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How Much To Feed Cat By Weight

Not Offering Enough Water

How to Help a Cat Gain Weight

In addition to the water in wet food, cats should have access to fresh water sources. This can be a dish of water near their food bowl or running water from an automated water station. Some cats can detect the chlorine from tap water, which they may not like. You can offer filtered or bottled water to encourage your cat to drink.

How Exercise & Fitness Can Help

Cats are typically sedentary creatures, but during the hours your kitty is awake, get them moving! Nutritious food is just one part of weight loss. Think of yourself as your cats personal trainer. Toss around a small toy that they can chase, or build a DIY cat scratching post. Even a wadded-up piece of paper will entertain your little hunter. Mix up activities to keep them interested.

Want to combine exercise with your cats feeding time? Consider getting a puzzle feeding box. These special dishes require your cat to work to get their food out, helping them burn those extra calories.

Why Is Your Cat Losing Weight

Figuring out why your cat is losing weight¹ will be the key to picking out the proper diet for them. If there is a medical condition behind the weight loss, then you will want a diet that can target the specific disease or complication.

Once you have a diet that will support your cats needs, you can begin working on a plan¹ to help them regain the weight. Some suggestions for your feeding routine are to warm up wet food, give small yet frequent portions, and provide healthy snacks between meals.

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A Complete Cat Feeding Guide Wet And Dry Food Covered

Whether you have been a proud owner of a feline for many years, have been presented with a fur pet, or have adopted one, you may be wondering, How much food should I feed my cat? The question may come as a natural inquiry when you are facing a new task introduced into your life or as a concern for a four-pawed resident of your house.

The wrong ways you could go about solving the problem are either by letting your cat eat as much as it will or relying on the general instructions you can find at the back of the package containing nutrients for your kitty. Those may work, but thats like playing a lottery. Instead, we would like to equip you with the knowledge that will let you know for sure.

Its crucial to make a feeding plan individually for your cat so that the animal receives an ideal amount of calories. That way, you can avoid overfeeding your pet, as well as denying it the necessary nourishment. Both could equally be bad for the cats current health and life expectancy, so its crucial that you know all the factors to account for.

If Youre Feeding It A Combination Of Wet And Dry Food

How Much Should I Feed My Cat? Tips, Advice &  FAQs

Many cat owners choose to feed their pets a combination of dry food and wet food/canned food. If this is the case for you, you will need to feed your cat a ratio of the two that ensures all their nutritional needs are being met.

If you want to feed your cat on an exclusively wet food diet, and youre wondering how much wet food to feed them, check out our wet cat food guide.

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Natural Feeding Behavior Of Cats

Dr. Sarah Gorman, associate veterinarian at Boston Animal Hospital, explains that eating behaviors in cats are a combination of inherited and learned components. Its not just about what is natural for the cat to do with food, but also how that cat has been nurtured to react to feeding time, she said.

Cats are naturally obligate carnivores, which means their diets require nutrients that are only found in meat. In the wild, cats prefer to eat alone, unless they are sharing food with their offspring. If you have multiple cats, it may be in their best interest to separate their food bowls during feeding time.

How Should I Begin A Weight Loss Program For My Cat

Theoretically, weight loss seems simple enough: fewer calories in plus more calories out equals weight loss. Unfortunately, it is not as simple as that. You should never put an obese cat on a diet without veterinary supervision.

“If cats do not eat for as little as two consecutive days, they can develop a life-threatening form of liver disease known as hepatic lipidosis.”

The cat’s physiology is different than humans or dogs and if they do not eat for as little as two consecutive days, they can develop a life-threatening form of liver disease known as hepatic lipidosis . Your veterinarian will perform a physical examination of your cat, and will likely recommend some diagnostic testing to ensure that there are no underlying diseases or obstacles to weight loss for your cat.

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Tips For Transitioning To New Diets

The first transition cats will make to a different diet comes to an adult-specific or all life stages cat food when they become adults, but the process is the same every time they change foodsand its a gradual one. An abrupt diet change can create tummy troubles and digestion issuesin addition to the surprise of the new foods, which they might reject outright if not properly transitioned.

“Whenever you change diet, whether for a different life stage, or to a different flavor or brand, it is important that the transition is gradual,” Dr. Gray says.

Dr. Gray generally recommends mixing small amounts of the new food with the current diet, and then gradually increasing the amount of new food over a 7- to 14-day period.

This not only ensures that cats like the new food, but also that GI upset from a sudden change is avoided, she says. If GI upset is noted when transitioning foods, slowing down the transition or stopping and selecting a different food may be recommended.

Age Life Stages And Lifestyle Factor Calculations

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Remember how active kittens are, especially at bedtime when they are racing up the curtains. Kittens have greater calorie needs than adult cats they are busy and growing!

Momma cats feeding kittens, and breeding cats, have greater energy needs than adult neutered cats.

If your cat falls into these categories, then we use the lifestyle factor to allow for this.

Multiply the calorie calculation by 2.5 for kittens and queens who are feeding kittens.

Super active adults may need their calorie needs multiplied by a lifestyle factor of 1.5-2.

The bottom line is simplestart with the best calculation you can for your cat, and then MONITOR their weight and adjust accordingly.

Congratulations!

Well done on making your way through this article there was a lot of technical information in here. Now you should know the answer to the age-old question of How much should I feed my cat?.

The good news is this: the dedication you have shown reading through this and working out a feeding guide for your cat tells me you are doing everything possible to keep your fur family happy and healthy!

Remember, if your cat continues to gain or lose weight when it shouldnt be, a veterinary check is recommended.

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How Much To Feed A Cat By Age

There is an untrue myth that pet food manufacturers deliberately overstate the recommended feeding amounts on the label in an attempt to make people use more pet food.

Growing kittens need comparatively more food than adult cats, because they need nutrients to allow their body to grow. This can be difficult to calculate precisely, and professional veterinary nutritionists have charts and guides that may be applied.

For most cat carers, it is simpler to recognise that kittens do have higher requirements, and that it is rare for kittens to become overweight or obese. Using the broad guidelines on the packaging, it is fairly safe to say that kittens can be fed almost as much food as they wish to eat at each mealtime, within reasonable limits.

  • If the kitten is still chasing the bowl, looking for more food when they have finished, they should be offered a little more.
  • If the kitten routinely does not finish the food that is offered in the bowl, they should be offered less the next time.

Dry Food: An Affordable But Less

Dry food is extremely calorie-dense. It has no water in it to contribute volume to the food. Because of this, feeding just dry food means your cat will be hungrier if getting an adequate number of calories in the food because of the smaller volume given. Based on this, free choice dry food, even a low-calorie version, will not prevent weight gain.

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Weight Control Cat Food

How much you could save by buying the Kirkland product: $6.30

Overweight kitties need a solution, and weight control cat food can help. Kirkland Signature Healthy Weight Cat Food is $32.99 for 20 pounds or $1.64 per pound. IAMS ProActive Health Chicken & Turkey Indoor Weight & Hairball Care Adult Dry Cat Food is $15.74 for 7 pounds or $2.25 per pound. Not only is the Kirkland formula cheaper but it also doesn’t contain any corn, wheat or soy.

Breed Specific Feeding Requirements

How Much To Feed Kittens By Weight

Can a cats breed define the amount of calories it needs? Of course, although that will still be related to its weight, activity level, and body type. So, naturally, the larger and more active breeds will require more kcals per day, and our guide and calculator still will be able to help you establish the starting point.

Nevertheless, there are diets and foods advised for specific breeds to keep their health in the best condition, so you should consult a vet for that kind of advice on what exactly to feed to your cat.

  • Top rated cat food

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How Long Will My Cat Need To Be On A Diet

Most cats will achieve their ideal weight within six to eight months. If the process is taking longer than this, something needs to be changed. A healthy weight loss would be close to one pound per month. Some cats may need to go slower while others may shed the pounds more quickly.

“Most cats will achieve their ideal weight within six to eight months.”

For most cats, the secret to weight loss is a dedicated, committed, and concerned family. Cats do not understand that their excess weight is causing them harm. It is up to us as good stewards to protect them from harm and not inadvertently contribute to their premature death or development of debilitating diseases. Together, you and your veterinary healthcare team can help your cat achieve a healthy body weight and condition safely and successfully.

Contributors: Krista Williams, BSc, DVM Ernest Ward, DVM

How Much Should A Cat Eat When Feeding Raw

The general consensus for raw is to feed 2-4% of your cats ideal weight.

You may use a raw feeding calculator to calculate this amount.

If you dont know where to start, you may start at 3%.

Adjust the amount that you feed your cat based on his individual needs.

For example, Jericho has a lot of energy, and hes very active.

So I feed him an amount thats between whats recommended for 2% and 3%.

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When My Cat Is Hungry She Pesters Me Until I Feed Her Do You Have Any Suggestions

It is often easier to give in to the cat that wakes you at four in the morning to be fed or the cat that meows incessantly or head butts you until you feed them. These cats have trained us well and know exactly which buttons to press when it comes to getting their way. Here are some tips for handling the pesky Persian or the insatiable Siamese:

  • Do not use a self-feeder. While this seems obvious, auto-feeders are nothing more than unlimited candy machines to an overweight cat.
  • If you do use an automatic feeder, use one that opens with a timer. This way you can measure out the proper amount and divide it into daily meals.
  • Pet your cat or play with her when she begs for food. Many cats substitute food for affection so flip the equation and you may find that playtime displaces mealtime.
  • Feed small meals frequently – especially give a last feeding for those cats that like to wake you up in the wee hours begging for more goodies – divide the total volume or calories into four to six smaller meals. Whatever you do, do not feed extra food.
  • Offer fresh water instead of food. If your cat is eyeing the empty food bowl, a drink of cold, fresh water may satisfy that craving.

How To Calculate How Much Wet Food To Feed A Cat

Here’s how much to feed a cat

Sharing your life with a cat is certainly rewarding. Theres nothing quite like cozying up with your four-legged fluffball after a long days work.

But being a pet parent carries with it a lot of responsibility, too, especially when it comes to determining how much food to feed a cat. Feeding cats is more complicated than simply ladling out a few kibbles here and there you need to consider several factors, especially if you choose to give your cat wet food. Determining how much wet food to feed a cat can get complicated, but were here to help.

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How Much Wet Food Or Dry Food To Feed A Cat

Once youve determined how many calories your cat needs every day, you need to figure out how much food to feed a cat to provide those calories. Thankfully, manufacturers now have to list a foods caloric content on the label. It will be written as kcal/kg and kcal/can or kcal/cup . In nutrition circles, a kcal is the same as a calorie.

Divide your cats caloric needs by the foods caloric content . The answer will let you know how much wet food to feed a cat or how much dry food to feed a cat. To figure out how much food to feed a cat at each meal, simply divide the daily amount of food by the number of meals you plan to offer each day.

For example, lets say your cat is 10 pounds and very active, and they are on a diet of Tiny Tiger Pate Chicken Recipe Grain-Free Wet Cat Food. According to the chart, your cat should consume 346 kcal/day.

Since the calorie content of the wet cat food is 95 kcal/can, you would determine how much wet food to feed your cat by dividing 346 kcal/day by 95 kcal/can.

346 kcal/day ÷ 95 kcal/can = 3.64 cans of Tiny Tiger Pate Chicken Recipe Wet Cat Food per day.

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Help Your Cat Lose Weight

If your cat is overweight, ask your vet for advice on an appropriate feeding regime to ensure they get enough nutrients, without being overfed.

Weighing food out daily is a helpful way to control portions. Some dry foods come with calibrated scoops, but these are easy to overfill.

If you like to give your cat treats, reduce the amount of normal food you provide.

Never starve overweight cats or put them on crash diets. Any period of time without food can potentially be dangerous. A slow, steady weight loss is ideal. It can take as much as a year for a severely overweight cat to reach its ideal weight.

It is hard to notice weight change in a cat you see every day, so regular weighing is a useful way to monitor progress. Your cat probably wont sit still on your scales, so weigh a carrying box or yourself, then weigh the cat in the box or while holding it and subtract the excess to get your cats weight.

Some vet practices offer weight clinics, where they can regularly weigh your cat using their specialist scales.

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How Much Should You Feed Your Adult Cat

As your kittens metabolism starts to slow down and he reaches adulthood, you might notice him start to put on excess weight. Obesity is a common issue among adult cats and, when not corrected early on, may lead to complications later in life. Regular exercise and a well-controlled diet will help to prevent obesity and keep your cat in good shape.

Whether you feed your cat homemade cat food or the best commercial cat foods, its critical to feed him the right amount per day. But theres no single amount of food that every cat should eat each day.

Calorie needs vary from cat to cat, with many factors coming into play. When deciding how much to feed your cat, youll have to consider his breed, age, reproductive status, underlying health conditions, and more. In general, however, the recommended daily caloric intake is about 20 calories per pound of bodyweight.

that helps you identify how many calories your cat needs per day.

Do Cats Prefer Dry Food

How Much Dry Food To Feed A 12 Pound Cat

With dry cat food, you can anticipate that your cat should bite it more effectively and take more time to eat drink more water, and return consistently to the food rather than eating everything simultaneously. Dry cat food is advantageous in that it will remain new the entire day. So, it tends to be left out for your feline to eat at whatever point it needs. Dry cat food must, notwithstanding, be put away in a dry, clean climate.

You can take care of your feline on wet or dry food, or a blend of both. A few cats like to eat wet food in the first part of the day, for instance, however, have dry food left out during the day to nibble on. Dissimilar to many dogs, felines like to smash on their dry food and by and large track down it less appealing when drenched or soaked, so keep it dry.

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