How much food to give adult cat?

Hi!

Another question. I bought some Wellness wet food, and on the can it says to feed an 8-10 lb cat 6 ounces per day (one can).

I had a fat cat before (11 lb) and we only gave her 1/4 of a 6 ounce can of wet food with dry food all the time in her bowl.

With my new cat, how much wet food should I give her? A whole can seems like so much for her! i was thinking 3 ounces (1/2 the can) and always leaving dry food out for her.

Is this ok?

I don't know how much she weighs, but she's quite light and small (5 years old).

thank you all!

humm that is a hard one I suggest using the package guidelines for a few weeks and seeing if that works ... as for canned the mosture is important to a cat so a can a day seems like a good thing .. jmho

If she's underweight, I'd not worry too much - give her as much of the can as she wants, plus the dry. If you think she's a normal weight for her bone structure, then just adjust down the amt. of dry food you give to compensate for the amt. of wet you give.

Originally Posted by Pat & Alix

If she's underweight,... If you think she's a normal weight for her bone structure, ....

Click to expand...

Yes, but how do you know. People scales are too inaccurate. At best, they're plus/minus one pound, which can exceed 10 percent of a cat's weight. Get a pet scale. For $50 it's a wonderful investment to prevent overweight/underweight problems in your cat. Also, just look at your cat. The lower rib cage should be the widest part of the torso. If the abdomen is wider, the cat is overweight. (on long-haired cats, you can measure by putting your hands with fingers extended around the torso).

Originally Posted by coaster

Yes, but how do you know. People scales are too inaccurate. At best, they're plus/minus one pound, which can exceed 10 percent of a cat's weight. Get a pet scale. For $50 it's a wonderful investment to prevent overweight/underweight problems in your cat. Also, just look at your cat. The lower rib cage should be the widest part of the torso. If the abdomen is wider, the cat is overweight. (on long-haired cats, you can measure by putting your hands with fingers extended around the torso).

Click to expand...

You know by experience or using a visual scale such as this:
click here

The visual scale leaves a lot of room for error and/or personal judgment. Experience is required for correct judgment. For those who don't have a long experience with cats, a pet scale that is accurate to plus/minus two ounces can't be beat. A cat could easily lose five percent body weight before a person noticed, especially if it's a long-haired cat. But if you're weighing the cat every week on a pet scale, these weight loses (and gains) are picked up on long before they become a health issue.

actually, she looks like the perfect weight to me. I would put her in the "ideal" category.
I could tell my old cat was a bit fat, and she also had a paunch. She was quite heavy when you picked her up, and she was 11 lb. There is NO WAY Callie weighs that much, she probably weighs about 7-8 lb. maybe even less, but she looks totally normal and not too skinny.

I don't know, I think she's hungry. I gave her about 1.5 oz of wet food and filled up her dry dish (3/4 cup) yesterday and when i looked this morning the dry food was almost gone! (plus the wet of course).

Does anyone feed their cat wet food twice a day? For example, if I gave her 1.5 oz twice a day instead of giving her 3 oz at one time, would that be better or the same?

I suggest just leaving out some food and she'll eat as much as she needs and if she needs more she'll let you know!

The point I was trying to make about weighing a cat is actually an answer to the question: "How much should I feed my cat?" If a healthy adult cat maintains constant weight, then it's getting fed enough (irregardless of whether or not it might ask for more). If it's gaining weight, then it's eating too much, and visa versa.

Originally Posted by coaster

The visual scale leaves a lot of room for error and/or personal judgment. Experience is required for correct judgment. For those who don't have a long experience with cats, a pet scale that is accurate to plus/minus two ounces can't be beat. A cat could easily lose five percent body weight before a person noticed, especially if it's a long-haired cat. But if you're weighing the cat every week on a pet scale, these weight loses (and gains) are picked up on long before they become a health issue.

Click to expand...

I won't debate the value of pet scales, or working with one's vet if you have any concerns re a pet being under or overweight, and letting them guide you in safely dealing with it. I do think the chart helps reassure the folks who are very worried, and gives them an idea of where their cats stands, before they get to that vet apt. I think it a very useful tool albeit not perfect.

Originally Posted by journey

Does anyone feed their cat wet food twice a day? For example, if I gave her 1.5 oz twice a day instead of giving her 3 oz at one time, would that be better or the same?

Click to expand...

Yes, lots of folks split the amount of canned food into 2 (or 3) feedings a day..depends on your cat's preferences. I personally prefer 2x a day.