? How many calories do you put into your old cats?

[Steph & Quintus & L & O]

Quintus is 17. Weighs 5kg (his healthy weight, which he is at now). He has severe arthritis so doesn't move much. Hops on the armchair, on the bed, walks to water-bowl, litterbox. Regularly (once or twice a day, but some days no) asks to go out, which means I carry him downstairs, put him down in front of the building, he walks a few steps, sniffs the air, hangs out, tries to eat some grass (no! bloody poop!), and after a few minutes walks back in and climbs up the flight of stairs to the flat.

I've found various guidelines and had estimated that about 300 kcal would be good for him. His BG has dropped now and he's eating less (normal it seems, good!), he's put on some weight (the 300g he had lost), and I'm trying to figure out what the right amount of food is, and worrying that it's too little. Like, would 200 kcal be too little?

Some examples of how many calories similarly inactive old cats are eating might help. I know ECID.

 

[JanetNJ]

Not sure the answer about the calories, but for the arthritis ask your vet about adequan shots!!! They make a huge difference.

 

[PussCatPrince - GA]

Like, would 200 kcal be too little?

I would say yes. Up towards the 300's is better , especially for a geriatric cat.
From what I understand though, the balance of protein /fats etc is important when looking at calorific intake. I'm trying to vastly improve the quality & amount of protein in Ty's diet at the moment & that is regardless of the concerns some have over protein v CKD.

Ty's weight is 5kg and sometimes above. What I wish to achieve is a shift in his bmi. On the renal food his body shape changed and he became chubby due to too high carbs, low quality protein . I realise this now I am coming to understand feline metabolism.

 

[Squalliesmom]

There is a formula for estimating how many calories your cat need: (13.5 X weight of cat) + 70 = number of calories needed daily. this is a rough estimate and can be adjusted up or down. If your cat needs to gain weight you can enter the desired weight in place of current weight - I would imagine you could do the same for a cat that needs to lose weight, as well. This formula uses pounds but could easily be converted to metric. This is the formula I use for my 19-year-old and he is doing well; he actually eats a little less than it says for his weight because he gains very easily.

 

[Steph & Quintus & L & O]

(13.5 X weight of cat) + 70 = number of calories needed daily. this is a rough estimate and can be adjusted up or down

so this is my issue, I've seen a bunch of these formulas, and I know there is quite a bit of variation from cat to cat. With this one Quintus would be getting 205 kcal/day, which is about two thirds of the estimate I got with another formula, which said 65 kcal/kg. But it's reassuring to see that what I'm leaning towards seems not completely beyond the line, according to what you're saying here.

Quintus is a rather "stable weight" cat, who still has the ability to put on weight (which my vet says is great given his age and ailments). He could still put on another 200-300g and be "fine", and he's lost a lot of muscle mass in his hind legs over the last few years, so if a diet richer in proteins helps him put some back on, that would be a good thing.

Thanks!

 

[Squalliesmom]

so this is my issue, I've seen a bunch of these formulas, and I know there is quite a bit of variation from cat to cat. With this one Quintus would be getting 205 kcal/day, which is about two thirds of the estimate I got with another formula, which said 65 kcal/kg. But it's reassuring to see that what I'm leaning towards seems not completely beyond the line, according to what you're saying here.

Quintus is a rather "stable weight" cat, who still has the ability to put on weight (which my vet says is great given his age and ailments). He could still put on another 200-300g and be "fine", and he's lost a lot of muscle mass in his hind legs over the last few years, so if a diet richer in proteins helps him put some back on, that would be a good thing.

Thanks!

My guy has lost a lot of muscle mass, too. I think that's just a function of age, it never seems to get any better. But he still gets around great, he constantly surprises me with how high he can still jump!

In my opinion, 65 kcal/kg is nowhere near enough. I have a tiny little civvie who weighs under 6 pounds and she eats more than that.

 

[Steph & Quintus & L & O]

In my opinion, 65 kcal/kg is nowhere near enough.

65 kcal/kg is way more than what your formula gives -- 325 kcal for Quintus!

 

[Squalliesmom]

65 kcal/kg is way more than what your formula gives -- 325 kcal for Quintus!

Oh, mea culpa, lol, I didn't do the conversion, and after just mentioning it, at that!

 

[Dyana]

I took J.D. to a nutritionist vet when he was 19. He was about 10 to 11 pounds by then. We did a consult, and she said to try for 220 to 280 calories per day. ECID.

 

[Larry and Kitties]

I feed enough for a cat to maintain their desired body weight. The formulas are for your "average" cat, whatever that means.
With less activity a healthly cat's energy needs decreases.

 

[LuanneP]

I feed mine as much as they want to eat I don't keep track of calories. I'd rather they have a couple extra pounds on them in case they get sick so they can afford to lose a bit of weight so I don't worry about them being a bit chunky.