Ex feral putting on pounds

[OliverNcompany]

Hey everyone! I caught my semi feral cat Salem around thanksgiving and she has done amazing adjusting to being an indoor cat. My only problem I am having is she has put on a lot of weight since taking her inside. I had been free feeding her because she does still hide sometimes and I don’t think she will eat on a schedule still. What are some things I can do to stop her from gaining more? Is there a good type of food I can give her to help? She was never a skinny cat but she’s definitely over weight now. I do play with her and she has toys she plays with at night when we are asleep.

 

[Talien]

Switch her to a canned food diet with set meal times, that is always the best thing you can do to help a Cat lose weight after they've gorged themselves free feeding. Cats like routines so she will adapt to set mealtimes quickly.

 

[OliverNcompany]

Switch her to a canned food diet with set meal times, that is always the best thing you can do to help a Cat lose weight after they've gorged themselves free feeding. Cats like routines so she will adapt to set mealtimes quickly.

I tried switching to canned and she is sooo picky. I still haven’t found one she will eat. I’ve tried the different textures and kinds but she doesn’t seem interested. It’s also strange because I never really see her eating a ton or anything like that unless she is doing it while I am asleep. I will keep trying to find a wet food she likes. She’s still a little shy so that could be why she won’t come out and eat the wet when I put it out.

 

[shadowsrescue]

I really would suggest not free feeding. She will adjust to meal time. Try feeding her canned food 3x a day. Leave it out for an hour and if she hasn't eaten it take it away. If you are leaving out dry food all day, she will just eat and eat and eat.

Also try to add in some extra play time. There is a saying that goes Hunt, Catch, Kill, Eat, Groom, Sleep. Play with your cat and really get her moving. Try a wand toy to simulate prey. That will be the hunt, catch, kill part. After a good play session, immediately offer her some wet food. This will help to satisfy the Eat portion. Next many cats will groom themselves and then take a nap.

Do you know where she is hiding? A good idea might be to block hiding spots such as under beds or under large pieces of furniture. Instead provide her with safe hiding spots such as hiding boxes in a cat tree or a kitty cabana.

 

[shadowsrescue]

If she refuses to eat wet food, I would only offer small amounts of dry at a time. I would still offer 3 meals each day. Get her on a routine. Tell her "breakfast time", "lunch time", "dinner time" or bedtime meal".

 

[OliverNcompany]

I really would suggest not free feeding. She will adjust to meal time. Try feeding her canned food 3x a day. Leave it out for an hour and if she hasn't eaten it take it away. If you are leaving out dry food all day, she will just eat and eat and eat.

Also try to add in some extra play time. There is a saying that goes Hunt, Catch, Kill, Eat, Groom, Sleep. Play with your cat and really get her moving. Try a wand toy to simulate prey. That will be the hunt, catch, kill part. After a good play session, immediately offer her some wet food. This will help to satisfy the Eat portion. Next many cats will groom themselves and then take a nap.

Do you know where she is hiding? A good idea might be to block hiding spots such as under beds or under large pieces of furniture. Instead provide her with safe hiding spots such as hiding boxes in a cat tree or a kitty cabana.

Shes not really hiding but she will spend some of her time under my bed which is fine. She usually comes out when I walk in and will greet me and want pets. But she still is not very fond of my husband so that’s mainly when she will hide. I guess what I mean is that I don’t know if she will just go and eat when I place it out. She’s still a little nervous about certain things and does them on her own time. I will give it a try though.

 

[poolcat]

Salem is beautiful . . . and yes, a little on the chunky side. It's good of you to give a feral cat a home and regular food. If you must feed her dry food, make sure it's grain-free and one with plenty of protein. And measured portions as others have suggested. The bag should have feeding quantity info on it. Also, be sure she always has access to fresh water (maybe in a couple of places) since she won't be getting any from dry food.

All my formerly stray/feral cats tend to become overweight because they were so malnourished before "adopting" me. Even after many years, they'll still eat too much if I don't limit their portions. (They are outdoor cats, so I give them more when it's cold out and less when it's hot.) One of them absolutely refused to eat canned food for about two years... switching to grain-free has made a big difference in his waistline. He has just started eating some wet food recently, which I'm thrilled about. You could keep trying different brands and flavors occasionally, since Salem may change her mind about it.

Could you put her food dish somewhere your husband won't disturb her as she eats?