Hungry Cat...

Minxxy

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As most of you Snickers is a former stray. He’s very happy to live inside now.
My question is : Is it normal for him to have such a huge appetite?
In the morning he gets a 1/4 cup of Young Again Zero Carb which is very high calorie. Later he’s asking for more. I give him a 1/2 square of Stella&Chewy for a snack. At night he still eats a whole can of Fancy Feast. He’s been to the Vet had several deworming including prevention for Tapeworm.
He looks super healthy and not losing weight or anything. Could he just have a huge appetite?
8DC653A6-B247-4156-A50F-F8C24C0BC448.jpeg
 

tabbytom

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I remember Snickers. An indoor cat needs roughly 200 -250 calories per day regardless of how many times he eats a day and also depending on his activity level.

So he could be sleeping most of his time and when he's awake, he'll be like spending his waking hours playing and eating. As long as his weight is constant and health is good, I just let him eat.

I monitor my boy and he eats around that amount calories per day. Sometimes he eats 1/2 can and sometimes 3/4 and sometimes one full can but added up for day is 200 - 250 calories. He's very active and he plays a lot when he's awake.

I don't count calories for him but I feed him whenever he's hungry but each of his 3oz can is about 50 calories. Some days he just eat less than that and some days more and his weight is constant. My boy is almost 3 1/2 years old.
 
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Minxxy

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I remember Snickers. An indoor cat needs roughly 200 -250 calories per day regardless of how many times he eats a day and also depending on his activity level.

So he could be sleeping most of his time and when he's awake, he'll be like spending his waking hours playing and eating. As long as his weight is constant and health is good, I just let him eat.

I monitor my boy and he eats around that amount calories per day. Sometimes he eats 1/2 can and sometimes 3/4 and sometimes one full can but added up for day is 200 - 250 calories. He's very active and he plays a lot when he's awake.

I don't count calories for him but I feed him whenever he's hungry but each of his 3oz can is about 50 calories. Some days he just eat less than that and some days more and his weight is constant. My boy is almost 3 1/2 years old.
Okay. Thank you so much..
 

di and bob

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As long as he doesn't have a huge waist, and you can still feel his ribs, I wouldn't worry about it. He may have a high metabolism. I would go by how he looks!
 

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Yes! Lots of cats have high metabolisms and eat more than you'd expect they would for their weights/sizes. Our cats do but like tabbytom tabbytom I don't monitor calories, I monitor hunger and how the cats look -- they may gain and lose a bit but as long as they stay within a certain plus/minus range, I'm happy. And they're happy.

That said: How long has Snickers been inside now? Some strays/rescues have food insecurities for years after they're brought inside and given stable diets. One of our two is still like and it's been more than five years. She'd overeat and barf if given the chance. Her sister, though, is a more hesitant eater who's always a little skinny. She, in fact, looks a lot like Snickers -- maybe he's a lynx mix, too?
 
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Minxxy

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As long as he doesn't have a huge waist, and you can still feel his ribs, I wouldn't worry about it. He may have a high metabolism. I would go by how he looks!
Great thank you..
 
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Minxxy

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Yes! Lots of cats have high metabolisms and eat more than you'd expect they would for their weights/sizes. Our cats do but like tabbytom tabbytom I don't monitor calories, I monitor hunger and how the cats look -- they may gain and lose a bit but as long as they stay within a certain plus/minus range, I'm happy. And they're happy.

That said: How long has Snickers been inside now? Some strays/rescues have food insecurities for years after they're brought inside and given stable diets. One of our two is still like and it's been more than five years. She'd overeat and barf if given the chance. Her sister, though, is a more hesitant eater who's always a little skinny. She, in fact, looks a lot like Snickers -- maybe he's a lynx mix, too?
He’s been inside for about a month now. Yeah he loves to eat. His body condition looks good so far. He doesn’t lose or gain weight.
Yeah he has the big blue eyes like a Siamese or Ragdoll . My female cat also has huge blue eyes but she’s calico color.
Well anyway Snickers appears to happy and healthy.
 

lisahe

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He’s been inside for about a month now. Yeah he loves to eat. His body condition looks good so far. He doesn’t lose or gain weight.
Yeah he has the big blue eyes like a Siamese or Ragdoll . My female cat also has huge blue eyes but she’s calico color.
Well anyway Snickers appears to happy and healthy.
Happy and healthy is half the battle -- if he's not gaining or losing weight, I'd just keep feeding him as you're doing. Like I said, our two continue to eat a lot for their weights -- they're active indoor cats so they burn it off pretty well, especially at this time of year, when they're constantly sitting and watching birds and chipmunks.

Snickers is a very handsome cat!
 
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Minxxy

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Happy and healthy is half the battle -- if he's not gaining or losing weight, I'd just keep feeding him as you're doing. Like I said, our two continue to eat a lot for their weights -- they're active indoor cats so they burn it off pretty well, especially at this time of year, when they're constantly sitting and watching birds and chipmunks.

Snickers is a very handsome cat!
Thank you so much..
 

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Oh my goodness, he is so gorgeous! :lovecat3:

My boy Chief was a picked up as a stray when he was just a kitten, and he also has an apparently insatiable appetite! I can't even open the fridge, he will literally climb in there. Speaking to other people I think it's quite normal.
 
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Minxxy

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Oh my goodness, he is so gorgeous! :lovecat3:

My boy Chief was a picked up as a stray when he was just a kitten, and he also has an apparently insatiable appetite! I can't even open the fridge, he will literally climb in there. Speaking to other people I think it's quite normal.
Awesome thank you so much..
 

GraceW94

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Awesome thank you so much..
Aw, no problem! There are some things you can do to try and manage his begging for food: slow feeders and licky mats stop them wolfing food down so fast and hopefully therefore help them feel full longer, and playing with them for a good half an hour prior to feeding will make them feel like they've chased something and caught it which can make them feel more satisfied. However the latter never worked with Chief, he knew it was nearly dinner time so had no attention span for play at all! He prefers to play after dinner. Jackson Galaxy has addressed this issue before, I think it was in My Cat From Hell so you might be able to find the episode on YouTube for more tips!
 
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Minxxy

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Aw, no problem! There are some things you can do to try and manage his begging for food: slow feeders and licky mats stop them wolfing food down so fast and hopefully therefore help them feel full longer, and playing with them for a good half an hour prior to feeding will make them feel like they've chased something and caught it which can make them feel more satisfied. However the latter never worked with Chief, he knew it was nearly dinner time so had no attention span for play at all! He prefers to play after dinner. Jackson Galaxy has addressed this issue before, I think it was in My Cat From Hell so you might be able to find the episode on YouTube for more tips!
Thank you. Well actually the asking for food doesn’t bother. I just want to be sure I’m feeding him enough. He seems happy with the amount I’m giving him now. I guess he’s just a piggy ..
 

lisahe

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Thank you. Well actually the asking for food doesn’t bother. I just want to be sure I’m feeding him enough. He seems happy with the amount I’m giving him now. I guess he’s just a piggy ..
Do you have an estimate of how old Snickers is? Some cats keep eating like kittens until they're two or three years old. (Ours did!)
 

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Strays often have food issues. If he's in good condition he's probably getting the right amount.

1/4 cup of Young Again has 162.5 calories. One can of Fancy Feast Classics usually has about 90 calories, although this varies by flavor (it's printed on the can). I don't know how many calories are in half a square of Stella and Chewy's but it's probably on the package. So he's getting at least 250+ calories a day, which should be enough for most cats. How much does he weigh?

He's an older boy, right? It would be a good idea to have him tested for hyperthyroid. Cats with hyperthyroid eat a lot but stay skinny. And his fur looks a bit greasy which is one of the first signs.
 
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Minxxy

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Do you have an estimate of how old Snickers is? Some cats keep eating like kittens until they're two or three years old. (Ours did!)
I have no idea really. The vet guess 5 or 6 years.
 
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Minxxy

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Strays often have food issues. If he's in good condition he's probably getting the right amount.

1/4 cup of Young Again has 162.5 calories. One can of Fancy Feast Classics usually has about 90 calories, although this varies by flavor (it's printed on the can). I don't know how many calories are in half a square of Stella and Chewy's but it's probably on the package. So he's getting at least 250+ calories a day, which should be enough for most cats. How much does he weigh?

He's an older boy, right? It would be a good idea to have him tested for hyperthyroid. Cats with hyperthyroid eat a lot but stay skinny. And his fur looks a bit greasy which is one of the first signs.
Thank you so much. I will speak to the Vet next time we go.
 
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