My Young Cat Would Eat Forever If He Could

[its tom the cat]

My young rescue is about 2 years and a bit. I have no actual idea as he came from Cuba. He loves to eat and never gets enough. He eats 4 meals a day plus some kibble. If I am eating he tries to steal my food. Last night he ate a cooked carrot and parts of a garlic bulb.
He goes poop on a regular basis and there appears to be nothing strange there. I checked all the symptoms of tape worm but nothing.
When he left Cuba he was examined by a vet for export purposes and was fine. A vet here checked him as well. As he is blind (has no eyeballs) he does not go outside. He is active and sleeps well. However he does not drink a lot of water.
Yesterday he got into a unopened bag of kibble, chewing a hole the size of my fist to get the food.

 

[duckpond]

if you have had him checked by the vet and there is no problem, health wise, maybe he has been hungry in his younger life? one of my rescues i have had about two years was skin and bone when i got him as a kitten. he still eats a lot, and will take food from the other cats if i let him. i feed him all he wants of low carb wet food and kibble. he does not have a weight problem, just a food problem. I and the vet are sure its because he was so starved early on. as long as he doesn't get overweight my vet advised feed him, just watch the weight. might be a good idea to have your vet treat him for parasites, and check for other health problems again, just to be safe?

 

[LTS3]

A garlic bulb? Garlic is harmful to cats. Many people foods are. See this list People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets

How much food are you feeding? It may not be enough to meet his needs.

Do you know if your cat was previously a feral or stray in Cuba? Those kinds of cats are often unsecure about food and will eat way more than they need. It takes awhile for them to learn that they now have food always available to eat.

 

[stephanietx]

What kind of food are you feeding him? It could be that the food has a lot of fillers and doesn't satisfy him. Have you tried a grain-free mainly meat food?

 

[its tom the cat]

After checking it was not a garlic bulb. It was a vegetable like a broccoli head. From what I understand the cat was feral in Cuba and because of his blindness people were concerned for his safety and took him to a vet who kept him until he was sent here.
He is not a fat cat in fact people think he is skinny. He weighs 10 pounds and has remained steady for months. He is all muscle. The vet here told me he would never be a big cat.
He gets a container of Fancy Feast (the square container) per day and one of the individual portions at breakfast. He also gets Royal Canin SO Dental as treats, possibly a half cup or less per day.

 

[its tom the cat]

First of all my cat is getting Whiskas moist in the square 100 g package divided 4 times a day. Plus he gets that plus a 37.5 gram individual each morning. It was not Fancy Feast as I had written.

 

[LTS3]

The Whiskas Selections? One tray per day is not enough food for a cat even with one whole Perfect Portion tray added and some dry dental kibble. The feeding instructions on a Selections says to feed 2 trays daily per 8 lbs of adult weight. The Perfect Portions are around 32 calories each which is pretty much nothing. Your cat is starving from lack of enough calories so he's seeking out food in your home to eat. Please give your cat more food to eat. You can include other brands of canned / moist food. If 10 lbs if your cat's ideal weight, you need to feed roughly 200 to 250 calories daily.

Here are some TCS threads with suggested brands of foods available in Canada:

Modestly Priced Canned Cat Food In Canada
Canadian cat food
What's The Best Wet Cat Food Brand For A Fussy Eater

 

[stephanietx]

I would suggest you feed him at least 2 wet food servings a day and offer some dry food at scheduled times during the day. If possible, find a good grain-free food in your budget plan and feed him that. It's protein, which kitties need for their systems. Fancy Feast classics are grain-free and while not the best quality are good for protein.

Here's another great resource for feline nutrition: Feeding Your Cat: Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition

 

[duckpond]

After checking it was not a garlic bulb. It was a vegetable like a broccoli head. From what I understand the cat was feral in Cuba and because of his blindness people were concerned for his safety and took him to a vet who kept him until he was sent here.
He is not a fat cat in fact people think he is skinny. He weighs 10 pounds and has remained steady for months. He is all muscle. The vet here told me he would never be a big cat.
He gets a container of Fancy Feast (the square container) per day and one of the individual portions at breakfast. He also gets Royal Canin SO Dental as treats, possibly a half cup or less per day.

i think i would bump up his food. another container per day of the wet and maybe a little low carb dry food?