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Cat Forum / Health and Behavior / July 2005New Old News - Fluffy Cat Food
I figured out that 4 Lbs of Dry Lite Cat food takes up more volume than 4 Lbs of Regular. (A 4Lb Bag of lite, is bigger than 4 Lb bag of regular) Now my question is, what is the fluff. > I figured out that 4 Lbs of Dry Lite Cat food takes up more volume than > 4 Lbs of Regular. > > (A 4Lb Bag of lite, is bigger than 4 Lb bag of regular) > > Now my question is, what is the fluff. Carbohydrates and air. -L. >I figured out that 4 Lbs of Dry Lite Cat food takes up more volume than >4 Lbs of Regular. > >(A 4Lb Bag of lite, is bigger than 4 Lb bag of regular) > >Now my question is, what is the fluff. Probably just air. Are the kibbles larger? They take longer to eat, so a cat may feel more satsified. With my dog, I have to add filler to her meals to give her satisfaction fewer calories.  Signature-- Meghan & the Zoo Crew Equine and Pet Photography http://www.zoocrewphoto.com > >I figured out that 4 Lbs of Dry Lite Cat food takes up more volume than > >4 Lbs of Regular. [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > With my dog, I have to add filler to her meals to give her > satisfaction fewer calories. Meghan--will you please tell Barry that his cat will get fat on lite food if he free feeds. That is how my Buddha got so fat. >> >I figured out that 4 Lbs of Dry Lite Cat food takes up more volume than >> >4 Lbs of Regular. [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] >Meghan--will you please tell Barry that his cat will get fat on lite >food if he free feeds. That is how my Buddha got so fat. Unless the lite food is larger kibbles, then I agree, he will gain weight free feeding on it. The Royal Canin light food is small kibbles, and Jay Jay did gain on that. He does better on the "regular" food, because it takes him longer to eat it. Bascially, it depends on how many calories they eat and burn. light food may take more volume to eat the same amount of calories, but if they eat just as many calories, they will be just as fast. Better to find them something that satisfies them with less calories. So, it takes them a lot longer to eat fewer calories, or takes up more space in their bellies. And then find ways to exercise them. They need to have something to do so that they don't eat because of boredom. Signature-- Meghan & the Zoo Crew Equine and Pet Photography http://www.zoocrewphoto.com > Probably just air. It may be, then by the time it's broken down, they've actually eaten less. But have more burps...just kidding. > Are the kibbles larger? They take longer to eat, so a cat may feel > more satsified. I don't really know, but I imagine the kibble is same size, for ergonomical reasons. > With my dog, I have to add filler to her meals to give her > satisfaction fewer calories. What do you add? Cardboard? Styrofoam? Sawdust?...just kidding. What do you add. > > Probably just air. > [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > What do you add? Cardboard? Styrofoam? Sawdust?...just kidding. What do > you add. I add chopped carrots to my dogs food, it seems to keep him full. Sometimes I'll toss in broccoli (but rarely) and green peas. >> > Probably just air. >> [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] >I add chopped carrots to my dogs food, it seems to keep him full. Sometimes >I'll toss in broccoli (but rarely) and green peas. Green beans - french style, no salt added. The french style mixes in better with the food and takes more bites to eat. And the no salt added is a ton lower in sodium. I add beans and juice to her kibble meals, and she gets a small treat of beans before bed as well. I got her when she was 4 and within 6 months learned that she had an enlarged heart - not diseased, just larger than ideal for her body size. She is a small sheltie. Her heart pushes on her windpipe on a daily basis. Worse, if she gets overweight, the fat takes up all the space and forces the heart to push on her lungs too. And she feels uncomfortable all around anyway. The vet recommended the green bean filler, and we have been doing that for about 7 1/2 years. She has maintained her weight well. If she starts coughing, I know she has gained, and we cut back again. Unfortunately, she gains weight on air. But she has done really well on the diet, and the vet is also satisfied with her weight and health. Her bloodwork has always been fine too. I find that the beans go on sale about 3-4 times at a really good price, so I stock up like crazy. They are normally $1.19 a can, but sometimes go on sale for 33 cents a can. I get about 60-80 cans, and then I am good til the next really good sale. They do go on sale for 50 cents a can every 6-8 weeks though, so still not too bad. We go through 3-4 cans a week. I don't know what would be good filler for cats. I haven't needed to do that. The only cat I have had with a wieght issue is Jay Jay, and I just got him 4 months ago. He does seem to be slimming down on the Royal Canin Maine Coon, but it too, has larger kibbles. So, I see him eating more slowly and deliberatly. Not just inhaling it like he does with the regular chow. Fortunately, he refuses to eat in the normal locations, so I can leave out the normal chow, and he won't touch it. He just wants his Maine Coon food, and he's a happy camper. Signature-- Meghan & the Zoo Crew Equine and Pet Photography http://www.zoocrewphoto.com > she gets a small treat > of beans before bed as well. No kidding, just beans eh >> she gets a small treat >> of beans before bed as well. > >No kidding, just beans eh Well, originally, she was getting a small serving of kibble, and she was taking in too many calories. So, we cut that back to the beans. She is very happy with it and actually gets more in terms of volume than she would have with the kibble. But the calories are a lot lower, so it works with her diet. Signature-- Meghan & the Zoo Crew Equine and Pet Photography http://www.zoocrewphoto.com > I add chopped carrots to my dogs food, it seems to keep him full. Sometimes > I'll toss in broccoli (but rarely) and green peas. I bet Ruprecht could loose some weight with carrots. I'm going to try some on him. >>Mary wrote: >>will you please tell Barry that his cat will get fat on lite >>food if he free feeds. That is how my Buddha got so fat. Meghan, please tell Mary OK and Thanks for the tip. Oh, and that, It's true, I free feed, but decided against the lite food; this way I'm not paying for fluff. Ruprecht appears to have lost a pound or two; probably a summer thing. I'd like to see him loose 3 - 4 more lbs. People ask me if my cat is pregnant. Thank You Meghan. >Oh, and that, It's true, I free feed, but decided against the lite >food; this way I'm not paying for fluff. Ruprecht appears to have lost >a pound or two; probably a summer thing. I'd like to see him loose 3 - >4 more lbs. I'm doing pretty much the same thing with Jay Jay. I'm not quite free feeding him in that I let the bowl run out. But I don't do specific feedings. I just add some more when it goes low and keep an eye on how fast he is going through it. I am more interested in getting him more active. He was an outdoor cat, and more active, and this good life is a bit lazy for him. So, he needs a bit more activity. >People ask me if my cat is pregnant. Well, I hope not, since you refer to him as a "he" :) Signature-- Meghan & the Zoo Crew Equine and Pet Photography http://www.zoocrewphoto.com > I'm doing pretty much the same thing with Jay Jay. I'm not quite > free feeding him in that I let the bowl run out. But I don't do [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > outdoor cat, and more active, and this good life is a bit lazy > for him. So, he needs a bit more activity. What gets mine running around (besides the laser pointer toy) is shelves on the wall that are like their own Indy raceway. They LOVE them! There's a window downstairs in the family room that they can only get to by jumping up from a shelf that I put up. They can only get to that shelf by jumping to other shelves and jumping over to the ones that lead them to the window. SignatureCheryl "The clever cat eats cheese and breathes down rat holes with baited breath." - W.C. Fields > I'm doing pretty much the same thing with Jay Jay. I'm not quite free > feeding him in that I let the bowl run out. But I don't do specific > feedings. I just add some more when it goes low and keep an eye on how > fast he is going through it. No matter how little I put in Ruprecht's bowl, he is determined to leave something, and WILL NOT eat it all gone. He just comes and gets me when he needs more. (even with food in his bowl) > I am more interested in getting him more active. He was an outdoor > cat, and more active, and this good life is a bit lazy for him. So, he > needs a bit more activity. I keep saying I'm going to try and leash train Ruprecht! Somehow I just can't see this happening. He'd probably act like I was killing him and throw a big tantrum for the whole neighborhood to see. > Well, I hope not, since you refer to him as a "he" :) Oh yeah, He's very male! He's just got a belly on him. Lemme ask you something, Ruprecht has flab on his belly, down low. This flab is pleated in the middle lengthwise. I am inclined to believe it is his age. It does not hurt him, I rub his belly all the time. What is this? Just flab? Fat? If this is fat, he is defenetily having some carrots! Oh Yeah! >No matter how little I put in Ruprecht's bowl, he is determined to >leave something, and WILL NOT eat it all gone. He just comes and gets >me when he needs more. (even with food in his bowl) Jay Jay will eat it empty. But he will also paw at the bag and beg for me when there is still food it in it. He's a bit odd. >I keep saying I'm going to try and leash train Ruprecht! Somehow I just >can't see this happening. He'd probably act like I was killing him and >throw a big tantrum for the whole neighborhood to see. You might try it around the house and see how he does. Jay Jay likes toys, so I have been encouraging him to play more. We got him on the bed today with the string toy, and he normally avoids the bed. It's a waterbed, so he doesn't like it. >> Well, I hope not, since you refer to him as a "he" :) > >Oh yeah, He's very male! He's just got a belly on him. Jay Jay has a wide load :) He looks better than he did though. Not quite as round. >Lemme ask you something, Ruprecht has flab on his belly, down low. >This flab is pleated in the middle lengthwise. I am inclined to believe >it is his age. It does not hurt him, I rub his belly all the time. What >is this? Just flab? Fat? If this is fat, he is defenetily having some >carrots! Oh Yeah! It might be the standard flab that a lot of adult cats get. It's actually separation, so it will never go back, just hangs kinda loose. It might also be fat. You can tried some cooked carrots. Kira loves carrots. You can also try some peas and corn. Both have been popular with my kitties. Basically, just very low fat, but gives them something to chew on. Not so much that they don't get a regular diet, but enough to make them feel satisfied. Signature-- Meghan & the Zoo Crew Equine and Pet Photography http://www.zoocrewphoto.com > Lemme ask you something, Ruprecht has flab on his belly, down low. > This flab is pleated in the middle lengthwise. I am inclined to believe > it is his age. It does not hurt him, I rub his belly all the time. What > is this? Just flab? Fat? If this is fat, he is defenetily having some > carrots! Oh Yeah! All of the Tabbies I've ever had owned had this flab, we call it their pouch. Apparantly it's a remnant from their early evolutionary days. It serves no pupose now in domesticated cats but at one time it may have been used to cover a cat's belly after a large meal in the wild. And no I don't have sources to support this. > All of the Tabbies I've ever had owned had this flab, we call it their > pouch. Apparantly it's a remnant from their early evolutionary days. It > serves no pupose now in domesticated cats but at one time it may have been > used to cover a cat's belly after a large meal in the wild. And no I don't > have sources to support this. Interesting! He seems to enjoy having his flab rubbed, it does not appear to be unfcomfortable at all; this is why I figured it must be normal. I have sources to support that I did not come from a monkey. lol It will depend upon the brand. some brands use elevated levels of insoluble fibers that are clinically proven to induce satiety and reduce begging. Some brands use the air puff process and basically make a "popcorn" kibble. The term Lite and Light - spelled exactly that way - means the food contains a reduced numebr of calories per pound of food. In order to use either word the manufacturer must limit calories to 3,200 per kg of food. (Don't hold me to that number - but it's close) A food that uses other terms like "low calorie" "reduced fat", or any other combination of wording that indicates a food for an overweight prone cat has failed to meet the AAFCO standard and cannot use the word Light or Lite. The choice for a manufacturer is - Do you fool the cat or do you fool the owner? Cat owners consistently think a "cup" can be anything - even a slurpy cup, coffee cup or other measuring device that is far more than a regulation 8 ounce measuring cup. As a consequence some manufacturers have elected to "puff" the food to fool the pet owner into thinking they are giving their cat plenty of food. Other manufacturers choose the alternative of fooling the pet - in dry foods this is done with increased insoluble fiber, in canned foods this is done by puttin far more water in the canned food than normal - up to 84% water in some cases. (normal canned food is about 70% water) |
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