Cat needs to gain weight. What to feed?

[67Dsophie567]

Adopted a cat a few months ago-- transitioned well I thought! Month later she had a lot of gas. Started to get thin. I then went back to Science Diet for sensitive stomachs (she was eating this in foster care) mixed with Iams. I'm giving her a teaspoon of milk every day as well as wet food too. My other cat who was brought up on Iams/Purina (18 yrs) is now gaining weight too. Lots of great info-- will try the powdered cat milk and more treats for the adopted one.

 

[JanieG]

It's October of 2017, and I just stumbled upon this thread. I'm also looking for a way to fatten up a very active Siamese who will only eat dry food. I'll get some kitten kibble and see if that will help.

Thanks!

 

[JKJ]

It is December 7, 2017, and I have just found this thread. I am so thankful as it has given me others ideas that I can try for my cat, Zoey, who has hyperthyroidism. Two years ago, she went from 12 pounds to 6 pounds when my husband was in the hospital for 2 months, and I wasn't home very much. Our other 2 cats seems to handle this fine, but we are all different, aren't we? This past summer she dropped an additional 2 pounds when we went on vacation for 1 week. She has gained 1 pound since June, but this last 24 hours, she has not eaten and is sitting on the floor vent inwhich the heat comes up into the room. I will try the baby food, egg yolk, kitten food, and Wysong dry food. Not all at once, of course, but when I get home today, she is getting some egg yolk. Thank you all.

 

[Jackie Roland]

First step, I would think, would be to offer her the highest-quality (i.e. grain-free) canned foods you can get your hands on. Nature's Variety Instincts, Evo 95% Meat, some Wellness, Natural Balance, Felidae and Go! Natural are all good choices. A rotation through several of these would be better than a diet of only one or two.

I would also feed her at least three times a day; if you can, four would be even better - cats often consume more in total when they're fed several smaller meals (not to mention, it's just better for them).

Then (looking at this strictly from a nutritional / weight perspective), I'd start adding real meat to her diet. Little bits of chicken, beef, turkey, any non-enhanced meat (which means no deli bits, etc.).

You can add real meat up to 10% of her diet (after that, you'll need to start balancing the raw meat with bone-in meals and organ meats).

One of my girls, Rachel, is also long-haired and has been thin her entire life. It wasn't until I put my cats on a fully raw diet that she gained enough weight to make me happy. She's still thin, but she's no longer scary thin like she used to be. It's a terrible feeling to pet your kitty and feel all her ribs and hip bones jutting out.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

AC