How Much To Feed An Adult Maine Coon Mix

[Eating Machine's parent]

We have recently adopted a female, 4 yr old, Maine Coon mix...I'm not sure how long she was a stray before being found. When she was found she was quite underweight at 12 lbs. Now, 4 months later she is at 17 lbs. My questions is how much should we feed her? Her name is Em (Eating Machine). The vet said to only feed her a half cup of dry per day (this does not seem to be enough for a large cat)...we are feeding her closer to a cup a day (3/4 cup in the morning and 1/4 at night). She eats all the food immediately and then acts hungry for most of the day. While we can just barely feel her ribs, she doesn't look like she is overweight. We are deeding her a grain free dry food. Thoughts?

 

[maggiedemi]

I would add in some canned food along with the dry.

 

[abyeb]

Here’s a helpful article: How Much Food Should I Feed My Cat?

It can be tricky figuring out how much food to give a cat, because it depends so much on the individual (size, activity level, etc.). The general guideline for assessing a cat’s body condition, is that you should be able to feel their ribs, but not see them. So, it sounds like Em should be fine, although it can sometimes be hard to tell with longhairs. Something you might want to try, is giving her wet food. Because of its moisture content, wet food is less dense than dry, so cats feel like they’ve had more.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi! ...also look for less carbs higher protein I think, so her appetite is better satiated?