Am I feeding too much??

[ut0pia]

Jake is 20 pounds and he gets 6 oz of canned food (avoderm) and half a cup (4 oz) of kibble (kirkland and TOWT mix)
He barely finishes the kibble until it's time for the next feeding and he has put on some fat over time, and I feel like he continues to put on fat

He goes in to get his shots and for his yearly check up to the vet in December so I will ask then but until then, I know the feeding guidelines on the food packaging are very broad and I don't know if maybe I should be feeding him less?? What do you think?? I'm not sure what to do and I'm scared I'll feed too little...

 

[catmom2wires]

That sounds like a lot of food to me, but he's a large breed cat, isn't he?

If he were mine, I'd cut way back or eliminate the kibble completely. Maybe cut it in half for now and monitor him.

 

[auntie crazy]

Kibble often causes obesity. Would it be possible to stop feeding dry and feed only wet? On wet foods, Jake could actually eat more, stay full longer, and still lose weight. A win-win.

 

[ut0pia]

Yea it's a good idea to switch to wet only...I was actually thinking about it..He just has a big frame but he's not a large breed he's a regular tabby domestic cat..
Does 2 six ounce cans per day sound right?? Should I do 3 feedings or 2?? At the moment I do two 3 oz feedings of wet and then 1 of dry...

 

[auntie crazy]

Kitties tummies can get upset if empty too long, but "too long" is specific to each cat. If you've been feeding three times a day, and you can continue to do so, I would.

Two feedings, generally speaking, is the minimum recommended, but I've always offered three meals a day.

 

[sharky]

Wet only is a great thing and I agree with 3 feedings a day

IMHO time to have a vet check ... my lean 12, 12.5 and 13.5 lbs eat 1/2 cup dry kirkland mixed with active and felidea grain free right now and 4 -6 oz wet per day each ... I weigh regularly so I make sure they do not loose wt at this amount

What is his Ideal wt ?

 

[ut0pia]

I don't know his ideal weight, the 20 pounds could be off because I weighed him on the human scale..But I am just looking at his belly getting flabbier..My vet is not the person to talk to about nutrition. He recommends that I feed dry only

I don't know who else to talk to, other vets in my area are too expensive for my budget. I am just worried that the way I'm feeding him will cause him to gain more.

 

[auntie crazy]

*ouch*

Well, you're already feeding him some wet, right? Just start replacing the dry at night with another can of wet. Take it as slow as Jake is comfortable with, but just keep increasing the amount of wet you feed and decreasing the amount of dry until.... no more dry. Of course, if Jake doesn't seem to care, you can just go cold turkey.

Dry foods, thankfully, are "palate" addictions, not physical ones.

 

[sharky]

Originally Posted by Auntie Crazy

Dry foods, thankfully, are "palate" addictions, not physical ones.

May I take the line Auntie? it is priceless

 

[otto]

6 oz of canned and 1/4 cup of kibble is a lot of food for any cat.

I agree with cutting back on the kibble, and instigating an exercise program for Jake.

My cats are fed 5 times a day. Breakfast is served in two portions about an hour apart, a snack between 12-2, supper again two portions about an hour apart, and a snack before bed.

They also get a scheduled Game time with me every night around the same time which involves a lot of running, jumping and rolling, etc.

Sometimes it's difficult to get a cat moving, I've posted suggestions in a couple other threads, but don't remember the titles, or I'd give you the links. I'll see if I can hunt them down.

 

[otto]

here's the link to my Games suggestions and how to get a kitty moving:

http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...=207092&page=3

 

[ut0pia]

Originally Posted by otto

6 oz of canned and 1/4 cup of kibble is a lot of food for any cat.

I agree with cutting back on the kibble, and instigating an exercise program for Jake.

My cats are fed 5 times a day. Breakfast is served in two portions about an hour apart, a snack between 12-2, supper again two portions about an hour apart, and a snack before bed.

They also get a scheduled Game time with me every night around the same time which involves a lot of running, jumping and rolling, etc.

Sometimes it's difficult to get a cat moving, I've posted suggestions in a couple other threads, but don't remember the titles, or I'd give you the links. I'll see if I can hunt them down.

Jake is only 1 year old and he is very active, so that isn't really an issue. I can't feed him any less than 3 times a day because I am not home that often. I can't get him used to eating his portion and then just eating again at the next feeding because he was free fed until recently

So I just feed him his wet food, he leaves some and I throw it away and then I get meowing for food and being anxious

 

[carolina]

ut0pia - you don't need to throw the wet food away... unless you are feeding him raw, or mixing it with dry...
You can leave it in his plate, and he will go back to have some more as he gets hungry.
I do not think 1/4 cup of kibble and a 6oz of wet food is too much - i think that is pretty standard... However, as my vet says - don't go through the qty in the package, if your cat is skinny, feed a little more, and if it is fat, feed less. So, if Jake is overweight, feed him a little less, or, like the others said, put him on all wet.
But attention: NO CRASH diets, as it can kill him. Do not cute his food in half - little by little, a slow weight loss is what you want.

 

[addiebee]

Originally Posted by carolinalima

ut0pia - you don't need to throw the wet food away... unless you are feeding him raw, or mixing it with dry...
You can leave it in his plate, and he will go back to have some more as he gets hungry.
I do not think 1/4 cup of kibble and a 6oz of wet food is too much - i think that is pretty standard... However, as my vet says - don't go through the qty in the package, if your cat is skinny, feed a little more, and if it is fat, feed less. So, if Jake is overweight, feed him a little less, or, like the others said, put him on all wet.
But attention: NO CRASH diets, as it can kill him. Do not cute his food in half - little by little, a slow weight loss is what you want.

How is Bugs doing in this area btw... .my foster Archie is a vaccuum cleaner. He is getting chubby... flabby belly. I would say he weighs 13 lbs at least... he is a decent sized cat. The problem I have is that I don't live with them so they do get some free-fed kibble. I am leaving less of it and giving more wet. They get two wet meals a day - morning and evening... usu works out to be as much as a 6 oz can per cat per day and I leave about 1-1/2 cups of dry out in a couple of bowls. My concern is that Archie is eating a lot of that dry ... and another cat, too - Rex who has gotten pudgey.

I also have a couple of beggar cats. Prowler in particular is always asking for more wet even after I know he's had a decent portion, like half a large can. He is about 10 lbs - not fat ... and very active. Long lanky cat.

Man these guys need homes!!! No takers so far.

 

[ut0pia]

Originally Posted by carolinalima

ut0pia - you don't need to throw the wet food away... unless you are feeding him raw, or mixing it with dry...
You can leave it in his plate, and he will go back to have some more as he gets hungry.
I do not think 1/4 cup of kibble and a 6oz of wet food is too much - i think that is pretty standard... However, as my vet says - don't go through the qty in the package, if your cat is skinny, feed a little more, and if it is fat, feed less. So, if Jake is overweight, feed him a little less, or, like the others said, put him on all wet.
But attention: NO CRASH diets, as it can kill him. Do not cute his food in half - little by little, a slow weight loss is what you want.

Hmm I am having issues with smell if I leave the wet out...It smells really nasty

Ohh I am feeding him 1/2 a cup of kibble not 1/4. That is why I'm always so worried because I am afraid of putting him on a crash diet involuntarily, because I know how bad crash diets can be.

 

[auntie crazy]

Originally Posted by sharky

Originally Posted by Auntie Crazy

...Dry foods, thankfully, are "palate" addictions, not physical ones.

May I take the line Auntie? it is priceless

If it helps get another cat off kibble, you may quote me 'till the cows come home.

Originally Posted by carolinalima

However, as my vet says - don't go through the qty in the package, if your cat is skinny, feed a little more, and if it is fat, feed less.

Awesome line. It's about the cat, not what's written on the bag! Let the cat tell you what he needs.

In Jake's case, Utpia, have you decided what you're going to do to help him lighten up a bit?

 

[otto]

1/2 cup of kibble and 6 oz of canned food is way too much food for an indoor cat, even a large cat. But, as has been said, cut back gradually. In fact, I would get a check up and talk to your vet before implementing any sort of weight loss program.

My cats, who are extremely active inside cats eat no where near that much. Mazy (age 5+) at 8.5 pounds, would be fat if I let her, eats less than 1/2 cup kibble a day, and nothing else. Tolly (age 10+) is 9.5 pounds, and lean, not much interest in food, eats about 5 oz of canned (he goes through two 3 oz cans,. but never eats it all) and 1 tablespoon of kibble.

Jennie, (age 3+) also 8.5 pounds, but would be huge if I let her, eats about the same amount as Tolly.

I've been called a "control freak" because I keep track of what my cats eat, and what they do in the litter box. But I know the dangers of overweight cats, and I know keeping track of what comes out can catch potential problems early.

Anyway I don't feel like a control freak in this forum, as I know many of you keep as close an eye on these things as I do.

 

[grogs]

Originally Posted by otto

I've been called a "control freak" because I keep track of what my cats eat, and what they do in the litter box. But I know the dangers of overweight cats, and I know keeping track of what comes out can catch potential problems early.

I know what you mean. I measure out my cats' food to the tenth of an ounce at ever meal and scoop out the litter box twice a day now.

Every cat is different, but with mine I find that the feeding guidelines on cans and bags of food are way too much. Even when Tiny was over 18 pounds, she didn't eat the minimum listed on a bag of food for a 10-12 pound cat.

Canned food is the same way. I think it recommends 1.5-2 5.5 ounce cans per day for an adult cat. What Tiny (now ~ 13.5 pounds) actually eats is about 3.5 ounces and she is losing weight slowly. If I increase it to about 4 ounces per day, she'll maintain weight.

Being one year old, Jake is probably a lot more active and has a faster metabolism than Tiny, so he probably needs a bit more. Really, the only way to know for sure is to watch the cat. If you feed him X amount and he's gaining weight, you need to cut back. When you take him in to the vet next month, write down his weight (from the vet scale) so you have a reference and ask the vet to guesstimate what his ideal weight should be. That should tell you if you're feeding too much. If he is overweight, see if the vet will let you bring him in and weigh him on their scales from time to time (for free) so that you can make adjustments. The bathroom scale isn't very accurate (probably +/- 1 pound) so it's not very useful for even month to month tracking.

 

[ut0pia]

Originally Posted by Grogs

What Tiny (now ~ 13.5 pounds) actually eats is about 3.5 ounces and she is losing weight slowly. If I increase it to about 4 ounces per day, she'll maintain weight.

Wow, that is all she eats in one day? She must have smaller bones too, Jake has a pretty large build...when I decrease Jake's food he meows and probably makes plans in his head to kill me ..he also tries to go outside to hunt for more food. That is what he did when I decreased his kibble and added more wet. He went crazy and when I opened the door to enter my house he bolted out without me even noticing him

Thankfully it was raining so he stayed near the door where it was dry. I will definitely go get him weighed at the vet's office though, maybe before it's time for his shots. For now I am just adding more wet and trying to feed him all wet. Maybe I will re introduce dry after I talk to the vet or vet tech, I am not sure, it depends on whether his weight changes.

 

[carolina]

Originally Posted by ut0pia

Wow, that is all she eats in one day? She must have smaller bones too, Jake has a pretty large build...when I decrease Jake's food he meows and probably makes plans in his head to kill me ..he also tries to go outside to hunt for more food. That is what he did when I decreased his kibble and added more wet. He went crazy and when I opened the door to enter my house he bolted out without me even noticing him

Thankfully it was raining so he stayed near the door where it was dry. I will definitely go get him weighed at the vet's office though, maybe before it's time for his shots. For now I am just adding more wet and trying to feed him all wet. Maybe I will re introduce dry after I talk to the vet or vet tech, I am not sure, it depends on whether his weight changes.

Utopia - can you feel his ribs when you pet him? If you can, he is probably fine. Per my vet, in re. to my fatty Bugsy, don't go through weight or breed - stop his diet when you feel his ribs.