He is the best companion. Feeding an Adult Cat. HiI have 2 rescue cats and the problem is that my male is quite slim (a small cat for a ginger tom) and my other cat, a long haired female, is overweight. We are all different. In addition, the same volume of different foods can have varying caloric and nutritional contents, showing that a one-size-fits-all approach will not work. So, again, no more than 1/2 pound of weight loss per month. What about treats? It's true, feeding your pet high-quality, well-balanced food is one of the best things you can do to help your cat live a long, healthy life. It is really exceptional that you take …, One fat cat and one thin cat  “And the same is true for fats and essential fatty acids. The diet of an adult cat For a healthy pet, your cat’s diet needs to include the right balance of the six major nutrient groups; proteins, fats and oils, minerals, vitamins, carbohydrates and … Feeding your cats a high protein, moderate fat, and low carbohydrate diet is very easy to do. The same amount as your daughter? If I told you I have three friends and asked you to tell me how much each one of them should eat each day, could you tell me? Bough says, “As a general rule of thumb, we recommend that cats be fed twice daily using the portion control feeding method. I already have a three year old cat. If I try enough choices, he will eat. Click here for guidance from our team of veterinary telehealth specialists on how the COVID-19 coronavirus can impact you and your pets. I have a litter of three 3 month old kittens. If you don't change anything else in the way you feed your cats, please stop feeding dry food. Every week, do exactly the same thing. If finances allow it, a pediatric scale will be easier and more accurate. People complain of their …, Cat Nutrition: Cats Weight  Check the label. 6 months to 1 year: 2 meals daily. Mimicking a trend of many of their owners, one in five cats in industrialized countries today is obese. And, of course, too many treats can make kitty’s waistline that much tougher to recover. Obviously, subtract and you'll have your cat's weight. Use within 7 days after opening. Copyright © 2007-2021 AskTheCatDoctor.com. Of course, this may occur with dry food as well. He has a severe allergy to chicken (causes skin lesions and diarrhea) …, My cat smells like urine! You will notice in the chart that many available flavors from a variety of brands have been eliminated. It's anyone, including your veterinarian, your best friend or me. A 20-pound cat with a lean body type needs about 440 calories per day. Just today I got one of those emails. Although some people prefer to divide the daily amount into three daily meals. We have created an obese cat population and one with an increasing number of cases of diabetes. Raw Food Feeding Calculator How much to feed: 2% to 3% to maintain present weight. Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page... Cat's Need for Water  Your best friend will thank you! By the way, the cat in the above photo is my own and since switching my cats to an all canned, low carbohydrate diet, he has lost 7 pounds (SLOWLY!) A good diet for cats consists of foods containing 10% or less carbohydrates, and again, this is sadly something you will never learn from the label. “There are equations you can use to predict the energy needs of a cat,” Larsen says. Here were the numbers: …, Cat is binge eating, very insistant, yet not overweight  Give 1/3rd your kitten’s every day proportion of food. The question I have is about my sister-in-laws male cat KC. Even though you find feeding instructions on almost every bag of cat food you can buy, the instructions are useless. DL.Â. and at age 14, acts like a kitten again! That is not what carnivores should be eating. Homemade Cat Food and Raw Cat Food. The answer is not as simple as you may think. Start by thinking back or recording your actions for the next few days as to how much you usually put in the cat food bowl. According to the Animal Medical Center in New York, a healthy, active 8-pound adult cat requires about 30 calories per pound per day. Mozie is a 17 year old male tabby cat that weighs about 12 pounds. Things like the type of food you feed, your cat’s age and her lifestyle are all important factors. Make sure to give your cat the recommended portion of food by measuring it using kitchen scales. ?Marie Hi, Marie, That weight sounds just right. The only way you can possibly find out how much to feed your cat is by trial and error. Not only do kittens require a more rich food that the adult cat, but they also need to be fed more times a day. QUESTION: Since Sunday, our 2 year old male cat has not eaten. A 15-pound cat with a lean body type needs about 360 calories per day. Whether you’re pinching pennies or can afford to pay top dollar, when it comes to nutrition, you no doubt want to do right by your cat. Return From How Much To Feed Cat To our Home Page, The Cat. This is because the foods not listed are too high in carbohydrates to be acceptable for any cat. How Much to Feed a Cat: Cat Food Portions and Serving Sizes Determining how much food a cat should eat can be confusing for a pet owner. Here are some guidelines to help ensure that your cat gets nutritious adult cat food. It's not just the manufacturers of cat … But the high moisture content in wet food can be beneficial to cats with urinary tract problems, diabetes, or kidney disease. “You can start by weighing your cat and looking at the product packaging,” she says, “But watch your cat and work with your vet to determine how much your cat should weigh.”. Feeding stations can be homemade using a plastic storage box and a cat flap operated by your cat’s own microchip (e.g., SureFlap®). Also, to increase your knowledge and awareness of cat nutrition in general and to make your cats healthier cats, please see CatInfo.org. At the same time, you need an initial weight for your cat. And, quite possibly, one came from one mother and the other from a different. Even if your cat needs to lose 10 pounds,(look at the picture below if you don't think that's possible!) It might sound a bit complicated, but good-quality complete feline food should provide everything your furry friend needs, and unless advised to by your vet, a well-balanced diet means your cat won’t need any other diet supplements. By clicking Subscribe, I agree to the WebMD, Smart Grocery Shopping When You Have Diabetes, Surprising Things You Didn't Know About Dogs and Cats, Coronavirus in Context: Interviews With Experts, Sign Up to Receive Our Free Coroanvirus Newsletter, Cat Dehydration: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments, Is convenient because you can leave it out and it doesn’t spoil as easily, Is energy dense, meaning a cat can consume lots of calories quickly, Tends to have more carbohydrates and less protein than wet food, May be only slightly better than canned food at preventing dental disease, Can spoil more easily and requires refrigeration after opening, Tends to have more fat and protein - especially animal protein - and fewer carbohydrates than dry food. If you want more guidance, you can find body condition scoring systems online. At about 3-4 weeks of age, kittens can start weaning, or transitioning to solid food. One is "friskier" than the other. Do that for several days and then figure out the average. I have gone to the pet store and spent $50 a week to buy cat food. help! “That diet doesn’t have to be fed to any live animal before it’s sold,” Larsen says. You come from a different gene pool, have different metabolism, and exercise more or less than anyone else. 5 important things about feeding your cat. Mimicking a trend of many of their owners, one in five cats in industrialized countries today is obese.