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Cat Forum / Health and Behavior / July 2005Ping Phil P. - Weight Question
My vet said that Sammy needed to lose 1 pound to get to her ideal weight*. So I've changed all 4 of my cats over to canned food almost exclusively (but I still can't get them to eat it all at once since they're still used to "browsing", so I still leave it down until it's all eaten - sometimes 8 - 10 hours**). The problem is that Demi and Jessie are losing weight and they really should *NOT* lose any. Here are their weights: July 18, 2005 July 25, 2005 Bandit 9.45 9.45 Demi 7.30 7.25 Jessie 7.65 7.55 Sammy 15.15 14.95 Is the amount of weight loss in one week enough to be worrying for my two "light weights"? If so, what can I do to encourage them to eat more to maintain their weight (*without* giving Sammy a chance to snack more)? *I'm not even sure I should even be worried about this yet as she only made 1 year old on April 8 (which is when I stopped feeding her kitten formula). **Sammy will mostly eat at the downstairs feeding station, and Bandit eats exclusively there. Hugs, CatNipped > My vet said that Sammy needed to lose 1 pound to get to her ideal weight*. > So I've changed all 4 of my cats over to canned food almost exclusively (but [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > > CatNipped Catnipped, I suggest rather than leaving the same food down for 8-10 hours (I'd be worried about the food going bad and the kitties getting sick), maybe give them less of the canned food at one time but more frequently, if possible at least till they get used to the new food schedule. Is the heat wave going on with you all, too as my cats haven't been quite as hungry. Are you always weighing at the same time of day -- that can make a difference, too. I switched my kitties over to feeding primarily canned food (Precise and Wellness) twice a day with a couple of treat times in which I feed maybe 10 pieces of dry Evo (Innova) kibble as rewards for taking their various meds. Hope this helps, Christine > > My vet said that Sammy needed to lose 1 pound to get to her ideal weight*. > > So I've changed all 4 of my cats over to canned food almost exclusively [quoted text clipped - 43 lines] > Hope this helps, > Christine Well, since DH keeps the inside of the house at about the temperature of the inside of a refrigerator, I don't think spoilage is a problem! ;> Just kidding - I pick it up as soon as it starts to dry out. I feed them at 8AM and 8PM and weigh them at the same time each Monday. Fancy Feast Beef Feast is the *only* canned food they'll eat (which is why I'm reluctant to quit feeding the SD Senior Advanced Formula dry). Hugs, CatNipped > My vet said that Sammy needed to lose 1 pound to get to her ideal weight*. > So I've changed all 4 of my cats over to canned food almost exclusively (but > I still can't get them to eat it all at once since they're still used to > "browsing", so I still leave it down until it's all eaten - sometimes 8 - 10 > hours**). You really shouldn't leave canned food out for more than 30-60 minutes at the most. Your cats are in no hurry to eat because they know the food will be there all day. Put down about 2 tbsp. of food for each cat and take away any remaining food after 30 minutes. Do this at both feedings. After a few days, the cats will learn to eat all their food in one sitting. > The problem is that Demi and Jessie are losing weight and they really should > *NOT* lose any. Here are their weights: [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > "light weights"? If so, what can I do to encourage them to eat more to > maintain their weight (*without* giving Sammy a chance to snack more)? You need to plot their weights over a longer period of time to get an idea of their normal fluctuations. Also, the slight fluctuations could be 'water weight'. Try to weigh the cats at the same time of the day for a few weeks to establish a baseline- preferably after they poop and urinate. > *I'm not even sure I should even be worried about this yet as she only made > 1 year old on April 8 (which is when I stopped feeding her kitten formula). I wouldn't worry about such a slight weight loss unless it continues while her intake remains the same. My cats tend to eat a little less and lose a few ounces in the summer months but gain it all back in the colder months. You need to establish a baseline to make weekly weigh-ins more meaningful. > **Sammy will mostly eat at the downstairs feeding station, and Bandit eats > exclusively there. It will be easier to control each cat's intake if you can condition the cats to finish their rations in one sitting. You may need to set up different feeding stations for each cat so they all finish their foods in different locations at about the same time. This way one cat can't eat another cat's serving. Good luck, Phil > > My vet said that Sammy needed to lose 1 pound to get to her ideal weight*. > > So I've changed all 4 of my cats over to canned food almost exclusively [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > any remaining food after 30 minutes. Do this at both feedings. After a few > days, the cats will learn to eat all their food in one sitting. Thanks Phil! I'm finding that they're eating a good bit as soon as I put the food down, so I'm going to try picking the food up after about 45- 60 minutes at first and then cutting the time down gradually. > > The problem is that Demi and Jessie are losing weight and they really > should [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > weight'. Try to weigh the cats at the same time of the day for a few weeks > to establish a baseline- preferably after they poop and urinate. Yeah, I'm going to do that - I'm picking Mondays at 12:00 Noon. > > *I'm not even sure I should even be worried about this yet as she only > made [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > > Phil Sammy and Bandit can eat together (in different bowls a few feet apart), and Jessie will eat upstairs. The only one I worry about is shy little Demi, she hides most of the time and won't come out for a little thing like eating. I might be able to get her to eat if I put her in the cats' bedroom with the food and then close the door (or that might just panic her even more so she won't eat). She will usually only eat when she's sure everyone else is far away in a different part of the house. She's also the one I worry about losing *any* weight since she's borderline underweight (she's *much* larger than Jessie, but weighs about the same). Again, thanks! Hugs, CatNipped > > > My vet said that Sammy needed to lose 1 pound to get to her ideal > weight*. [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > the food down, so I'm going to try picking the food up after about 45- 60 > minutes at first and then cutting the time down gradually. Former dry eaters are used to grazing all day, so, it might take a little while to break that routine. Changing food texture and feeding routine at the same time can be a little difficult for some cats to adapt to. > > > The problem is that Demi and Jessie are losing weight and they really > > should [quoted text clipped - 57 lines] > worry about losing *any* weight since she's borderline underweight (she's > *much* larger than Jessie, but weighs about the same). Feeding her in a different place where she feels safe- even in a high place- might get her to eat a little more. I have to feed one of my ladies on the top of my entertainment center in the living room while the others eat in the kitchen! I think she was attacked while she eating when she was a kitten. Phil > Again, thanks! > > Hugs, > > CatNipped > Former dry eaters are used to grazing all day, so, it might take a little > while to break that routine. Changing food texture and feeding routine at > the same time can be a little difficult for some cats to adapt to. They've been getting canned food since February (when Bandit, 15, was diagnosed with a "high-normal" BUN and Creatinin level - which has since gone back down to mid-normal) From eating just a few mouthfuls of canned and mostly dry, they are now at the point of eating all the canned and only about 1/20 of a cup of dry. Now the trick is to get them to eat the canned within 30 minutes of putting it down. At 6:00PM they're still munching on the food put down at 8:00AM, so I'm worried that by picking it up at 8:30AM they won't be getting enough food (which would be OK for my little horsie, Sammy, but very *NOT* OK for my little petitie Demi who really should have a bit *more* weight on her at almost 7 years old. > Feeding her in a different place where she feels safe- even in a high place- > might get her to eat a little more. I have to feed one of my ladies on the [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Phil I'm going to try that, but it's often difficult to even *find* her at feeding time and I'm afraid if I close her into the cats' bedroom that she'll freak out and won't be able to eat. But, nothing ventured, nothing gained! Again, thanks for the advice Phil! Hugs, CatNipped |
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