17 lb cat- how much food?

[crow_white]

New here! So I'm considering adopting an adult cat, and a very large one at that. As the title lets on, he's a 17 lb Domestic Longhair mix, but his photos really make him look like there's some Maine Coon in there somewhere. He's not overweight, just built like a lion.

The guy has problems with his jaw so he can only eat wet food or moistened kibble. I'm considering doing a half and half diet "dry" and wet diet, and I've been trying to get a gage on how much that would cost me. However, finding info on cats naturally over 10lbs has been very challenging. The best I could find was through Amazon, somehow. The brand Royal Canin on their Maine Coon specialty dry food recommends a little less than 3/4 of a cup of kibble for a sedentary cat, and 7/8 of a cup for an active one. However, these numbers are both brand and species specific, so I hesitate to rely on their suggestions at face value.

Does anyone have a vet/self tested recommendation on how much a large adult cat should eat in a day?

 

[Kieka]

Depends on his activity level. Cats usually range between 15 to 30 calories per pound per day (so 255 calories to 510 calories per day), but activity level plays a huge role in that. A sedentary indoor cat will be at the lower range, young hyperactive cats at the upper range, and every variation somewhere in there. Once you figure out calorie needs you can then pick food with an eye towards their nutritional composition and caloric density.

I'd start in the middle and adjust depending on how his body condition looks (or feels if he is fluffy). I have a 16lb, 7lb and 10lb cat at home and we do two wet meals and dry out all day. But mine all have outdoor access and are hyperactive children most of the time so weight isn't an issue in our house. I still closely monitor their body condition and take action if someone is looking chunky (which I haven't had to do much but adjust treats so far, thankfully).

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

I will second the fact that activity level is definitely what matters when determining the amount of calories to feed. I have two males. One is 15 pounds, the other 9 pounds. They both eat about the same amount of calories currently because the smaller one is still quite active, and the other is a couch potato. (they are both the same age, BTW).

For wet food, pates typically have many more calories than other types of wet, if this cat likes them. It's a less expensive option for getting in more calories