How should I feed my emaciated stray cat

boobear27

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Hello everyone newbie here not just on the site but also a newbie to own a cat:)...About a week and a half ago my hubby and I found this sweet adorable cat in our backyard..She's was very skinny, malnourished,had low energry, and had some bloody scratches that look like she did to herself because of the fleas she had. We were never really cat people we both always had dogs growing up, but we couldn't deny an animal in need of our help. We took her in our home and luckily I had a couple of cans of wet cat food that I got for free with coupons that I was going to donate to the animal shelter..I also gave her some pedialyte through a syringe to help with dehydration because she wasn't really drinking any wate,r and afterwards we gave her a flea bath. I cried as I gave her a flea bath because all I can feel was her bones:(..The following day we took her to the vet to get some IV fluids and scan for a microchip,she didn't have a microchip..She checked her weight and she was 4.5 pounds very underweight..We also found out that she is deaf..The vet also checked her for FIV and it came back negative.She also dewormed her and gave her a full blood panel..The blood tests just showed that she is a little anemic and her thyroid level is low..The vet just recommended that we feed her in small portions over the course of a week..We bought her some 5 oz cans of friskies wet food the pate one it's all we can afford we also care for our 2 dogs..We fed her 4 times a day splitting one 5oz can in four portions and mixing it with water to keep her hydrated..We did that for a week and now she's up to 5.2 lbs which we see as a good sign but we know that we should not try to rush her with weight gain we are trying to do it slowly..She also seems to have her energy back up before she was just sleeping all the time..We now feed her 3 times a day splitting  the one 5oz can in 3 portions she seems to be handling the bigger portions very well..The problem we are having now is that she wants more food and constantly begs and meows for more food we also give cat treats in between but she will meow for more..We are afraid to give her more food we don't want her to gorge herself and get sick...Is the one 5oz can of of wet food enough for her? Are we giving her the right amount she needs? Is there anything else we should give her to feel more full and satisfied?
 

hellomisskitty

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I'm not going to be much help in answering your questions but wanted to say welcome to TCS and that you are and your husband are wonderful people to take in and get this sweet thing the medical care she needs [emoji]10084[/emoji]️ Being deaf and so weak, I can't imagine she would have survived long on her own. I will defer to the more knowledgeable folks on this site to answer your questions.
Does this little lady have a name yet?
 

Norachan

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Welcome to The Cat Site @boobear27  Thank you for trying to help this poor cat. Has she ever thrown up? Most cats do the gorge and puke thing in the first few days if they have been starving, but with small regular meals her digestive system should be getting back on track now. If she hasn't thrown up and if the vet has checked her over you could try giving her dry food as well as her canned. This is usually cheaper than canned food and will expand in her stomach to help her feel full.

Look for one that is high in protein and low in carbohydrates. You need to make sure she has access to water and keep feeding her the same amount of canned food as you are now. Generally speaking wet food is better than dry food, but if price is a concern and you want her to put on weight without going over your budget adding some dry food to her diet might be a good idea.

A few articles here about feeding dry and foods other members recommend.

 [article="0"]Choosing The Right Dry Cat Food​[/article]  

 [article="33149"]Best Cat Food Of 2015 Tcs Member Choices​[/article]  
 

di and bob

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One small can a day is not enough, I would slowly increase it to two cans a day or one can a day with as much dry food in between as she will eat. One can a day might be enough when she is back up to normal weight but for now I would give her almost as much as she wants. You might try kitten chow for the dry, it is full of nutrition and higher in calories, I give it to the underweight, the sick, and the elderly. You might put the dry high up or somewhere your dogs can't reach it, that's probably interesting too to know how they are handling it.  If there are leftovers put them in a plastic bag and into the fridge. Warm them slightly in the microwave. Check your local dollar store or Walmart for cheaper prices, I but in quantity at Orscheln's, a farm supply store, when it goes on sale. You shouldn't be paying over 50 cents a can. 

She will bring much joy into your hearts and your lives, you will surely be blessed for helping her. Thank you from the bottom of my heart and welcome to the Cat Site, don't hesitate to post any questions that come up!
 

Kat0121

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Hello everyone newbie here not just on the site but also a newbie to own a cat:)...About a week and a half ago my hubby and I found this sweet adorable cat in our backyard..She's was very skinny, malnourished,had low energry, and had some bloody scratches that look like she did to herself because of the fleas she had. We were never really cat people we both always had dogs growing up, but we couldn't deny an animal in need of our help. We took her in our home and luckily I had a couple of cans of wet cat food that I got for free with coupons that I was going to donate to the animal shelter..I also gave her some pedialyte through a syringe to help with dehydration because she wasn't really drinking any wate,r and afterwards we gave her a flea bath. I cried as I gave her a flea bath because all I can feel was her bones:(..The following day we took her to the vet to get some IV fluids and scan for a microchip,she didn't have a microchip..She checked her weight and she was 4.5 pounds very underweight..We also found out that she is deaf..The vet also checked her for FIV and it came back negative.She also dewormed her and gave her a full blood panel..The blood tests just showed that she is a little anemic and her thyroid level is low..The vet just recommended that we feed her in small portions over the course of a week..We bought her some 5 oz cans of friskies wet food the pate one it's all we can afford we also care for our 2 dogs..We fed her 4 times a day splitting one 5oz can in four portions and mixing it with water to keep her hydrated..We did that for a week and now she's up to 5.2 lbs which we see as a good sign but we know that we should not try to rush her with weight gain we are trying to do it slowly..She also seems to have her energy back up before she was just sleeping all the time..We now feed her 3 times a day splitting  the one 5oz can in 3 portions she seems to be handling the bigger portions very well..The problem we are having now is that she wants more food and constantly begs and meows for more food we also give cat treats in between but she will meow for more..We are afraid to give her more food we don't want her to gorge herself and get sick...Is the one 5oz can of of wet food enough for her? Are we giving her the right amount she needs? Is there anything else we should give her to feel more full and satisfied?
Hello and welcome!!  


Thank you for taking in this little girl. She is very fortunate to have friends like you and your hubby. 

There is nothing wrong with feeding Friskies pates. Many people here (myself included) keep them in their rotation of wet foods.  The pates are definitely the best choice when it comes to Friskies, Fancy Feast, etc. Since you are trying to help her put weight on, you might want to increase the amount of food she eats for a while. Maybe another half can of the Friskies if you are not feeding any dry. If you do decide to feed dry, please read the ingredients list before choosing one. Cats are obligate carnivores and require a diet that is high in protein and low in carbohydrates and the majority of dry foods (especially the ones sold in grocery stores) do not fit this description. I personally am not a fan of dry food at all and only feed it to my 3 cats (very reluctantly only because they are very picky eaters and they want it) as a topper or occasional snack. The dry food that I do feed is of very high quality so it's something of a compromise.  If you have a Tractor Supply Company near you, they have a grain free line of canned foods called 4Health that is quite good and not much more expensive than Friskies. If Bowie will eat food that has been refrigerated, you can find 13 ounce cans of Friskies at Dollar Tree. The only pate they seem to carry though is the turkey & giblets. Most cats really like this one. Mine sure do. 

You can also supplement the wet food with plain cooked meat. What I do is take a whole chicken and put it in the crock pot and cover it with filtered water. I let this cook on low for about 24 hours. When it is done, there is a very dark, rich, salt free broth that can be used instead of water to help increase fluid intake. Cats LOVE this broth. It can be frozen in ice cube trays and stored in a freezer bag for easy use and little to no waste. The meat, skin and natural fat is shredded and put into small freezer bags. This can be warmed and added to a dish of food as a supplement. Some canned food and some warm broth and shredded chicken makes a cat's tummy warm and happy. This will yield a lot of food so you can use some of the chicken for yourselves (put some aside without the skin and fat) if you like or give the dogs a treat too! 

Please feel free to post a picture of little Bowie. 
 
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boobear27

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@Norachan..She hasn't had any problems with throwing up..We always sure we have a bowl full of water out for her..We were also mixing water in her wet food for awhile..I was looking into giving her dry food but wasn't sure if she could handle dry right now due to how dehydrated she was but maybe I will start giving a little bit of dry in between her wet food feedings.
 
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boobear27

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@Di and bob..I was looking into giving her dry food in between her wet food feedings..Maybe still feed the one 5oz but not sure how much to give of the dry food..I'm afraid of giving too much I ddon't want her to gorge and get sick..Maybe I will check out the kitten chow dry food..Walmart has reasonably good prices on cat food we bought the 32 pack of friskies it seemed cheaper to buy in bulk..I was never to keen on buying food at the dollar tree..Have you ever had any problems with the pet food there?
 
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boobear27

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@Kat0121..Thank you so much for your kind words..I never thought about feeding her plain chicken she probably love that! I'm looking into giving her dry food in between..How much dry food would be ok to give her..Would it be bad to free feed the dry food? As requested here is a pic of my new family member Bowie!
 

Kat0121

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She is lovely and looks quite content in her new home! What beautiful eyes she has!! 


Since she is underweight, I think that free feeding her dry kitten food for now would be fine. As she gets towards her targeted weight, that can be tapered off. You can also buy food from Chewy.com. They have very competitive prices, super fast shipping (free at $49 or over) and excellent customer service. You might want to look into buying food in bulk to save money once you know what kind of foods she likes. Many people here do that. 
 

hellomisskitty

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She is lovely and looks quite content in her new home! What beautiful eyes she has!! :clap:

Since she is underweight, I think that free feeding her dry kitten food for now would be fine. As she gets towards her targeted weight, that can be tapered off. You can also buy food from Chewy.com. They have very competitive prices, super fast shipping (free at $49 or over) and excellent customer service. You might want to look into buying food in bulk to save money once you know what kind of foods she likes. Many people here do that. 
Oh what beautiful, wise eyes Miss Bowie has!!

I second checking out Chewy.com! Their pricing is excellent as is their customer service....they go above and beyond to make sure you and your fur baby are happy. I get all my kitty supplies (including litter, toys etc) delivered from Chewy. Their shipping is fast and as Kat0121 Kat0121 mentioned, once you know what Bowie likes, ordering in bulk can be a money saver and time saver!
 

boney girl dad

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Welcome to TCS boobear27. Thanks for taking care of Bowie. She is very pretty and will bring you joy.
 

red top rescue

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A starving cat is likely to overeat the dry food, then drink fluid or eat wet food, and then vomit because the dry food expanded in the stomach when it rehydrated.  I agree with @Kat0121 that dry food, even the BEST dry food, is not as good for them as food that contains moisture in the same amount as their prey would if they were eating their natural diet of small animals and birds with the occasional treat of a crunchy insect.  I too use the 13 oz. cans of Friskies pate that I get at Dollar General (they only cost $1 there!) and while I do give them some dry food for dessert because some of them were raised on it and are addicted to it, they don't get much, and I do choose a high quality one with no grains peas or potatoes and with true muscle meat as the No. 1 ingredient. 
 

Mamanyt1953

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I am so glad you found this site!  And what a lovely girl Bowie is.  I don't have any additional advice, you've been given excellent information now, so I'll just follow along until we have pictures of her all fat and sassy!
 
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boobear27

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Thank you everyone for your suggestions..I think I'm gonna just up the amount of wet food instead of just the one 5oz cans and add some pieces of plain chicken I got some boneless skinless chicken breasts in the freezer..I'm gonna hold off on the dry food for now..I'm gonna check out my local dollar tree to see if they carry the 13oz friskies cans and give half of those cans a day.
 
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boobear27

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Here is another pic of her posing for the camera..I just ordered her a cat tree from Amazon.com that seemed reasonably priced..The brand is go pet club and it seemed to have good reviews I hope she likes it.
 

hellomisskitty

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Here is another pic of her posing for the camera..I just ordered her a cat tree from Amazon.com that seemed reasonably priced..The brand is go pet club and it seemed to have good reviews I hope she likes it.
Bowie is such a beautiful girl. I can only imagine how beautiful she will be after some consistent love and care from her wonderful humans! I can tell already that the day she wandered into your backyard was one of her luckiest [emoji]10084[/emoji]️
I have two Go Pet Club cat trees for my spoiled kitty. I have had one for going on five years and it's still in wonderful condition. One tip: hold onto the instruction booklet that comes with it as it covers how to order replacement parts down the line (for example, you can order new sisal posts when the original ones wear out rather than having to replace the whole tree!)
 
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boobear27

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Thank you for your kind words @hellokitty and thank you for the tips for the cat tree I hope she likes it can't wait til it gets here..I'm really glad she came to our backyard that day because I don't think she would have survived much longer on her own.
 

hellomisskitty

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Thank you for your kind words @hellokitty and thank you for the tips for the cat tree I hope she likes it can't wait til it gets here..I'm really glad she came to our backyard that day because I don't think she would have survived much longer on her own.
Don't be disappointed if she appears less than thrilled about her new tree when you first get it. Cats can take a while to "warm" up to things (they like to do things on their own schedule and terms [emoji]128572[/emoji]). Just set it up and let her investigate on her own. If possible, set it up near a window so Bowie can watch Cat TV (i.e. Birds, squirrels etc.). I'm sure she will love it.
 
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