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I have two cats, one is 14 and the other 7. They have always been strictly indoor cats...too many predators out there!...so have gotten lazy and fat. I worry because the last cat I had that got overweight ended up diabetic and all that entails. I am trying to get them to lose some weight and it seems to be working with older one but not the younger.
I've always fed my cats Purina but decided to switch to another brand and it's not going very well. I give them both the dry and wet foods and they MUCH prefer the wet food. I'm okay with that but don't know how much I should feed them. I figure if they are hungry enough they'll eat the dry food but evidently not. At first they did, till I started adding the wet food to it. I started out by giving each of them 1/4 small can twice a day because that's all they eat at one time. If they don't eat it all it just sits there and dries out so they won't eat it at all. Or the other cat eats it. Do I need to give them more wet food or feed them more than twice a day? Skip the dry food altogether? It's getting frustrating because older cat follows me around ALL the time meowing and wanting food! They HAVE food and just won't eat it. The brand I switched to was Iams. Any recommendations for a better brand?
Ditch the dry food! That's the reason your cats are overweight. And the wet food will keep them more satiated than dry.
You can try feeding Fancy Feast Classics (make sure it says Classics on the label; there are other types). How much do the cats each weigh? You do NOT want them to lose weight too quickly. I would recommend getting a digital postal or baby scale to keep track of their weight. (A human scale isn't that effective when you are talking ounces.)
Ditch the dry food! That's the reason your cats are overweight. And the wet food will keep them more satiated than dry.
You can try feeding Fancy Feast Classics (make sure it says Classics on the label; there are other types). How much do the cats each weigh? You do NOT want them to lose weight too quickly. I would recommend getting a digital postal or baby scale to keep track of their weight. (A human scale isn't that effective when you are talking ounces.)
Thank you! I read some of it but it's really long so will go back and read more a little later.
Older cat threw up this morning...a pile of undigested dry food! So it does no good for her to eat it if she's just going to throw it back up. First time that's happened though. Sigh. I need to go to the store later and will pick up some FF Classics. I guess I'll just have to experiment till I find the right amount to feed them at one time. Seems like a waste if they leave half of it and just dries out so they won't eat it.
I notice they talk a lot about plenty of water and that, at least, is no problem. I have a constant water container for them that I change out often to keep it fresh and from the contents of the litter box they drink plenty of it. I don't use tap water either because ours is full of lime and other nasty stuff but I have an RO system for their water. One thing I noticed about feeding them the Iams food is it cut down a LOT on their pooping. Less of it and not nearly as big piles. Is that TMI?? lol I tried feeding them chicken and some fish but they turn their noses up at 'human food'. They do like canned tuna though. My cousin told me I should give them some raw liver now and then but I never have.
I'm not sure what they weigh. Last time I weighed younger cat I weighed myself then picked her up and weighed again. At least 20 pounds! Older cat was big when I got her from the shelter but gained more. I really don't know what they weigh and been afraid to find out, I think.
Myself and others went thru the same thing. Nothing changed until I switched to Grain Free dry and canned. Find the best pet food shop in town, spend a bit more.
The cats will feel fuller, longer, and look aand act healthier. The Fancy Feasts and Cat Chows and such are killing our cat population by spiking their blood sugar and causing kidney problems.
If u stop and think about it, it makes sense. Whens the last time a lion wandered into a cornfield for his dinner? Never!
Mine eats Origin dry, loves it, and altho pricier, it.s cheaper bc he doesn't eat as much of it.
Location: Los Angeles>Little Rock>Houston>Little Rock
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My 3 cats share one can of FF classic AM and two PM. They free feed on Taste of the Wild dry food. None of them are overweight. They spend a lot of time playing tag with each other and running up and down the stairs. Sometimes I have to duck when things really get going.
The trick is to schedule feed, not leaving big bowls of canned food down to dry out. You definitely want to get rid of all dry food. Feed 3 meals a day. Get the scale and weigh them.
A 10 pound cat, on average, will need 5-6 ounces of canned food a day. Your cats are probably over 10 pounds right?
As another poster said, it is very important that the weight loss is slow. No more than 2 ounces a week.
So for a couple of weeks you feed three meals a day, each cat gets, say 2 1/2 ounces per meal. (get a food scale too, and weigh the food)
After 2 weeks weigh the cats again. How much weight did each cat lose? If more than 2 ounces, increase the food a little.
You will probably want to keep a cat journal. Get a notebook and write down who is fed what, how much and when. Write down their weights. And so on.
Mine looks like this: (see attached). I use different color inks for different things, to help certain things like weights and daily totals stand out. I've been keeping a cat journal for 30 years. These are just from the last 18 years. The first 12 years of notebooks got lost during a homeless period of my life.
Exercise is important too. Cats are creatures of habit. Start playing interactive Games with them every day at the same time. don't worry if they don't show much interest at first. Keep at it, every night, a good time is before their supper meal. Devote 15 minutes to it every night. As they begin to lose, and become more interested in moving they will play more. They will begin to build muscle which is very important too.
The more you play with them, the more mentally stimulated they will be, and the more they will play on their own, when you aren't there to work with them.
When the 14 year old gets down to a healthy weight I bet you will be amazed at the difference. Well, both of them, you'll think they are almost kittens again, both from the weight loss, the added exercise and stimulation, AND the improved diet.
yes, Dr Pierson's web site is very wordy. Take your time with it, read a little, digest what you've learned, go back and read some more. I still, even after all these years, often go back and refresh my memory on some point or other.
Slow and easy does it. Oh, and, add a little warm water to their servings, it will slow them down, help them feel fuller and keep them well hydrated. Just a tablespoon or so per meal.
You are doing a good thing for your cats. You won't regret it!
Ditch the dry food! That's the reason your cats are overweight. And the wet food will keep them more satiated than dry.
You can try feeding Fancy Feast Classics (make sure it says Classics on the label; there are other types). How much do the cats each weigh? You do NOT want them to lose weight too quickly. I would recommend getting a digital postal or baby scale to keep track of their weight. (A human scale isn't that effective when you are talking ounces.)
I will also add...The worst wet is better than the best dry.
Thanks all. Really appreciate the advice. I've had cats all my life but rarely ever had weight or feeding problems. I want them to be around as long as I can keep them here and healthy!
The trick is to schedule feed, not leaving big bowls of canned food down to dry out. You definitely want to get rid of all dry food. Feed 3 meals a day. Get the scale and weigh them.
A 10 pound cat, on average, will need 5-6 ounces of canned food a day. Your cats are probably over 10 pounds right?
As another poster said, it is very important that the weight loss is slow. No more than 2 ounces a week.
So for a couple of weeks you feed three meals a day, each cat gets, say 2 1/2 ounces per meal. (get a food scale too, and weigh the food)
After 2 weeks weigh the cats again. How much weight did each cat lose? If more than 2 ounces, increase the food a little.
You will probably want to keep a cat journal. Get a notebook and write down who is fed what, how much and when. Write down their weights. And so on.
Mine looks like this: (see attached). I use different color inks for different things, to help certain things like weights and daily totals stand out. I've been keeping a cat journal for 30 years. These are just from the last 18 years. The first 12 years of notebooks got lost during a homeless period of my life.
Exercise is important too. Cats are creatures of habit. Start playing interactive Games with them every day at the same time. don't worry if they don't show much interest at first. Keep at it, every night, a good time is before their supper meal. Devote 15 minutes to it every night. As they begin to lose, and become more interested in moving they will play more. They will begin to build muscle which is very important too.
The more you play with them, the more mentally stimulated they will be, and the more they will play on their own, when you aren't there to work with them.
When the 14 year old gets down to a healthy weight I bet you will be amazed at the difference. Well, both of them, you'll think they are almost kittens again, both from the weight loss, the added exercise and stimulation, AND the improved diet.
yes, Dr Pierson's web site is very wordy. Take your time with it, read a little, digest what you've learned, go back and read some more. I still, even after all these years, often go back and refresh my memory on some point or other.
Slow and easy does it. Oh, and, add a little warm water to their servings, it will slow them down, help them feel fuller and keep them well hydrated. Just a tablespoon or so per meal.
You are doing a good thing for your cats. You won't regret it!
Thank you for all of that! I've tried playing with my cats but they couldn't care less. They don't interact with one another much either. I got the younger one when the older one was already 7 years old and they never did take to one another. They don't mind sharing my bed sometimes but mostly ignore one another.
The weight loss has been slow. It's been two months but I can just tell she's lost some.
Thank you for all of that! I've tried playing with my cats but they couldn't care less. They don't interact with one another much either. I got the younger one when the older one was already 7 years old and they never did take to one another. They don't mind sharing my bed sometimes but mostly ignore one another.
The weight loss has been slow. It's been two months but I can just tell she's lost some.
Maybe you aren't playing the right Games (smile) I've never had a cat that didn't want to play, right through their last few days even.
Keep at it. You want Game suggestions I'll be glad to make a list for you, might take a couple days.....
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