How much should I be feeding my 10 lb cat

[hfbeckett]

I heard that its 20 calories per pound from the vet but he looks too skinny? So I then read online it was actually 30 calories per pound. And that a cat is supposed to drink about a cup of water a day so I was adding 1/4 water twice a day to his canned food and it would make a giant soup and he would lick it all and then leave some food he was too lazy to get to. And then he would pee in great volumes and I'm worried he may not be getting enough food to water and peeing his electrolytes out

Today I only added 1/8 cup chicken broth and there was so much less pee

 

[amethyst]

The calories aren't one size fits all some cats need more some less based on age, activity level, etc. Here is an article that explains it.

How Much Food Should I Feed My Cat?

Also unless your cat isn't drinking water on their own, or your vet told you to, you don't need to add that much to the wet food. I only add a couple tablespoons (1/8 cup) per 5.5oz tin, but my cats all drink water too.

 

[rubysmama]

If you cat is mostly eating canned food, he is probably already getting plenty of water from his food, and will likely rarely drink water from his dish. At least that is what I find with my Ruby girl, who eats mostly canned food. Sometimes in the summer time when it's really hot, or if her stool looks a little dry/hard, I will add a teaspoon or so water to her food. But other than those times, I just feed her the canned food, with a few dry kibble pieces throughout the day, as a treat.

One cup of water sounds like a lot, so no wonder he was peeing such large clumps, and leaving food behind. I would definitely lighten up on the additional water, and see how that goes.

About the calories needed, as amethyst mentioned, it depends on the cats age and activity level.

About the chicken broth, I'd be a bit concerned over the sodium content.

How old is your cat, btw? Any health issues?

 

[FeebysOwner]

make a giant soup and he would lick it all and then leave some food he was too lazy to get to...Today I only added 1/8 cup chicken broth and there was so much less pee

Hi. The calories, as you have been advised above, are dependent on the cat's age, activity level, and general genetics related to that specific cat. You need to chart how many calories he eats a day just to see where he is at currently, weight him at least once a week - and then add a bit more calories and continue to weigh him weekly to see how that affects his overall weight. It is a process, but it won't take you long to figure out how to increase his weight if that what is needed.

If your cat has issues with how he eats, it could be just his way of eating. Feeby (15+ yo), for example, has difficulties eating canned food that is either too solid - or too soupy. And, no matter the consistency, she just can't seem to manage to find a way to eat that last little bit in a dish. It's not a lazy thing, it is just 'her'. I am continually scooping and re-scooping her food into a pile to get her to continue to eat it. And, if there is just a bit left, I add more food in accordance with what she should be eating over the course of a day. I do add some water, but not a lot. She drinks a lot on her own (always has) and pees huge clumps at least once-twice a day (also, always has).

I agree with the above comments about the chicken broth - may be too much sodium which can cause fluid retention - and, therefore, less peeing. If this is what you are doing to keep him eating his food, consider getting bone broth from a pet store - they typically have less sodium that 'human' chicken broth.

 

[hfbeckett]

He is going to turn 7 this year. We made the chicken broth from just boiling a chicken so no worries on the sodium. He had 2 urinary obstructions before so I'm always adding water to his food. In January I found out friskies was very bad for him and he kept vomitin. So I switched his food, I think too many times to healthier choices without a transition bc I didnt want him to eat the friskies and for 5 days he didnt want to eat. So I took him to the vet and the bloodwork came back with elevated liver and kidney values but it wasnt insanely high. The vet said it was most likely due to the dry food I was feeding him bc that's all he would eat and he had been on wet food for 3 years. He was also very stressed during the process, shaking and trembling. After the visit though he was eating and it's just been trial and error with his food.

I also do the piling up of the food! When he licks it into a corner or smashes it down too much

And hmm I dont add an additional cup of water lol i just add what would make it a cup combined with his food. Although I may have been adding a bit too much water and messed up my math.

Currently he eats Nulo's Turkey and Duck with a little Life's Abundance Instinctive Choice to get around 208 calories and 172 ml of water. To get to 225 ml (which is calculated from 50ml of water per kg of weight) I add 3.6 tablespoons of the broth

 

[rubysmama]

Thanks for clarifying about the additional water. I understand your concerns since he's had urinary obstructions.

Back to your initial question about how much you should be feeding him, maybe check out the website for his food. They usually have feeding guidelines.

 

[FeebysOwner]

He had 2 urinary obstructions before so I'm always adding water to his food...
So I took him to the vet and the bloodwork came back with elevated liver and kidney values but it wasnt insanely high.

No wonder about the added water! At his age, just keep the vet monitoring his liver and kidney values. The closer they monitor them, the quicker they can identify a turn for the worse - or, for the better.

 

[hfbeckett]

Okay thank you all so much!

 

[maggie101]

I wonder if adding water makes him feel full sooner? I worry more about my cats not getting enough food,except Coco. Maggie knows how much fat and protein she needs Her first meal she always has exactly 1/2 5.5oz can no more no less. Even if it's just a few bites she will come back to the kitchen to finish it. She is long and skinny with curvy hips, 9pds and eats a whole can in 3 meals. Peaches,7 pds 1/3 can, Coco 8pds 3/4 can. All my cats are active

 

[hfbeckett]

I was also thinking that that might be the case. He is a kicker of food, doesnt really bite. I wonder if his tongue gets tired from constantly licking???

 

[FeebysOwner]

I was also thinking that that might be the case. He is a kicker of food, doesnt really bite. I wonder if his tongue gets tired from constantly licking???

Never thought about that! Could apply to Feeby too since that is what she really does - lick the food, not really bite it. Hmmm.

 

[maggie101]

I was also thinking that that might be the case. He is a kicker of food, doesnt really bite. I wonder if his tongue gets tired from constantly licking???

That reminds me, Peaches licks her food, Maggie likes pieces of meat in gravy/broth, Coco will eat it in one big swallow. Maggie will not eat her food if its mashed down, Coco seems to have trouble with small pieces of shredded chicken in a broth,no trouble not in a broth her tongue is not very rough and a small mouth

 

[MissClouseau]

My Hima gets gassy from eating wet food as she swallows more air. She seems to have a limit of 2 cans of wet food a day -- in 4 portions, she can't eat more than 40 grams at once and I have to handfeed at least 3 meals of them or she doesn't eat. She eats dry food later though. So it's not like she felt full and that's why she stopped.

When her weight goes down like it recently did because one of her current wet foods is lower calorie than her former, I add more "boiled turkey/chicken pieces" as a treat.

Also be careful, some cats need to eat more than the others to maintain a healthy weight. And some days my Hima for example eats more than her usual, some days less than her usual. That's one of the reasons I'm against giving the exact same amount of food every day. Obesity is a problem too of course but that can be manageable by both monitoring Body Condition Score physically, and weighing her on the same scale every week.