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Cat Forum / Health and Behavior / January 2005cat's eating habits
I have an 8-year old male cat who has been putting on some weight the past few years. He weighed in at 14 pounds his last vet visit in April and was put on a diet (weight control dry Iams, 1/2 cup a day). He initially adjusted well to his new diet, but since we moved a month ago he has been eating most if not all his food as soon as we put it down, then whines for the remainder of the day. We split his feedings to twice a day, 1/4 cup each time. He still does the same thing -- eating most or all his food right away then whining until dinner time. My husband has a home office and it is starting to drive him nuts, though he has never fed the cat to quiet him. This is also keeping us up at nights, since he starts whining around 2am. Again, we have never gotten up to feed him. It is almost as though he is stress eating. I have tried to distract him by playing with him. He will initially run after the toy then after 10-20 seconds he will go back to his food dish. I have tried taking his food away from him after he eats about half, but then he'll start the whining again until we put it back down for him. This behavior has been going on for the past 3 weeks, and while I am hoping it will stop as he adjusts to the new house, I am hoping someone out there has gone through this as well and has any tips r advice. Thanks in advance. Steiny's Momma >I have an 8-year old male cat who has been putting on some weight the >past few years. He weighed in at 14 pounds his last vet visit in April [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > >Steiny's Momma The only idea that comes to mind right off is put one of his meals in one of those dole-out-the-kibbles sort of toys, so he has to work for a while to get all his food. Not sure if that'd work, but might be worth a try. You are doing the right thing, though, by not giving in to his whining. Might want to check with your vet too, this does seem like excessive hunger, might be triggered by a medical problem. Also, some Feliway dispensers might help too. I've never used Feliway, but I've seen it suggested enough times on this NG to think it probably does work for new-home anxiety. jmc usenet [at] jodi [dit] ws Any day you learn something isn't a total waste. > I have an 8-year old male cat who has been putting on some weight the > past few years. He weighed in at 14 pounds his last vet visit in April > and was put on a diet (weight control dry Iams, 1/2 cup a day). Get him off dry food and feed him half a 3-oz can of Iams or Wellness or any of the premium foods they sell at PetSmart. (I don't really like Iams that much but it is usually the only premium food they sell at grocery stores around here. I am trying to get my cats off of Fancy Feast as it is a crappy food. How can you tell a crappy food? The first ingredient is "by-products," whereas with Iams, Nutro, Wellness, and others the first ingredient is "chicken, turkey, beef," or something similar. Your cat wants to keep eating more because he is not getting what he wants-- he wants MEAT, not that starchy so-called "diet" cat food. It's like when humans eat constantly when on a diet, stuff like popcorn and snacks, when what they want is a steak or a grilled cheese! There is a school of thought that says if you eat what satisfies you will be happy with less. It works, too! My cat gained so much on Iams dry I switched her to canned on the advice of the people here and she lost three pounds in a year. Another up side: you have a cat that is visibly healthier and happier--shiny coat, bright eyes, very active. Try it--it really works. > > I have an 8-year old male cat who has been putting on some weight the > > past few years. He weighed in at 14 pounds his last vet visit in April > > and was put on a diet (weight control dry Iams, 1/2 cup a day). > > Get him off dry food and feed him half a 3-oz can of Iams or > Wellness or any of the premium foods they sell at PetSmart. That's definitely something to consider, thanks for the tip. Now, is that 1/2 of a 3oz can for the whole day, or 1/2 a can twice a day? Steiny's Momma > > > I have an 8-year old male cat who has been putting on some weight > the [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > that 1/2 of a 3oz can for the whole day, or 1/2 a can twice a day? > Steiny's Momma Half a can twice a day about 12 hours apart. And you will become The Food Goddess who weilds The Holy Can. :) > > > > I have an 8-year old male cat who has been putting on some weight > > the [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > Half a can twice a day about 12 hours apart. And you will become > The Food Goddess who weilds The Holy Can. :) Herr Meghan Been There Done That Got the Tone To Prove It tells me this is not enough for some cats. Ask your vet. Buddha is somewhere around 18 lbs now. She should weigh around 8 pounds, as she has a small frame. (Long story, I did not do that to her! She was fat when I got her.) She began at 16 lbs and went down to 13 in a year, with none of the ill effects Herr Meghan described. Then we corrected her hyperthyroid and now she is back up to 18 as her metabolism has slowed down. Phil, where are you? Don't you have a good formula for how much canned food to feed? Or does this poor OP have to resort to emailing Megan? >Buddha is somewhere around 18 lbs >now. She should weigh around 8 pounds, [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >back up to 18 as her metabolism has >slowed down. She's back up to 18 because you didn't bother to calculate her calorie needs or closely monitor her weight and are feeding her too much food, putting her at serious risk for diabetes and other health problems. You control the food dish. Don't be so lame as to blame your cat for your own failings. And then here you are telling someone else to feed amounts based on your own cat's skewed metabolism. I seriously doubt Phil would agree with this approach you are promoting, and considering he recommends *more* calories than I do for weight loss, I seriously doubt he'll back you up on feeding a 14 pound cat what amounts to 98 calories (3 oz. can of Wellness) a day. Why don't you just accept the fact that you're wrong instead of going on another desperate suicide mission which inevitably results in making you look more foolish? (another pattern of yours...) 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 > She's back up to 18 because you didn't bother to calculate her calorie > needs or closely monitor her weight and are feeding her too much food, > putting her at serious risk for diabetes and other health problems. You > control the food dish. Don't be so lame as to blame your cat for your > own failings. And then here you are telling someone else to feed amounts > based on your own cat's skewed metabolism. Just looking for a little clarification. First you said Mary was feeding too little, putting the cat at risk for heptatic lipidosis. Now she's feeding her too much, putting her at risk for diabetes. Even though her cat is overweight, I can't see feeding much less than 3 oz of wet food a day and expecting the cat to live. How much should she be feeding? Signature-Kelly kelly at farringtons dot net "Wake up, and smell the cat food" -TMBG Kelly wrote: >Just looking for a little clarification. First >you said Mary was feeding too little, >putting the cat at risk for heptatic >lipidosis. I said that the amount she recommended, which in her first post was 1/2 of a 3 oz can, was too little and does put a cat at risk. As it turns out that wasn't all she was feeding her cat as is evidenced in a post of hers I linked to. She later also clarified 1/2 of a 3 oz can "twice" a day, which is still too little. >Now she's feeding her too much, putting >her at risk for diabetes. Considering that the cat has gained back *5* pounds, it's obvious she is feeding her too much. >Even though her cat is overweight, I >can't see feeding much less than 3 oz of >wet food a day and expecting the cat to >live. I agree, and if you read again, Mary has said the 3 oz (plus the 1/2 cup of dry food she failed to mention) is what she fed her cat to lose weight. She hasn't said what she is feeding her now, and even an 18 pound cat with a slow metabolism is not going to gain weight on 3 oz of food a day. This is a cat that, by Mary's own account, is *10 pounds* overweight. That's inexcusable. >How much should she be feeding? Since I haven't spoken with Mary to get details about her situation, I can't say. At one point, despite her constant attacks, I did offer to help her, but since she failed to respect my request to communicate in private email, and since she is so unstable and regularly nasty, at this point I have no desire to and I'm not going to advise a feeding plan out of the blue. 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 > Kelly wrote: > >Just looking for a little clarification. First [quoted text clipped - 34 lines] > point I have no desire to and I'm not going to advise a feeding plan out > of the blue. I did not email you because you are an a.s, and I avoid a.ses. > > She's back up to 18 because you didn't bother to calculate her calorie > > needs or closely monitor her weight and are feeding her too much food, [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > is overweight, I can't see feeding much less than 3 oz of wet food a day and > expecting the cat to live. How much should she be feeding? And a better question is, why is Buddha not losing weight on this? I wonder if the Tapazole has lowered her metabolism too much? We will find out when she has her blood work later this month. The only other conditions she has is hyperesthesia and occasional arrythmia due to years of having a 300+ bpm heart rate due to the undiagnosed hyperthyroid. As of the last testing, (September) her thyroid levels had gone from 10 to within normal limits. Phil thought the high dose of Tapazole (5 mgs twice a day) lowered her thyroid levels too fast, but she has seemed healthy and happy. Her liver and kidney function tested normal after the thyroid levels were adjusted. Another reason I have not thought she was starving is that she does not wolf her food and often leaves half of it on the plate. She usually comes back to it later, but not always. I'll be sure to ask the vet if I am starving her to death. I imagine he will tell me when he stops laughing. If you could SEE her you would know what I meant. When he put her on the Tapazole, his eyes got huge when he said "you know, she is going to GAIN weight." > > > She's back up to 18 because you didn't bother to calculate her calorie > > > needs or closely monitor her weight and are feeding her too much food, [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > kidney function tested normal after the thyroid levels were > adjusted. If the Tapazole dose is too high, rendering her hypothryroid as a result, she could gain weight, even if eating little. Appetite can decrease if thyroid fucntion is lowered. Cathy > Another reason I have not thought she was starving is that > she does not wolf her food and often leaves half of it [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > his eyes got huge when he said "you know, she is going to > GAIN weight." "Cathy Friedmann" <clfr@adelphia.net> wrote : > If the Tapazole dose is too high, rendering her hypothryroid as a result, > she could gain weight, even if eating little. Appetite can decrease if > thyroid fucntion is lowered. Yes indeed. This makes sense. We'll find out at the vet's last week in January. > >Buddha is somewhere around 18 lbs > >now. She should weigh around 8 pounds, [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > needs or closely monitor her weight and are feeding her too much food, > putting her at serious risk for diabetes and other health problems. Buddha is the one who eats 1/2 a can of cat food twice a day-- and nothing else. You said it was too little, and "dangerous" yesterday, so which is it, Meghan? lol! >Get him off dry food and feed him half a >3-oz can of Iams or Wellness or any of the >premium foods they sell at PetSmart. While getting this cat off dry food is correct, the rest of your advice is wrong and is dangerous. Feeding one half of a 3 ounce can per day is too little and will create a fast weight loss and put the cat at risk for developing hepatic lipidosis. Also, calorie content varies from food to food and it is important to know what your cats calorie requirements are to lose weight slowly, then maintain the target weight and feed accordingly. There is a lot more to weight loss than what you are prescribing the OP do. 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 > >Get him off dry food and feed him half a > >3-oz can of Iams or Wellness or any of the [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > too little and will create a fast weight loss and put the cat at risk > for developing hepatic lipidosis. Oh really? Then Buddha ought to be dead, as this is what she has been eating for over a year now. Also, calorie content varies from food > to food and it is important to know what your cats calorie requirements > are to lose weight slowly, then maintain the target weight and feed > accordingly. There is a lot more to weight loss than what you are > prescribing the OP do. Well do elaborate, Miss Thing. But try removing that stick from up your a.s before you do. It gives you a tone. >> While getting this cat off dry food is >> correct, the rest of your advice is [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >> put the cat at risk for developing >> hepatic lipidosis. > Oh really? Then Buddha ought to be dead, > as this is what she has been eating for > over a year now. That's nice, but the OP's cat is not Buddha. You also failed to mention that you were feeding 1/2 cup of dry food along with that three ounce can: http://groups-beta.google.com/group/rec.pets.cats.health+behav/msg/c2e907b1cd27c0ad You can't just pre-emptively say use "x" amount when you haven't considered the weight of the cat, his particular calorie needs or activity level. 1/2 of a 3 oz can is not nearly enough to maintain a safe weight loss in a 14 pound cat and recommending such is dangerous advice. I hope the OP has the good sense to do some research and ignore you since you can't seem to even remember what you're feeding your own cat. I'm currently working closely with 12 overweight cats and their owners. None of the cats have the same requirements and while there is a basic formula to start, calories have been tailored to fit each individual cat's needs and they're all losing weight at a safe, slow and steady rate. > Also, calorie content varies from food > to food and it is important to know what [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > There is a lot more to weight loss than > what you are prescribing the OP do. >> Well do elaborate, Miss Thing. But try >> removing that stick from up your a.s >> before you do. It gives you a tone. Errrr...speak for yourself. Here's a free clue...if you want information it won't be provided when you unnecessarily insult the person you're requesting it from (which has been a long standing pattern with 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 >>> Well do elaborate, Miss Thing. But try >>> removing that stick from up your a.s [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >person you're requesting it from (which has been a long standing pattern >with you.) Cool off, Megan. You are just as guilty of being a jerk as anyone on these ngs. The problem with you is that you can dish it out, but you can't take it. snip >You can't just pre-emptively say use "x" amount when you haven't >considered the weight of the cat, his particular calorie needs or [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >individual cat's needs and they're all losing weight at a safe, slow and >steady rate. snip I'm just an "ordinary" cat owner - if I decided my cat was overweight - which actually one is at present, my intuitive way of dealingwith it would be :- 1) formailse the amount of food I give, and the times I give it. 2) make sure no one else is feeding cat on the sly :-) 3) having done (1) so I know what she's eating, reduce it by ten percent 4) weigh weekly questions might be, 1)what weight loss might I aim for in say a 14lb cat? Would half lb / month be safe? 2)is a reduction of 10% in food a good idea to start or would 5% be safer? 3)for a fat cat which is being over-fed is a crash return to proper quantities dangerous? Jim >Megan > I'm just an "ordinary" cat owner - if I decided my cat was overweight - which > actually one is at present, my intuitive way of dealingwith it would be :- [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > Jim I can't give you definitive answers, re: exact amounts questions. *But*, the slower the loss, the safer _is_ true, re: avoiding fatty liver disease. I had a 13? pound cat who needed to lose a few pounds. I fed her, on a vet's advice, ? C. of SD Light per day. (I don't know how much this would translate to, re: various wet foods.) I also - not on that vet's advice <g>, gave her occasional _tiny_ little treats - not enough to wreck the diet, but to provide some food fun for her; she was a cat who absolutely loved food. A few pieces of shredded cheese, pieces of cantaloupe (virtually no calories there, anyway!), 2 - 3 tbs. of skim milk, etc. She lost weight *very* slowly, but surely, over the course of a few years (3?? - trying to remember - this was over 10 years ago), until she was down to 9? pounds, where she plateaued out. She eventually went up to 10 pounds, but then stayed there. Cathy > snip > [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > 1)what weight loss might I aim for in say a 14lb cat? Would half lb / month be > safe? Phil has covered this in this group, but I cannot remember his answers. Have you tried Googling the topic of "weight loss?" > 2)is a reduction of 10% in food a good idea to start or would 5% be safer? > > 3)for a fat cat which is being over-fed is a crash return to proper quantities > dangerous? It is dangerous to reduce their intake drastically. However, you do not have to have a PhD in nutrition to reduce their food just a little, gradually. I went from free-feeding Buddha diet Iams dry to giving her 1/4 a cup of that dry twice a day, plus 1.5 oz of canned food twice a day. She lost three pounds between one checkup and another (in about a year), so then I went down to 1/8th of a cup of dry twice a day and 1.5 oz of canned twice a day. THEN I did away with the dry food altogether. She has lost less than a pound in nine months, but her metabolism is so terribly slow. She has a vet appointment later this month, and I'll ask him what to do. > >> While getting this cat off dry food is > >> correct, the rest of your advice is [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > that you were feeding 1/2 cup of dry food along with that three ounce > can: http://groups-beta.google.com/group/rec.pets.cats.health+behav/msg/c2e907b1cd27c0ad We stopped her dry food months ago, after we had cut it to 1/4 cup. > >> While getting this cat off dry food is > >> correct, the rest of your advice is [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > that you were feeding 1/2 cup of dry food along with that three ounce > can: http://groups-beta.google.com/group/rec.pets.cats.health+behav/msg/c2e907b1cd27c0ad I did read the results of your netdicking, and yes, that was APRIL 2004. I quit the dry food that month, as a result of that discussion. So sue me--she has been eating this way for nine months, not a year. Meanwhile, I still want to see what Phil has to say. >From: "Mary" crazyaboutfelines@yahoo.com ><zuzu22@webtv.net> wrote in > Mary wrote: >> >Get him off dry food and feed him half a >> >3-oz can of Iams or Wellness or any of the >> >premium foods they sell at PetSmart. >Feeding one half of a 3 ounce can per day is >> too little and will create a fast weight loss and put the cat at risk >> for developing hepatic lipidosis. I have to agree with Megan. Feeding a cat 3 ounces of food a day seems way too little. Cats do need to lose weight slowly. Best for the OP to figure out what the cat should weigh and feed accordingly, by consulting with her vet. Lauren ________ See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html Declawing Info: http://www.wholecatjournal.com/articles/claws.htm > >From: "Mary" crazyaboutfelines@yahoo.com > [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > little. Cats do need to lose weight slowly. Best for the OP to figure out > what the cat should weigh and feed accordingly, by consulting with her vet. I have to agree, a consultation with the vet usually beats anything you get in a Newsgroup. Somehow I think the OP probably has that figured out. Meanwhile, if is is far too little to feed Buddha, we will find out when she has her blood work and exam later this month. >From: cabriogirl5@yahoo.com >Date: 1/16/2005 4:20 PM Eastern >past few years. He weighed in at 14 pounds his last vet visit in April >and was put on a diet (weight control dry Iams, 1/2 cup a day). I would get him off all dry, if possible, and also get a better food that Iams. Cats were not meant to eat cereal: http://www.catinfo.org/zorans_article.pdf Lauren ________ See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html Declawing Info: http://www.wholecatjournal.com/articles/claws.htm >From: darnit7@aol.comnolitter (PawsForThought) >Date: 1/17/05 4:12 AM Pacific Standard Time [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] >Iams. > Cats were not meant to eat cereal: Funny, I've never seen cat food on the "cereal" aisle. You attempts to warp and shape the language to propagandize your carbophobic leanings! Dry cat food is NOT cereal. However, my cat Snoopy thinks that my Special cereal *is* cat food. :) (But he's not normal anyway.) But to keep on thread, when I moved both of my chunky ones off dry to wet, they both slimmed down nicely over the course of a year, have more energy and are doing very well. Cindy > Funny, I've never seen cat food on the "cereal" aisle. You attempts to > warp > and shape the language to propagandize your carbophobic leanings! Dry cat > food > is NOT cereal. >Funny, I've never seen cat food on the "cereal" aisle. You attempts to warp >and shape the language to propagandize your carbophobic leanings! Dry cat food >is NOT cereal. Hmm. I have been referring to human cereal as "kibble" for years. (gonna eat some kibble for breakfast) They certainly seem very much alike. Nothing against dry food. I grew up feeding dry kibble, both as cat and dog food, so canned food has always been the treat and the dry has been the staple. But I do consider it to be more like cereal. Signature-- Meghan & the Zoo Crew Equine and Pet Photography http://www.zoocrewphoto.com >From: friesian@zoocrewphoto.com (Meghan Noecker) >Date: 1/18/05 1:37 AM Pacific Standard Time [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] >and dog food, so canned food has always been the treat and the dry has >been the staple. But I do consider it to be more like cereal. If you use the term "cereal" (dry cat food) as a perjorative, then I've got to question exactly what is meant by that. That being said, it's not meant against you! ;) >>From: friesian@zoocrewphoto.com (Meghan Noecker) >>Date: 1/18/05 1:37 AM Pacific Standard Time [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] >question exactly what is meant by that. That being said, it's not meant >against you! ;) I couldn't fine perjorative in the dictionary, so I do not understand the question. I can tell you that I consider cereal to be the boxes we buy at the store with small crunchy pieces of food. And, to me, it looks like dry cat and dog food. So, I just started calling it kibble many years ago. "I'm gonna have kibble for breakfast." My point was that, to me anyway, human cereal and dry cat food certainly look a lot alike. So, cat food looks like cereal. I was responding to your comment that cat food is not like cereal. It doesn't seem unusual to me to find them very comparable. Signature-- Meghan & the Zoo Crew Equine and Pet Photography http://www.zoocrewphoto.com
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