How Much Do Your Cats Eat?

[kaleidoscopesky]

My cats seem to be eating less than what's recommended on the cans-- for example, one of them is 5kg and a slightly chubby persian but she only eats about 100g of food a day. I feed her Zealandia, Addiction and First Choice.

How much do your cats usually eat?

 

[mightyboosh]

Oliver is on Hills digestive care dry food for his funny tummy and any other food makes him runny. Because I have three, they all have to eat it otherwise Oliver would seek the other's food out and be poorly. It's great stuff and they all thrive on it. It's been a miracle for Oliver so thanks to Hills.
I don't worry about amounts and feeding times as it's always out and available for them. They self regulate and none of them are fat. It seems to work for mine and being dry it can be left out longer than wet.

 

[MissMolly08]

In most cases, what is recommended on the cans of food is a gross overestimate! The general rule here is an indoor cat needs around 20 calories/lb of weight. You can find the calories listed on the can/bag of food or sometimes on the manufacturer website and figure it out for your cat's weight.
The cans of food I feed say my cat should eat a minimum of 8.25 oz of food but she only eats 5.5oz.

 

[Azazel]

I agree that cans usually overestimate. Mine eat anywhere between 6 - 8 oz of raw a day. It will depend on what you’re feeding too.

 

[Minxxy]

My two cats each eat 1\2 of a 5.5 oz can of Friskies Classic Pate with 1/8 cup Purina One mixed in twice a day. I'm feeding a stray kitty who eats two 5.5 oz cans in one meal. He usually comes back at night for kibble.

 

[KarenKat]

Olive will eat as much as she will get, the little piggy! I aim for about 200 kcal/day (she's probably under 10 lbs), which depending on the kcal of the cans is 1 or 1.5 of the 5.5 oz cans per day. I don't really give her kibble, since she doesn't "free-feed" as much as "eat all the food."

 

[Pucks104]

George and Louie are currently eating 6-7 oz of raw food per day.

 

[mizzely]

I am currently feeding about 5.5 oz of canned a day per cat, and leave 1/8 cup of dry out overnight. About 200 calories per 10 lb cat

 

[MargoLane]

I feed by calories instead of ounces, and I aim for somewhere around 180 per day. My cat is little, fairly active and hovers around 8 pounds. That's made up of 3 ounces of Radcat raw (about 100 cals) and a brick and a half of primal freeze dried per day (75ish cals) plus a few treats in her puzzle feeder. Calories work a bit better for me because when I forget to defrost the daily RadCat (i.e. this morning) I can sub in some Weruva flavours that are around 100 calories per can. The downside is that when I rotate types of meat for the Primal and RadCat, I have to do some calculations since the calorie counts are different for lean meats like venison and turkey vs. high fat meats like duck and pork.

 

[Gizmobius]

Gizmo is 13lbs and gets 6oz of homemade raw and about 3-4oz of canned. Stevie is 9lbs but is very active and gets around 7-8oz of canned a day.

 

[aliceneko]

Toffee and Fudge both get a pouch of Whiskas wet food for every three meals they have per day. Sometimes when there's a long wait between meals, they'll get a treat in between. They normally only get treats if we need to get them indoors or if they've hurt themselves or have done something particularly good. We normally give them turkey or chicken but they also like fish (salmon and tuna) and duck.

 

[Daisy6]

In most cases, what is recommended on the cans of food is a gross overestimate! The general rule here is an indoor cat needs around 20 calories/lb of weight. You can find the calories listed on the can/bag of food or sometimes on the manufacturer website and figure it out for your cat's weight.
The cans of food I feed say my cat should eat a minimum of 8.25 oz of food but she only eats 5.5oz.

Why would an indoor cat's calorie needs be different from those of an outdoor cat? It is all about age and activity level, which are not dependent on a cat's lifestyle.

 

[2BSH]

Mine are little piggies and eat a lot. Anywhere from 9 to 10 ounces or 250 to 270 calories per day. They are British shorthairs and are big/ muscular cats. They would definitely eat more if I let them. They act like I'm starving them every time I feed them they act like they have not eaten in a week

 

[ailish]

8 lb Ailish gets about 160 calories a day across 4 meals. She maintains weight and doesn't do the starving act unless it is actually mealtime. Of course, that meal better NOT be late.

 

[duckpond]

My cats vary a lot. i have smaller girls and big boys. I feed two wet meals per day, i give each cat a 3 oz can. But most of the foods i use are fairly low calorie, about 60 calories per can. I also leave out Dr. Elseys dry, and between the 4 of them they eat most of their wet......sometimes , and most of a 2/3 cup plate of Dr. Elseys dry, over a 24 hour period.

 

[1CatOverTheLine]

.
Three three ounce feedings a day, although most of them don't finish a three ounce can at every feeding, but Bob, my Norwegian Forest Cat nibbles at other bowls afterwards. That's roughly a thousand cans a month, plus treats, 'You're Such Sweet Kitty' Feast Days, Second Breakfasts and cetera.

If anyone wants some free cats, my phone number's right here, under this spoiler tag:

Spoiler: Call Now for Free Kitties! Operators are standing by!

Stop that! No one needs more kitties!

.

 

[tuffsmom]

I feed a 3 oz can of wet twice a day and a tiny bit of dry as bedtime snack. About 210 calories a day. My Tuff has no trouble keeping his weight at 10 pounds. He is strictly an indoor cat and doesn't get a lot of exercise.

 

[KarenKat]

1CatOverTheLine - how do you organize feeding 10 cats and a demon snowshoe!? I feed three cats and sometimes it feels like I’m feeding 17 bouncing bowling bowls of fur and plaintive, tortured meows. 11 cats must feel like 35.2 cats at least.

 

[1CatOverTheLine]

.
KarenKat - To be frank, most of mine are somewhat indifferent to food, although everyone still crowds the kitchen when the bowls are filled. They are, as a general rule, calm, pleasant kitties, that being no doubt the result of never having been showered with toast crumbs.
.

 

[KarenKat]

Hmm I supposed I created this monster myself. Well, Olive made her lap, I suppose she will have to snuggle in it.