Assessing Correct Calorie Amounts

[blob99]

My 10 month old kit-teen currently gets wet food twice a day and has free access to dry food. It's important to me that she has access to the dry food because my work schedule can be unpredictable and I often have to unexpectedly work quite late. So, I want her to have access to food if she gets hungry and I'm past her feeding time. I also frequently travel overnight, so again, it's useful to have her used to dry food. But on a regular basis the goal is to give her the full calorie amount she would need in wet food. She's not an especially food motivated cat, so I'm not worried about her over eating. But I'm trying to figure out the right amount of wet food to be giving her. And part of the challenge is that the calorie counts on the food doesn't seem to be especially accurate.

Currently for wet food she gets Soulstic and Crave. The Soulstic is her favorite, but it appears to be lower calorie than other varieties I've tried. When she gets 6ozs of Soulstic a day (two 3oz servings) she seems to still be hungry and nibbles on some dry food. When she gets 6ozs of Crave (which is obviously more calorie dense as it's a pate and not shreds) she won't finish the whole thing.

So, my questions are these:
1. Is there a chart or database that shows accurate calorie information for different foods? I vaguely recall seeing one at some point, but I can't find it now.
2. What is the ideal calorie intake for her? She's quite petite-- just under 5lbs and by the vet's estimate she's essentially done growing. But she is quite active.

Thanks in advance!

 

[mightyboosh]

I believe the calorie intake should be 20 cal per 1lb of bodyweight per day so 100 calories. I'm not sure how much extra she'd need due to her age. Some of the pouches I've bought have the calorie content, others do not. An 85g pouch of Felix for example has 75 cals so one and a half a day.
Others with better knowledge will advise I'm sure.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi - I'm not going to be able to directly answer your questions because I typically don't go by the numbers so much as the cats' age (kittens usually eat a lot) and after maturity, body type and the "lightly feeling the ribs but not seeing them" axiom. You are sharp and have already seen that she chows down on the one food but not so much the other so you're ahead of the game in my opinion.
Something you could consider, a lot of people leave wet food out all day with no problems.
So in other words, I look at it as letting the cat tell me, and then adjusting the food amount either up or down as necessary to keep a reasonably ideal weight/body shape.

 

[betsygee]

There's a chart here: http://catinfo.org/docs/CatFoodProteinFatCarbPhosphorusChart.pdf.

 

[LTS3]

There's a chart here: http://catinfo.org/docs/CatFoodProteinFatCarbPhosphorusChart.pdf.

There isn't a good chart for dry food calories but this one has most big name brands: http://www.franklinanimalclinic.vet/sites/site-2382/documents/Cat_Dry_Food1.pdf

There isn't any specific calorie amount cats need. It's just recommended to feed enough to keep the cat at a good body condition. 20 to 25 calories per pound of ideal body weight daily is typical. Some cats are just normally petite in size and may not eat many calories but that's perfectly ok.

 

[blob99]

Thanks, all.

I don't need to calorie count for the dry food-- just trying to make sure I'm feeding enough wet food that she doesn't turn to the dry except when I'm working past dinner time!

Her body condition at the moment is good and of course I'd like to keep that way. So all of the above posts have been very helpful in figuring out the right amount of wet to feed!

Thank you!

 

[orange&white]

My vet gave me some good common sense advice when I took my youngest cat for her 1-year check up last Fall. He said, "Measure her calories daily and weigh her once a month. If she's gained weight, cut her calories a bit; if she's lost weight, increase her calories."

 

[jen]

My vet gave me some good common sense advice when I took my youngest cat for her 1-year check up last Fall. He said, "Measure her calories daily and weigh her once a month. If she's gained weight, cut her calories a bit; if she's lost weight, increase her calories."

This is really great advice because people often try to make it into a science of this many calories for this weight, and age etc etc but it often doesn't even work that way. People over complicate things. Keep an eye on her weight, all the time, for her whole life. Her needs will change as she ages. Some foods will be more filling then others. Some more protein and some more carbs or fat. Tweek the daily amount accordingly and if there are drastic changes in appetite or weight have a vet take a look at her.

 

[Jessica2112]

Cats are approx 20 calories per pound and they say kittens need double. That's only a guideline though.

 

[lisahe]

This is really great advice because people often try to make it into a science of this many calories for this weight, and age etc etc but it often doesn't even work that way. People over complicate things. Keep an eye on her weight, all the time, for her whole life. Her needs will change as she ages. Some foods will be more filling then others. Some more protein and some more carbs or fat. Tweek the daily amount accordingly and if there are drastic changes in appetite or weight have a vet take a look at her.

This is my philosophy on it, too, particularly because I am not a numbers person and we feed such a variety of foods!

 

[Willowy]

The charts are nice but they don't have every brand and flavor. Most brands have that info on their websites, if not you can always call their customer service number or email them.


Teenage kittens need a lot of calories. She'll eat a lot more now than she will when she's older.