Cat eating less than recommended amount after 1 year of age

[Luvyna]

My Russian Blue Zephyr turned 1 year old in January. At the age of about 1 year and two months, he started eating much less than he did before. He used to be able to guzzle almost two 6 oz cans of cat food per day as a kitten but now he is probably eating only 3-4 oz of canned food per day. I have tried different foods and he also eats raw food on rotation but his food intake has been reduced the same amount for regardless of the type of food.

His weight tends to oscillate between 9-10 lbs and he will play with moderate to high intensity each day for about 15-30 minutes. His behaviour hasn't changed much but I do find he sleeps more and plays less than he did when he was a kitten. He is also pooping and peeing normally.

I've tried various ways to coax him to eat more like sprinkling freeze dried meat treats on top of the food, putting a Churu tube treat into the food, and even spoon feeding him. However, he always stops eating once he reaches that 3-4 oz point for the day.

Each 3 oz can of food has about 100-110 calories so I think he is probably only getting around 110-140 calories a day (+ some additional calories from a few treats). However, most guides I've read say that an adult 9 lb cat should eat around 200 calories. Are there some cats that just eat less than others or is this a problem and if so, what else could I do to get him to eat more?

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi
Since he's not losing weight to the point that he's going below 9 lbs, he is ok. If you aren't already, keep a log of his weight, every 2-3 weeks or so, in order that you know what's going on with him

This might have some information you can utilize;
How Much Food Should I Feed My Cat? - TheCatSite

 

[Luvyna]

Hi
Since he's not losing weight to the point that he's going below 9 lbs, he is ok. If you aren't already, keep a log of his weight, every 2-3 weeks or so, in order that you know what's going on with him

This might have some information you can utilize;
How Much Food Should I Feed My Cat? - TheCatSite

Thank you, I will make sure to do that!

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Adult cats should not be eating nearly the same amount of calories as kittens, but it seems to me that only eating 110 - 140 calories per day for a 10 pound young cat isn't enough. I have a cat who I think barely eats, yet his weight stays pretty stable at around 9.5 pounds. If it fluctuated by one pound, I would be worried.

Since he does eat a variety of foods, can you make sure the canned food you feed is the highest calories possible? I'm sure you are aware that calories can vary a LOT depending on which food you are feeding, and that most pates are higher in calories. Also, perhaps you can give him some freeze dried raw to nibble on during the night? That's what I do with my guy...started doing that about a year ago when his appetite during mealtime really took a dive. I don't rehydrate it so I can leave it out all night, and since I have more than one cat I actually have it on my nightstand so I can monitor who is actually eating it while I (try to) sleep

 

[Luvyna]

Adult cats should not be eating nearly the same amount of calories as kittens, but it seems to me that only eating 110 - 140 calories per day for a 10 pound young cat isn't enough. I have a cat who I think barely eats, yet his weight stays pretty stable at around 9.5 pounds. If it fluctuated by one pound, I would be worried.

Since he does eat a variety of foods, can you make sure the canned food you feed is the highest calories possible? I'm sure you are aware that calories can vary a LOT depending on which food you are feeding, and that most pates are higher in calories. Also, perhaps you can give him some freeze dried raw to nibble on during the night? That's what I do with my guy...started doing that about a year ago when his appetite during mealtime really took a dive. I don't rehydrate it so I can leave it out all night, and since I have more than one cat I actually have it on my nightstand so I can monitor who is actually eating it while I (try to) sleep

Thanks for the input and I agree that 110-140 calories is low. I will get him some freeze dried food and try using it as treats since he seems to think any food coming from my hands is somehow better than the food in his bowl. He enjoys clicker training so this would be a good way to sneak some extra calories into him.

 

[cmshap]

Are there some cats that just eat less than others

While I am not commenting on your cat's caloric intake with this post, the general answer to your above question is yes. Also, some cats need more food than others.

My cat gained more weight than normal while feeding the recommended amount of food, and I actually had to cut back a little.

Again, this is just a general comment, not meant as specific advice for your situation. Cats can have genetic variances in energy expenditure/metabolic rates, just like humans.

 

[Luvyna]

Update: I tried hand-feeding freeze-dried raw food and air-dried food as a supplement to the two usual servings of wet food but unfortunately after eating the dry food, my cat won't touch the second serving of wet food It's like he basically hits a wall after the 100 calorie mark and doesn't eat much beyond that regardless of the type of food.

I'm going to monitor his weight carefully for the next week or two. I do feel like he is looking slimmer than he was about a month ago. I think the best way to get more calories in him right now may be to just feed dry food only since it's more calorie-dense but I don't want to do that long-term because dry food is too dehydrating. If anyone knows any other tricks for getting a finicky cat to eat please let me know!

So far I've tried:
- Hand feeding (most successful)
- Warming food with warm water (didn't help)
- Different types and flavours of food (didn't help)
- Sprinkling treats on top of wet food (helps a little)
- Squeezing Churu tube onto wet food (helps a little)

 

[Furballsmom]

I'm wondering if there might be something in this, even though it's for sick cats it may have a tip that helps?

Any Good Tips To Get Your Cats To Eat? Share Them Here!

There are many times when a cat refuse to eat due to change of food, due to health reasons, being fussy or gotten sick of what they have been eating and we try to get them to eat a new food and have problems getting them to eat. I see that there are many threads past and recent on how members...

thecatsite.com

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Has he had a Vet check-up? With my "light" eater, I even had an ultrasound run just to make sure he was healthy and nothing was going on inside where we couldn't really see. Plus bloodwork, etc. But as i mentioned, his weight doesn't really change much at all.

I would have him checked out by the Vet, and if he gets a completely clean bill of health, possibly get an appetite stimulant from them to use for those days when he only eats 100 calories. We use Mirataz, which is rubbed into the ear, when our guy gets really bad. Thankfully we don't have to use it very often.

 

[Luvyna]

Thank you both for the advice! mrsgreenjeens your recommendation to see a vet ended up being spot on because the very same day of my last post, Zephyr stopped eating altogether. I took him to the vet when he didn't touch his food or even show interest in treats. He got an abdominal exam, anti-nausea injection, and blood panel and I have been feeding him wet food mixed with water with a syringe and putting his usual raw food into his mouth to get him to eat since then.

Thankfully, he was actually receptive to this (very glad that he is used to me handling his mouth since I trained him to accept tooth brushing when he was a kitten) and I have been making sure that he eats a full ~200 calories each day.

His blood tests came back showing no issues except that he was dehydrated from the day he didn't eat so I've been making sure to keep him hydrated with wet food mixed with water. He is now taking treats again and back to his normal activity levels and behaviour except that he still isn't eating by himself.

I talked with my vet and after we went through a history of everything that's happened recently, I believe I may have caused him to develop a food aversion by introducing a new canned food. (He eats homemade raw, freeze-dried raw, and canned on rotation). I had been mixing the new canned food into the raw food to do the transition and this is when the reduction in appetite started. It's possible that the new food made him feel sick or he just really didn't like it (I am no longer feeding this food!). He also is very willing to eat when food is placed into his mouth, but he shies away from the sight of food on his plate.

I am continuing to monitor him closely in case this isn't the problem and further tests are needed but I think there is a high likelihood this is what caused the issue. I'm now worried though because I don't know how to get him eating food on his own again.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

I'm so glad he is receptive to you "helping" him eat! My cats (both of them) are a nightmare when I try to syringe feed them. Usually I end up with more food on me than they get in their stomachs . Also glad you think you have it figured out what the problem was. Cats are so stubborn when they don't like something. Some people say they won't starve themselves to death, but I'm really not so sure.

 

[Furballsmom]

don't know how to get him eating food on his own again.

See if there's something in that thread I posted for you above. There are some unique tips, maybe something will remind him that food is good again

 

[Luvyna]

I'm so glad he is receptive to you "helping" him eat! My cats (both of them) are a nightmare when I try to syringe feed them. Usually I end up with more food on me than they get in their stomachs . Also glad you think you have it figured out what the problem was. Cats are so stubborn when they don't like something. Some people say they won't starve themselves to death, but I'm really not so sure.

Even though he is receptive to assist feeding it is still a huge mess! I've been wearing the food as well and I'm having one heck of a time cleaning after every feeding.

After this I am fully convinced that a cat can starve itself to a point where it's super harmful if not to death. This is made worse by the fact that they don't seem to be able to tolerate fasting like a lot of other animals can.

See if there's something in that thread I posted for you above. There are some unique tips, maybe something will remind him that food is good again

Thank you! Going through these tips and will be trying some of them. Zephyr has also started eating a bit on his own again today so I'm hopeful that things will be back to normal soon.

 

[Furballsmom]

Zephyr has also started eating a bit on his own again today so I'm hopeful that things will be back to normal soon.

That's wonderful news!

 

[louisstools]

Not a vet - but the "recommended" calorie amounts are way more of a SWAG than anything...with more emphasis on the WAG part, imo. Last year my vet did a calculation on how many calories my girl needs and I laughed straight at her face when she told me the number because it was impossibly large. We weren't even doing HALF that amount and the cat was maintaining weight.

For all the posts and stories I hear about cats not eating well -- including my own cat -- I'm extremely surprised that none of the food companies make stuff targeting these cats. One of the reasons we don't do wet food is it's so calorically poor. I want something around 150-200 calories per 1.0oz b/c my girl won't eat much more than that on her own.

 

[Luvyna]

Update on Zephyr, he's been eating around ~200 calories per day in wet and raw food by himself for a few days but I'm still finding I have to coax him to finish the food by sprinkling treats on it. He also seems to want me there watching him eat to finish all the food.

After the food aversion situation with the new canned food it seems like he is also more reluctant to eat his favourite canned food brand (Rawz). I hope this is something that can be overcome eventually

Not a vet - but the "recommended" calorie amounts are way more of a SWAG than anything...with more emphasis on the WAG part, imo. Last year my vet did a calculation on how many calories my girl needs and I laughed straight at her face when she told me the number because it was impossibly large. We weren't even doing HALF that amount and the cat was maintaining weight.

For all the posts and stories I hear about cats not eating well -- including my own cat -- I'm extremely surprised that none of the food companies make stuff targeting these cats. One of the reasons we don't do wet food is it's so calorically poor. I want something around 150-200 calories per 1.0oz b/c my girl won't eat much more than that on her own.

I think it's very true that different cats have different metabolisms and calorie requirements and the calorie guides are just a guideline - at the end of the day if a cat is maintaining weight, body condition, and activity levels then all is well.

I would love to see a calorie-dense wet food as well for cats! It would be super helpful for sick cats or all the finicky eaters out there.

 

[louisstools]

Update on Zephyr, he's been eating around ~200 calories per day in wet and raw food by himself for a few days but I'm still finding I have to coax him to finish the food by sprinkling treats on it. He also seems to want me there watching him eat to finish all the food.

After the food aversion situation with the new canned food it seems like he is also more reluctant to eat his favourite canned food brand (Rawz). I hope this is something that can be overcome eventually



I think it's very true that different cats have different metabolisms and calorie requirements and the calorie guides are just a guideline - at the end of the day if a cat is maintaining weight, body condition, and activity levels then all is well.

I would love to see a calorie-dense wet food as well for cats! It would be super helpful for sick cats or all the finicky eaters out there.

Also, I forgot to put this, it's VERY IMPORTANT that when the vet is speaking using measurments (like ounces, etc) that you are in sync with what type of unit they are talking about. For some bloody reason, when vets/food companies give nutritional information about wet food they provide it in weight units like dry ounces but for dry food they provide it in volume units like liquid ounces. I'm an American, in America, and I usually insist on grams (metric, bleh) b/c it forces them to at least use a weight unit.

 

[cmshap]

Also, I forgot to put this, it's VERY IMPORTANT that when the vet is speaking using measurments (like ounces, etc) that you are in sync with what type of unit they are talking about. For some bloody reason, when vets/food companies give nutritional information about wet food they provide it in weight units like dry ounces but for dry food they provide it in volume units like liquid ounces. I'm an American, in America, and I usually insist on grams (metric, bleh) b/c it forces them to at least use a weight unit.

I never heard of this. That makes no sense.

 

[Furballsmom]

I would love to see a calorie-dense wet food as well for cats! It would be super helpful for sick cats or all the finicky eaters out there.

There's royal canine A/D but it requires a prescription. You might check and see if they, or Hills has a non-scrip food that works.

Also, kitten food is more calorie dense and could be used in a rotational menu.

 

[louisstools]

I never heard of this. That makes no sense.

Just go look at a bag of cat food. Calories are calculated in grams (weight) but for the nutritional info they're listed in cups (volume) because people use measuring scoops I presume? I don't know. I know my 1/4 cup scoop holds between 0.6 and 0.8 oz by scale depending on how the kibble sits. I know when my vet was discussing feeding amounts with me she kept saying "measuring cup" which made no sense to me b/c that's volume based and not accurate.

Here is an example, and it's an RX food so it's held to a higher standard than regular food. Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets UR Urinary St/Ox Feline Formula They key is "Using a standard 8 oz./ 250 ml measuring cup which contains approximately 105 g of UR Urinary St/Ox feline formula." Weight based, not volume.