Gaining Too Much Weight On Raw

[orange&white]

You can do it! It is sort of difficult with more than one cat needing different amounts of food, but several of us here have done it, so we're here to encourage you onto your success.

 

[Sibguy]

I'm no expert but have had and have lots of different animals for pets. Alot of food equals over wieght and health problems. This goes for humans also. Humans and animals alike do not need half the amount that we think we and they need. Less is way more with food. Our bodies are made to go lengthy periods with out food and actually benifits our bodies. Animals in the wild do not have daily buffets. Their bodies are designed to get full then fast then full then fast. I would recommend just cutting the amount of food down and all your problems will get answered. I am trying to do this with my self also lol

 

[Ardina]

Whew, I finally have some time to make the next batch. Just weighed Saipha - even though she's been eating the same mixes as before for the last couple of weeks and the same amount (4 oz), she's down to 12 lbs 13.5 oz! I'm still going to go ahead and make some low calorie mixes just for her with half the number of egg yolks. Let's hope this works!

Now if I could just get the meat out of the chest freezer - Saipha is contentedly asleep on top of it.

 

[orange&white]

Hey, 12lb 13.5 oz is super progress! Today is cat food day here too.

 

[Ardina]

I wish I could just make it all tonight, but when you try to defrost 35 lbs of meat in the fridge, it takes a couple of days. *twiddles thumbs* Should last a good two months though, now that Mishka no longer has a black hole for a stomach.

 

[orange&white]

Oh gosh, that's a lot! I'm only making 180 ounces and it's taken me along time today dicing, cubing, weighing. I'm just now getting to supplements, then packaging. And that's only 14-15 days for 3 cats! Some day I'll get a grinder to make bigger batches faster.

 

[sevenplus1]

I'm in a similar situation. I have a 1.5 year old who I am trying to keep below 12 pounds. I also have a 8 month old who eats everything and stays lean (although I think he only has a month or two left of his eat anything and stay thin time left). I have been trying to feed the older one 6oz of raw plus some freeze dried treats at night. But its been hard as comes certain times of the day and he just attacks the kitchen counter and puts his nose in everything (including my food).

Do others here have this problem; of cats attacking the kitchen before their meal times and of constantly asking for food? I can't see how he could actually be hungry as he's gained a pound since I got the new kitten. I'm always giving the older one at least something when I feed the kitten so he doesn't feel neglected (lol I'm sure that's more my psychology than his.) He's still lean and has an athletic waist and shoulders. I have that cat waist chart and he's not fat but he could lose a pound. The vet said he should be between 10 and 11 pounds and he's 12.

Its at the point where I avoid the kitchen unless I absolutely have to go there. Or I lock the cats in another room for when I'm in the kitchen. To make matters worse, the 8 month old looks like he's going to be even worse. He goes on my desk and knocks things down prior to meal times. And he also likes to attack the keyboard and the computer screen. If only they could understand that I am trying to keep them thin so that they will live longer and not suffer through unnecessary obesity related illness. But they just don't listen. lol.

 

[Ardina]

I'm in a similar situation. I have a 1.5 year old who I am trying to keep below 12 pounds. I also have a 8 month old who eats everything and stays lean (although I think he only has a month or two left of his eat anything and stay thin time left). I have been trying to feed the older one 6oz of raw plus some freeze dried treats at night. But its been hard as comes certain times of the day and he just attacks the kitchen counter and puts his nose in everything (including my food).

Do others here have this problem; of cats attacking the kitchen before their meal times and of constantly asking for food? I can't see how he could actually be hungry as he's gained a pound since I got the new kitten. I'm always giving the older one at least something when I feed the kitten so he doesn't feel neglected (lol I'm sure that's more my psychology than his.) He's still lean and has an athletic waist and shoulders. I have that cat waist chart and he's not fat but he could lose a pound. The vet said he should be between 10 and 11 pounds and he's 12.

Its at the point where I avoid the kitchen unless I absolutely have to go there. Or I lock the cats in another room for when I'm in the kitchen. To make matters worse, the 8 month old looks like he's going to be even worse. He goes on my desk and knocks things down prior to meal times. And he also likes to attack the keyboard and the computer screen. If only they could understand that I am trying to keep them thin so that they will live longer and not suffer through unnecessary obesity related illness. But they just don't listen. lol.

I think I've gotten lucky that Saipha seems satisfied with 4 oz of raw per day. Though she certainly lets me know when it's mealtime! orange&white had some luck with adding gelatin to the mixes. It adds a little protein, but it's mostly water and helped Tangent stay full longer. Maybe that could work for you?

 

[Ardina]

It's been a week and a half since Saipha's last weigh in and a week since I started feeding her low-calorie mixes. She's down to 12 lbs 11 oz!

 

[orange&white]

Sounds like it's working! She's losing at a nice pace; not too fast or slow. Keep up the good work!!!

 

[sevenplus1]

I think I've gotten lucky that Saipha seems satisfied with 4 oz of raw per day. Though she certainly lets me know when it's mealtime! orange&white had some luck with adding gelatin to the mixes. It adds a little protein, but it's mostly water and helped Tangent stay full longer. Maybe that could work for you?

I see that you are feeding your older cat the 4oz of Raw per day. That's what I need to do but probably at 5 or 6oz. I've been feeding Rex probably closer to 8 because that's what I'm feeding the younger one (some days closer to 10oz). I also give the dehydrated chicken treats once or twice a day. That can add up too.

Its good to see what other raw feeders do to keep their cats at a healthy weight. I think raw makes a difference for overall health but being overweight is always a disease factor.

 

[Ardina]

I see that you are feeding your older cat the 4oz of Raw per day. That's what I need to do but probably at 5 or 6oz. I've been feeding Rex probably closer to 8 because that's what I'm feeding the younger one (some days closer to 10oz). I also give the dehydrated chicken treats once or twice a day. That can add up too.

Its good to see what other raw feeders do to keep their cats at a healthy weight. I think raw makes a difference for overall health but being overweight is always a disease factor.

I've definitely seen a difference with raw - Saipha has more energy, and her poop is much better too. She was always so picky with canned food, but she loves the raw - hence why she was eating 8 oz a day when I let her eat as much as she wanted.

Definitely try measuring how much you're feeding and slowly decrease until you're getting a good rate of weight loss. For Saipha, it was 5.5 oz for a while. Then she stalled, so I kept decreasing, and 4 oz seems to be working.

You're right - it's hard and they'll beg and beg (or in Saipha's case, steal my socks out of the laundry basket and chew holes in them if I'm late feeding her), but they'll be so much healthier for it in the long run.

 

[orange&white]

Good news: They can eat more after they hit their goal weight and go to a maintenance diet. That's my experience with Tangent anyway. He kept losing slowly after I increased his food for the first time. Then I increased his fat content a little. Today he's back at 5 to 5.5 ounces of a more average protein/fat ratio mix. He's much more energetic and getting more exercise now that he's at a good size.

 

[sevenplus1]

Good news: They can eat more after they hit their goal weight and go to a maintenance diet. That's my experience with Tangent anyway. He kept losing slowly after I increased his food for the first time. Then I increased his fat content a little. Today he's back at 5 to 5.5 ounces of a more average protein/fat ratio mix. He's much more energetic and getting more exercise now that he's at a good size.

That's true with humans too. Generally speaking a weight loss diet for humans requires 10-12 calories per pound of body weight. But once you've lost weight, the usual recommendations are for 13-15 calories for maintenance. So its not surprising that its similar with animals.

 

[sevenplus1]

You're right - it's hard and they'll beg and beg (or in Saipha's case, steal my socks out of the laundry basket and chew holes in them if I'm late feeding her), but they'll be so much healthier for it in the long run.

Yeah, that's what I'm getting as well. My 8 month old goes into my closet and bites the laces on my shoes and sneakers. He also knocks over everything on the desk including the keyboard. The older one just makes a bee-line for the kitchen counter and starts to lick plastic bags. (I've seen other cats do this as well.) Portion control for cats is difficult in that regard as you have to cat proof your house in some ways.

 

[Ardina]

Saipha's at 12 lbs 8 oz! Which is a 3 oz loss from 8 days ago (and I weighed her just after she ate). Is that too fast a drop? Should I increase her daily intake a bit?

 

[orange&white]

Ardina, I think as long as her appetite is good then a 3 ounce loss now and then is ok. I'd keep her food at the ounces you are currently feeding her for one more week. If she loses more than 2 ounces at the next weigh in, then increase a little bit.

Tangent had a few weeks with losses that worried me, but also weeks where I cut him back and he stayed the same or gained an ounce. I learned to weigh weekly, but look more at the average over a month. Also, I experimented some and weighed him two times in one day or two days in a row when I wasn't happy with his weight. There was up to a 4 ounce difference in a matter of hours in his first "with poop inside' weight and his second "with poop outside" weight. So pee and poop can add or subtract a few ounces.

 

[Ardina]

I'll hold at the current amount and see how she does next week then!

 

[Ardina]

Saipha's at 12 lbs 6 oz! That's only a 2 oz loss over two weeks, but I was away last week and had my roommate feed her. I'm fairly sure Saipha managed to steal some of Mishka's food over this last week, but she hasn't gained any weight, which is good news!

On the other hand, Mishka is still mostly skin and bones under all her floof with no padding at all over her ribs. Is she still growing at 10 months? I feed her as much as she wants, which is around 5-6 oz per day.

 

[Ardina]

Saipha is down to 12 lbs 4.5 oz. Slow and steady is working!