Food advice for an ageing lady

[Oops4]

I have a very spritely kitten like 11yr old tabby moggy. We've had her since we rescued her as a kitten and she is pretty much the perfect cat.

She's an indoor/outdoor cat. She's always been very active and slim although tends to put a bit of weight on over the winter months. She alway loses it again back to her usual 4kg once the weather picks up but I've noticed the past few years that she's been gaining a bit more each year. It's not even November and I can already see the belly forming so think I need to look at her food again.

She's always been free fed kibble with the odd serving of wet food as a treat and this has worked fine for her. She rarely has an empty bowl (unless it's tuna in which case she practically eats the bowl!) and just grazes as she pleases. Until now. This year and last year, once winter starts, she seems to be starving all the time. I fill her bowl, she finishes it and is constantly begging for more. I'm not sure if she's hungrier, greedier or bored.

I've tried putting her on senior food over the winter but she just seems to want even more of this and I feel like I'm starving her.

What foods do others feed their golden oldies and any tips on filling her up without piling on the pounds?

Thanks 😊

I didn't think 11yo was relatively senior nowadays.

11 isn’t old! Harry is 12 and we feed him Country Hunter with a few James Wellbeloved senior fish biscuits. I don’t bother with senior wet food as there’s so little choice. He has the wet food for breakfast and dinner and dry for lunch and supper. I found his weight is more stable now he’s having mainly wet.

I would say senior is 16+ at least!

I'm so glad to hear people say 11 isn't old! Zara is 7 and still my baby kitten . I'd put her on a quality high meat wet food (no grains) like Nature's Menu, Carni or Smilla. More expensive but she'll fill up on less and feel more satisfied.

Post a pic of your baby?

11 isn't that old. I ignore the begging.

Would be worth having her thyroid checked as although she's gaining weight at the moment it's a new behaviour and lots of moaning.

With hindsight our cat was hyperthyroid for several years before the weight dropped off and we took her to the vet. Prior to that we had thought she was just annoying

I agree with what iloveeverykindofcat said

If she is staying the same weight or losing weight whilst eating masses I would strongly suggest a trip to the vet this is an early sign of both diabetes and hyperthyroidism both of which are very common in the late mild age group of 8 to 13 year old cats.

Thanks all. She is indeed still a spring chicken. It was the vet that suggested she should be on senior food.....I was sure the vet was confusing my youngster for another cat and covered her ears so she wasn't offended 😂

I've tried to stick to mainly dry for her teeth and because she far prefers wet so would gorge on it if she could. Will try a bit more of a patterned meal time I think.

Will bare that in mind about the thyroid, although it's not so much new behaviour as seasonal. Here is my little kitten

Diet food

Did the vet look at her teeth? There might be a concern about wear and tear senior food is softer

Do you worm regularly?

She's lovely!

Wet food is less calorie dense than dry, so maybe swap out some dry for wet?