How much to feed?

[Neu]

I have two adult cats one of them is my daughters that I adopted from her and they are both around 11 or 12 years old.
We only assume that because they're both rescues but they're very lively and active no health issues at all.

So how much would you feed them?! I have a giant feeder full of dry food that is always available and the same with water but what about wet pouches because I tend to give them one each in the morning and one each in the evening and they are literally scavenging for it every time I walk in the kitchen they want more!

It depends on their weight. There is generally a feeding guide on the side of the box to say how many pouches (&dry) to give depending on their weight.

I have a tiny light cat who has 2 pouches and a handful of dry. Sometimes I’m throwing the remainder of her dinner pouches out before cleaning her bowl & giving her breakfast.

do you ever see them drink water? Mine rarely drinks water & cats get iirc around 80% of their hydration from their food so it could be the case they are needing the pouch as they are thirsty.

also they eat by scent so if you have a big feeder of dry biscuits it won’t be airtight so they won’t be fresh and appetising or they may genuinely prefer the meat. Have you asked your daughter what she fed hers?

They could just be greedy though.

Our average size adult cats have 1.5 pouches a day each, fed as 3 meals of half a pouch. They have access to dry food all the time. One of them constantly scrounges too.

My cat has a third of a pouch at breakfast, a third of a pouch for dinner, and a handful of dry biscuits to pick at the rest of the time.

She weighs about 4.8kg if that's any help.

I'm always amazed at the "recommended" amount on the boxes of pouches. Ours would never eat all that.

My 2 large-ish indoor cats get 1.5 pouches between them a day, spread over 2 meals, and dry out all the time. They often leave up to half of the wet, despite them diving in like gannets on chips when the food comes out. They dry is always topped up so there's plenty available. Both drink well.

I think it's a taste/treat thing, as Girlcat is a dreadfull begger if she thinks there may be treats on the go, and bolted down half one of those Encore Tuna loins so fast the other week that she threw up then went to try to steal Boycat's half

They're greedy then as one is larger than the other but both average sized really!

They adore the biscuits even from the hopper, eat plenty of those. I have seen them drinking too.

They're definitely not under fed now I've seen your replies so thank you!