Dry Food Kibble Size...anybody Make A Big Kibble

trudy1

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we have six rescues which get dry merrick bistro with a little blue buffalo twice a day. Yes, most all are overweight but I was wondering if a larger kibble would force them to stop “hoovering “ their food and take time to chew it?

Who makes a larger kibble besides royal canon Maine coon?

Pros and cons of this idea?
 

Azazel

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I don’t think chewing their food is going to make them lose weight. Kibble is typically composed of mostly fat and carbs. Cats do okay with moderate amounts of fat, but they have trouble digesting carbs (and the amount of fat in most kibble is above moderate). This is why you see cats become overweight on a primarily kibble diet. The best way to help cats lose weight is to make sure that most of the calories they are eating come from animal-based protein sources rather than carbs. And, since canned foods are typically lower in carbs and higher in animal protein, it’s recommended to feed primarily wet food. It’s also helpful to portion control if you can - to make sure they don’t eat more calories in a day than they should.
 

mrsgreenjeens

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:yeah:. AND, you can by large cans (13 oz) of Friskies pate, which is better than most kibble, if money is an issue with that many rescues. Even Wellness makes cat food in 13 oz cans!

But if you need to feed kibble, then I truly would suggest only putting out enough for timed meals, so they can't just keep eating and eating. To slow them down you can also try to raise their bowls, and also try using a slow eat bowl, or even use something where they have to work to get the food out, like a treat dispenser.
 

MissClouseau

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Oral Care kibbles are harder in texture to help clean the tartar. They will definitely need more time to chew it. There are some non-prescription ones too.

Oral Care - Royal Canin

Hill's® Science Diet® Adult Oral Care cat food

My cat eats both wet and dry food daily and that works the best for her. She panics when she doesn't see food in her bowl which is obviously not possible with wet food. This might not be possible with more than one cat in the house though. Still, I will also suggest adding some wet food into their diet. Preferably grain-free. I used to give only one can a day and split that can into two portions - half in the morning, the other half in the evening. Add some extra water for more hydration.

Unfortunately overeating might be about living with other cats and that's it. More food competition - more worry they might not find food later.

If they like to keep themselves occupied with food --this might be especially the case if they are indoor-only-- a treat ball might help. Put large kibbles in it so they won't come out and only add a few small-sized treats.
 

sargon

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One of the best ways to slow eating is with a puzzle feeder. They provide a hunting type experience for your cat and also slow the eating way down. i sue them for my cat, because she will eat too quickly and vomit, but they can slow eating to help a bit with weight, too.

in terms of large kibble, the most recent Dr Elsey's I got was a very large pellet of kibble (to my sorrow.) It is also one of the only kibbles that are essentially 0 carb ( i think it's 5%.)

With all that said, the usual way to deal with overweight cats is portion control, and that means that you may have to transition from free feeding to regular meals. In your case that probably means getting a microchip activated kibble dispenser that can be programmed for multiple cats ( I assume such a device exists, but maybe not)
 

maggie101

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I know canned is expensive but it may help to do half and half with canned food that has pieces of meet. Or add in shredded chicken as a topper so it takes them longer to eat. My cat Maggie, 9 pds takes in total a half hour to ear in the morning. That is the only time she insists on having shredded chicken as a topper she eats for 10 minutes,takes 10 minute break,comes back for seconds and takes 10 minutes.
 

maggie101

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According to the catfooddb.com
Merrick and blue buffalo are high in carbs
I dont feed any dry so hopefully someone else can help with that
 
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