Feedback Wanted On How I Am Feeding Thermose

[houghj3]

Hi Everyone,

Just checking to see if this diet plan makes sense.

When I get home from work (9am) I give her:

1/2 cup Hills Presciption Dental Care
4-6 Temptation treats (the 2 calorie ones)

Before I go to bed:
1/8 cup of the Hills, sometimes this is optional depending on what's in the bowl

When I wake up for work (midnight)
1/4 cup of hills
4-6 Temptations
Tablespoon of Tuna, or wet food.

Thermose isn't very curious or active, I have to find a game (other than laser) that she enjoys. But I don't know what happens in apartment from Midnight to around 9.

She hasn't acted out and only meows when I get home, maybe hello, maybe hungry.

Her initial Vet visit was a month ago, the Vet said Thermose was slightly overweight, by very little. She was concerned because initially I free pouring kibble and such. Have another visit this week.

2 years old, Female, Spayed.

 

[orange&white]

I would cut the tinned tuna complete out of her diet. Wet food, the more the better, is good. Other than that, changing from the bottomless bowl of free-feeding kibble to measured portions is the way to keep her weight in check.

(I'm not a fan of any of the Hill's products, but that isn't your question, so I won't go there. )

 

[houghj3]

I would cut the tinned tuna complete out of her diet. Wet food, the more the better, is good. Other than that, changing from the bottomless bowl of free-feeding kibble to measured portions is the way to keep her weight in check.

(I'm not a fan of any of the Hill's products, but that isn't your question, so I won't go there. )

If you can recommend a different kibble product, I am open to it. The Hills just got pushed on me by the Vet so I am going through that bag for now.

If I switched up and went 1/4 cup kibble, half tin of wet food, better you think?

Also if Thermose hasn't eaten the wet when I wake up and it's kind of crusty (garbage right?)

Any reason no regular tuna, she seems to like it?

Thanks for response, sorry about all the follow up.

 

[LTS3]

Are you in the US or another country? If you can tell us what country you are in, we can provide suggestions for brands available in your country.

Fish and seafood are ok once in awhile as a treat for most cats but can cause health issues in others. This has some info: Can I Feed My Cat A Fish-based Or Fish-flavored Diet?

Dried out canned food is ok. You can add some water to moisten it up. Some picky cats won't eat re-moistened canned food, though.

 

[houghj3]

Are you in the US or another country? If you can tell us what country you are in, we can provide suggestions for brands available in your country.

Fish and seafood are ok once in awhile as a treat for most cats but can cause health issues in others. This has some info: Can I Feed My Cat A Fish-based Or Fish-flavored Diet?

Dried out canned food is ok. You can add some water to moisten it up. Some picky cats won't eat re-moistened canned food, though.

I am in Canada. I would take suggestions on kibble and wet food. For the wet I was buying Presidents choice, Thermose liked it. I just thought Tuna would be better. So thanks for that info and the water trick for the wet food.

 

[orange&white]

My concerns with tuna are 1) high mercury levels and 2) cat addiction to tuna, where some cats start to refuse any other food. For some Omega-3's, I do feed my cats 1.5-2 ounces of oily fish per week, but stick with fish that are not known to have high mercury levels. I rotate sardines, mackerel and salmon (tinned in water). Anchovies would also be great, but I can't find any locally that are packed in water. 1.5 ounces is 1/2 a tin of sardines to each cat per week.

Some people don't like feeding any fish because of the addiction factor. I would use an Omega-3 fish oil supplement if I weren't feeding some oily fish. (My concern with fish oil supplement, is that it can go rancid before you use an entire bottle...but I expect the cat would refuse to eat it.)

I would put the uneaten wet food back in the fridge before it gets crusty and put it back out at the next feeding, or put less out at a time with smaller, more frequent wet offerings. Thermose should be encouraged to eat more wet and less dry if possible.

There is at least one other thread running right now on recommended foods available in Canada. Perhaps another of our Canadian friends can link the threads.

How much does Thermose weigh? You can figure that she needs about 20 calories per pound every day. From there, you can calculate the calories from the wet and calories from the dry to figure an appropriate mix.

 

[lisahe]

I agree with the other comments about feeding more wet food and cutting the tuna! Even without going into brands, it's easy to say that the more meat in the food, the better. Whether the food is wet or dry, it's meat protein that cats need, not fillers like grains, potatoes, and peas. If you do/must feed dry food, of course there will be some of those fillers but looking for foods with real meat at the top of the ingredient list is a good start! In any case, wet food with minimal fillers is best for weight maintenance so you'll get an added bonus there if you increase the wet food. Do be careful, though, to give Theremose enough calories: two-year-old cats can still be pretty active and if she's only been with you for a month or so, she might still be a bit shy. (I also just looked at your profile... it sounds like Thermose is a abandoned/rescue cat that you found, so she might still be getting used to your household. She's a very pretty cat!)

As to crusty dry food... our cats love munging leftover crumbs in their bedtime snack bowls! I live in Maine so the weather's not exactly hot and I don't need to worry about it spoiling.

Since you mentioned finding games, I'll add that our cats love sponge balls (Petco) and pretty much anything with catnip but particularly toys that I make with old socks.

 

[houghj3]

My concerns with tuna are 1) high mercury levels and 2) cat addiction to tuna, where some cats start to refuse any other food. For some Omega-3's, I do feed my cats 1.5-2 ounces of oily fish per week, but stick with fish that are not known to have high mercury levels. I rotate sardines, mackerel and salmon (tinned in water). Anchovies would also be great, but I can't find any locally that are packed in water. 1.5 ounces is 1/2 a tin of sardines to each cat per week.

Some people don't like feeding any fish because of the addiction factor. I would use an Omega-3 fish oil supplement if I weren't feeding some oily fish. (My concern with fish oil supplement, is that it can go rancid before you use an entire bottle...but I expect the cat would refuse to eat it.)

I would put the uneaten wet food back in the fridge before it gets crusty and put it back out at the next feeding, or put less out at a time with smaller, more frequent wet offerings. Thermose should be encouraged to eat more wet and less dry if possible.

There is at least one other thread running right now on recommended foods available in Canada. Perhaps another of our Canadian friends can link the threads.

How much does Thermose weigh? You can figure that she needs about 20 calories per pound every day. From there, you can calculate the calories from the wet and calories from the dry to figure an appropriate mix.

Hi,
Thermose is between 8.5-9.6lbs (don't remember exactly). She pretty much eats whatever I have been putting out, and does like the wet food. I think I will increase wet, reduce measured kibble, will continue with Temptation Treats, and I will try Sardines as a replacement to wet 3 meals a week.

Any thoughts on that?

 

[houghj3]

I agree with the other comments about feeding more wet food and cutting the tuna! Even without going into brands, it's easy to say that the more meat in the food, the better. Whether the food is wet or dry, it's meat protein that cats need, not fillers like grains, potatoes, and peas. If you do/must feed dry food, of course there will be some of those fillers but looking for foods with real meat at the top of the ingredient list is a good start! In any case, wet food with minimal fillers is best for weight maintenance so you'll get an added bonus there if you increase the wet food. Do be careful, though, to give Theremose enough calories: two-year-old cats can still be pretty active and if she's only been with you for a month or so, she might still be a bit shy. (I also just looked at your profile... it sounds like Thermose is a abandoned/rescue cat that you found, so she might still be getting used to your household. She's a very pretty cat!)

As to crusty dry food... our cats love munging leftover crumbs in their bedtime snack bowls! I live in Maine so the weather's not exactly hot and I don't need to worry about it spoiling.

Since you mentioned finding games, I'll add that our cats love sponge balls (Petco) and pretty much anything with catnip but particularly toys that I make with old socks.

Thanks, it seems like consensus is that wet is better. The meat tip will help make a choice on my next run. I have tried Catnip Thermose seems to have little interest in it. She likes watching bird videos on my computer and the laser games, but these seem kind of "cruel" (maybe not the right word exactly).

 

[orange&white]

Hi,
Thermose is between 8.5-9.6lbs (don't remember exactly). She pretty much eats whatever I have been putting out, and does like the wet food. I think I will increase wet, reduce measured kibble, will continue with Temptation Treats, and I will try Sardines as a replacement to wet 3 meals a week.

Any thoughts on that?

Sounds like a better plan than the original Hill's-dry/little wet/little tuna! Figure on 9 pounds, giving her 180-200 calories per day. I'd weigh her once a month and increase or decrease calories from there if that isn't a good maintenance amount.

 

[lalagimp]

All of that kibble seems like a bit much on calories for a petite cat. The boys would have to have about 5/8 cup per day and they are 12 and 13 lbs. They can have I think 1 1/4 of a 5.5 oz can on canned food. My boobah gets 5 oz of raw now and the stubby gets 4.5 oz of raw. They were significantly heavier than your cat so I have to weigh them and redistribute food accordingly. Tom had to lose 8 lbs and Stewart had to lose 4. Those two know how to eat.

 

[LTS3]

I found a few threads that discusses brands of food in Canada:

Canadian cat food
Website to buy cat food in Canada?
Switching to all wet diet - how to budget in Canada?
Presidents choice food
Conflicted about cat food after visiting vet

 

[KatKnapper]

Thanks, it seems like consensus is that wet is better. The meat tip will help make a choice on my next run. I have tried Catnip Thermose seems to have little interest in it. She likes watching bird videos on my computer and the laser games, but these seem kind of "cruel" (maybe not the right word exactly).

Hi Houghj3. Thought I'd take a break from sitting here nodding my head in total agreement with all who have replied. I'm a new cat person as well, going on six months now. In that time I've had to devour tons of info to attempt to understand my little guy (not pictured here).

From my observations, cats need the mental stimuli like watching things outside from the window. I think they understand that though they are agile hunters to the core, they also have their limits. I'm sure they get it that it is a "win some, lose some" life for them (chasing a bee, or stalking squirrels). I agree with you on the laser. No matter how hard they try, it is probably beyond their comprehension why they can't grasp it between their paws. I think the exercise my cat gets by running at full speed and dashing around while chasing the laser outweighs the cons (exception being the harm done to their eyes by taking the laser bean directly into the retina).

My cat still runs about on his own as he spars with an imaginary prey and running through this coiled fabric tube at break-neck speed. The laser light runs add an addition amount of quality exercise for his well-being. Strenuous exercise makes for a healthy heart among other things when done right. I would suggest winding down the laser play with some chase activity that allows them to catch their prey, if they're not to exhausted.

 

[abyeb]

My checklist for determine a quality food is...
- grain-free
- potato-free
- carrageenan-free
- has meat (or fish) listed as the first ingredient.

Wet food is generally better for weight loss, as it contains more water which makes cats feel full for longer. However, kibble works very nicely with puzzle feeders, which gives cats mental stimulation and exercise. Charlie loves this puzzle feeder: PetSafe SlimCat Interactive Cat Feeder
And this one: PetSafe Funkitty Egg-Cersizer Cat Toy (this isn't the exact egg-shaped puzzle feeder I have, mine is a generic brand I found at the pet store, but same idea)

 

[houghj3]

Hi Houghj3. Thought I'd take a break from sitting here nodding my head in total agreement with all who have replied. I'm a new cat person as well, going on six months now. In that time I've had to devour tons of info to attempt to understand my little guy (not pictured here).

From my observations, cats need the mental stimuli like watching things outside from the window. I think they understand that though they are agile hunters to the core, they also have their limits. I'm sure they get it that it is a "win some, lose some" life for them (chasing a bee, or stalking squirrels). I agree with you on the laser. No matter how hard they try, it is probably beyond their comprehension why they can't grasp it between their paws. I think the exercise my cat gets by running at full speed and dashing around while chasing the laser outweighs the cons (exception being the harm done to their eyes by taking the laser bean directly into the retina).

My cat still runs about on his own as he spars with an imaginary prey and running through this coiled fabric tube at break-neck speed. The laser light runs add an addition amount of quality exercise for his well-being. Strenuous exercise makes for a healthy heart among other things when done right. I would suggest winding down the laser play with some chase activity that allows them to catch their prey, if they're not to exhausted.

Hi, Thanks for the reply. Yeah my guy has free range in my small apartment (11th floor with large windows), but just doesn't seem very curious at least when I am home. She has no interest in balls, scratchers, catnip fill stuffies, wand toys etc. Eventually I will find something. Because I am home during the day, she's normally sleeping, when she's not she's all over me. In the next few weeks I will set up a camera so I can have a look what's happening after Midnight while I am work, maybe she's going bonkers, no signs of that though.