Cat diet

[hartof]

I took my cat in recently for his annual vaccination and they said he is starting to put weight on where he shouldn't. He is a big cat but you can tell he has some weight to lose.

So this is what we give him currently

Lik e lix first thing (6am)
We put our half a pouch of whatever food he will eat at the time and we top up his dry food with purina light with the scoop that comes with the tub we put it in.(7.30)
He gets the other half of the pouch at 5.30pm and sometimes a top up of the dry food. Before we go to bed we put a scoop of dry food out.

The vet wants us to stop the dry food and give him 3 pouches a day under 100 calories each.

I hadn't changed anything yet as was waiting for January ( I knew it would be difficult with us all at home over Xmas to see him not getting his usual food) so tonight I bought wainwrights food in jelly as it's 79 calories a pouch - he won't eat it. I haven't filled his dry food? Will he learn to eat it? The wet pouches we've given him previously have gravy and he has the gravy then comes back for the meat. If anyone had recommendations of pouches under 100 calories I would appreciate it.

Can't you just give less of the food he gets already?
No point giving alternatives that he won't eat

Most wet food brands are actually under 100 calories each :)

I've been recently researching a lot of cat food in preparation for getting a cat, and looking for some decent wet food. The average pouch is around 90 something calories.

As wet food seems to be better for cats anyway, and as dry food is much more calorie dense than wet food, I'd say it's a safe bet to switch to basically any wet food he will eat and ditch the dry food.

Sorry that should say the average wet food available seems to have a calorie content of just under 100 calories per 100g. Some pouches are like 85g so would be even less.

What about increasing his activity? Playing games where he has to run and chase a ribbon toy every day or putting his food in an enrichment toy or something?

I assume he's an indoor cat?

Our cats all eat loads more than he does. (At least 4x 85g pouches each a day and dry food out all the time, plus chicken prawns or tuna a few times a week for a treat. )

How much does he weigh and what does the vet think he should weigh?

The advice I was given with my last cat was not to put on a diet but just to feed to the ideal weight, with no need for diet foods.

3 pouches a day is about the right amount for a 3kg cat IIRC.

He's 8kg! He is a big cat though, he just doesn't enjoy the wet food. We play with him hunting etc, he is indoors and will stay that way as we lost a cat to RTA earlier this year. I'm just starting by putting less dry food out.

I would pick a brand of wet you know he enjoys and just feed less of it.

Dry food can be quite high in calories and not the most filling so I would actually decrease the dry (maybe only leave him a small amount overnight) and feed a pouch wet food three times a day instead.

I have an endless battle with Bibi's weight. She was a rescue who was lstarving the first year or her life and she's never forgotten it - food is her number one concern. Dry definitely puts more weight on her. She looked better when I raw fed (a pre-prepared diet from Nature's Menu) and I've been thinking about starting that up again now I have freezer space, though it does take more calculating. Failing that, we do diet wet sachets from Concept for Life (Light in Gravy). She gets 3 and a bit per day. She's about 6 or 6.5 kg, a big girl, with big paws and head, but also fat, I must own it. It's hard though. She'll eat anything but she's very, very persistent and harrases for food a LOT. She was literal bones when she was rescued so I guess its understandable.

I agree with the pp that suggested increasing activity. It’s great for their physical and mental health and has the added benefit of strengthening your bond. And not just gentle playing, but a couple of good runs around the house, up and down the stairs type play.

@iloveeverykindofcat

I have an endless battle with Bibi's weight. She was a rescue who was lstarving the first year or her life and she's never forgotten it - food is her number one concern. Dry definitely puts more weight on her. She looked better when I raw fed (a pre-prepared diet from Nature's Menu) and I've been thinking about starting that up again now I have freezer space, though it does take more calculating. Failing that, we do diet wet sachets from Concept for Life (Light in Gravy). She gets 3 and a bit per day. She's about 6 or 6.5 kg, a big girl, with big paws and head, but also fat, I must own it. It's hard though. She'll eat anything but she's very, very persistent and harrases for food a LOT. She was literal bones when she was rescued so I guess its understandable.

Cats like that can respond to being fed little and often, with shorter intervals between meals, or by always having some food around so they don't have to worry about starving again.

My oldest cat is like that. He has a firm feeding routine that he knows he can rely on. And I'll always feed him if he asks. Even if it's just his 3 oral health treats, or I'll chuck half a dozen Felix Goody Bag treats across the floor for him to snuffle around and find.

He needs a meal at our bedtime so he doesn't get that scary hungry feeling over night.

He doesn't go out-out any more now that he's old with uncertain back legs, but he still thunders up and down the stairs after his ribbon toy every day. (Even if he dues by sometimes end up unexpectedly on his arse at the bottom, poor boy.)

@IWannaWishYouANutNutsChristmas Thanks, that's good advice. She can't literally be hungry every time she nags, it must be for the emotional security of knowing food is coming. I do split her meals up but I will try doing so even more. I work remotely now so that helps.

When MrCat came to us he was obese. We tend to give him Waitrose senior sachets, partly because he likes them, but also because they are 85g each. Most other sachet foods are 100g each. Not much difference in calories per 100g across different makes, so 3 x 85g makes quite a difference compared with 3 x 100g. He tends to lick up all the jelly, go away, then return for most of all of the solids. Dry food OTOH he would snarfle up as quickly as possible. So we got him a slow feeder for the dry food. He has to dig out the food in small amounts. It slows him down and makes him work. He was on Whiskas, but I have gradually transitioned him to a grain-free, high-meat content dry food. He gets about 30g a day of dry food.

He only gets treats like Lickylix or Dreamies if I need to bring him or give him meds. He gets the occasional raw egg (especially in summer, for hydration), raw fish soon, raw chicken skin. He goes nuts for them!

On this regime MrCat has gone from 7kg to 6kg and he feels right to me. He is also much more nimble and will jump up to top bunkers and over fences. Seeing the vet in half an hour, hope she approves of his weight.

We try to feed as close to regular times as possible, and to give him plenty of attention outside feeding times. When MrCat wants a cuddle he will miaow at you and lead you to the sofa or bed upon which you are to sit and provide him with lap and skritchies