancy feast are only 3 once cans. Friskies are 5.5 ounce cans. Many feed either one larger can or 2 small cans. Split throughout the day. How long has she been on the friskies and still not lost weight?

Yes I am aware of the can change in size.  And she is not on Friskies, as I stated, that had made her stomach really sick.  She is on Fancy Feast, the only wet food she would eat.  She has been on this current diet since February or March.  She had not lost any weight when she went in for shots in June, or July.  She weighed the same pounds and ounces.  She is on the one can, since I was told two is too many for her.  Yes the Dr. knew I was switching from friskies to fancy feast, and yes I told him the can size.  Since I am getting so much conflicting information, I might call my vet and see if I can't set up a "help me feed my cat properly" session, or if he knows of someone in the area that can help us.  I was just hoping to avoid having to stress out the cat by taking her somewhere, but if it is in her best interest, I might do that.  With her getting up in age, and not losing weight, I don't want her to have any major health problems.  

Thanks again though everyone who has read this, and shared advice!

Personally, rather than stress the cat by taking her to the vet, I would ask for an appointment to talk with the vet without the cat. Actually what I would do first is try giving her a can and a half of the Fancy Feast per day. If that doesn't solve her problems of being hungry all the time and throwing up stomach acid, go to two cans a day. 6 oz a day is a normal amount for most cats. Then I would talk to the vet, if she still has problems while eating 2 cans a day.

Frankly, I think it's worse for a cat to be constantly going hungry and throwing up stomach acid than to be a bit overweight. Get her to a point where she's eating enough to feel satisfied each day before trying to make her lose weight. Also if she's getting sufficient calories she may have more energy and be more willing to play, and lose weight that way.

I found out my vet has e-mail for non serious problems!  I e-mailed them, and told them how this started a month ago, and how she was perfectly fine before, and about her weight. 

I am wondering why all the sudden she is not feeling ok on this diet.  It has been well over 5 months, and she has had no problems.  She is definitely more than just a little overweight.  If you have seen that chart about how a cat should look, and what an overweight and obese cat looks like, well, she is the obese one   (think of a dictionary, with a fuzzy head attached, that is what she looks like in the "loaf" position)  I am going to increase her food a bit, and see if that helps the tummy, as no one likes a burning stomach, I just don't want this to turn into a much bigger problem in the future because of her weight! 

I have never had her lose weight, only gain, and I feel quite bad for her when she runs, because that stomach sure takes over her momentum!  I just want the cat to be happy, and more healthy than she already is.  Her weight is causing her to have problems with cleaning her.. um.. bum region, and I don't want that to get worse.  No one like an itchy bum either!! 

I can update you all with what the vet says if you would like.

It's funny I have a 17 lb male cat and a 7 lb female cat and they both eat 5.5 to 6 oz of food, she might eat more. Both are lazy and sleep all day. How she stays slim is a mystery. Vet told me he should lose some. Just like people everyone is different!

I have two 16lb cats and each is eating a little over one 5.5oz can of Friskies and they are both still losing weight