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Cat Forum / Health and Behavior / November 2007How much wet food?
I will attempt a new thread, lets see how I can get flamed for this question.... We are a dried food family. We have a bowl of dried food (it is some urinary tract food recommended by the vet) out 24/7. They can eat at will. However, I am moving over to adding wet food. I separate the cats into different rooms, and give them their wet food. They eat it all in one setting. How much wet food should they be getting a day? I am thinking I will give them wet food one time a day, and then let them supplement with the dry food. If they were just fed wet food, how often should they be getting the wet food? I am asking because my sick cat will probably just be eating wet food from here on out. Thanks, : ) Suddenly, without warning, MEG exclaimed (11/8/2007 3:37 PM): > I will attempt a new thread, lets see how I can get flamed for this > question.... [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > Thanks, : ) Varies by cat. When Meep (who's a cystitis kitty) was on nearly-free-choice dry (also urinary), she'd get about 1/2 a little can of wet in the evening. Now she's on all wet food, she averages about 1.5 of those small cans per day. Sometimes two. She's approx 10 lbs and 11.5 years old. jmc > Suddenly, without warning, MEG exclaimed (11/8/2007 3:37 PM): > [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] > > - Show quoted text - My 10 year old is 9 pounds, (he is sick and apparently losing weight and muscle mass). My one year old male weighs 11 pounds, and then I have a female who is probably 11 pounds or slighty above that. So none of my cats have weight issues. I think I am going to do the wet can a day, with the supplementing of dry. But does feeding them the wet food contribute to the urinary tract problems? I would not think ash content would be an issue in wet food. I just bought some Fancy Fest. My understanding is that is a middle quality food. I really liked the size of the cans. I did not want to buy a big can and then have to store it in the refrigerator. Thanks for your reply. > But does feeding them the wet food contribute to the urinary tract > problems? I would not think ash content would be an issue in wet > food. Canned food is actually the first line preventative and *treatment* for feline urinary tract diseases- especially crystalluria, urolithiasis, and feline interstitial cystitis. Canned food is especially important for male cats which are more susceptible to urinary tract obstructions than females. See: http://maxshouse.com/feline_nutrition.htm Dry Food vs Canned Food. Which is really better? How much to feed should be based on your cats' weight, activity level, and sex status. A moderately active, indoor, neutered cat has a daily energy requirement (DER) of about 18 kcals/pound. See: http://maxshouse.com/feline_nutrition.htm Energy Requirements for Kittens and Adult Cats Forget about "ash" - the term is meaningless for practical purposes. It was an old advertising gimmick that just won't die. Although some components of ash may be important in the pathogenesis of feline urinary tract diseases, the term itself does not represent the magnesium content- or the content of any single component in the diet. Good luck, Phil snip > My 10 year old is 9 pounds, (he is sick and apparently losing > weight and muscle mass). My one year old male weighs 11 pounds, and > then I have a female who is probably 11 pounds or slighty above that. > So none of my cats have weight issues. I think I am going to do the > wet can a day, with the supplementing of dry. ----------- When it comes to sick cats, my rule of thumb is let them eat as much as they want and be glad that they feel well enough to eat at all. It is an unfortunate reality of life that terminally ill kitties (like terminally ill people) tend to lose weight and get very thin, and the time will unfortunately come when you will be trying to find little tricks to get your kitty to eat more (or eat anything at all) :-( My healthy cats get about a half can of Fancy Feast per day (in the morning). They do have dry food (Purina OM weight management) available for grazing for the rest of the day. Lately, I have been giving them another half can of Fancy Feast in the evening. Alex (my almost-17-year-old cat with chronic renal dysfunction and cardiomyopathy) gets canned food anytime he puts his paws on the plate (the signal that he wants to eat). According to the vet, his renal dysfunction is stable. (He gets kidney function testing every 4 months). He has seemed quite hungry lately. I hope it's because he's feeling okay and not because he's developing a thyroid problem. He is due for his blood work soon. Good luck. What are your kitties' names BTW? Best regards, ---Cindy S. > If they were just fed wet food, how often should they be getting the > wet food? I am asking because my sick cat will probably just be eating > wet food from here on out. Wet food is best served twice per day, or about every 12 hours. If you do this, they won't need dry food during the day. Phil's already given you some information, but I generally follow this guideline: 15 calories/pound/per day for a proper-weight cat. In your sick cat's case, you can give him more food, since he's going to need the calories. The amount of food needed can vary, of course, based on activity levels. So for instance, your 10 y/o cat would be 9 lb x 15 calories = 135 needed per day One can of grain-free Wellness (as an example) is approximately 176 calories for the 5.5 oz. can. Your cat would need approximately 3/4 can per day, divided into two servings. > If they were just fed wet food, how often should they be getting the > wet food? I am asking because my sick cat will probably just be eating > wet food from here on out. Wet food is best served twice per day, or about every 12 hours. If you do this, they won't need dry food during the day. Phil's already given you some information, but I generally follow this guideline: 15 calories/pound/per day for a proper-weight cat. In your sick cat's case, you can give him more food, since he's going to need the calories. The amount of food needed can vary, of course, based on activity levels. So for instance, your 10 y/o cat would be 9 lb x 15 calories = 135 needed per day One can of grain-free Wellness (as an example) is approximately 176 calories for the 5.5 oz. can. Your cat would need approximately 3/4 can per day, divided into two servings.
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