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Cat Forum / Cat Anecdotes / July 2005How long will it take them?
That is what I asked myself on Sunday when Hobbes went on a restricted diet and we had to terminate free feeding at our house. How long will it take before they learn to eat when food is put down? Hobbes had his cardiac sonogram last week and it showed that his heart was normal with no congestion. The specialist said there was a lot of fat taking up precious lung and heart space and that Hobbes needed to go on a restricted diet. She prescribed Hill's R/D - 1 1/4 cup per day. So on Sunday I started the diet. I've always free fed so they are used to having food whenever they want it. Lacey barely ate the food I put down for her (and she only weighs 7 lbs - she can't afford to loose weight). Barnabus didn't eat much either which worries me. Actually, Sunday morning no one ate very much. When they wandered off I took up all the food. I decided to feed them mid-day on Sunday and again they nibbled and Sunday night they ate a little bit more. Selena and Hobbes were the first to catch onto the idea that food was now restricted and they were eating by Monday morning. This morning everyone was hungry. Still, no one is eating 1 1/4 cups of food per day yet. I'm hoping this will change soon. I really hope we can stick with this diet because Hobbes won't live 20 years carrying 26 lbs. Julie, Hobbes, Selena, Lacey, Sam and Barnabus > That is what I asked myself on Sunday when Hobbes went on a restricted > diet and we had to terminate free feeding at our house. How long will > it take before they learn to eat when food is put down? I don't know, but I wish you the best. I'm sure that by the time a week is up, they will realize that food is only available at certain times. Cats are used to eating small meals often, being that in nature the prey they catch is small. Can you feed them 3 times a day (Say morning, after work and before bed?) We free-feed, but we free-feed W/D so that Tyche (the fatty) won't get fatter than the 10 lbs she already has. She is a small cat, so she is slightly overweight at 10 lbs while Nocturne and Smokey are ideal at 12. --FIl >>That is what I asked myself on Sunday when Hobbes went on a restricted >>diet and we had to terminate free feeding at our house. How long will [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > --FIl Thanks Fil. Yesterday I gave them a teaspoon each of Fancy Feast and then followed that with their dry food for their morning meal at 8 a.m. At 6:15 p.m. they got another dish of dry food and at 9 p.m. they got another teaspoon each of wet food and some dry. I'd rather they eat the good dry food than the Fancy Feast so this morning they got their dry food first followed by a teaspoon of Fancy Feast (1 3-oz can gives 5 cats a teaspoon each). They ate more of the dry this way which I think is better for them (they won't eat premium canned food). I considered free feeding the diet food if necessary. I'm going to buy a baby scale so that I can keep an eye on everyone's weight. Hobbes is supposed to be weighed every two weeks. I don't want to take him to TED that often and I need to keep an eye on Lacey and Sam since they don't need to lose weight. We'll see how it goes, and I really appreciate the support. I so don't want them going hungry!! Julie > I considered free feeding the diet food if necessary. I'm going to buy a The best way for Hobbes to lose weight is to stop eating carbs (no, I'm not an Atkins fan). Cats have no dietary need for carbohydrates. None. Why are we feeding them cereal? Wet food is best. If you must feed dry, try the new Evo food by Innova, it's made without any grains. Lots of purrs for the hungry kitties. :)  SignatureVictor M. Martinez Owned and operated by the Fantastic Seven (TM) Send your spam here: uce@ftc.gov Email me here: pistorLITTER@BOXaustin.rr.com > That is what I asked myself on Sunday when Hobbes went on a restricted > diet and we had to terminate free feeding at our house. How long will [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > > Julie, Hobbes, Selena, Lacey, Sam and Barnabus It has taken my four 5 months from when I first switched to canned - they're just now getting to where they'll eat most of it when I first put it down (but still tend to "browse" on it 'cause I leave it down until the next feeding (I feed every 12 hours). I still leave less than a cup of dry food down and change that every 24 hours (but this is just for emergency munchies and they hardly eat even a mouthful of it now). Hugs, CatNipped I still leave less than a cup of dry food > down and change that every 24 hours (but this is just for emergency munchies > and they hardly eat even a mouthful of it now). > > Hugs, > > CatNipped I did this yesterday because I couldn't stand the idea of them not having food during the day. Someone ate all of it and since I *have* to know that it's not Hobbes (his 1 1/4 cups gets measured out each day) I decided to try going all day today without food left out. We'll see how things are around 6 p.m. <sigh> Julie > I still leave less than a cup of dry food >> down and change that every 24 hours (but this is just for emergency [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > Julie I can see this now. Jake know there will always be more good things to eat. Molly starts having an anxiety attack if she can see the bottom of the food bowl. And I let it happen once in a while, as its about the only time I get any attention from her. She won't let me hold her. Won't sit on my lap. But let the food get low and she is all over me. Jo > It has taken my four 5 months from when I first switched to canned - > they're [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > munchies > and they hardly eat even a mouthful of it now). I have to free-feed, which means using dry with unlimited access to water. If I put food down at specific times, Waffles rushes her food which results in her throwing up within a minute or two of her eating. Why? Well, Marble is a hog - if there is not food there all the time he literally bulldozes his way in and eats everything put down given half a chance. The result is that if I don't free-feed, I have Marble who stuffs his face and can get *huge* and Waffles who the is put in the position of rushing her food in order that she can get something down her before she is bullied by Marble, which results in her being bullimic... Sigh... Cheers, helen s > > It has taken my four 5 months from when I first switched to canned - > > they're [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > > Cheers, helen s It surprised me that Sammy did this to Bandit... *BANDIT* - the B*tch Cat From H*ll!!!. But when I put their gooshy food down and Bandit starts eating, Sammy will just stroll up to her, first give her kitty kisses (little hussy), and then just shove her big face into the food bowl and nudge Bandit out of the way. Bandit will just give a little kitty sign and move off and wait until Sammy is finished. Now I have to put down two bowls a few feet apart. Hugs, CatNipped > It surprised me that Sammy did this to Bandit... *BANDIT* - the B*tch Cat > From H*ll!!!. But when I put their gooshy food down and Bandit starts [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > bowls > a few feet apart. Oh Marble is a true bully when it comes to food. he may have only one brain-cell, but it is entirely devoted to the location and devouring of food. he literally intimidates both Francis and Waffles in the food department. He will push them out of the way so he gets to the bowls they have. Then, if they change bowls, he bullies them away from that one - and it goes on and on. Hence I have to free-feed them to ensure the bullying subsides and they can all eat sufficiently. Cheers, helen s > Oh Marble is a true bully when it comes to food. he may have only one > brain-cell, but it is entirely devoted to the location and devouring of [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > it goes on and on. Hence I have to free-feed them to ensure the bullying > subsides and they can all eat sufficiently. Sounds like Marble is related to Cleo (the vacuum cleaner). I've started feeding everyone Nutro Max Cat weight control (I can get it ordered by my local pet shop up the road, which is cool, as it means I can support local traders *AND* get top premium cat food, but I digress) which cleo loves. BUT she *HATES* Classic cat wet food, and Tiger and Pandora love it. So, she gets a spoonful of Whiskas, and they get bigger portions of classic cat because Cleo won't touch it. It also means then, that I can free feed dried food as an allocated amount, as then if Cleo chows it all, I'm not worrying about her scarfing the wet food too. Works well for us. :o) Helen M > It has taken my four 5 months from when I first switched to canned - > they're just now getting to where they'll eat most of it when I [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > hours (but this is just for emergency munchies and they hardly eat > even a mouthful of it now). I wish Oscar had that attitude toward dry food! I can't put any down because she'll gorge on them instantly. She didn't do that when she was free feeding; it's started since I switched her to canned. She's such a carb fiend that she'll eat cereal if I spill some. Signaturemonique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully pictures: http://www.bounceswoosh.org/rpca > That is what I asked myself on Sunday when Hobbes went on a restricted > diet and we had to terminate free feeding at our house. How long will it [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > > Julie, Hobbes, Selena, Lacey, Sam and Barnabus Rusty is very good in this regard. When I switched him from free feeding dry to canned food twice a day after his second urinary blockage, he had no problem with the change at all. Since then we switchedprescription food a few times and he ate everything put in his dish. The only times he didn't eat were when he was on antibiotics. Winnie > That is what I asked myself on Sunday when Hobbes went on a restricted > diet and we had to terminate free feeding at our house. How long will > it take before they learn to eat when food is put down? > > Julie, Hobbes, Selena, Lacey, Sam and Barnabus Persia is not doing well on her diet. It's my fault. They told me give her 1/2 cup a day. 1/4 cup in the morning and 1/4 cup in the evening. But I'm a wimp. I can't *stand* to hear her cry. (That's how I wound up with her in the first place.) If I walk anywhere near the kitchen she's practically tripping me to beat me to the pantry where her food is stored, even though I'm not going to the pantry. Then she says, plaintively, "Ma-ma!" and looks from me to her bowl to the pantry and back up at me with those big green eyes. I have been pretty good about ignoring her but sometimes she then sits next to the bowl and utters little squeaks. Try as I might, sometimes I just can't ignore it. I know she's much smaller than I am but I keep thinking, "What if I could only have 1/2 a cup of dry kibble every day? I'd be crying, too!" I must get stronger about this. I know it's in her best interests. If I could find a job she'd snooze all day. But I'm here most of the time and she knows how to tug at my heartstrings. (sigh) Good luck, Julie. I can't imagine trying to do this with multiple cats! Jill > > That is what I asked myself on Sunday when Hobbes went on a restricted > > diet and we had to terminate free feeding at our house. How long will [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > > Jill ROTFL! Sorry, Jill, but man - you're more of a sucker for a plaintive cry than I am, and *I'm* a grandmother! ;> Hugs, CatNipped >>> That is what I asked myself on Sunday when Hobbes went on a >>> restricted diet and we had to terminate free feeding at our house. [quoted text clipped - 33 lines] > > CatNipped Yeah, I know! But she knows how to say "Ma-ma" (I swear it!) and it just kills me. That and those big green eyes and that innocent face. (sigh) And she doesn't get gooshy food anymore since her surgery (I still feel bad about that). And since she *is* innocent (she's never once torn up anything in my apartment except when she challenged an intruder cat at the window and knocked over my plant stand) it's so darned hard to resist. *I must get stronger.* Jill Jill > That is what I asked myself on Sunday when Hobbes went on a > restricted diet and we had to terminate free feeding at our house. > How long will it take before they learn to eat when food is put > down? I switched Oscar to canned food after she'd been on dry her whole life, almost four years. But I just set out half a can in the morning, then pick up the plate when I put down her half a can for dinner. Sometimes she eats it all; sometimes she leaves some food. She never eats it right away. Sometimes she'll check it out, but she always wait at least 20 minutes before she touches it. Maybe the smell? Anyway, I guess all I'm saying is, I don't think the world will end if you leave the food out between feeding times. I doubt they'd eat it if it went bad. But then, I have a house with A/C and a dry climate where summer bug infestations are rare; you may have non-feline reasons to keep food off the floor. Signaturemonique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully pictures: http://www.bounceswoosh.org/rpca |
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