Rationing food

[adventuregirl]

I have always let my cats graze on dry food throughout the day and then give them some wet food at night. I have never had a problem with cats over eating. Until Phoenix.... This guy is a piggy and now his sister has decided that every time he eats she should too. I was using a feeder that holds 5 pounds, and fills the bowl as it empties, but those two cats went through 5 pounds of cat food in less than 3 days! So today I took the feeder away and started rationing the dry food. I decided that I will give them wet food in the morning and when I get home from work.Then I gave them two cups of dry food and I’m going to see how long that lasts. Phoenix is full grown but just barely and Ash is 8 months old. I’m planning on giving Ash a little more wet food than Phoenix since she’s still growing. I’m hoping that buy doing this they will eat more reasonably. I’m super worried though I want to make sure Ash is getting enough food and that Phoenix won’t overeat. Is this a good plan? What do you all do to prevent cats from overeating? Is 2 cups of dry food enough for two cats if I’m supplementing it with wet food? Is it to much?

 

[bugs-and-cats]

I am having the same issues with cats! My adult cat was already slightly overweight but the vet told me not to worry about it... then after adding a kitten to the family in May, she started gaining weight She's gone from 13 pounds to 15 pounds. I am going to start rationing their food, I think I can only manage three meals per day though. My kitten is 9 months old, so I'll likely feed him more as well. I am thinking about getting a puzzle feeder and leaving a small amount of food in it (quarter to a third of a cup) throughout the day, so if they are really hungry they can have a snack.

That being said, do you know how many calories per cup are in your dry food? Does Phoenix seem overweight?

 

[adventuregirl]

Phoenix is starting to get a belly! I took him to the vet in December for a wellness check and he had doubled his weight since September! Mind you he was still growing at that point. But still....lol! My vet wasn't to concerned at that point, since I take Phoenix hiking with me, and she said his activity should help him stay in shape. However it has since snowed and it's to deep for Phoenix. The other issue I have is Phoenix had a rough beginning in life. I don't know all the details, but he was transferred to our humane society in Michigan to from North Carolina because they evacuated the humane society he was in because of Hurricane Dorian. He was six months old when I got him and so scrawny I could feel his ribs. When he first came home he would eat so fast he would vomit. That's why I let him graze, he needed to understand he wasn't going to need to worry about food. I'm still really torn about that, I want Phoenix to be healthy, but I don't want him to food obsess either. Right now I'm pretty sure he eats out of boredom sometimes. I'm going to stick to this method of routine for wet food and a little dry food to graze on throughout the day. I'm not sure how many calories are in the dry food because I tossed the bag, but I did buy a Purina one grain free weight control for when the current bag runs out. I've been feeding them Meow Mix wet food. I like it because it doesn't look as processed as most wet foods do and is pretty cheap considering what's in it. A puzzle feeder is a good idea. I have one that I can fill with treats daily. Ash has that completely figured out and gets all the treats before Phoenix even has a chance, so I can increase her calories that way too. I'm sure I will figure out a routine where they both are happy and healthy. Phoenix is obsessed with wand toys so if I play with him daily that should help the exercise problem. I don't do that enough, they are both natural lap cats so it's easy after a long day of work to just let them snuggle with me instead of helping them get exercise. Even though I'm barely starting this routine I am pleased with the progress. I think we will be able to to figure out a routine that's best for the cats and works with my schedule.

 

[WillowMarie]

I have invested in a microchip feeder because my Isabelle will overeat, especially because her medication makes her more hungry. Since kittens are supposed to be freefed and I was planning on working full-time during winter break, that meant I was no longer able to provide dry food to the 2 kittens every couple of hours to let them eat in between wet meals. leaving food out would not work as Isabelle would eat all the kitten food.

The feeder has worked great and both kittens have used it from day one! It is a bit pricey, but well worth it for me and my circumstances of needing one. The only cats that can access are the ones programmed to use it. It activates using the cats microchip, but the feeder comes with 1 microchipped tag that can be attached to a collar if a cat is not microchipped.