Can feral cats grow after a certain age

sweetlilac

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Just wondering... I have been feeding my feral KittyKat Temptations treats and Kibble (she seems to like this better than wet food, though I am willing to try wet food again... and it seems to me that in the last year or two, since being the only one, she's grown a little bigger.

Maybe it's the extra nutrition? Or my imagination? She must be about ten or eleven years old. Just wondering, thanks. Also she is crazy about being groomed - insists on daily groom sesh - so maybe she just looks sleeker and prettier. But she looks a bit bigger. idk?
 
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sweetlilac

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Thanks! Me too. Weird to grow at this age. Do you think I should try giving her wet food again? I hear it's better for them but she liked it for a bit, then was like, meh... fancy stuff, cheap stuff...
 

white shadow

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Her growth years are far behind her at age 10-11. Growth, by nature, will have ceased, at the latest, by two years.

No amount of "nutrition" can change that.

Now, muscle mass and body fat...........those have the capacity for change. Perhaps that's what you're seeing.

Meantime, for a million reasons, the only way to know which such changes have occurred........is to have taken regular, periodic ongoing pictures. THEN you'll know!

Wet food? Yep, it's best........remember though, some will have fewer calories than others. Fancy Feast is low-calorie, so personally, I'd include having kibble available.
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sweetlilac

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Thanks. I have given her different brands. I can't figure out why she lost interest in wet food? Try again? My best guess is that she is "hooked" on Temptations, but I'd think she'd like wet food better. I do microwave one day to wrist temperature, and open a can every other day, as even a small can is a lot for her. I have given her many flavors. She'll eat all the flavors of Temptations so not a picky eater, just the opposite.

After years of being a feral and getting just Kibble, she thinks she is in foodie heaven now.
 

white shadow

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I've used Temptations, too. But....only 3-4/time, and, not regularly, usually only with a hesitant or standoffish cat. (OK - and with the occasional cutie :lol: )

They're really not appropriate for cats, though - inappropriate ingredients and loaded with carbohydrate (waaaay over half, if my math is right). Where's the meat? Oh right, dried up chicken offal.

Here's what their website shows as ingredients (aside from Taurine + Vit)
  • Chicken By-Product Meal
  • Ground Corn
  • Animal Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols)
  • Brewers' Rice
  • Wheat Flour
  • Dried Meat By-Products
  • Natural Flavors
  • Brewers' Dried Yeast
  • Dried Cheese
  • Potassium Chloride
  • Choline Chloride
  • Salt [from temptationstreats.com]
The Brewers Yeast and the cheese are 'the draws'.......a cat junkie's delight!

I know we're doing our cats no favors if Temptations make up a large portion of what they eat.

Now look>>>>>>>>>>I'm not criticizing at all, so please don't take or see it that way!


Do you have any pics of her? And, are you considering taking pics periodically for a record of her condition as time goes on ?
.
 

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Ive also read/heard temptation treats aren't good to rely on for meals. My cats love them but I only give them as a nighttime treat. I’d rather they eat mainly wet food but they seem to like dry food better so I mix the wet food with the dry.
 
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sweetlilac

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Wow! This is news to me. Thank you, I am always looking out for KittyKat's best interests! I had no idea. When I went on Amazon, several commenters said they feed their cats exclusively this... but I can see from these comments that maybe... not such a good idea.

KittyKat looks as healthy as ever, but I am inspired to switch her over, even though this is more work for me. (Opening cans, cleaning dishes, etc...) no matter. I will mix some treats in but not offer them as an option in the AM... unfortunately I will have to figure something out as my dh feeds her when he gets up at like 5 AM... he is not going to to any of this!

Hmmm.... is Kibble (like Meow Mix) and the like safe? thx
 
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sweetlilac

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FurballsMom, as to brands I've tried, Friskies, Fancy Feast... whatever. To make it succinct, stuff in small cans and big cans. But I have to put some of it in the fridge for the next day and reheat to wrist temp as she won't eat an entire can in one day. Not even sure that's the sticking point. I think she lost interest in it and just decided she liked dry food better.

I still have lots of unopened cans of different varieties/makers from when I tried.
 

Furballsmom

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I still have lots of unopened cans of different varieties/makers from when I tried
You could let your husband feed a certain amount of kibble and then later in the day you could try some canned--it sounds as though you're way ahead of me regarding brands of wet food :)
 
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sweetlilac

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It sounds like it's important to give her wet food? And that the Temptations really should only be a small portion of her diet? That's my takeaway. Thank goodness she hasn't gotten fat.

Anyway it can't hurt for me to ask dh to give her some wet food, he may grumble but I can try. He is just not an animal person... but wonderful otherwise. He might do it for me!

Later in the day, the bees come out, still having a warm Nov.... and she picks at food during the day, and we only leave it out for a NY second. So... I will do what I can... thanks for the input!

My guess is that the Temptations may be like sugar, an addictive habit. I gave up sugar. Now I never miss it. I want KK to be healthy especially as she is not a spring KittyKat! though she is still pretty cute.
 
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sweetlilac

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PS how long can you leave wet food out for before it goes bad? an hour?
 

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I have to ask (I might have missed it somewhere) - - - is she spayed? Thought it's worth asking, since she's getting bigger AND friendlier! She also is likely "bulking up for winter" as ferals do - - they eat more to put on extra "winter fat" (so do I...but that's a different story :lol: ) and their fur becomes thicker. But since is sounds like you've cared for her for some time, I'm sure you've gone through many winters with her and know what her "winter look" is. Just another thought to throw out there!
 
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sweetlilac

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So... wet food left out a coupla hours might be okay?

And yes, dh is the most bestest! 'Cept for some reason, he's not an animal person.
Who knows why? He's very warm, sweet, caring, etc.

That said, I had a cat for 16 years and he did a lot of the help so I figure he gets his "catless" 16 years~!

'Cept KittyKat showed up.... and now here we are...
 

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sweetlilac

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Good to know. I can ask dh for help then... thx! (Kitty says thx too!)
 
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sweetlilac

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Update, furry feral parents! I gave KittyKat some Fancy Feast yesterday and today instead of Temptations and she licked her bowl clean. So excited to switch out for the better food, thanks for the suggestions.

Hopefully, and slowly, I can decrease the Temptations less and less so that they are just a side note to her diet. I did not care for those ingredients either.
 
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