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I became a first time cat owner this Saturday with the adoption of Sophia, a Siamese DSH mix. Sophia is 9 years and 4 months old, previously declawed, and, as of her last weigh-in in May, 16.1 lbs.
In her foster home, Sophia was being fed 2 5.5 oz cans of Merrick Purrfect Bistro grain-free per day, as well as 1/4 cup of Feline Original dry food overnight. Naturally, I believe overfeeding is the cause of Sophia’s weight gain.
According to her paperwork, Sophia weighed 11 lbs in 2014, but the medical history between those six years is missing. There is no mention of any health conditions. I’ve booked a preliminary vet appointment for her, but it’s not until early September.
In the meantime, I’m trying to gradually taper Sophia’s feedings down. The goal is to phase out the 1/4 cup of dry by Saturday (one week from adoption) and I’ve shifted to feeding 1.5 cans of the 5.5 oz food per day. She isn’t happy, but lowering her caloric intake from 450+ per day to around 320-350 should start to move the scale in the right direction.
Sophia is very inactive and has no interest in play. She’ll play for 30-60 seconds maximum, always laying on her back. Her maximum jump height is about 1.5 feet. Still, I’m trying to help her burn some calories. She has a low hanging belly that’s suspended only an inch off the ground and quickly gets out of breath. She’s unable to clean her backside or scratch her head with her foot.
Any advice or critiques for this method are welcome. I’ve been reading as many articles and watching as many videos on the topic as I can, but still feel overwhelmed as a new cat mom.
In her foster home, Sophia was being fed 2 5.5 oz cans of Merrick Purrfect Bistro grain-free per day, as well as 1/4 cup of Feline Original dry food overnight. Naturally, I believe overfeeding is the cause of Sophia’s weight gain.
According to her paperwork, Sophia weighed 11 lbs in 2014, but the medical history between those six years is missing. There is no mention of any health conditions. I’ve booked a preliminary vet appointment for her, but it’s not until early September.
In the meantime, I’m trying to gradually taper Sophia’s feedings down. The goal is to phase out the 1/4 cup of dry by Saturday (one week from adoption) and I’ve shifted to feeding 1.5 cans of the 5.5 oz food per day. She isn’t happy, but lowering her caloric intake from 450+ per day to around 320-350 should start to move the scale in the right direction.
Sophia is very inactive and has no interest in play. She’ll play for 30-60 seconds maximum, always laying on her back. Her maximum jump height is about 1.5 feet. Still, I’m trying to help her burn some calories. She has a low hanging belly that’s suspended only an inch off the ground and quickly gets out of breath. She’s unable to clean her backside or scratch her head with her foot.
Any advice or critiques for this method are welcome. I’ve been reading as many articles and watching as many videos on the topic as I can, but still feel overwhelmed as a new cat mom.
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