Underfeeding cat?

r-kins

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Please no harsh criticism for this... I always did what I thought was best for my cats and they seemed healthy. I want to make sure I'm doing alright by my kitties always, and am willing to adjust intake accordingly. Both are/were under 5, and neutered males, with natural balance wet food as their main source and then natural balance kibble as a bedtime snack.

So, after calculating, I think I was feeding my cats well below the 180 calories that all of the cans (and the internet!) is suggesting. My cat, Claws, (who has now passed away, not from starvation) ended up gaining enough weight on what I've calculated to be around 130 calories a day that the vet wanted me to reduce his intake. He was around 10 lbs and was healthier as 8.5 to 9 lbs.

My current cat is probably about 10.5 lbs, looks great (the vet said so as well), and is only getting around 150 calories a day.

Does anyone else have this? I'm terrified that I've been starving my cats, but they always have been a healthy weight and had plenty of energy. Even the vet said they were fine and looked like a really healthy weight. Can someone help me out? Should I increase his food anyway, despite him looking good?

Thanks in advance!
 

jen

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If the vet says they are a healthy weight I wouldn't worry too much. You could also weigh them yourself in between their yearly check ups. So just pay attention if when you take them next year, have they have gained or lost then you can add or reduce. If you weigh them at home you obviously have a little more control over this.
 
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r-kins

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If the vet says they are a healthy weight I wouldn't worry too much. You could also weigh them yourself in between their yearly check ups. So just pay attention if when you take them next year, have they have gained or lost then you can add or reduce. If you weigh them at home you obviously have a little more control over this.
Thank you for the response. When my other cat was very sick and we were trying to get him to eat anything, we ended up giving the other cat (Guapo) extra food and he very quickly went from 10 to 11 lbs and started looking thicker. He is trim but looks good with no bones visible.
 

Kieka

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If your cats were maintaining their weight and healthy, you didn't starve them. Calorie guides are usually pretty rough guides and vary depending on the cats activity and metabolism. My boy eats 250-300 calories to maintain his 14 pound frame. By calorie guides he should be obese but he is not. He's just super active and burns off calories in a way that I am jealous of.

What matters is feeding enough to maintain health, whatever that ends up being for your cat is right.
 

Furballsmom

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I feel like a monster!!
You're hearing from everyone, including your vet who very clearly states your cats are in perfect health, that you aren't. As kieka said guides are just guides. Every cat is different.

Cat foods are formulated differently, and obviously what you're doing is working extremely well for your cat. Don't change anything, until he either begins to gain weight, or to lose weight as he advances in age in the future.
 
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r-kins

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Good points, Kieka and furballsmom. If they looked good and the vet thought so as well, then I must have been doing ok.

I just get so worried that they could have always been hungry and I didn't realize it. But they were both always healthy weights. Honestly, in the month since Claws died at such a young age, I've been trapped and worried about thinking about everything I could have done better during his life, even though he was very loved and well cared for. So when I think that he was at all too hungry I just can't bear the thought. Since he's gone I don't have an opportunity to fix things.
 

Furballsmom

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Hungry cats will let you know one way or other, I promise. It sounds to me as though he was very content, and he wouldn't want you to be so worried :rbheart:
 

MissClouseau

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Daily calorie need depends on the cat. Not like just breed and their bone structure but also based on their activity level, age, health, even season of the year. The suggestions on the box, and the daily calorie suggestions are just to give us an idea. Some cats do better less than that, some cats do better more than that. My own cat eats more but she's at a healthy weight. Some days she eats more than her usual, some days less. That's why generally speaking I'm against being strict with how much food given and to keep the amount the same every day. Cats don't get to be overweight overnight so if you see some unwanted weight gain, you can give less calories the following week. You can also weigh them the same day every week or every other week to check the situation -- if they are long-haired I think doing Body Condition Score as seen above gets a bit tricky.

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Bobsk8

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I give my 1 year old cat, 8.8 pounds, 1 3 ox can of wet in the am and one in the late afternoon. She gobbles up the food and acts like she is till hungry. The vet said that amount of canned food should be enough, but I usually give her a small amount of dry food at night. Is it normal for a cat to meow and act hungry most of the time ?
 

maggie101

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My cats are 7,8,and 9pds. All healthy,eat different amounts. For my 7 ps cat that eats 1/2+ 5.5 oz can a day I am surprised she is not underweight since she does not many calories
 
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