Poppy Is On A Diet......

[Minxrat]

Poppy is one on Sunday. Her vet has told me she needs a diet.....

When she was a solitary kitten, she would eat her wet food over a period of time then nibble on dry. Since Milo came along in November, he hoovers up the food so she doesn't get a chance to eat a lot (she'll have a few mouthfuls) so she eats mainly dry. Which she likes. A lot.

Naturally they will both only eat certain brands....

So the first day of her diet was yesterday, there was only a bit of dried food downstairs. She ate some wet but not an awful lot. And then later mithered for dry upstairs. So I put down a small handful which she ate, then before bed another one, which Milo helped her eat. Then she was begging for it at 5am.

This can't be enough food for her surely? They get wet in the morning and evening and then free feed dry.

They are both indoor kitties so don't get fed anywhere else.

She weighs 12lb so that's a pound a month since birth *bad cat mum!*

 

[maggiedemi]

Hi. Can you feed them in separate rooms? That's what I do.

 

[Minxrat]

No sadly not. It's a tiny house plus she doesn't eat fast enough.

At the moment she's on top of the work surface (grim, i know, but she's eager) and he's on the floor so I stop him finishing off her food until she's walked away.

Then the antiseptic spray comes out

 

[maggiedemi]

Maybe feed the wet first and don't put out the dry until she finishes it?

 

[Minxrat]

Gonna be a few days training there I think! Nothing like being moaned at (and believe me, she's a real moaner!) at 5am.

 

[duckpond]

I have 4 cats, the two boys are big eaters, they are fine any way i feed them, but my one boy will throw up if he goes longer than 7 hours or so without a little something my two skinny little girls are grazers, they do not do well with just meals.

So i do feed a bit different than some, as meals just dont work for my bunch. I feed as much wet as they can eat 2 or 3 times per day, and leave left overs out for 4 or 5 hours as they often come back and finish it up. I do free feed Dr. Elseys dry food, there is always a bowl of that for them to nibble on.

Cats need high protein, moderate fat, and low carbs. The wet foods i feed are lower in calories, fat and very low carbs, i think this is best as they can eat quite a bit without worry of weight gain. I use a lot of weruva, Tiki cat after dark, some of the against the grain, and some of the Fussie cat super premium, and some of the almo natures complete foods. Makes the cats happy as they get more food, and me happy because i dont have hangry cats

Dr elseys chicken is the only dry i feed these days, very low in carbs, they all like it, but the high protein seems to keep them full and no one over eats. If i had to feed a different dry i would not free feed it. This is how we do it in my house, works for us, so you may just try different foods or combinations till you find what works for you.

I do check the calories protein, fats and carbs on all foods i feed. I put a few links below of places i look. Not sure what foods are avaliable for you, but maybe the links will help?

CatFoodDB - Cat Food Reviews to help you find the best cat food for your cat
http://catinfo.org/docs/CatFoodProteinFatCarbPhosphorusChart.pdf
Cat Food Nutrition Calculator | Elizabeth C Scheyder

 

[Minxrat]

They have both decided they like Felix Good as it Gets (but not beef....) and Purina Go Cat (tuna one for Poppy and the kitten one still for Milo). Poppy is a grazer like yours but will only eat wet the twice a day I put it out. Milo will eat when presented with anything, although if he doesn't like it then he does the whole pawing the ground burying it thing lol.

I'll certainly have a look at your links.

Poppy has Maine Coon in her so was destined to be big but my baby is a bit chunky now.

 

[duckpond]

View attachment 221973

They have both decided they like Felix Good as it Gets (but not beef....) and Purina Go Cat (tuna one for Poppy and the kitten one still for Milo). Poppy is a grazer like yours but will only eat wet the twice a day I put it out. Milo will eat when presented with anything, although if he doesn't like it then he does the whole pawing the ground burying it thing lol.

I'll certainly have a look at your links.

Poppy has Maine Coon in her so was destined to be big but my baby is a bit chunky now.

Beautiful girl! best of luck, it can take a bit to find the foods that work for your cats, and that they will eat. You will

 

[Minxrat]

Isn't she just. A little mardy moobag though

Thank you, I hope so.

 

[lalagimp]

My girls graze, but they have a feeder that will only open to the tags on their collar. You can program the feeder to work with the microchip between the shoulder, but their tags were easier. If she's eating primarily dry then premeasure a cup with about 1/2 cup in it and give her little bits throughout the day. Stewart's diet was 1/2 cup of dry and Tom's was 5/8 cup because he's a larger cat. It's going to depend on how many calories are in the formula you're feeding.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi! Not to argue with your vet but I had a Maine Coon mix, and your girl doesn't look overweight.
So, she's been eating basically only dry food since November, not by her choice and now she's being cut back ...
She needs her wet food.
First, if you can lightly feel her ribs with a thin layer of fat over them, she's just fine.
Second, if you're able, would you consider a microchip or tag operated feeder. I'm thinking your other cat actually is going to end up overweight if he's continues to chow down
Third, have you tried any toppers like crumbled treats, kitten food, tuna, boiled unseasoned cut up chicken on top or mixed in to foods they're unconvinced about to help broaden/expand your menu?

 

[Minxrat]

I'm erring towards the not overweight thing too. For a start, she was a year old yesterday so is probably still growing, plus her body is quite proportionate. I can just about feel the ribs tho..... It's hard to put one cat on a diet when there's another one who doesn't need a diet!

I stand with them whilst they eat their wet now, and she simply just doesn't want much of it. I even hand feed a bit. He will go back and finish it all later. I think she genuinely prefers dry.

Milo has a lot more energy than Poppy, he's always on the go and is quite slender and muscly so I think he'll be okay on the weight front. As he matures the feeding pattern will change but he's not even 6 months old yet (and is already quite a long boy).

I've tried whiskas toppers but I would like to try some cat sauce to dribble on - although would that add the calories?!

Tag/microchip feeders not really an option as neither wear collars (they're indoor cats). I think me standing with them whilst they eat is the best option at the moment.

 

[Furballsmom]

Oh I see, so Milo needs to eat a lot!
And she is very possibly a slow maturing cat, Maine Coons usually are slower to mature than others, so definitely don't underfeed her. If you can just about feel the ribs, she does not need to be in a diet. Cat sauce might work very well in your efforts to get her to eat wet, or some human tuna water from the can, or some unseasoned boiled cut up chicken bits. Good luck, let us know how things go!

 

[Minxrat]

Hmmm tuna water....that is indeed a good idea. I like tuna but always drain it off. I'll look for sauces too.

She has boiled chicken usually after the vets but has bloody gone off that as well!! She is being put under anaesthetic Wednesday to get the mats out of her hindquarters so will need something bland after that. Milo likes chicken too.....surprise surprise lol.

I do worry as she is quite a sedentary cat but the last three nights they have been playing downstairs together which is absolutely fantastic (I have earplugs lol) so that might give her some exercise. Then they chase each other around the house first thing in the morning and in the evening (sorry neighbours...)

 

[Furballsmom]

Lol, that's so fun, I love the zoomies

 

[Minxrat]

So, I bought some Felix Sensations (which is saucy). Gave it to her this morning, she sat down, licked most of the sauce, ate a couple of mouthfuls and that was it. Milo had a spoonful in his kitten food to stop him robbing her but I think he hoovered the rest up lol.

I just think she's not that bothered about wet food!

 

[epona]

If she does possibly have MC in her, she may not be done growing until she is 2 years old - what I would do is take photographs weekly, as a log of how her middle looks in comparison to her height and length. I't is possible that she will have another growth spurt or two.

Of course you should always keep an eye on the weight and build of your cats, it is important to their health - but each is different.

You should be able to feel a little of the ridges on the spine and a little bit of ribs under the fur when you stroke her. My vet recently got "tactile" posters for cat and dog so you can feel them and compare to what you can feel of your cat's or dog's rib bones at a healthy weight - that is actually quite useful.

I certainly wouldn't worry too much about a cat her age unless she was really obese - and it doesn't look as though that is the case.

 

[maggiedemi]

Have you tried pate or shreds?

 

[Minxrat]

Felix good as it looks is a pate type food. She's gone off that too. I have no idea what shreds is! I'm in the UK - do we have it?

 

[Minxrat]

If she does possibly have MC in her, she may not be done growing until she is 2 years old - what I would do is take photographs weekly, as a log of how her middle looks in comparison to her height and length. I't is possible that she will have another growth spurt or two.

She is quite a squat cat - short legs, oblong body, tiny head. She's basically put on a 1lb on per month that she's been alive. I'll keep weighing her also.