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Cat Forum / Health and Behavior / December 2004Am I feeding enough?
Amber is a good sized cat and is a bit plump. Tiger is gigantic (possible Maine Coon). He weighed in at 25 pounds at his last vet visit in June. The vet said he should lose some weight. I am feeding one 5.5 ounce can of Wellness for the two cats in the morning and again in the late afternoon. They get a small amount of dry Wellness at noon and again at bedtime. Both cats are inside only and are not very active - sleeping a lot. They appear to have lost some weight but are not skinny by any means. Am I giving them enough to eat? ---MIKE--- > Amber is a good sized cat and is a bit plump. Tiger is gigantic > (possible Maine Coon). He weighed in at 25 pounds at his last vet visit [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > sleeping a lot. They appear to have lost some weight but are not skinny > by any means. Am I giving them enough to eat? I have been feeding my two females (age 5, 7 lbs, and age 10 and OH MY GOD pounds) half a three-ounce can of food twelve hours apart plus half a cup of dry for the fat one and unlimited dry for the skinny one. (They essentially live in different parts of the house and someone is usually here so it is hard for the fat one to sneak the skinny one's food.) These are active cats, and this is clearly enough for them. I posted this yesterday but it got buried before I could get any meaningful responses so this is to bring it to the top. ---MIKE--- > Amber is a good sized cat and is a bit plump. Tiger is gigantic > (possible Maine Coon). He weighed in at 25 pounds at his last vet visit [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > ---MIKE--- Well, I'd say that's about what my indoor cats (none overweight) get everyday. >Amber is a good sized cat and is a bit plump. Tiger is gigantic >(possible Maine Coon). He weighed in at 25 pounds at his last vet visit [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >sleeping a lot. They appear to have lost some weight but are not skinny >by any means. Am I giving them enough to eat? Have you asked your vet to give you an idea of what each cat should get? If the large cat is naturally a large cat, then it should have more food, but how much depends on what his ideal weight should be. Also, you want to try to cut the calories in such a way that it doesn't seem so small to the cats. And add in some exercise to help burn off some calories. I really don't know how much cats are supposed to eat as we free feed our cats kibble, and they have always been fine. We currently have 3 cats, ages 3, 10, and 18; and they weigh 11lbs, 7lbs, and 8lbs. The heaviest cat is very long and lean, and spends his day chasing the other cats, so we have a built-in exercise program for all of them. The middle cat is a fluffy cat who looks like she weighs more, but it's all fluff. Her heaviest weight was up to 8lbs at one point, but she went back to her normal 7lbs on her own. The olderst cat is the difficult one. He was 10 1/2 lbs in his prime, also a long and lean cat, then spent many years at 9lbs, and I now work hard to keep him above 8lbs. He is now at a very nice 8 1/2 lbs now that I have a food he really likes. I was having to give him cat treats multiple times a day to keep him eating, but with the new food, he chows on his own. He'll never gain back the muscle he lost, but he is pretty darned healthy for an 18 year old. The cats have 5 flavors of kibble available 24/7 and the 3 cats share one can of cat food as a treat before bed. With my overweight dog, I add filler to her meals to keep her satisfied while restricting her calories. She can gain wait on a 1/2 cup of kibble per day, so she gets 1/4 cup with green beans at dinner, and a small serving of green beans for breakfast. Her weight is a tad above ideal, but the vet is happy with it. She's 10 years old, and she has an enlarged heart, so added weight causes breathing problems. She hasn't had any coughing fits in probably a year, and I know that is a sign that she is gaining again.  Signature-- Meghan & the Zoo Crew Equine and Pet Photography http://www.zoocrewphoto.com > >Amber is a good sized cat and is a bit plump. Tiger is gigantic > >(possible Maine Coon). He weighed in at 25 pounds at his last vet visit [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > doesn't seem so small to the cats. And add in some exercise to help > burn off some calories. [snip] You might want to explore other options instead of just relying on your vet. I did that for three years, and my cat ended up *gaining* five pounds instead of losing any weight. (I was talked into buying prescription food.) There are lots of great people here who are very educated in feline nutrition, and Megan the cat lady's web site at thecatlady.org has good info too. I'm not knocking anyone's vet, don't get me wrong. I just would not use a vet as your only nutrition source. Not all are thoroughly educated in feline nutrition. Rene >I'm not knocking anyone's vet, don't get me wrong. I just would not >use a vet as your only nutrition source. Not all are thoroughly >educated in feline nutrition. I definitely agree with that. But a vet would be the ideal person to determine the ideal weight for the cat in question. When it comes to actual diets, a lot of it depends on the cat. Back when my first cat (age 17-19) was *under* weight, I went to 3 vets. All said that she was fine except for being underweight, and they gave me samples of special foods. My cat refused to eat any of it. I finally found one flavor of canned food that she would eat on a regular basis. With my current elderly cat was losing weight, I found a treat he would eat to supplement his food, and he also gets some of my food (he likes veggies and chicken, and it has worked well for him, he's 18 and still healthy). Later, my sister got a kitten and was given a bag of food that he was eating. Her other cat went nuts for it, so she brought some over for my cats to try. Maynard loves it. I don't have to give him the treats anymore, and yet he gained weight and stabilized at a good weight. He doesn't feel light or frail anymore. Later, I got a sample at a cat show for Royal Canin's senior food (for cats 15 and over). Maynard likes that too, so I mix it with the other food to give him glucoasmine. When it comes to a diet, you need a food that the cat likes that is lower in calorie so that the cat still feels satisfied, yet gets fewer calories. You might also see if there are any "snacks" or "fillers" that you can feed that would help the cat feel full. I use a filler for my dog, but I don't know what would work for cats. Signature-- Meghan & the Zoo Crew Equine and Pet Photography http://www.zoocrewphoto.com f > >I'm not knocking anyone's vet, don't get me wrong. I just would not > >use a vet as your only nutrition source. Not all are thoroughly > >educated in feline nutrition. > > I definitely agree with that. But a vet would be the ideal person to > determine the ideal weight for the cat in question. > When it comes to a diet, you need a food that the cat likes that is > lower in calorie so that the cat still feels satisfied, yet gets fewer > calories. You might also see if there are any "snacks" or "fillers" > that you can feed that would help the cat feel full. I use a filler > for my dog, but I don't know what would work for cats. Meghan, I agree that, before starting any diet, the place to start is your vet's office. In some cases, your cat may have a medical condition that causes weight gain or loss. After that's clear, your vet can give an ideal weight. The problem I was alluding to is that some vets, when asked about food, are quick to mention what's on their shelves for sale. These foods may not work for your cat. I've found that canned food, though lower in calories, is more filling than the prescription dry I was feeding. To make the canned even more filling, I add a tablespoon or two of water and stir. I also give treats of fresh or fresh frozen catnip. I suppose you could give cats carrots or green beans (like they do as fillers for dogs), but not many cats may eat them. Rene >The problem I was alluding to is that some vets, when asked about >food, are quick to mention what's on their shelves for sale. These >foods may not work for your cat. I've found that canned food, though >lower in calories, is more filling than the prescription dry I was >feeding. I agree. That was one of the issues I dealt with when my elderly cat needed to gain weight. They gave me samples and wanted me to buy their food. What would really have helped is learning to increase appetite. I don't know what was available then, but I have since learned a lot more about appetite, and how once it is down, you have to force it back. I wish I had known then what I know now. She lived to be 19, but it took me a long time to find something she would eat consistently. So, her health declined. I am much happier with Maynard's health. He is 18, and he;s doing better now than Fiona was at age 16 or 17. So much of this is individual, and while there are some general things to try, it can't be based off the cat food bag information or a website. >To make the canned even more filling, I add a tablespoon or two of >water and stir. I also give treats of fresh or fresh frozen catnip. Great ideas. A lot of cats like gravy more anyway, so it would seem more appetizing, yet add no calories. And the catnip, if they like it, would help them be satisfied during the day as well. I >suppose you could give cats carrots or green beans (like they do as >fillers for dogs), but not many cats may eat them. Kira likes corn and especially carrots. I tried giving carrot treats to my overweight dog, and I found Kira knawing on them. Maynard's favrorite foods are peas and mushrooms. He also eats corn, canteloupe, and a variety of other things. Chase doesn't like veggies at all. For a fat cat, it may be worth it to see if they do like any of these. If they like cooked carrots, then mixing in some to the cat food would add some filler. Just stay away from onions, and if you can buy veggies with no salt added. I have found that the green beans i give to the dog (no salt added) have 10mg sodium per serving, while the regular version has 370mg. It's a huge difference, and they do not need the salt. Signature-- Meghan & the Zoo Crew Equine and Pet Photography http://www.zoocrewphoto.com > Amber is a good sized cat and is a bit plump. Tiger is gigantic > (possible Maine Coon). He weighed in at 25 pounds at his last vet visit [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > ---MIKE--- Absent knowing exactly how much each cat is getting it's impossible to tell, but it is possible to give you some guidlines. Assuming Intact Cats 5kg (11 pounds) needs 334 kcals per day 7kg (15.4 pounds) needs 430 kcals per day 8kg (17.6 pounds) needs 476 kcals per day 9kg (19.8 pounds) needs 520 kcals per day 10kg (22 pounds) needs 562 kcals per day Assuming Nuetered cats 5kg (11 pounds) needs 284 kcals per day 7kg (15.4 pounds) needs 366 kcals per day 8kg (17.6 pounds) needs 404 kcals per day 9kg (19.8 pounds) needs 442 kcals per day 10kg (22 pounds) needs 478 kcals per day If you take the target weight and determine how many kcals you need to feed the cat to acheive that target weight you can do the math and work from there. Wellness web site probably give you the kcals per can for the canned foods and kcals per kg for the dry foods. All of this is of course subject highly to individual animals who may be more or less active than other individual animals. The best test of all is to look at the cats, feel for ribs, feel for fat deposition at the base of the tail etc. Steve Crane posted the following misinformation: Assuming Nuetered cats 5kg (11 pounds) needs 284 kcals per day 7kg (15.4 pounds) needs 366 kcals per day 8kg (17.6 pounds) needs 404 kcals per day 9kg (19.8 pounds) needs 442 kcals per day 10kg (22 pounds) needs 478 kcals per day Anyone following your advice will be looking at an incredibly obese cat in a short amount of time. Regardles of where you got your "information" these calorie requirements far exceed what cats need to maintain weight. A reasonable general rule is to feed 15 calories per pound to maintain weight on an indoor cat with an average activity level. For example, Rene's cat Tucker, who is on a weight loss plan and had been losing weight slowly, but consistently, plateaued at a little over 19 pounds eating strict portions and, at that point, receiving about 170 calories total (1 5.5 oz can of Wellness) per day. We've now cut his food back slightly by about 15 calories and he is again losing weight. If he was fed according to your recommendations he would be eating more than double what his actual requirement is and be fatter than he was when he was fed according to what his vet recommended, which was also wrong. My own cats (24) are fed on this basis and maintain weight on 15 calories per pound and some even a little less. The calorie advice I have seen from you and several places on the internet is extremely erroneous and it would be of benefit to you to start getting some knowledge from "real life" and real experience instead of relying on what Hills, etc. tells you. Megan Signature"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." -Edmund Burke Learn The TRUTH About Declawing http://www.stopdeclaw.com Zuzu's Cats Photo Album: http://www.PictureTrail.com/zuzu22 "Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way." - W.H. Murray >From: zuzu22@webtv.net Here come the lies: >Steve Crane posted the following misinformation: Steve mentioned a disclaimer that it is up to each individual cat's metabolism and your results may vary, essentially. Why you continue to spew your venom and hate at people whom you disagree is distressing, indeed. What the rest of us wonder, is why are you picking a fight with him? > Regardles of where you got your "information" >these calorie requirements far exceed what cats need to maintain weight. >A reasonable general rule is to feed 15 calories per pound to maintain >weight on an indoor cat with an average activity level. Where did you "get" this info? What is an "average activity level? Is the indoor cat intact or not? >The calorie advice I have seen >from you and several places on the internet is extremely erroneous and >it would be of benefit to you to start getting some knowledge from "real >life" and real experience instead of relying on what Hills, etc. tells >you. If "real life" is you, then we're all in trouble! Luckily, I don't know you in "real life", because based on your nasty internet posts, I wouldn't want to! > >From: zuzu22@webtv.net (...) > > Regardles of where you got your "information" > >these calorie requirements far exceed what cats need to maintain weight. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > Where did you "get" this info? What is an "average activity level? Is the > indoor cat intact or not? IME, she's correct - feeding the recommended amount as printed on cans of cat food invariably leads to a lardarse moggy, especially so for indoor cats. I suppose that an 'average' activity level is the level which leads to the cat's weight being maintained by 15kcal/lb/day, haha... Not sure how many indoor cats are intact, too! Steve. >IME, she's correct - feeding the recommended amount as printed on cans >of cat food invariably leads to a lardarse moggy, especially so for >indoor cats. > >I suppose that an 'average' activity level is the level which leads to >the cat's weight being maintained by 15kcal/lb/day, haha... Lots of cat food companies give innacurate information. Whether it is because the times have changed (more indoor only cats, more inactivity, etc), or whether they just want to encourage us to use the cat food faster (and thus buy more); I have no idea. But they do seem to be pretty poor at giving good information. For example, how many cat food companies consider 7 years old to be senior. Is this not a joke? A 7 year old cat is a senior? Maybe years ago when they didn't live very long, but 7 is a fairly young age for most indoor only cats. I was very surprised when I discovered a cat food for seniors that states it is for ages 15 and over. That truly is senior. And the changes in the food reflect the changes in an older cat. Slightly softer kibble. Glucosamine for arthritis. And they have a cat food for "mature" cats - ages 10-15. With all this discussion, I was checking out some of the cat food bags, and they say my cats should be eating about twice what they do. Signature-- Meghan & the Zoo Crew Equine and Pet Photography http://www.zoocrewphoto.com >From: friesian@zoocrewphoto.com (Meghan Noecker) >I was very surprised when I discovered a cat food for seniors that >states it is for ages 15 and over. That truly is senior. And the >changes in the food reflect the changes in an older cat. Slightly >softer kibble. Glucosamine for arthritis. And they have a cat food for >"mature" cats - ages 10-15. Glucosamine in pet foods is a marketing ploy designed to appeal to humans buying the food. It's illegal to put theraputic levels in pet foods. >>From: friesian@zoocrewphoto.com (Meghan Noecker) > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >Glucosamine in pet foods is a marketing ploy designed to appeal to humans >buying the food. It's illegal to put theraputic levels in pet foods. Well, it is enough that it helps. I haven't been able to get him to eat the vitamins on a regular basis, and he's taking the stairs and jumping on the couch better since I started added the senior food to his other food. Signature-- Meghan & the Zoo Crew Equine and Pet Photography http://www.zoocrewphoto.com "Meghan Noecker" <friesian@zoocrewphoto.com> wrote> > > >Glucosamine in pet foods is a marketing ploy designed to appeal to humans > >buying the food. It's illegal to put theraputic levels in pet foods. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > jumping on the couch better since I started added the senior food to > his other food. Totally agree! If it works it works. (...) > Glucosamine in pet foods is a marketing ploy designed to appeal to humans > buying the food. It's illegal to put theraputic levels in pet foods. What is the maximum legal level of glucosamine in cat food? What's the established therapeutic minimum for cats? Steve. >From: news@stevethepsycho.co.uk (Steve G) >> Where did you "get" this info? What is an "average activity level? Is the >> indoor cat intact or not? [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > >Not sure how many indoor cats are intact, too! I'm not questioning the feeding "suggestions" on cans. I'm questioning why Megan thinks she is so much smarter than everybody else. She fancies herself as somewhat of an expert, which is quite amusing to say the least! ;) I suppose the "feeding guidelines" are a little bit on the high side so as to perhaps insulate from the litigation that might result from someone suggesting that their cat's energy needs weren't being met? <shrug > I'm not questioning the feeding "suggestions" on cans. I'm > questioning why Megan thinks she is so much smarter than > everybody else. She fancies herself as somewhat of an expert, > which is quite amusing to say the least! ;) Why are you so threatened by her? SignatureCheryl > > I'm not questioning the feeding "suggestions" on cans. I'm > > questioning why Megan thinks she is so much smarter than > > everybody else. She fancies herself as somewhat of an expert, > > which is quite amusing to say the least! ;) > > Why are you so threatened by her? Now this is rich. >From: Cheryl jlhshadow@nospamhotmail.com >Why are you so threatened by her? I'm not. I just don't like her arrogant and caustic, condescending attitude towards anybody who doesn't share her opinions. (...) > I'm not questioning the feeding "suggestions" on cans. I'm questioning why > Megan thinks she is so much smarter than everybody else. She fancies herself > as somewhat of an expert, which is quite amusing to say the least! ;) She fancies herself as 'somewhat' of an expert. You fancy yourself as 'somewhat' of an expert. I fancy myself as 'somewhat' of an expert. Most of the bleedin' regulars fancy themselves as 'somewhat' of an expert, I'm sure. So what? In this case, she's right, which is the bottom line. > I suppose the "feeding guidelines" are a little bit on the high side so as to > perhaps insulate from the litigation that might result from someone > suggesting that their cat's energy needs weren't being met? <shrug> I suggest that this is exactly the case, but 'a little bit' is more like 'shitloads' - may be closer to parity for outdoor cats, but still high I think. It's a defence against idiocy, I suppose. If the recommended feeding amount were more realistic, there'd be a risk of stoopid people starving the occasional metabolically weird cat to death. Steve. > > >From: zuzu22@webtv.net > > [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > > Steve. Feeding guides on cans, bags etc are not the issue here however. Feeding guides are mandated by law to hit the 4th section of five sections of the bell curve of animals energy needs. This would be much easier to explain if we could have graphic here, but draw yourself a bell curve, shaped like a church bell, flared at the bottom. Now split the bell into five vertical sections of equal size. Animals on the extreme left side require the least number of claories per day, animals on the extreme right side require the most calories per day. Those in the middle require the "average" nember of calories per day. By law the feeding suggestions on a pet food container must meet the needs of the 4th section to the right of the bell curve. This necessarily forces the feeding requirments on a can or bag to be too high for +60% of the animals fed. Should this be changed? Of course, but those are the current rules. > Steve Crane posted the following misinformation: > [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > A reasonable general rule is to feed 15 calories per pound to maintain > weight on an indoor cat with an average activity level. Megan, The values here come from Small Animal Clinical Nutrition 4th edition page 1034. They were developed by veterinarians who are board certified Diplomates of the American College of Veterinary Nutrition. In contrast your data comes from where? and who developed the data you present? are you feeding siamese or main coon? Did you decide to completely ignore the last paragraph which clearly indicated that individual animals had to be fed individually? > The values here come from Small Animal > Clinical Nutrition 4th edition page > 1034. I hate to break this to you Steve, but SACN is not the word of god, and many things in there are questionable (this was pointed out to you before and you didn't have an answer for it) with these calorie recommendations being one of the things at the top of the list. >They were developed by > veterinarians who are board certified > Diplomates of the American College of > Veterinary Nutrition. Sitting in a lab no doubt. If they had real life experience feeding multiple cats from different backgrounds measured portions over the course of many, many years those figures would be far different. >In contrast your data comes from where? See above. >and who developed the data you present? 27 years of real life experience feeding *many* cats of all different shapes, sizes and genetic dispositions Steve, and ongoing experience helping people who followed your guidelines and have obese cats as a result. Not that much different from what is done in some studies. >are you feeding siamese or main coon? "Breed" feeding is a rather ridiculous premise in terms of calorie content, especially when you state below that individual animals need to be fed individually. You should pay more attention to what you post so you don't look so foolish. >Did you decide to > completely ignore the last paragraph > which clearly indicated that individual > animals had to be fed individually? Not at all, but the issue here is the calorie requirements you're posting, which are far in excess of what cats require, even those with a high activity level. Right now I am feeding 24 indoor cats (that are for the most part fairly active) 1,385 calories at each meal for a total of 2,770 calories per day total. Average calorie intake per cat amounts to 115 calories per day per cat although obviously some get a little less and some get a little more depending on size. None are skinny/emaciated. As another example Mary L's two cats maintain a perfect weight on 113 calories per day. Why don't you survey people here that feed measured amounts and see what the daily calorie intake is? I'm certain that nobody with a cat that is not obese is feeding the calories you recommend, which is 2 and 1/2 to 3x what most cats need. You can't live your whole life and base all your decisions on what's in a "peer reviewed published study" or a book. Reality is often quite different. Your refusal to acknowledge that fact is unfortunate. Megan Signature"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." -Edmund Burke Learn The TRUTH About Declawing http://www.stopdeclaw.com Zuzu's Cats Photo Album: http://www.PictureTrail.com/zuzu22 "Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way." - W.H. Murray > Assuming Nuetered cats > 5kg (11 pounds) needs 284 kcals per day > 7kg (15.4 pounds) needs 366 kcals per day > 8kg (17.6 pounds) needs 404 kcals per day > 9kg (19.8 pounds) needs 442 kcals per day > 10kg (22 pounds) needs 478 kcals per day <snip> How about for Neutered inactive cats? My cat has been on a diet for more than two years and has lost only 2.5 pounds, or thereabouts. She's about 12 lbs now, and I've been feeding her what I think is the calorie requirement for a 9 lb inactive neutered cat--about 170kcal based on 18.9kcal/lb. I got the info from Phil P's site but sometimes I wonder if she's getting enough food. It seems like so little! rona Signature***For e-mail, replace .com with .ca Sorry for the inconvenience!*** > How about for Neutered inactive cats? My cat has been on a diet for more > than two years and has lost only 2.5 pounds, or thereabouts. She's about [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > the info from Phil P's site but sometimes I wonder if she's getting enough > food. It seems like so little! And so, you've answered your own question about why she's lost less than you think she has :-) >the info from Phil P's site but sometimes I wonder if she's getting enough >food. It seems like so little! That's why I use filler with my dog. She can gain weight on so little, and she would gulp her food and watch the others eat. She was very unhappy. By reducing the kibble a little more and adding in the green beans, she ended up with a satisfying meal, and she maintains at a decent weight. I don't know what fillers would work best for cats, though somebody did say sturring in extra water, which would probably be a good start. It does seem like they should need more, but unless they are really active, they really don't. Our two dogs are about the same size, but the more active one gets a lot more food. My dog just doesn't need much. Signature-- Meghan & the Zoo Crew Equine and Pet Photography http://www.zoocrewphoto.com > That's why I use filler with my dog. She can gain weight on so little, > and she would gulp her food and watch the others eat. She was very > unhappy. By reducing the kibble a little more and adding in the green > beans, she ended up with a satisfying meal, and she maintains at a > decent weight. I've been thinking of switching her dry food to a diet food--which I know is more filler but she needs volume, not calories! She eats a combination of dry and wet food right now. She'd eat only wet if she could, but the dry helps keep her full longer. She's a relatively inactive cat. She doesn't run around and play, or chase balls. That's one of the reasons I have to be very careful with her food. My mother just picked her up from her vacation home (what I call the kitty "kennel" where she stays when mom's away) and is sure she's fatter than usual. At her vacation home, she sneaks into other cats' kennels and eats all their food (during the day the cats are allowed to mix and mingle). The activities director (ie kennel owner) tries to keep Kitty out of other kennels, but there's only so much she can do. Kitty is a sneaky one when it comes to food! rona Signature"[America] is filled with people who decided not to live in Europe. We had people who really wanted to live in Europe, but didn't have the energy to go back. We call them Canadians." ---Grover Norquist in Newsweek, November 22, 2004 ***For e-mail, replace .com with .ca Sorry for the inconvenience!*** >I've been thinking of switching her dry >food to a diet food--which I know is more [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >could, but the dry helps keep her full >longer. No, it doesn't. If you want your cat to lose weight you need to get her off dry food completely, feed her scheduled meals (every 12 hours) of a high quality canned food, calculate how many calories she needs to maintain her weight, then reduce that amount by about 30% to induce weight loss. Canned food is in most cases less calories per cup than dry, so the cat can eat more and feel fuller. It is also more digestable and the cats get more out of a meat based diet, where dry is full of fillers and the cat will not utilize it as well. Rene's story of Tucker is a perfect example of the failure of "diet" dry foods and how successful a good quality canned diet can be: http://community.webtv.net/getcathelp/tucker Megan Signature"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." -Edmund Burke Learn The TRUTH About Declawing http://www.stopdeclaw.com Zuzu's Cats Photo Album: http://www.PictureTrail.com/zuzu22 "Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way." - W.H. Murray > >I've been thinking of switching her dry > >food to a diet food--which I know is more [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > successful a good quality canned diet can be: > http://community.webtv.net/getcathelp/tucker I want to add that my Buddha got fatter once I put her on "diet" dry food. She just ate more of it. Once I started feeding her canned food twice a day she actually left her dry food in the bowl. (Prior to that she sucked down everything edible asap.) Now we give her maybe one-quarter of a cup in sprinkles throughout the day, and only if she bugs us. >From: zuzu22@webtv.net >>I've been thinking of switching her dry >>food to a diet food--which I know is more [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] >maintain her weight, then reduce that amount by about 30% to induce >weight loss. Megan, how do you explain the millions of cats over the last few years that have successfully lost weight on dry diets? You are wrong to say that a cat can't lose weight on a dry diet. For you to give a blanket answer such as this just continues to show your ignorance when it comes to anyone who wants to (or does) feed a dry cat food (and successfully)! Your way *can* work, BUT it's NOT the "only" way to do it. ;) >Rene's story of Tucker >is a perfect example of the failure of "diet" dry foods and how >successful a good quality canned diet can be: One anectodal story is not good enough. I've seen many cats succesfully lose weight on dry foods. I've asked my vet friend and he has seen amazing success for over 20 years with cats on a dry food. (and that's not even counting the success of Hill's m/d--the DRY version!!) >>No, it doesn't. If you want your cat to lose weight you need to get her >>off dry food completely, feed her scheduled meals (every 12 hours) of a [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] >does) feed a dry cat food (and successfully)! Your way *can* work, BUT it's >NOT the "only" way to do it. ;) >One anectodal story is not good enough. I've seen many cats succesfully lose >weight on dry foods. I've asked my vet friend and he has seen amazing >success >for over 20 years with cats on a dry food. (and that's not even counting the >success of Hill's m/d--the DRY version!!) Apparently you don't have a good answer! Thought so. ;) > Amber is a good sized cat and is a bit plump. Tiger is gigantic > (possible Maine Coon). He weighed in at 25 pounds at his last vet visit [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > sleeping a lot. They appear to have lost some weight but are not skinny > by any means. Am I giving them enough to eat? An empirical question! Just look at their rate of weight loss and when it stabilises (and whether they spend all their days desparately trying to get in the fridge or whether they chew your eyeballs when you're asleep). Steve. |
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