Feeding Recommendations From Your Local Veterinarian
Canned food only is my first choice. For an adult cat, start with ½ of a 5.5 oz. can twice daily and no additional food. This is the starting point and likely will need to be adjusted downward.
For little cats, a half of a 3 oz. can twice daily may work better. This amount is also cat-specific and often needs adjusting up or down. Feeding canned food seems to create the best balance between calories and feeling full, and the meal seems to tide the cat over better than a dry food meal.
How To Feed Your Cat So It Stops Begging And Starts Losing Weight
Cats receiving an adequate number of calories per day will be hungry . So feeding a cat until it is full is almost always overfeeding unless it is an actively growing kitten under eight months of age.
Naturally, cats eat multiple small meals a day by hunting and eating what they catch. Having a bowl of dry food available allows multiple small meals of a high caloric feed with no effort on the cats part, this is a recipe for weight gain.
How Much To Feed A Cat
To successfully create a diet, you need to know the daily intake of calories youre looking for. Its similar to how you calculate your own diet. And if you dont, you can start with your pet because it relies on you to do the math and cat food portion control. Calories are used to measure how much energy a product provides. Thats right, the same energy your friend will need during the day for running, jumping, hunting, playing, climbing, or even snoozing. Even during sleep, there are processes taking place inside of any body, and those need energy.
So, the amount of calories is written on food packaging, usually displayed as kcal per kilogram, pound, bag, or can. Once again, you may see the recommended distribution of this food given as well, but those instructions are way too general and may not be the best for your puss.
Never you mind fully understanding the science of it all. As long as you know how to calculate the appropriate number of kcals per day and per meal, as well as paying attention to certain parameters of your cat, all you will need is our calculator. Well go over each of those in more detail below, covering how to control the amount of food to feed a cat to witness the desired result.
Recommended Reading: How Often Do Cats Lose Whiskers
Why Its Crucial To Calculate How Much Food To Feed A Cat
You might wonder why its important to determine the exact amount of wet cat food you should give your cat? As of 2017, an estimated 60 percent of cats in the US are classified as clinically overweight or obese. Thats about 56.5 million cats who are too heavy, and extra weight has a dramatic, negative effect on feline health.
Overweight cats are at an increased risk for congestive heart failure, skin disorders, infections, diabetes mellitus, complications associated with anesthesia and surgery, hepatic lipidosis , and some types of cancer.
Feeding cats wet food is never as simple as just opening up a can and letting them eat until theyre full. Indoor cats, in particular, tend to burn few calories throughout the day, and they become bored, which we all know can lead to excessive eating and weight gain. Pet parents need to take a strategic approach to measuring out cat food;to prevent or deal with weight gain in cats.
Is It Ok To Feed Expired Cat Food
If you want to save food waste, you may be curious if you can still use expired food. Or maybe you regularly leave food out and are paranoid it may go off, let me guide you on the done thing.
Is it ok to feed your cat expired food? No, to be safe its best not to do this. Technically speaking, it is possible but, it is far too easy for someone to get wrong and make their cat sick. In my opinion, its best to avoid it. Just stay on the safe side.
However, in this article, I will go on to explain how you can differentiate between the best by date and; expired date.; Also, things that you can look out for to confirm if the food is actually off.
Don’t Miss: How Many Calories Should A Cat Eat
How Do I Store Dry Cat Food Properly
It is true that dry cat food is relatively easy to store, and does not cause you much trouble, however, if you do not store it properly, you will be compromising the foods quality, especially after you open the bag.
Even though the Best by date indicates when the food is best consumed before, it changed after you open the bag and expose the food the outer elements, which cues the oxidation process to begin.
The three major factors that have an impact on the nutritional quality of your pets food are the following: Moisture, air, and high temperature.
Here are some guidelines to properly store your cats food, keep it fresh, and prevent it from losing its nutritious; benefits:
How Much Dry Cat Food Can I Serve To My Cat
There is no exact answer to this question since the quantity of food you serve your cat depends on various factor:
- Age
- Metabolic rate
- Amount of exercise and movement your cat does
In addition to that, the same quantity of different foods contains different levels of nutritious elements. On each dry food bag, there is usually a this amount per day or this amount per meal guidance.
According to Dr. Jennifer Coates from PetMED, you should reassess your cats condition every two weeks or so to check their body condition and change the amount you are feeding them according to that, and she gave the following information about meals according to the cats weight:
- If the cat weighs 2.3 kg , it should be fed 30g to 40g per day.
- If the cat weighs 4.5 kg , it should be fed 45g to 65g per day.
- If the cat weighs 6.8 kg , it should be fed 65g to 95g per day.
You May Like: Do Dachshunds Get Along With Cats
How Much Should I Feed My Cat The Basics
The answer to How much should I feed my cat is based on many variables, including a cats weight and a cats age, whether youre feeding wet cat food or dry cat food, the cats activity level, and whether or not she is pregnant or nursing.
The brand of food youre feeding also makes a difference when were answering the question How much should I feed my cat. A dense, high quality dry cat food will contain more nutrients by weight than a low-quality food, and thus require smaller portions to deliver the same amount of nutrition for your cat.
Many cat owners allow their cats free access to dry food, supplemented by canned food once or twice a day. A dry-food-only diet is not necessarily a bad pet diet if youre feeding high quality food, but it does require that you encourage your cat to drink a lot more water to compensate for what shes not getting in canned food.
Firstly What Type Of Food Should Cats Eat
Its critical to feed your cat a nutritionally complete and balanced diet that contains all of the nutrients your cat needs to thrive.
You can meet a healthy cats nutritional needs met by feeding the right amount of the right type of food every day.; This diet should give your cat the correct quantities of carbohydrates, fats, minerals, vitamins and proteins/ amino acids, including essential nutrients like taurine.
The easiest way to do this is to use a nutritionally balanced complete commercial pet food, whether wet cat food or dry cat food or a mixture of the two types.
Good quality food should be fed in the right quantities, with other aspects being far less important than many owners may believe.
Cat treats can also be offered, in limited quantities. Fresh water, of course, is calorie-free and should always be available to cats. A cats litter box should be monitored by cat carers. Normal feces is an important guide to the suitability of a diet to an individual cat.
The daily food offered to a cat is an important contributor to their;overall health.
Recommended Reading: How Many Calories Should Cats Eat
Fully Wean And Introduce Water
Once the kitten is confidently eating on her own, you can cease supplemental feedingit’s time to switch completely to solid foods! Be sure you’re feeding a high quality food formulated for kittens, and monitor to ensure that there are no concerning changes in weight, behavior, or condition.;
At this time, it’s also appropriate to introduce water in a small, shallow dish. Never provide a large dish that can cause a safety hazard to a tiny kitten; keep your water dish to about 2 inches high. It’s normal for kittens to struggle with water at first, but she should be drinking confidently within 1-3 days of introduction.
How Much To Feed A Cat By Age
Growing kittens need comparatively more food than adult cats, because they need nutrients to allow their body to grow. This can be difficult to calculate precisely, and professional veterinary nutritionists have charts and guides that may be applied.
For most cat carers, it is simpler to recognise that kittens do have higher requirements, and that it is rare for kittens to become overweight or obese. Using the broad guidelines on the packaging, it is fairly safe to say that kittens can be fed almost as much food as they wish to eat at each mealtime, within reasonable limits.
- If the kitten is still chasing the bowl, looking for more food when they have finished, they should be offered a little more.
- If the kitten routinely does not finish the food that is offered in the bowl, they should be offered less the next time.
Recommended Reading: Is Eucalyptus Safe For Cats
So How Many Calories Does My Cat Need
We are now ready to answer the ultimate question. First, you can look at the cans and bags of what you have been feeding your pet and evaluate how many calories it has been receiving so far. When you get the recommended number, you can compare them and see whether you will need to feed it more, less, or slightly adjust the diet.
The formula is based on the standard daily calorie intake for an average cat and its current weight, producing the amount you should feed it. This number is additionally adjusted by the lifestyle factor. Depending on it, the daily amount of wet or dry food to feed your cat may vary greatly, as the recommended calories amount may vary immensely based on the current weight and your future goals.
However, you can leave it out for now, its important to at least establish how much food it takes to keep your cat satisfied at its current weight without threatening its condition. And in a week, when you have followed this regime, you can weigh it again and see whether its losing or gaining pounds. Then, the lifestyle factor can be used to alter the calorie content based on whether you want to increase or reduce it.
If your cat suffers from serious medical issues, make sure to consult the vet, of course. Usually, though, the health condition may influence certain products and types of foods, as well as the preferred feeding schedule.
Still Wondering How Much Should I Feed My Cat Some Calculations
According to the Animal Medical Center in New York, a healthy, active 8-pound adult cat requires about 30 calories per pound per day. So, the average 8-pound cat requires about 240 calories per day.
Typically, dry food contains about 300 calories per cup, and canned food contains about 250 calories in each 6 oz can. . Using these counts as a guide, an 8-pound cat would need 4/5 of a cup of dry food or just less than a full 6-oz can of wet food per day. You can adjust the proportions based on whether your cat prefers more or less dry or wet food.
If youre free feeding your cat;dry food, each day measure out the days allotment of food into your dry food feeder. This decreases the amount of food that gets stale and needs to be discarded. It will also help you monitor how much your cats are eating. If you have to take a thin cat to the vet, it will help in the diagnosis if you can identify exactly how much she eats per day.
Portioning out the food will keep your cats from overeating. Free choice feeding is one of the top contributors to feline obesity.
Recommended Reading: Arrowhead Plant Toxic To Cats
Weeks Four And Five Feeding Schedules
During weeks 4 and 5, a kitten will slowly increase how much food it consumes in a meal. Feedings will occur less frequently and a bowl of formula or other liquid kitten food should be made available for a kitten to start drinking from. By the end of week 5, a kitten should only be nursing three times a day but at each meal it should be consuming about 3 tablespoons of milk or formula.
A kitten should weigh about 14 to 16 oz. by the time it is 4 to 5 weeks of age if it is eating enough food. Towards the end of week five, you should be offering the kitten more food from a saucer than it is consuming from nursing. The food should graduate from being a liquid to eventually more of a gruel by using less and less water with canned kitten food over the course of a couple of weeks. This will be a messy stage of a kitten’s life since it usually ends up walking in the food, but it is a necessary step to begin weaning it off of its mother’s milk.
Wet Vs Dry Cat Food For Full
Many cat foods are made for cats of all life stages. It is very important to check your food. You should look at the label for food provides complete and balanced nutrition list of ingredients.
Cats nutritional needs depend on many other factors like her age, weight and her activity level. Consult with your veterinarian if you have certain doubts. You can choose wet dry or the combination of both is the best for your cat.
You May Also Read Can Cats Eat Oranges;
Don’t Miss: Are Croton Plants Toxic To Cats
When To Feed Your Cat
When you bring a new cat home, its important to continue to feed her the same amount of the same food on the same schedule thats shes been accustomed to, then gradually migrate to your own food and schedule. Cats are very sensitive to change, and a new cat will be dealing with a lot of new-environment stress, so keeping the food and schedule consistent will ease her transition and keep intestinal upset at bay.
When youre ready to transition your cat over to your own food and schedule, youll need to determine what kind of food youll be feeding her , and using the calorie counts in each food, determine how much of which kind to feed her.
How Can I Know Im Selecting A High
Mindy Bough, CVT, senior director of client services for the Midwest Office of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals emphasizes the importance of high-quality kitten food. I dont recommend generic or store brands, Bough says. Buy from a reputable company — one that veterinarians recommend more frequently, she says. Research has determined these kitten foods provide excellent health.
Continued
But how can you be certain a kitten food is of high quality? One way is by checking the label. It should at least contain the following: Meets the nutritional requirements of kittens established by the American Association of Feed Control Officials . AAFCO is a group of state and federal officials who regulate pet food. Even better, look for this: Complete and balanced nutrition for kittens based on AAFCO feeding trials. Complete and balanced nutrition means your kitten will require no mineral or vitamin supplementation. In fact, remember that too much of a good thing can be bad for your kitten, causing severe medical problems. Use supplements only if your veterinarian recommends them.
Also use caution with homemade diets. For example, all-meat homemade diets can be low in calcium, leading to a mineral imbalance that causes hyperparathyroidism, a disease more common in rapidly growing kittens. If you use a homemade diet, make sure its been formulated by a reputable nutritionist, Bough says.
Recommended Reading: What Does A Broken Cat Tail Look Like
Should I Mix Up Wet And Dry Cat Food
When given a choice, many cats seem to prefer a mixture of both wet and dry foods compared to dry or wet only. Wet food is shown to increase enjoyment and add variety to a diet because of the wide selection of textures. On the other hand, dry food satisfies a cat’s natural desire to eat many small meals throughout the day.
While dog owners tend to feed wet food as a topping, cat owners tend to feed either wet or dry separately. However, there are no hard and fast rules – ultimately it is for each owner to decide what to feed their pet. However, if feeding a mix of wet and dry pet foods, be careful to feed only the total amount of food that your pet needs so as to minimise any undesirable weight gain.