New Cat....what should i feed him?

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I adopted a cat from Cats Protection just over a week ago....he is a big solid male tabby...he has been neutered....he is always crying for food....I am currently giving him 3 pouches a day plus there is a bowl of dry food at all times...Is this enough...is there anything more filling i could give him...thank you.

How heavy is he and does he go outside?
also what kind of wet food does he have?

Thought i would include a photo of him too.

Wow, he's gorgeous. Lovely markings.

I have no idea how heavy he is....he is due at the vets next week for his 2nd vaccination so i guess i could weigh him then.
He is currently on Aldi pouches.
He's not going outside yet...CP told me to keep him in for at least 2 weeks.
Estimated age between 2 and 3 years old.

He’s a very handsome cat!
not sure of the meat content in Aldi cat food or how much is in them, does he eat all the dry food too?

He doesn't eat much of the dry food...I will get a different one when i go shopping.

You can try to weigh him by holding him and weighing yourself and then calculating the difference when you are not holding him.

The food usually has serving guidelines on it based on the cat's weight.

Do you know about his background? If he has come from a home where food wasn't available he may well be constantly asking for food because he isn't yet confident that it will be provided.

I would suggest feeding 6 half packets spread out and see if that helps.

Remember, just because they ask for food, doesn't mean they need it.

Three pouches a day plus dry sounds like plenty to me.

Beautiful cat!
Yes. Feed according to his weight and good quality food without carbs. Obesity is a big problem in cats although I know it’s hard to resist their cries.
Male cats are better with wet food because of their kidneys. Best to have feeding time 2-3 times a day at set times now so he gets to know the routine. Also useful to use a sound when you feed so you can use the sound to call him home when he starts to explore.
My 2 year old big lad has one 100g pouch of top quality wet divided into two meals plus about 70g of quality dry which he usually doesn’t quite finish so I know he’s not starving. He’s 5.5 KG.

What brand of cat food are you using? We use Untamed or Blink. Definitely more expensive per pouch than a supermarket or whiskas type brand, but he eats less pouches as they have a higher quantity and quality meat content. Also try Canagan dry food which again has more meat content so your cat might be more into it.

Oh my what a gorgeous boy!!!

Did he used to be a stray? He could have food anxiety rather than be actually hungry.

Both mine are ex strays and cried constantly for food- because they are not frequently fed they get wired to hunt for food constantly and it takes them a while to get used to the fact that a human feeds them three times a day. With my first boy we didn't know this, fed on demand and he ended up 1.5kg overweight!!! Definitely check how many calories per day he should be on and feed according to that, adjusting wet food/biscuit ratio to preference.

My second boy had the same issue but we knew what was coming- the way to get them past the anxiety is to be very structured- we feed them at the exact same time and place every day and they actually have a timed feeder to give them breakfast so they don't come and bother us at dawn! This also teaches them that we aren't the only source of food (yes, sometimes they go and bother the feeder!!!)

He is lovely.
Breadcat was a stray and initially used to gobble food so fast she was sick.
He may settle when he knows there is a reliable supply.
Then you get to the stage where you find something they really like and buy a multipack and they go off it....

I buy Arden grange for mine, it’s really high in protein but no maize fillers.

To answer a few questions....yes he was a stray...Cats Protection think his previous owners moved away and left him behind.
Im feeding Aldi wet food but will go to Pets at Home on Friday and get something else.
He is a lovely cat who we adore already...here is another pic of him.

Ah, so he’s known hunger then. That changes things. God I will never know how people can do that to any animal.

Have you tried him on chicken livers? My moggy girl loves them but the Bengal used to run away from the dish.

You can buy them and lightly boil then re freeze in small portions as a treat. My cat likes them pink in the middle best.

Thats a fab idea thank you.

Quick update....Buster went to the vet yesterday for his 2nd vaccination....they weighed him and he is 4.95kg.

He's about the same weight as my tabby boy. Tabby boy cats are the labradors of the cat world, they will always beg for food. My boy is an absolute pest for food and we have to keep him on a diet.

Ahh ok thanks...the vet said he is not over weight yet but ideally we should try and not let him get any heavier.

My cat's close to that weight and begs for food too. It probably is food insecurity from living as a stray but if we fed him every time he asked he'd be putting on weight for sure. (He's a neutered ginger boy).

He also had to wear a cone for several weeks due to an injury and he pretty much sat around and slept all the time - I think he was a bit depressed. In retrospect I also think he was getting a bit tubby because since he healed he's been allowed out and allowed to play more actively and he's looking slimmer.

I assume you've kept him in so far as a new cat and waiting for his second jab. He might naturally lose a bit once he starts going out, if you do plan to let him out?

He's a gorgeous big stripey lad

Mine are CPL moggies and they have their Routine . I don;t believe their cries are that they are sssoooo hungry , it's more a "Well what time d'you call THIS " <Judgey Face>

Ours did have form for theft when they found some pouches , but they were used to not knowing in their early life where food was coming from.

They also didn;t notice when their Whiskas pouches went from 100g to 85g !

Be careful changing his food too quick . Ours were on Whiskas and KiteKat biscuits , we slowly changed them to grain free biscuits but they stubbornly hung onto Whiskas . They have biscuits at night otherwise they
d be the size of small houses.
Male is 4.2kg winter weight .

When he jumps on you in the night you;ll feel it !

Our boy walks over me to get to DH , I can feel the weight 10x through his paws ( cats can defy gravity it seems )

Mine is a rescue too after being stray. He is 5.5kg and an absolute pain for asking for food, not by crying as he isn't very vocal, but by tapping me repeatedly or stamping all over the keyboard whilst I am working at home. He gets grain free wet food, 1 pouch divided between two meals, 70g dry food put down each evening, and a treat stick or a few dreamies each day.

He is at his absolute happiest on a Sunday evening when he gets the leftover chicken from the roast for tea instead.