I Am Confused As To What To Feed My Cats

[JTerrade]

Hi! I have an 8 years old Maine Coon cat and a 7 years old Tabby cat. My Maine Coon (Frank) is overweight. He weighs approx. 21 pounds. I do read that Maine Coons easily weigh in the category of 20 pounds however I can tell that losing a few pounds would do him good. My other Cat ( Misty) weighs 15-16 pounds.

I have read on numerous sites that I should be feeding my Maine Coon a high protein diet. I am thinking I should be mixing dry and wet food however how muchÉ I honestly don't know how much to feed them anymore in order to maintain a healthy weight. We don't go to the vets as hubby does not agree. They are indoor cats, any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Joanne

 

[JTerrade]

Also, they are on a dry food diet. I am not sure why my membership is showing kitten. I Must have selected by mistake.

 

[EmersonandEvie]

The key to cat weight loss is to lose the weight slowly over time. Too much weight loss too fast can cause major health issues in cats. There are a lot of members on here that have been on weight loss journeys with their cats; hopefully one will chime in! I believe that most have found success with scheduled feedings and weaning their cats off of being free-fed.

All cats need a high protein diet. Wet food provides that protein much more readily as compared to most dry food. What is your monthly budget? Wet food ranges from inexpensive to very, very expensive.

 

[EmersonandEvie]

Kitten simply means that you are a newer member and you haven't posted/replied to other posts very much...yet.

 

[KarenKat]

Hi and welcome! Don’t worry, I think we are all confused on what to feed sometimes. You want a food that is high in protein, has medium fat and low carbs. As EmersonandEvie mentioned, it’s easiest to get that combo in wet food than dry food. Also wet food is better since it has higher moisture and cats have a low thirst drive. Depending on activity level, the rule of thumb is to feed about 20-25 kcal/lb to maintain weight. Maybe reduce that by 15% or so and see if they start losing weight.

What dry food are you currently feeding? Finding the best food that is highest in protein and lowest in carbs will do wonders. Look for the first five ingredients or so to be a meat, and try to avoid carby fillers like corn, wheat, soy, peas and potatos. Most dry foods have these fillers, but if you find one that has less that will help. CatFoodDB - Cat Food Reviews to help you find the best cat food for your cat is a good resource for checking levels of protein and carbs.

I would approach the weight loss this way:

1. Change the dry food to something better if you can.
2. Stop free feeding and start measuring their dry food and feeding meals at specific times.
3. Start adding some canned food to the mix to replace a dry food meal
4. Increase playtime and exercise.

It’s a long journey for sure. We had a Tabby that was 17 lbs, and just from switching him from dry Purina Indoor Cat chow (mostly corn) to dry Natural Balance Green Pea and Chicken (lots of peas, but I think better protein sources) he got more active and lost 3 lbs in about 3 years. Right now we are feeding Young Again Zero Mature, and hoping our chubby tortie Olive will slim down a little (she also eats a variety of canned food but started recently eating the kibble as well. This her chunkiness).

I think it’s great that you are trying to get your guys to a healthier weight. Since they are a little older, it might be a good idea for a vet checkup - you can make sure they are healthy and the vet can give tips for weight loss too. I know your husband doesn’t believe in that, but it could help just to go one time. Good luck, and let us know how it goes! Also we would love to see pictures of your big boys!

 

[kittyluv387]

If you switch him to a wet food only diet he'll probably lose weight without all the carbs and junk from dry.

 

[lisahe]

Since there are already some suggestions to feed wet food, I'll just mention some easy ways to start with supermarket foods. Fancy Feast Classics and Sheba pates are very low in carbs and reasonable in price. Friskies pates are pretty good, too, and many grocery store chains also have house brands that are similar to these three brands but cheaper.

Some of the ingredients that I'd suggest avoiding, if you can, are: any form of wheat, corn, rice (though Friskies has a bit of rice), potato, and peas.

I agree with KarenKat about a vet visit, too, though I also realize you said your husband doesn't want to do that. At your cats' age, it's a great idea to get them a checkup (even a blood panel, just to make sure there aren't any problems, many of which are very easy to fix if caught early, lurking) and get some advice on diet. None of us are vets!

 

[mizzely]

My tabby cat was overweight until I started adding more wet food to her diet. She finally got to a healthy weight once we settled on 2tbsp of dry a day with one 5.5 oz can of food.

Protein and fat take longer for the body to convert to energy. Carbs on the other hand are easily converted, and anything that isn't used up is stored as fat. That's why protein and fat make us feel fuller for longer, and partly why a canned diet is helpful with weight loss.

If you think about a mouse, which is a perfect meal for a cat, it is high in protein, moderate in fat, and low in carbs, and about 70-75% moisture. That is partly why cats don't have a high thirst drive... They evolved to get most of their moisture from their meals.

A dry diet can never hit all of those points. Some do get the macros close but the moisture is still lacking. That's not to say dry can't be used at all but canned is definitely going to be more biologically appropriate.

 

[JTerrade]

Hi! I have an 8 years old Maine Coon cat and a 7 years old Tabby cat. My Maine Coon (Frank) is overweight. He weighs approx. 21 pounds. I do read that Maine Coons easily weigh in the category of 20 pounds however I can tell that losing a few pounds would do him good. My other Cat ( Misty) weighs 15-16 pounds.

I have read on numerous sites that I should be feeding my Maine Coon a high protein diet. I am thinking I should be mixing dry and wet food however how muchÉ I honestly don't know how much to feed them anymore in order to maintain a healthy weight. We don't go to the vets as hubby does not agree. They are indoor cats, any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Joanne

Thank you soooo much for all your recommendations. I really appreciate it. It doesn’t say how many calories is in the wet food. The dry food I have been using is Purina one purposeful nutrition. We have many cans of west food left over from Costco. It is Friskies. It says one can is good for 2 meals? I will switch over slowly. I do timed feeding however still not sure on how much to give each of them. I don’t want his weight to fluctuate to fast. Last time, he dropped one pound in a short period of time. I felt horrible. Again , thank you so much

 

[JTerrade]

Hoop

 

[JTerrade]

Oops meant to do both pics small. The above is Frank

 

[lisahe]

Thank you soooo much for all your recommendations. I really appreciate it. It doesn’t say how many calories is in the wet food. The dry food I have been using is Purina one purposeful nutrition. We have many cans of west food left over from Costco. It is Friskies. It says one can is good for 2 meals? I will switch over slowly. I do timed feeding however still not sure on how much to give each of them. I don’t want his weight to fluctuate to fast. Last time, he dropped one pound in a short period of time. I felt horrible. Again , thank you so much

First off, Frank is a very handsome cat -- what a beautiful coat of fur!

I wish pet food companies would put calorie counts on all cans, it would be so helpful!

Good luck with switching Frank over -- Friskies is pretty decent and most cats love it, so you've got something good to start with. It's also great that you've already been doing (or decided to do) timed feedings. Those help so much!

 

[Furballsmom]

This is fantastic (I LOVE Frank!!) that you're doing this.

I can't tell if you are already, but if you have a bathroom scale, hop on it yourself, then with Frank in your arms. Subtract, the difference is what he weighs. Keep a log of his weight maybe once or twice a week at first until you have a better idea, and then you'll have a much easier time of knowing what's happening as you go along.

Help Understanding Calorie Count/cat Lost Weight On New Food as mentioned in another post in this thread, cats should be fed about 20 calories per pound of weight.

Feeding Indoor Cats?! ...and also look at post number 5, and 19 in this same thread for more information. (The chart is from catinfo . org, the protein/fat/carb/phosphorus chart)

You could also try some extra things regarding water, such as ice cubes, filtering water, having cleaned daily bowls in unusual places and/or heights even.

Try increasing his activity levels as well - wand type toys can be good

 

[jen]

Your cats are adorable!! I would try to work on your hubby with his attitude about vets. Does he not go to the doctor himself? What does he suggest you do if the cats get sick, parasites, injured... overweight cats can easily become diabetic, male cats who eat a lot of dry can end up with urinary issues.... What about dental cleanings when their teeth and gums are rotten and infected and they won't eat and are starving from the pain? Please work on him or take them yourself when he is at work.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

If the cans of food don't list the calories, you can often find out that information via their websites.

Best of luck with this weight loss adventure. I too have only had luck using wet food vs dry.

 

[JTerrade]

Your cats are adorable!! I would try to work on your hubby with his attitude about vets. Does he not go to the doctor himself? What does he suggest you do if the cats get sick, parasites, injured... overweight cats can easily become diabetic, male cats who eat a lot of dry can end up with urinary issues.... What about dental cleanings when their teeth and gums are rotten and infected and they won't eat and are starving from the pain? Please work on him or take them yourself when he is at work.

Hi.. Yes I completely understand and no worries. If Frank was showing any signs of not being well, I would be banging on the vets door

 

[JTerrade]

If the cans of food don't list the calories, you can often find out that information via their websites.

Best of luck with this weight loss adventure. I too have only had luck using wet food vs dry.

Thank you for your response. Your cats are all beautiful!