Volume of Wet Food vs. Dry Food

[MindyStClairesMom]

I have been reading that a recommended amount of food is 1 oz / # of (ideal) bodyweight / day. Is that for both dry and wet? Would a 9# cat be eating 3 cans of 3oz per day? Or a big can of 6 oz and another can of 3 oz? I have 3 cats & you can see the volume of cans this creates . . . also, they are straight addicted to kibble and I will sometimes give them a small handful as a treat (we call it "chips" to remind me to think of it as "potato chips"). I have quite a bit of higher-quality kibble that the rescue group dropped off with the three I'm fostering, and I am just working through it one small handful at a time as toppers or treats. I understand feeding high-quality wet is expensive, so I want to be sure I'm not over-feeding. What is typical?

 

[Maurey]

Percentage body weight is only used for raw food. There are way too many variables with wet and kibble due to how common high carbs are in commercial foods, and how much fat content varies, so you need to count via calories; this info is typically provided on the can. You can get your cats approx required caloric intake, as a starting/reference point, from this calculator, then adjust as needed.

CALORIE CALCULATOR FOR CATS

petnutritionalliance.org

Keep in mind that kibble tends to be extremely calorie dense as it pretty much completely lacks moisture, so be careful of how many calories you’re feeding when using it as treats. You may find it more beneficial to use a couple pieces of crushed kibble as a topper, so you can slowly phase out kibble completely, as opposed to treating it like a treat or its own small meal. If you want to give them crunchy snacks, there are plenty of options for dehydrated mono protein treats, as well as freeze dried meat treats.

 

[LTS3]

I wouldn't go by volume of the can but by calorie content. A 3 oz can of Brand X may have 70 calories while the same size can of Brand Meow has 100 calories. If you just go by can size and just grab a random can off the shelf, the cats will get varying amounts of calories daily. You may get hangry cats or cats with a bit of weight gain.

While feeding high quality brands is great, it's not so great on the wallet for many people. Just feed the highest quality food you can afford and the cats like. There's nothing wrong with Fancy Feast or Friskies or store generic brand.

 

[MindyStClairesMom]

Oooooh. I am REALLY glad I asked. They have been taking in too many calories, for sure. Yikes. Fixing that now . . . Edited to add: I don't think I was TOO far off with the canned I've been feeding. It's hard to keep them from nudging in on each other's bowls, but I think we are pretty close. The kibble I have been giving them needs to stop, for sure. I realize that now. But I still don't think we are wildly in excess of the targets. And I'm really glad for this additional information, so thank you very much.

 

[LTS3]

20 to 25 calories per pound of body weight daily is generally suggested. Some cats may need more or less than that so feed according to your cat's weight and appetite. Instead of dry food toppers, try crunchy freeze dried treats or air dried raw instead and not for every meal.

Some people have to feed their multiple cats in separate rooms so that everyone eats their own food.

 

[mizzely]

My 9 lb kitty eats about two 3oz cans a day, or 1 3 oz can plus 2 Tbsp of dry It ends up being about 180 calories a day for her.

I feed any canned food that fits AAFCO minimum guidelines for a complete diet. Fancy Feast, Friskies, store brand foods from Aldi, Tractor Supply, PetSmart, Petco, and Chewy are all in my rotation and I buy on sale. Wet is certainly more expensive than dry but totally doable!

 

[MindyStClairesMom]

My 9 lb kitty eats about two 3oz cans a day, or 1 3 oz can plus 2 Tbsp of dry It ends up being about 180 calories a day for her.

Very helpful. I evaluate carbs on a Dry Matter Basis and have only been feeding Weruva (only a few varieties that are lower in carbs), TikiCat, and some FF Classic pates (with the lowest carbs). We have some kibble to get rid of (yes, I could donate it back, but it's a long story why it would be awkward for me to do this), and the kibble I had been feeding was Dr. E's Chicken . . . so I am not scared of spending money, I just wanted to make sure these guys weren't lying to me about how much they were supposed to eat