Topic: How much to feed an adult male cat? (Read 7948 times)

Desley (booktigger) · « **Reply #28 on:** August 06, 2007, 08:09:00 AM »

Fingers crossed with getting him to the vets, and I hope you can get him to lose some weight - it is harder as they get older, but also more important as some of the health issues can be caused by both age and weight, and I would always rather them get them due to age that I can't prevent than weight which I can.

Reynard · « **Reply #27 on:** August 05, 2007, 21:42:40 PM »

A full MOT is a thorough vet check - the sort of thing you get when yo take your cat for its annual boosters etc. For an older cat this may well include a set of bloods to check organ function etc.

He's a gorgeous boy though - I *adore* black & white cats, but he is just a touch portly, bless him.

His weight may be exacerbating his arthritis, so cutting his food is wise as it'll put less pressure on his joints. You may want to try him on green-lipped mussel & glucosamine to help his joints though.

Give him a kiss and a cuddle from me though!

Maximina (Mike's Mom) · « **Reply #26 on:** August 05, 2007, 20:07:25 PM »

What's a full MOT? His previous owner took him to the vet shortly before I adopted him (exactly one year ago) and he had no problems with diabetes or thyroid then so I suspect he is fine. Even so, I plan to have a full physical done ... how much do you expect it will set me back financially (I know UK prices are likely different, but roughly)?

I haven't taken him to the vet yet since I am still having issues getting him in a carrier. My mother is coming to NY on Thursday and is bringing her hardshell cat carrier and we will try to get him in it.

His personallity is fine and he is purring and being cute but his legs are still being a bit funny. I definitely think it's arthritis now.

I have officially cut back his food to one small 80g wet can a day in two feedings and 1/4 cup of dry food just before bed so he doesn't bother me all night. So far so good. I will eventually wean him down to no dry food but I don't want to shock his system so greatly all at once.

I will keep you posted everyone and thank you so much for all of your advice and kind words. Here are a few more kitty pics of my boy being cute on his cat bed which I bought him for Christmas. He is thinner now than in these pics I think ... These pics were taken roughly 6-7 months ago ... Could he be any cuter!! Enjoy!

Hippykitty · « **Reply #25 on:** August 04, 2007, 10:13:34 AM »

How is he getting on? Have you taken him to see the vet.

At his age, I would personally stop feeding dry food because it can lead to kidney problems due to the lack of moisture. Hopefully you'll get lots of good advice from your vet.

Some new toys might be in order.

Millys Mum · « **Reply #24 on:** August 02, 2007, 16:59:38 PM »

A full MOT would be a good idea once you get him there! Diabetes & hypothyroidism are too things that can make them fat and lethargic

Maximina (Mike's Mom) · « **Reply #23 on:** August 01, 2007, 23:54:40 PM »

He is approximately 12 (I am his third owner at least!) but several people have told me he is likely older.

Well I am still not 100% sure he is getting 80g of dry ... I guess I need to measure it. He was getting 1/2 cup lately and someone else said that was 80g (had been 1/3 cup but I upgraded him

). Now he just gets 80g wet food (Fancy Feast breand Turkey and giblets) and a few dry nibbles (mix of Science Diet for mature cats and Iams Original chicken/rice) at night before bed and tonight I will cut out the treats. He never was fed human food by me. What's amazing is he isn't asking for food. But as I posted on another thread, he has hip issues lately and is sleeping non-stop so who knows. I will try to get him to the vet.

Thanks everyone for the advice and thanks for the laugh regarding "size 0" cats.

swampmaxmum · « **Reply #22 on:** August 01, 2007, 14:37:09 PM »

How old is he ? Just I was told by vets I trust that smaller more frequent meals is a lot easier on the vital organs, esp kidneys and liver, than one or two bigger ones. Also no crash dieting. Every cat is slightly different as regards ideal weight. I'd say if you can get him to the vet for an opinion on a doable weight (may be too traumatic to be 'ideal' or size zero cat

) then try to experiment to see how much to give him to keep that stable. You may have to put up with some mega yowling and 'miaowmy is an axe murderer' looks but he'll adapt.
Human food is also a big no-no

And what make of cat food are you giving him? eg 80g cans of diff nosh will have totally different calorific values. Dry food is more intensely packed so 40g of that doesn't equal 40g wet.

Hippykitty · « **Reply #21 on:** August 01, 2007, 11:43:13 AM »

Based on the pictures and the cats I've had in the past, I think you should be feeding about three-quarters of a normal sized can of cat food per day, and NO dry food or treats.

My mother had an obese dog. She shortened its life by feeling that it was cruel not to feed her when she asked for food. My mother couldn't understand that she was actually doing the dog a disservice by feeding it by demand.

Ignore your cat's pleas for food, and he'll soon get used to the idea and settle down to the new regime. I agree with what others have said regarding exercise. Lots of play with fishing rod toys or a laser toy.

Your cat does look overweight, it shows especially on the tummy and shoulder area. Cats live longer if they are lean. They're only too thin if you can feel the vertebrae when stroking down the back. Thin cats play more and are generally healthier.

Cat Body Condition Chart
Thin Cat

* Ribs, lumbar vertebrae and pelvic bones easily visible

* Thin neck and narrow waist

* Obvious abdominal tuck

* No fat in flank folds, folds often absent

Underweight Cat

* Backbone and ribs easily palpable

* Minimal fat covering

* Minimal waist when viewed from above

* Slightly tucked abdomen

Ideal Cat

* Ribs palpable, but not visible

* Slight waist observed behind ribs when viewed from above

* Abdomen tucked up, flank fold present

Overweight Cat

* Slight increase in fat over ribs, but still easily palpable

* Abdomen slightly rounded, flanks concave

* Flank folds hang down with moderate amount of fat-jiggle noted when walking

Obese Cat

* Ribs and backbone not easily palpable under a heavy fat covering

* Abdomen rounded; waist barely visible to absent

* Prominent flank folds which sway from side to side when walking

There are pics relating to this at this link:

http://www.kittens-lair.net/cat-health/the-ideal-weight-for-a-cat.html

Desley (booktigger) · « **Reply #20 on:** August 01, 2007, 07:37:45 AM »

Glad you have cut his food down, that is an incredibly large amount of food - the only time i have fed 80g of dry was when my obese foster was on dry only (he was a similar weight to yours at the time). Please just give a smattering of dry and not the treats at nighttime - while you need your sleep, giving treats isn't what he needs at the moment. With Tom, I used to give him a small handful (maybe 15g max) at bed that he had to find, or he would find food at 4am and wake me up.

Maximina (Mike's Mom) · « **Reply #19 on:** August 01, 2007, 05:27:15 AM »

Yes, he gets 80g of dry food and 80 g of wet food per day. I have stopped giving him dry food laid out during the day for the past two days. He now gets 40g wet food in the morning and 40g at night and a smattering of dry food and treats when I go to bed so he will leave me be while I sleep (we live in a studio so I need him to be peaceful at night).

Thank you everyone for your advice. I agree now that he is obese and needs medical help. I cannot easily feel his ribs. I thought his jiggly belly was the "primordial pouch" I have read about but now think maybe it's just fat. It's not just baggy skin, it's sort of solid.

Now the challenge is to get him to the vet (a whole other issue!).

Millys Mum · « **Reply #18 on:** July 31, 2007, 15:48:42 PM »

As well as less food you need to get him exercising more even if its throwing his dry food for him to chase. Laser pens are good at getting their interest, even lazy George couldnt ignore that red dot

clarenmax · « **Reply #17 on:** July 31, 2007, 14:39:02 PM »

He does look like quite a big lad

He is gorgeous though

My boy Max is very large, and I never noticed his weight creeping up, but last year was told at his annual MOT that at 5.6kg he was too heavy, and he was put on a diet. Last time he was weighed a few months ago he was 5.2kg, which is much better for his size. Its the dry food which makes them put on weight, and that's how I got Max to lose weight, simply by reducing the amount of dry food which is left down, and trying to increase his exercise levels. Also reduce or cut out completely titbits of human food and treats, just until the weight has come down a bit.

Good luck, it is hard work, and its tough not to give in to an empty foodbowl, but its worth it

Team Svartalfheims · « **Reply #16 on:** July 31, 2007, 14:21:39 PM »

From what I can see online 1 cup is around 160grams so if that is the case he is eating 80grams of dry food and a can of wet each day which is too much! He does look rather overweight in the photo I'm afraid.

You should be able to only feel a very thin layer of fat over his ribs, spine and hips and easily feel these bones. When viewed from above you should be able to see a definate waist (going inwards not outwards!) and from the side you should be able to see an abdominal tuck.

Try increasing the amount of wet food he has (maybe look at a lower calorie one like Hills Light) and decrease the dry as dry food is calorie rich. Most people find their cats lose weight much better on wet food than just reduced amounts of dry. Don't worry if the amounts look small. What looks a small portion to us isn't to them.

Accurately weigh out any dry food on scales and use a light version or a prescription weight loss version and put it out twice a day in the morning and evening. Even better would be to hide his dry food around the house so he actually has to hunt for it.

If you give him treats then stop and increase the amount of exercise he gets with laser toys, feather sticks etc. Basically anything to get him moving around. It's obvious but you need to make sure he is using more calories than he is taking in each day.

Please don't think "oh the vet is just saying he is overweght but he's just cuddly". If the vet says he's overweight once he's been weighed and body condition scored it's because he actually is overweight.

Best of luck with his diet!

Desley (booktigger) · « **Reply #15 on:** July 31, 2007, 07:58:15 AM »

Personally, I would have him seen by the vet to decide if he is overweight - as each cat has a different build, some will look worse at certain weights - I have had two overweight fosters, the new one is a kilo lighter than teh first, yet she looks a lot worse than he did at his heaviest cos she is a smaller cat. I can't understand a vet assistant advising anyone to feed a cat just once a day though, cats need to have their meals split, and you also have to be careful how much to reduce their food by - reducing by any more than 15% can cause health issues. I Would agree with not leaving dry down to graze, or if you do, not as much, and I would definitely increase the wet and decrease the dry.

Mark · « **Reply #14 on:** July 31, 2007, 00:07:12 AM »

Thanks Ruth - I just spent the last 10 minutes trying to find it

Bazsmum · « **Reply #13 on:** July 31, 2007, 00:00:16 AM »

When the page is loaded, click the Healthcare highlighted in red....then scroll down and its on page 2

Mark · « **Reply #12 on:** July 30, 2007, 23:58:20 PM »

It's really odd - I checked the link but it just shows the homepage - very odd

Bazsmum · « **Reply #11 on:** July 30, 2007, 23:37:40 PM »

The link isnt showing the chart for some reason Mark

Whoops....found it

Mark · « **Reply #10 on:** July 30, 2007, 23:27:21 PM »

There is a chart showing the ideal shape for a cat http://www.kittens-lair.net/cat-health/the-ideal-weight-for-a-cat.ht

Pinkbear (Julie) · « **Reply #9 on:** July 30, 2007, 23:10:55 PM »

Quote from: Maximina (Mike's Mom) on July 30, 2007, 22:23:18 PM

If I didn't tell you he was overweight would you know it from his pics?

I have to say yes, I'm afraid. He's got a very sleek coat which shows his frame clearly. You can see he's carrying excess weight around his shoulders, rump and tummy... Sorry, but you did ask.

Here's a pic of my Jumpy to compare with. Jumpster isn't exactly 'svelt', he's sort of average size. See the difference in the shoulders and legs?

Bazsmum · « **Reply #8 on:** July 30, 2007, 23:09:10 PM »

Argh! did'nt realise that he is atleast 12yrs....he looks very young

Tiggy's Mum · « **Reply #7 on:** July 30, 2007, 22:35:16 PM »

How about getting a 'treat ball' so he has to work for his food. I've got one that is basically a largish ball that you can snap in half to fill with biccies, it has a small hole on the side so they have to chase the ball around to get a few biccies to drop out.

Not the same as mine but similar.... It's a US site too for you

http://www.cattoys.com/plntrba2pk.html

Bazsmum · « **Reply #6 on:** July 30, 2007, 22:35:05 PM »

My Baz is quite a big boy and i feed him 3 times daily...he weighs 14lbs and i would'nt call him fat....the main thing that i think help him is his activity....anything that can get your boy moving about for exercise should help his weight

Baz......hmmmmm they look pretty similar

Mark · « **Reply #5 on:** July 30, 2007, 22:32:11 PM »

My cat Kylie is obese at 15lb but she has taken well to Hill's r/d dry food since she started last week. Its high fibre so fills them up. She drinks a lot of water as she has a cat fountain and she also has coley steaks which help to hydrate. I don't think she feels deprived but I'm sure she will lose the weight. I think young cats can carry it but I don't want anything to happen to her. I think its our responsibility to try to control their diet.

Susanne (urbantigers) · « **Reply #4 on:** July 30, 2007, 22:25:42 PM »

Personally I wouldn't feed a cat once a day. I think twice a day at least, or more if poss (I feed 3 times a day) but less food at each meal. Yes cats are hunters, but they generally feed on small prey so will have lots of small meals throughout the day. I think the dry food may well be an issue - half a cup is a generous portion if it's a good quality cat food (you tend to need less than with cheaper foods - they are more calorie dense) and then with the canned on top (how big is a "small" can?). Dry food is well known for contributing to obesity in cats as your really don't need to feed much so it's easy to overfeed. And because they spray fat onto the kibble to make it palatable to the cat, many cats will eat beyond the point where they've satisfied hunger. I'm not sure what half a cup would be in weight, but when Jaffa had some dry he would have about 30g a day of dry plus 100g wet. Looking at my cup measures I'd say half a cup was a lot more than 30g. You don't need to overfeed by much for a cat to gain weight over time.

I've always fed scheduled mealtimes because Jaffa is a binger and if I put dry food down for him to nibble on he'd just scoff the lot straight away. So Mosi has to be the same. Perhaps increase the amount of wet food you feed and only leave down a small amt of dry for grazing on (or switch to scheduled mealtimes entirely) - I know Desley has had more success with weight loss by feeding wet food than light formulas of dry food. Maybe feed 2 meals of canned food and leave a small, measured portion of dry down in between.

Your vets don't seem very good though if that's their response. Perhaps a consultation with the actual vet would be more helpful otherwise I think I would be looking for another vet. It's not so much the advice you received as the manner in which it was given.

edit - he does look fairly large in the second pic! I do find it hard to judge these things though as I have very slender cats - they are built that way - so most cats look large in comparison! 18lbs is a lot unless he has a huge build.

Maximina (Mike's Mom) · « **Reply #3 on:** July 30, 2007, 22:23:18 PM »

If I didn't tell you he was overweight would you know it from his pics? Am I in denial b/c I really don't think he looks his weight. Getting a toy is a good idea .......

Pinkbear (Julie) · « **Reply #2 on:** July 30, 2007, 21:40:39 PM »

That is one ample puss!

You can get special weight loss cat food, but it's best to seek advice first. I'd agree you need to get some weight off him.

I'd agree with your nurse, frankly. Once a day is probably all this puss needs. As with humans, though, the more a cat weighs the more calories he needs just to maintain his status quo, so if you don't keep a strict eye on his eating, it can esculate. His meowing might also be attention seeking.

If he were mine, I'd invest in a fishing rod toy. Or anything interactive so he's getting attention from you as well as exercise.

Maximina (Mike's Mom) · « **Reply #1 on:** July 30, 2007, 21:16:45 PM »

I have a cat which is having some issues which may be related to his weight (yet to see vet so not sure but see my other thread for more details). He is a glorious 18lbs of love.

Anyway, the vet's assistant was rather sharp with me on the phone when I was trying to arrange coming in telling me I am definitely overfeeding my cat. I feed him 1/2 cup dry food (which he can gnaw on all day) and one small can cat food per day in two sittings. She suggested I leave no dry food out at all and only feed one can of cat food at most per day b/c cat's are not grazers but hunters. She suggests I feed him once a day, twice at max and never let him nibble at will.

Does this sound reasonable to you? I know he could lose weight but he really meows so much at me for food constantly, I feel badly and didn't even think I was feeding him much.

Author Topic: How much to feed an adult male cat? (Read 7948 times)