Newbie Help

[KieranKD]

So, long story short I'm completely clueless about how much I should actually be feeding my cat, and I find the information available online confusing/overwhelming to digest. My mom took care of him alongside her other cats and has always free-fed them, but now that he's with me I'd like to put him on a schedule. He's currently transitioning to a wet only diet, and could use to gain 1-2 pounds. If I had to guess his ideal weight is 8 pounds.

I have a few problems/questions.

1) How many calories should I actually be feeding him? His cans suggest 1 oz per pound, which is 1 1/2 cans (260 calories give or take depending on flavor)

2) He doesn't actually finish his food. He takes a few bites, leaves, and might or might not come back for a few more bites. I can only get him to eat 1/2 of a can, maaaybe 3/4 rarely. I'm currently having to offer him food 3-4 times a day to get him to eat this much, but I'd really rather get him on a breakfast/dinner schedule as this is impractical for me. How do I go about getting him to eat enough food?

 

[di and bob]

Cats will eat what they want. I wouldn't worry so much about how much he is eating, just so he eats some. There are many good hard foods out there that you could measure out for him between meals and leave out, it would be more practical for you if you are not there to feed him. Many cats prefer dry. If it were me, I would give him 1/2 can, and warm up the refrigerated portion in the evening. Or you might try the smaller portioned food like Sheba or Fancy Feast, much less waste as cats hate leftovers. He'll gain weight naturally as he ages, or if not will need something like kitten food to help him maintain his weight. Cats almost always come back again and again to nibble, so leave the wet out for an hour and then pick it up before you leave. I use small foam plates to just throw away.
Bless you, for helping him!

 

[StanAndAlf]

I have successfully transitioned my cats to meals rather than grazing. I offer three meals a day, one before I leave in the morning, one when I get home and another before I go to bed. I offer no more than half a can at a time, which takes me to one and a half cans a day. If you are still transitioning, give him enough dry food in the morning to meet a third of his calorie intake and then split a can when you are home, so he gets nor more than half at a time. Eventually phase out the dry in the morning, if that is what you choose to do.

For a cat his size, 260 calories a day sounds about right, especially if you want him to gain a little. If he gains too much, just cut back. If he doesn't finish the food, don't worry about it. Just leave it there and if it is still there come his next meal, throw it out. As long as he eats most of his food, and isn't losing weight, he will be ok. If he isn't eating most of it, it may be time to rotate brands or try a different flavour.

 

[Natalusky29]

So, long story short I'm completely clueless about how much I should actually be feeding my cat, and I find the information available online confusing/overwhelming to digest. My mom took care of him alongside her other cats and has always free-fed them, but now that he's with me I'd like to put him on a schedule. He's currently transitioning to a wet only diet, and could use to gain 1-2 pounds. If I had to guess his ideal weight is 8 pounds.

I have a few problems/questions.

1) How many calories should I actually be feeding him? His cans suggest 1 oz per pound, which is 1 1/2 cans (260 calories give or take depending on flavor)

2) He doesn't actually finish his food. He takes a few bites, leaves, and might or might not come back for a few more bites. I can only get him to eat 1/2 of a can, maaaybe 3/4 rarely. I'm currently having to offer him food 3-4 times a day to get him to eat this much, but I'd really rather get him on a breakfast/dinner schedule as this is impractical for me. How do I go about getting him to eat enough food?

I guess that cat is used to eat little portions throughout the day because as you said your cat was on a free feed “schedule” and he expect the food to be available all day,so what I would do is giving him 1/2 of wet food and once he is done you have to take the food away (in a cabinet or the fridge) once you start doing this is you gotta give him meals every 3-4 hours so he can get used to the meals with less stress.

In a week your cat should be used to it and that is when you should put him on a regular schedule (2-3 meals a day)
In case your cat does it the whole food and you think that it’s not eating enough you can purchase some salmon oil from a petstore or Amazon.