High Protein Wet Cat Food For Weight Gain

What To Look For In High

When planning to make that trip to the pet store, arm yourself with enough knowledge about the food you will buy for your underweight cat.

Yes, it must be high-calorie but we have both dry and wet food options.It is crucial to note that the percentage protein content of wet foods often seems lower due to increased moisture. To ensure accurate comparisons, you need to calculate the dry-matter protein in wet foods.

Like always, the best lies in the middle. A bit of each.

Dry foods are usually preferable for weight gain because they allow your cat to take in more calories for each bite. Yet, not all cats like dry food.

So if your cat lost weight because of a lack of appetite, it might be easier to help them gain weight with high calorie wet cat food. In addition, cat dry food can predispose to urinary health challenges due to reduced water intake.

If you decide to go only with dry foods, you must make water intake a priority. Cat dry foods are also cheaper and easier to store.

Wet foods, are usually more yummy, they are better for managing urinary and kidney health, constipation, and weight loss.

If your cat doesnt like eating dry food, chances are that you can help her gain weight by feeding her delicious high-calorie canned cat food.

Simple Tips For How To Make A Skinny Cat Gain Weight

Cats tend to be picky. Theyre picky about the places they like to sleep, about the people they let pet them, and theyre picky about what they eat. For some cats, that pickiness leads to low food intake which can lead to unhealthy weight loss over time. Now that you understand a little more about what causes cats to be underweight, youre ready to learn how to remedy the problem.

Here are some simple tips for helping an underweight cat gain weight:

• Try switching to a different cat food flavor. Sometimes cats stop eating when they become bored with their current diet making a switch could boost your cats appetite.
• Add warm broth to your cats food to add flavor and moisture. Some cats have trouble eating dry food or find it unappetizing warm broth can make it easier to eat and more flavorful.
• Switch to a higher quality cat food so your cats body can more easily digest the ingredients and absorb their nutrients fresh food is a great option.
• Put your cat on a regular feeding schedule to encourage him to eat at mealtime have two or three scheduled feedings a day and only leave the food out for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Try breaking up your cats daily feeding into three or four smaller meals if he has trouble eating a lot of food at once.
• Add a flavorful food topper to your cats food look for moist and semi-moist options or you could even add some cooked chicken to entice your cats appetite.

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Nutrical By Vetoquinol Weight Gain Paste

Ca. 15kcal/tsp

This cat weight gain supplement is ideal if you have a demanding, old cat or picky eater. It contains all the vitamins to help your cat restore apetite and gain weight while maintaining a lean body form. NutriCal is rich in Omega fatty acids gel and is one of the best cat weight gain supplements for underweight cats.

Ingredients:

Corn Syrup, Soybean Oil, Malt Syrup, Water, Fish Oil, Vitamin E, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B12, Vitamin B3, Vitamin A, Folic Acid, Riboflavin and more.

Guaranteed Analysis:

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How Do I Determine How Much Protein Is In My Cats Food

It can be difficult to determine how much protein is in pet food based on the label alone. This is in large part due to variations in the moisture content of food.

The AAFCO Dog and Cat Food Nutrient Profiles base nutrient recommendations on a dry matter basis, which means that nutrient percentages are calculated without considering water content.

Pet food labels, however, print nutrient content on an as-fed basis, which includes water content. This can lead to confusion on the part of consumers, since canned pet food usually contains around 75% moisture, and dry pet food contains about 10% moisture.

So, how do you compare the protein content of cat food when all you have to go off of is the label? The answer is to convert the protein level from an as-fed to a dry matter basis.

Find the Moisture percentage and Crude Protein listed on the pet food label to perform these calculations:

• Subtract the Moisture percentage from 100. This will give you the percent dry matter of the diet.

• Divide the Crude Protein by the percent dry matter of the product.

• Multiply the result by 100. This will give you the percent of protein on a dry matter basis.

Canned food example:

Canned Food A has the following listed on its label:

12% crude protein minimum

100 12 = 88

37 / 88 = 0.420

0.420 x 100 = 42.0

The percent protein of Dry Food A on a dry matter basis is 42.0%

Implement Structured Feeding Times

If you have not been feeding your cat at a structured time every day, now is the time to get into this routine. Rather than leaving food down all day which becomes somewhat disinteresting over time you can turn feeding time into an event, which helps to build excitement levels. If you have a very malnourished cat, you may need to start off with smaller portions and build these up over time.

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Best Cat Foods For Weight Gain

Our overall best cat food for weight gain is Feline Natural Lamb and King Salmon feast, which is an absolutely appetizing diet for your picky and skinny kitty.

The freeze-dried goodness of real lamb organs from 99% grass-fed lambs in New Zealand and real salmon meat from sustainably caught salmon will very likely entice your slender cat to feast on the delicious cat food more often.

Helping your adult cat gain weight is easier with this high-calorie cat food as it offers an astounding 37% fat content, apart from the 44% protein pack.

It also has a remarkable 5197 kcal/kg caloric load. Whether you feed this diet as regular cat’s food or as a topper to other cat foods, your slim kitty will greatly benefit from the superior calorie intake. Its also enhanced with other necessary nutrients like taurine, Vitamin E supplement, and folic acid.

This dry cat food received great reviews at Chewy.com, with 93% of respondents giving positive comments. The majority said the cats loved this chow, even reportedly going to the extent of ripping the bag open.

Some also loved the strong salmon aroma. There were a few customers however that claimed their finicky cats wouldnt touch the bowl.

Pros:

Cons:

• Kibble size may be a bit too big
• Kibbles are too fragile prone to crumbling

What To Look For In A Good Cat Food For Weight Gain

Cats are obligate carnivores which means that they have a biological requirement for a high-protein diet. Not just any protein, either it needs to be high-quality animal protein. Animal proteins like poultry, meat, and fish are considered complete proteins which means that they contain all of the essential amino acids your cat needs to build and maintain lean muscle mass. In the wild, more than 50% of a cats diet comes from protein. Research suggests that older cats may lose weight on a diet that contains less than 36% protein. So, the higher the protein content of your cats new food, the better.

Here are some of the things we look for in a good cat food for weight gain:

Now that you know what to look for in a good cat food for weight gain, youre ready to start shopping! If youre still not quite sure where to start, youll be glad to see our recommendations below. Before you check them out, however, take a moment to learn exactly how we evaluate different cat food brands to make our recommendations.

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What To Look For In A Good Weight Gain Cat Food

It can be tricky to know what cats need in their diets, but a little reading here and around the web should tell you that its primarily protein and fat content you should be concerned about.

Aim for foods that have in excess of 30% of protein, the higher the protein percentage the better. Foods with fat levels between 15% and 25% are a great option if you need your cat to gain weight naturally.

Kitten food is especially useful here since it contains both of those macronutrients in plentiful amounts. Kittens require the extra nutrients to grow rapidly, and it can have the same effect on adult cats too. You also dont have to worry about stomach upsets or vomiting, since theyre usually very gentle on the digestive system of adult cats.

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What Can I Give My Cat To Gain Weight

Cats who need to gain weight should be eating around 30% protein and 20% fat if they’re eating dry kibble, and 7% protein and 5% fat, or more for wet foods. Your veterinarian can also prescribe a high-calorie cat food that is highly digestible and can provide the extra calories your cat needs to gain weight.

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Give Kitty Some Space

It may be tempting to watch your cute cat eating , but some cats may find it stressful.

You can try giving your cat some space when eating and see if they feel more comfortable to eat on their own. This does not mean you shouldnt monitor your kitty, but dont stay on her neck either.

If your home allows, you can go a step further by Doing that will mimic the conditions that cats are used to in the wild. It will also help to create associations between each place and its activity, making it easier for him to get appetite once he enters his dining room.

Supplement Kibble With Human Food

In addition to a healthy dry and wet cat food diet, consider adding wholesome cooked ingredients to their mealsuch as unseasoned chicken breast or plain rice. You can indeed use human food to fatten up a cat. Check out our handy article onhuman foods cats can eat .

See our updated Can Cats Eat That?? article on the top FAQ about which popular foods cats can eat.

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Sheba Perfect Portions Cuts In Gravy Entre Wet

Sheba Perfect Portions wet cat food is made with premium, all-natural ingredients and is nutrient packed for your cats benefits. It has natural whole meat as the main ingredient which is an essential source of protein for your cat. This variety pack contains chicken, salmon and turkey cuts covered in rich and delicious gravy. It has been kept naturally fresh in a sealed pack without any artificial preservatives.

Youll love the fact that each package of Sheba perfect portions comes in Twin Pack Trays. This gives you two servings in each package. The broth-based cat food can be used for complementary feeding for cats of all ages and a variety of dietary needs.

Pros

• Two servings in one package and it is full of vitamins and minerals
• Soft and digestible to cats at any life stage

Cons

What To Look For In A High Calorie Cat Food For Weight Gain

If youre wondering what to feed an underweight cat, remember that the number of calories is just as important as the nutrient they come from. You want your cat to gain weight, so youll need to increase his calorie intake, but you want most of that weight to be muscle rather than fat. This means youll have to increase your cats protein intake.

Here are some other things to look for in high calorie cat food:

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Feed Small Frequent Meals

A cats stomach is only about the size of a ping-pong ball. So its normal that your cat wont eat a lot all at once.

Whether your cat prefers wet food, dry food or both, try feeding one tablespoon of food every few hours.

These small, regular meals are better tolerated than large meals and can reduce the risk of vomiting after a meal.

Looking For A High Calorie Cat Supplement Instead

For times when your cat just wont eat anything, consider a high calorie supplement instead. I recommend TOMLYN Nutri-Cal High Calorie-Nutritional Gel:

And also Vetoquinol Nutri-Cal:

They are both veterinarian-created gels that provide a big dose of energy and calories, vitamins and minerals, Omega 3, 6, and 9 fish oil! Overall easy to administer and delicious for cats, they are loved by thousands of reviewers and happy buyers.

Protip: Dont stress about which supplement to get. Tomlyn is a division of Vetoquinol, according to the packaging, and the nutritional information is exactly the same! Get whichever is available and cheaper.

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How To Pick The Best Cat Food

In case your feline friend is underweight and you are at sea to decide what to feed your cat to put on few pounds, then you should check whether the cat food has the following essential nutrients.

Protein No matter what is the age of the feline friend. You must provide cat food that has high protein content. Protein helps your kitten to not only build lean muscles but also strengthen the immune system. As a bonus protein has amino acids namely taurine, arginine, etc. They are essential for strong teeth and vision. As a good rule of thumb, include a cat food that contains at least 30% protein.

Fats When you are offering your cat fat-enriched foods that have a blend of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, then the chances are higher that your cat has healthy skin and a shiny coat.

Vitamins Like humans, cats are no exception, they also need vitamins for the proper functioning of nerves, immune system, bones, and muscles. Plus, vitamins are necessary for healthy metabolism and gastrointestinal functions.

Minerals The minerals play a vital role from the formation of the bone and bone growth to blood coagulation. So, the deficiency in minerals can lead to anemia, heart issues etc.

Fiber To gain weight and better digestion, include a cat food that has a higher percentage of fiber. Fiber helps to not only control the blood sugar level but also maintain an ideal cholesterol level. Recent studies have found that fiber boosts life expectancy and lowers the risk of cancer.

Are Weight Gain Cat Foods Sustainable In The Long Term

Yes, the main benefit that high-calorie cat foods have is that they are sustainable for long-term use throughout your cats various life stages. These foods can be fed to kittens, adults, and senior cats alike with no problems. High-calorie cat foods will not cause a cat to go from underweight to obese, but rather encourage them to put on lean muscle and healthy fat while keeping their weight fluctuations stable once it has reached a healthy level.

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How To Help A Cat Gain Weight: Tips And Advice

Regardless of your choice of cat food, you and your veterinarian will need to determine underlying causes of your cats weight loss prior to adjusting his diet. Common and more serious causes of weight loss in cats can be overactive thyroid disorder, feline diabetes, intestinal parasites, dental problems, or FIV, which all require medication.

However, other common causes of weight loss in cats can be changes to their digestive system caused by age, the stress of a move, anxiety about feeding habits like bowl placement or crowdingeven insufficient food due to another pet who might be stealing from their bowl. These causes for malnutrition can also be challenging but are resolvable once you identify the trigger. Consider creating a calmer environment for your cat to eat in, serving smaller meals throughout the day, or luring him by adding rotisserie chicken or canned tuna to his food.

Related

What Causes Cats To Be Hyperthyroid

Hyperfunctioning thyroid nodules cause hyperthyroidism. But what causes the thyroid to go haywire?

There are several theories about what causes cats to become hyperthyroid:

• Rarely, thyroid cancer
• Some reports have linked hyperthyroidism in cats to some fish-flavored canned food diets
• Research has pointed to flame-retardant chemicals that are used in some furniture and carpeting and circulated in house dust
• Advancing age increases risk

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Instinct By Natures Variety Original Grain

Best Canned Cat Food for Weight Gain: In many cases, cats who have difficulty eating tend to lose weight. Whether they are suffering from dental problems or poor appetite, these cats may benefit from switching to a canned food instead of a dry cat food. If youre looking for the best canned cat food for weight gain, we recommend this chicken recipe from Instinct by Natures Variety. This formula features fresh chicken and turkey as the top two ingredients, followed by chicken liver and chicken broth as rich sources of natural flavor and moisture. Being high in moisture and loaded with meat flavor, this recipe should be enticing to even the pickiest cats and, because it is made from wholesome natural ingredients, it will be highly nutritious and easy to digest. It contains 193 calories per 5.5-ounce can and contains a dry matter calculation of 45% protein and 34% fat. It also contains fresh fruits and veggies as natural sources for key nutrients.

• Pros: Rich in animal protein and flavor, high-quality natural ingredients, high in protein and calories, plenty of healthy fat, fresh fruits and vegetables
• Cons: May be too high in fiber for some cats, main source of fat is plant-based