Would love some advice on food please

[ThereMustAndShallBeTea]

Copying from my longer thread for traffic. We've just got two cats from a cat rescue centre. They're aged 3 and 10.

They're both on 30g of dry food and a pouch of meaty stuff per day. The centre advised increasing it slowly as they become more active. Dry food says 30-60g for their weight, so 30g sounds okayish, though I actually gave them 40g this morning now they've got the run of the house, but the meat pouches says 3-4 per day.

They both absolutely wolf down their food and the younger one is currently roaming the room looking for food debris from the DC - should I be increasing their food, maybe giving at least 2 pouches a day? They currently have access to all of our (not large) house, won't be allowed outside for another few weeks.

Also they're both currently on adult food - should the 10 yr old be on senior stuff?

Thanks.

Are the cats about the right weight? I would probably give them more food if they seem hungry, generally (although not always) cats are pretty good at regulating how much they eat. Mind you with my two I fill up a bowl with dry food (iams) and just top it up when it starts going down. They get 1 or 2 pouches a day and the occasional bit of meat/fish of left overs from our dinners.

Both are the right weight and would only limit food if weight became an issue.

Thanks - i've been told by the centre they're a good weight and they also mentioned that they bolt their food. I've upped them to 40g of dry food and two pouches a day and they seem a little happier but very food obsessed still. Hoping it will settle down a bit when they settle here (and also when they can go outside and supplement with rodents!).

Hmm, supplementing with rodents will introduce worms into their gut. That's OK as long as you ensure that you give them worm meds at least every 3 months. Because whatever wildlife they're ingesting will be full of worms.

Try free-feeding them dry food? If they get rotund, you can review it?

I wouldn't recommend free feeding cats food. Contrary to popular belief they don't regulate their own body weight. Diabetes is increasingly common in cats due to obesity. Now you have increased the amount you need to watch their body condition score www.purina.co.uk/content/your-cat/helping-to-keep-your-cat-healthy/managing-your-cat's-weight/assessing-your-cat's-body-condition and adjust their diet accordingly. Hope that helps!

As kitty said very few cats self regulate now they just get fat.
The recommended feeding amounts you are seeing are for if that food is their only food so either 60g of dried food per day 3 pouches not both.
So what you are doing currently is about right. Keep an eye of their weight if it goes up cut back, if it goes down increase a little.