Cat feeding schedule/diet help?

aramiookami

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Hi I just adopted a kitty and my vet advised me to feed her wet food only. She doesn't seem to eat too much of her dry food and I was maybe thinking free feeding her dry then half of a 5.5oz can in the morning and half at night.

She only needs to lose a couple pounds but in wondering if it's too much food? She currently weighs 10.7lbs and she is a small kitty.

If I were to do strictly wet food is one 5.5oz can enough a day?

What if she doesn't eat her meal portion in a sitting? Will it be spoiled/make her sick if she eats her breakfast portion later around noon?

I just worry if I leave out dry kibble for her to feed on she might over eat?

I work so I can't feed her three times a day.

I know a lot of people say cats aren't grazers but the few days I have had her so far she likes to come back to her wet food every couple hours.

The cats I grew up with were strictly free feed dry all their lives (one lives till she was 17 and my other kitty at home is 19 going strong)
So as you can see I'm new to this scheduled portion control feeding and any advise would be appreciated :)
 

Columbine

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If weight control is currently an issue, I wouldn't straight free feed. You say she's a little overweight. Whether you fed wet only (the best option imo) or a mix, look at what the pack/packs say to feed for the weight she should be instead of the weight she is. Be sure to look at the mixed information if you're planning on feeding both (most packs say what to feed if feeding wet or dry only, and what to feed if giving a mixture..hope that makes sense). Once you know how much of each she needs, weigh out the dry portion of her ration and leave that down, instead of free pouring from the pack. That way you know she won't get too much.

With the wet food, put it out, leave it for 30 mins or so, then take up the dish and refrigerate any left overs. These can then be safely fed later on. She might get sick from wet food left out all day, just as you could get sick from meat left out all day.

If she won't eat enough wet food in two meals, try giving breakfast, then feed as soon as you get back from work and again an hour/half hour before bed.

Hope you c make sense of this ;)
 

jessum

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That's funny - this is exactly what I was just writing on the forum about. If I didn't know better I would think someone is trying to "teach me a lesson" lol But luckily this site isn't like that.

So I just read to put the food down for 15 minutes, and also had advice to put the food down for 30 minutes and then pick it up and store/refrigerate. I'm buying a few washable "human" place mats to use for him. And I'm also buying a timer.

Because of his FIV is always on the lean side so I err on the side of over feeding him. But obviously feed the amount appropriate to your own cats needs. I'm just really happy when my cat is eating.

Best wishes.
 

fhicat

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Hi I just adopted a kitty and my vet advised me to feed her wet food only. She doesn't seem to eat too much of her dry food and I was maybe thinking free feeding her dry then half of a 5.5oz can in the morning and half at night.
 
Your vet advised to feed wet only. She doesn't seem to like her dry. You could consider just cutting the dry out completely. Many cats do fine with 2 meals a day.
 If I were to do strictly wet food is one 5.5oz can enough a day?
Work with your vet. One can is average, but different cats require different amounts. Mine is a muscular 16 lbs little man who eats one and a half cans a day.
I know a lot of people say cats aren't grazers but the few days I have had her so far she likes to come back to her wet food every couple hours.
 
My cat is a grazer. He eats it over a few hours. You can also try this. For her first meal, put out two bowls of wet food -- one normal one, and one that was kept frozen in the fridge. She will probably eat the normal one and not want to eat the iced food. That food should then thaw over several hours, and she'll have something to eat later (while you're at work) that is still somewhat fresh. Then when you come home, she gets her third normal meal. 
 

Columbine

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You can also try this. For her first meal, put out two bowls of wet food -- one normal one, and one that was kept frozen in the fridge. She will probably eat the normal one and not want to eat the iced food. That food should then thaw over several hours, and she'll have something to eat later (while you're at work) that is still somewhat fresh. Then when you come home, she gets her third normal meal. 
Great idea :) Freezing the food would never have occurred to me.
 
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aramiookami

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So I've weighed out her calories that an 8lb kitty is suppose to eat (240 calories). So one 5.5oz can is 187 calories and 1/6 of a cup of dry makes up the rest so she can nibble on it if she'd like (also to get some of that extra nutrients)

I just worry because she doesn't eat an entire can a day? She does like to come back to it throughout the day but I worry she doesn't eat enough.

Should I try different flavors of wet food to see if she'd eat faster/more?

Or do you think she is getting enough despite leaving food behind?

I'm just trying to solve the puzzle of why she got fat (a few months ago when she can to the first shelter she weighed 12lbs) then she was a transfer to my local shelter and now 10lbs.

How can a cat get fat If she clearly doesn't over eat? Can cats get fat just by being in a shelter and no exercise?
 

Columbine

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First of all, I wouldn't panic at this stage if she's eating less than the pack days she should. As long as she's healthy and eating, and doesn't drop weight rapidly then there's no instant drama. The pack listing are only a guideline, as fhicat fhicat said. It's possible your girl doesn't need as much as the average to maintain a healthy weight.

If it seems like she's not very interested in the wet food,then by all means try a different flavour/brand. All cats have different tastes.

There can be many causes of weight gain in cats. Lack of activity is definitely a big one. Stress can be another...like people,I believe that some cats comfort eat when stressed/depressed,just as others will undereat or stop eating in the same situation. Many cats find shelters a stressful environment despite the best efforts of the staff and volunteers. It's also possible that she was overweight - for whatever reason - before she arrived at the shelter, and that correct nutrition is bringing her naturally back down to where she ought to be.

Good luck with her,try not to stress and, above all, enjoy your new friend ;)
 

catmomjulia

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I feed Jonah twice a day (used to be 3 times but I am transitioning to twice) he eats either one 5.5 oz can split into two meals, or two 3 oz cans a day, one at each meal. If he is needing a snack in between I give about 8-15 pieces of dry food. He is also 10lbs and this ammount works very well for him. Don't let the food sit out to long, if you notice kitty is full and it hasn't been long since you put it out, you can place it into the fridge for the time being, make sure to keep it sealed if you are storing in the fridge for a longish period of time
 
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catmomjulia

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So I just read to put the food down for 15 minutes, and also had advice to put the food down for 30 minutes and then pick it up and store/refrigerate. I'm buying a few washable "human" place mats to use for him. And I'm also buying a timer.
. Good idea on the food mats! I do the same for my cat, he has a habit of taking the food out of the bowl with his paws while eating it lol! Also some cats don't like their food cold, so you may want to sit it out of the fridge for a bit, mix in a little warm water or heat it up for a few seconds before giving it to them, if they won't eat it cold :)
 
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