Am I Feeding My Cat Too Much Or Not Enough

[bigluvgoboom]

Hello my name is Max and I have a 5 year old cat that is 11 pounds. I adopted her from the Humane Society about 2.5 weeks ago, When we adopted her we were told to feed her 1 cup of food a day. We decided to feed her 1/2 a cup in the morning and at night. She would NEVER finish all of her food so I would just add a little bit of dry food if needed. When we went to the vet (just for a routine exam) they told us that we should be feeding her half a cup of food A DAY (because she is 11 lbs). Which is half of what we were giving her. The problem is that now she is always begging for more food and is almost always finishing her food in 5 minutes. Today I feed her a little extra because I felt like I wasnt feeding her enough but hours later she is asking for more. Should I just return to her normal feeding schedule or should I feed her like a half a cup in the morning and a forth a cup at night? If you have any questions I will respond ASAP.

 

[abyeb]

I think about 1/2 a cup a day sounds about right. My Charlie is 12 lbs and he gets that amount. Each cat is an individual, though, and you need to factor in activity level as well.

This article gives some more helpful info: How Much Food Should I Feed My Cat?

 

[Daisy6]

Welcome to TCS. Concatulations on adopting a kitty. What is her name?

First you need to try to add wet food to her diet. Wet food has more of what a cat needs: protein from meat (as opposed to meat or poultry meal) and a lot of water in each serving. Dry food is better than no food, obviously, but wet food would fill her up quicker and keep her full longer in addition to being much healthier.

 

[lalagimp]

It sounds like you're talking about wet food, but it's usually ounces and not cups.
5.5 oz cans can fluctuate between 120-200 calories, which is normally enough to sustain a cat that size, if it's got roughly 180 calories, and her activity level is good.

 

[MissMolly08]

1 cup sounds like a lot. Most dry foods have upwards of 300 calories/cup and an 11 lb cat only needs around 220 calories/day +/- a bit depending on activity level. Definitely shouldn't need over 300 calories though.

It could be 1) That she just got used to always having the extra food available and now isn't really hungry but just worried about when the next meal will come since she's running out of food quickly or 2) If you are feeding a carb-heavy dry food, it may not be keeping her full as long as it should. MEAT/protein and moisture are better at keeping kitties full for longer so some wet food in her diet may help with that.

 

[Pjg8r]

I’m confused whether you are talking about wet or dry food. If it’s dry, the reduction in quantity may be the issue, especially if she eats rather quickly and finishes it before her tummy knows it has had enough- the same reason we are told to eat more slowly. Could you try some type of puzzle feeder to make the meal last longer? I have always used one and it helps a bunch. I also put a few (5 or so) pieces of kibble on the top shelf of their climber and if one of them is still hungry there is a small snack but they have the work for it.

 

[bigluvgoboom]

I think about 1/2 a cup a day sounds about right. My Charlie is 12 lbs and he gets that amount. Each cat is an individual, though, and you need to factor in activity level as well.

This article gives some more helpful info: How Much Food Should I Feed My Cat?

1 cup sounds like a lot. Most dry foods have upwards of 300 calories/cup and an 11 lb cat only needs around 220 calories/day +/- a bit depending on activity level. Definitely shouldn't need over 300 calories though.

It could be 1) That she just got used to always having the extra food available and now isn't really hungry but just worried about when the next meal will come since she's running out of food quickly or 2) If you are feeding a carb-heavy dry food, it may not be keeping her full as long as it should. MEAT/protein and moisture are better at keeping kitties full for longer so some wet food in her diet may help with that.

Im just start feeding her less food over time, I feel like I switched too quickly.

 

[bigluvgoboom]

Welcome to TCS. Concatulations on adopting a kitty. What is her name?

First you need to try to add wet food to her diet. Wet food has more of what a cat needs: protein from meat (as opposed to meat or poultry meal) and a lot of water in each serving. Dry food is better than no food, obviously, but wet food would fill her up quicker and keep her full longer in addition to being much healthier.

Her name is Lucy, Im gonna start giving her some wet food and hopefully it will help. Also im gonna transition her from her 'normal' amount of food to a 1/2 cup, where it should be.

 

[bigluvgoboom]

It sounds like you're talking about wet food, but it's usually ounces and not cups.
5.5 oz cans can fluctuate between 120-200 calories, which is normally enough to sustain a cat that size, if it's got roughly 180 calories, and her activity level is good.

I was talking about dry food, sorry it was unclear. That information will still be useful because I want to start giving her wet food aswell.