Food Amount Question

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jrpow

Member Since 2020
Just wanted to check and see if this is normal for us, so it’s a little rudimentary of a question.

I have two cats. Obaby is my new diabetic cat (10yo) and Storm (7-1/2yo) is healthy and happy. Prior to diagnosis on Tuesday, I just kept their bowls constantly full of dry indoor cat food and the cats grazed throughout the day. Now after diagnosis I am switching both cats to wet food at timed feedings 10am and 10pm.

We’ve tried several types of wet food since they were picky starting wet food. We’ve settled on Fancy Feast classic pate, but both cats only eat about 1/2 a can each. When I search for how much food they should eat, I get a number like 3-4 cans a day which seems like so much food! When the food is first set down, they go to town and seem super interested in the food, but it just looks like they get full before they can finish their can.

Is this normal? I have been giving the excess food to a cat that lives on my apartment patio (I call her Mama) so it’s not a big issue, but if 1/2 a can twice a day is normal it will help a lot with portion control.

Attached is an image of both my babies! Obaby is the tuxedo and Storm is the gray tabby. Thank you for any help!
 

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Ha! my Zoe gets three cans a day and I'm lucky if she finishes any of them. I've never transitioned from dry to can. About 40 years ago (yes I'm an old lady) I stopped dry food completely. I cant address your particular issue but theres plenty here who can AND will.;):p
 
I agree with Panic cats are grazers and 2 feedings a day only may not work as well for them as it would for dogs. I feed Minnie several small meals with the bulk being around shot times. She’s a good eater and will easily eat 31/2-4 cans a day.
 
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jrpow said:
, I was told explicitly from my vet that I should not leave food out after they eat and keep my cats on a strict schedule
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so were we, and we tried really hard to do that. but kit knew better and would have none of it. she ate 17” of string to prove her point. we got lucky and she pooped it out without further drama. so now we divide the day into about 6 meals with the two largest at shot time. you can look at the remarks column of our spreadsheet if you’re interested in the deep details.
also, we weigh kit every 10 days or so to check in that she’s staying on track calories wise.
everybody is much happier since we’ve been feeding this way.
 
jrpow said:
Interesting, I was told explicitly from my vet that I should not leave food out after they eat and keep my cats on a strict schedule. Is there any sources talking about this?
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I believe that's recommended more for dogs? Don't quote me on that but for cats it's easier on the pancreas to have multiple small meals versus two big meals. Cats on insulin also need food available to keep their blood sugar from dropping too low during the day (and night!). You won't find anyone here who only feeds twice a day.

And that's per day. A 10 lb cat needs 200 calories a day. Fancy Feast Classics averages around 90-100 calories a can so that's about 2 cans a day.
 
jrpow said:
Interesting, I was told explicitly from my vet that I should not leave food out after they eat and keep my cats on a strict schedule. Is there any sources talking about this?
Click to expand...
This is largely because vets tend to treat cats like they do dogs. Only they’re not the same animals. That also explains why a lot of vets still prescribe dog insulin for cats when it’s not what’s best for them. Vets who are more used to treating dogs will tell you this.
Are you new to the forum? It would be super helpful if you could set up your signature so we know the basics about your cat at a glance. For instance, what insulin is he on and how many units per day? Please see below:

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/new-how-you-can-help-us-help-you.216696/

thanks! :)
 
Our cats eat 2-3 cans per day (two cats are young and burn through their calories, the other is older but big). We feed 4 times a day, and leave the food out for them to return to finish until the next meal. They will eat a lot when it's first put down each time, but once full enough they leave, then come back to get more later on as they get hungry. We figure the amount to put down by watching to see--is it finished too quickly and they are going several hours without any food left, or is it sitting around too long and it's not all done by the next meal? You want to put out what they will finish before the next meal time, without too long a wait in between, but not so much that they are leaving a lot and you throw it out as you put the next meal down. We also mix extra water into the canned food to increase their intake.
If your cat is overweight, then you'd want to restrict how much food is available a bit more carefully, if your cat needs to gain weight, then be generous with the food.
 
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