wondering if I'm feeding enough

[ondine]

Our outside cat, Schofield, eats three 3-ounce cans of food a day.  I use anything from Fancy Feast (classic chicken, turkey and chicken and liver)  to Sheba (any type) to a couple of store brands.  He also gets about five small cubes of boiled chicken breast as a bedtime snack.

I was leaving him about 1/2 cup of dry at night but I noticed he was leaving a lot of his wet food and it was going to waste.  So no dry now.

Anyway, he always greets me at the door to his enclosure and tucks right into whatever I give him.  Always a clean plate, now.  Was wondering if he needs a little more - maybe one more can a day?

BTW - three cans is the general recommendation for his weight (about right pounds).

Thanks!

 

[catspaw66]

Since he is an outdoor cat, I am fairly sure he is supplementing what you feed him with live prey.  The fact that he gobbles the canned up just means he likes it a lot. Can you touch him? If so, run your hand down his back. You shouldn't be able to feel his vertabrae with just light pressure. Then check his sides. If you feel just a little of his ribs, can't see his hipbones or shoulder blades, he is just right.

You have one spoiled outside cat. Fancy Feast, Sheba and a bedtime snack? He has you trained very well.

 

[ondine]

Thanks, Catspaw. He is the ideal weight but he's so anxious to eat, it made me wonder. He is in his own enclosure, which would make you think prey opportunities are limited. But he's caught a bird, two moles and a squirrel. He didn't eat any of them, as far as I could tell and did not object when i removed the bodies. (ech)

And yep, I am well trained

 

[jorjor]

That's too much actually. Do two cans. Adult cats should be eating 5-7 oz per day. 

 

[tammyp]

It does depend on their energy output though - some cats need more,some less, so it's better to go off the evidence of their bodies,as described.  It is also dependant on the quality of the food too, so if it has better ingredients and less fillers, it gives more nutrition and obviously satisfies their hunger better.