AboutKC Expertise I can answer questions related to feline and canine diet including questions regarding ingredients, by-products, nutrients, raw diets, brand named products, etc. I can also answer questions related to pet health, behavior, grooming, and general animal management.
***Before asking a question, please read my past answers as they will more than likely answer your question:
http://en.allexperts.com/q/Cat-Food-3490/indexExp_83830.htm
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http://petfoods.freeforums.org
Experience I have done research on the relationship between feline diet and feline diabetes due to my personal experience in dealing with one of my own cats. I am a pet lover and always have numerous cats and dogs. I believe in feeding a high quality and by-product free diet. Diet alone cured my diabetic cat as well as either cured or significantly helped many others.
Education/Credentials Bachelor's Degree in Biological Sciences and years of
experience working as a Veterinary Technician
I have a 7 y/o cat who weighs 17 lbs.
I have a 2 y/o cat who weighs 13 lbs.
Eight months ago I had to move into a fourth floor apt and they are no longer able to go outside. They've become bored and lazy (like their owner). Before we moved they were 12 and 10 lbs respectively. I am having a really hard time getting them to play as they hate it here and are depressed. I know what can happen to overweight cats and it would kill me if they got sick and I knew I did it to them.
I currently feed them Purina Cat Chow for Indoor cats. I'm on a VERY tight budget. I offer them plenty of clean water at ALL times.
Can you tell me how much, and when I should feed them (I'm able to feed them separately, as the 7 y/o is a HOG) Also... the 2 y/o has vomiting issues w/ hairballs and I often have to give her the hairball remedy in a tube. Please help with any advice you can offer.
Worried Kitty Mom In CT
Answer Hi Amanda,
As a general rule, I feed all of my cats only twice per day. They are given treats in between meals, on occasion, but are never allowed to graze (snack) all day long, as all carnivores are meant to eat larger portions at once rather than frequent small portions. This is better to maintain weight, healthy teeth, stomach, and gastrointestinal tract. It is allowing cats to graze all day that leads to obesity. You also NEVER want to give a grain-based food to cats...like Purina and most of the big named commercial ones...the grains are loaded in sugars and carbs which just add weight and cause problems later in life.
I always feed both canned and dry for various reasons and only feed a high quality, super premium food. Please read some of my past answers regarding food brands, by-products, and commercial food ingredients. The better the food, the less your pet will eat and the fewer digestive problems you will notice...and the easier it will be to maintain a proper weight. Science Diet, Eukanuba, Purina, and many of the other so called 'top' brands do not contain quality ingredients, sadly, and can contain harmful fillers. Not to mention, the premium foods are very less likely to lead to diabetes and weight problems...not to mention other health issues. You will also notice a healthier skin and coat on a premium food and much less shedding and hairballs. Also, the vomiting issues should totally quit. Be sure to keep them brushed at least once per week, using a Furminator shedding brush or slicker brush to remove all the dead undercoat. If you start them on a better food the shedding will become gradually less and you won't have to brush so frequently.
I personally feed all of my cats the Nature's Variety, Wellness, and/or the Innova brands of food. They are all made from human-grade, organic ingredients with no fillers and few grains (grains contain carbs and sugars which increase weight). I feed 1/4 to 1/2 of canned food both a.m. and p.m. As soon as they walk away from the bowl, I immediately pick it up and offer dry. The dry is left down for 10 minutes, max, and then picked up. No food is left down during the day. I occasinally offer a few kernels of dry during the day for a treat or else cooked chicken, organic treats, etc. I usually feed around 12 hours apart also, give or take an hour or two. With this schedule it will take a pet that is used to grazing all day, about a week to get used to it w/out begging a lot. Once they are used to it, they should seem totally satisfied if you are using a good quality food. Also, the higher the protein content, the more filling it will be.
It is going to take a month or more before you start noticing a significant weight loss...as it should be gradual and not drastic. If you are unable to afford a premium food such as Wellness or the others listed...I would highly recommend trying to switch to a raw-based diet or combine raw foods with a human-grade cat food. The food costs more than Purina...BUT you will spend less on health care in the long run and they eat a smaller portion of it per meal. The Purina has so many fillers that in a single month they will consume much much more of it than they would a premium brand.
