How often and how much do you feed your cat???

Question

My cat is 10 years old and had a recent UTI. We were told to give her more canned food. We used to give her 1/2 can a day or 1 can of Fancy Feast (depending on what we had on hand), and the rest dry. So, now, we are reducing dry food intake considerabley.

But, how much should I be feeding her?

The can says 2 cans a day, but isn't that a lot?

She weighs 9.75lbs.

Answer 1

Never feed your animal the amount it says on the can or bag. My dog's food said to feed her 7 cups of dry food a day. She's only 75 pounds, and that is much to much food for her. I would give her 1/2 a can a day (for large cans) or 1/2 a can of fancy feast in the morning, and the other 1/2 a can at night.  

Answer 2

cats only eat what they need they will not eat more than they require for the next 24 hours unless  it has an eating disorder then the intake has to be monitored and according to vet directions be fed

Answer 3

FF comes in 3 oz cans, so two cans a day would be about right, if that's the only food you're giving her.

If you want to get technical about it, cats should eat between 20-30 calories per IDEAL pound per day.

The number you choose represents the cat's activity level.  An average cat who weighs 10 pounds and is at its ideal weight could eat 250 calories per day.

Use this chart (or contact the mfr) to get the calories in the food:  http://www.geocities.com/jmpeerson/canfo...

I work so I feed twice per day - when I get up and when I get home.  If I didn't work, I might offer 3 meals per day but still the same amount.

And by the way, congrats on having a good vet!  More often than not they try to push Hills or some other prescription junk at you.  Yours seems to have a clue.

Answer 4

instead of doing all this. ask your vet if they carry w/d or c/d rx food. both are for uti prevention and treatment. you can buy wet or dry and they both work the same. if your vet does not carry if ask around and find a vet who does. much easier and much better for your cat than fancy feast which may actually make it worse.  

Answer 5

Your cat is almost the exact same size and age as my Minnie Mieux!

I give her a half can of Fancy Feast in the early morning, the other half of the can in the late morning, and 1/4 cup of dry Royal Canin Indoor #37 at about 4 in the afternoon and she is thriving on that combination. She even put on a few extra grams over the last year!

I think you will be happy with the results. People don't understand that leaving dry food around all day long causes the cat to eat when bored instead of when hungry. That's why their cats get fat!

Control the amount you give your kitty and you both will be happy!

Answer 6

I just leave a bowl of dried cat food down from morning and keep topping it up. Which is perfectly fine to do with most cats but only with dry food. It is not true as the first person to answer said that cats will only eat when hungry. My little girl cat will eat and eat and eat and will be sick because her belly can not take it. She has always been the same (she is 11). It is only with wet food though. She can take or leave dry but when it comes to wet she just has to have it so yes it is important in this case to watch how much you feed your cat.

Two cans a day does sound a lot if they are normal size cans. I would just see how it goes. Try feeding her one can and if she is still hungry then feed some of the other until you figure out what seems about right.

Answer 7

you may want to consider trying Purina One for Urinary Tract Health...my cat had a terrible uti and the vet told me to buy prescription food when I compared the prescription food with the Purina One UTH the prescription food was not as good as the Purina One...my cat has been on the Purina One now for almost 2 yrs with no re-occurence of Uti's...I would still give a can of Fancy Feast per day though

Answer 8

we give my cat half a can in the morning and half a can at night. and dry food somewhere during the day.

Answer 9

Talk to your vet about how much your cat needs.  Also talk to her about switching the dry food to Prescription Diet - CD.  If your vet isn't able to answer your questions, or tells you it isn't important,  get another vet - your cat will thank you.

Answer 10

A good thing to bear in mind is, cats don't over eat.  Unlike dogs, cats will walk away from their food dish when they are full.  So, although this may seem like a lot, start off with the recommendation.

From there, you're cat will tell you whether or not it's too much.  If she's leaving lots of food in the bowl, you know its too much and you can adjust it.  If she's eating the lot fast, she may need a little more to keep her happy.

One of my cat will only eat dry food, and although he isn't as old as yours - he's 2 - he's always eaten about 2 pouches of food a day (he won't eat tinned for some reason, very fussy!!)  On the odd occasion I find his bowl empty early on, i will offer a 3rd pouch before bed.

You really have to wait until your cat tells you how much she needs.