How Much Canned Cat Food?

[Frodo Baggins]

So in reading about diabetic cats, I've decided to change all 4 cats diets over to canned Fancy Feast as it appears to be the healthiest, cost effective feed. My question is: How many cans a day? Do I feed it 1 or 2 times a day. This is a tough decision as my cats all look phenomenal and are extremely healthy. Even Frodo who has just been diagnosed diabetic looks wonderful. I have already changed his diet to FF. I need feeding routine suggestions. Thanks.

 

[KPassa]

Are your kitties scarfers or grazers? If grazers, I'd suggest just leaving the food out for them and refilling as needed. You can add water to it so it goes farther and doesn't dry up and it keeps your kitties well-hydrated. Since they don't sound like they need to gain or lose any weight, this should keep them fairly stable. You'll also probably want to take to weighing them about once a week to make sure they're not gaining or losing any weight.

If you've got a couple of scarfers, you might want to look into gettin a timed feeder (the PetSafe 5 is a favorite around here) or making meatcicles by mixing wet food and water and then freezing it.

As to the amount, there's a formula based off of 1oz of food for every pound, I believe?? Someone else will probably have the formula for you if I can't find it. But the reality is, Every Cat Is Different (ECID) and so some will eat more or less than they're "supposed" to. My Michelangelo has about 5 pounds on my Henry yet they both eat the same amount because Henry is just that much more active.

 

[Liz&Gus]

Hello Frodo's Human! Would you mind sharing your first name with us?

I would suggest feeding smaller, more frequent meals. This is easier on the pancreas which will (hopefully!) allow it to heal.

Also, wet food requires more volume for the same amount of calories than dry food. Generally, a cat will need 0.5-1 oz of WET cat food per lb of healthy weight. So a 12 lb cat would eat anywhere from 6 oz to 12 oz per day, depending on age, activity, metabolism, etc. I would suggest starting in the middle range (about 9 oz for a 12 lb cat). After a week at this amount, reassess weight and body condition and adjust food amount as needed.

I hope this helps!

Liz

 

[BJM]

I'm feeding mine a total of about 0.25 to 0.5 ounces per pound of cat per feeding.

I feed Friskies pates, since with 15 cats in the house, my budget isn't up for higher priced foods. They all seem to be thriving on it.

 

[Frodo Baggins]

My name is Denise and I have 4 cats in addition to 3 horses. Beanie and Frodo are barn cats and Pippin and Pip Squeak live in the house.
Pippin is 16 and has only eaten Hills CD dry diet for well over 12 years due to a urinary blockage when he was younger. He looks and acts like a young cat. PipSqueak is probably 10 now. Overweight with no other health issues that I am aware of. She eats the CD as well since it is difficult to seperate them. They never leave the house and are only vaccinated for Rabies.

Beanie is probably 8 or 9 and lives in the barn. He was a starved adolescent when he showed up one day. I named him Stringbean as that is what he looked like. He has turned into a butter bean now. He's deaf and dumb as a box of rocks but the sweetest boy.

Frodo is 12 and has always had health issues. Asthma off and on, horrid teeth and gums, toxoplasmosis, you name it. He has had antibiotics off and on most of his life as well as long lasting steroid injections. Gums get horribly inflammed and nerve roots get exposed hence the abx and steroids. Vet wanted to pull teeth years ago but was afraid of breaking jaw. Many teeth are missing now and the rest are loose enough to pull at this point. He is an anesthesia risk due to a significant heart murmer. His pre-op bloodwork was great except for a blood glucose of 307. Steroids, infection and stress can cause an elevation in bs so I am revamping diet to see if I can stabilize him w/o insulin. I heat the tack room and air condition it in the summer for
Frodo, and Bean and Frodo are always locked up safe at night. I am glad to find this website and appreciate the help you all
have been already.

And thanks for not chastising me. Is it out of the question to feed a low glycemic dry food in addition to the
canned? I found a low glycemic dry food in the grocery store, Nutrisca.

 

[Frodo Baggins]

Continued from previous post...Barn cats always fed Purina One Urinary Tract Formula dry food free choice. I want to transition them to canned. My hope is that I will avoid giving Frodo insulin if I can change his diet. He also had infected gums, was stressed and I'd just given him his steroid injection the day before the vet visit. I am hoping that this was the reason for the elevation. Thanks for the help. Denise

 

[BJM]

Infection and steroids are notorious for raising glucose levels. Vet stress may raise glucose from 100 to 180 mg/dL.

An interim option while you work on transitioning to canned food is to use a dry food with lower carbs
- Evo Cat and Kitten, about 8% calories from carbohydrate
- Young Again 0 carb, about 5% as we calculate it, internet only
- Stella and Chewey's freeze dried (no crunch)

One member is baking some of the canned food to make it closer to a crunchy texture, then gradually leaving in more and more water. You might see how that works for you.