Kitties are getting fat.

[arcadian]

How much should I be feeding them? Two Kitties. They share 1 can of wet food, 5.5 ounces at around 6 pm every day. I also just keep the dry food bowl full, but this is the problem, I've noticed that they have started eating out of boredom. I think? So the evening can is their main meal. How much dry food should I be putting out for two kitties? I need to put out a daily set limit. They are both outdoor/indoor cats, mostly outdoor and very active, they run and climb trees 'n shit.

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. I do 1/4 can each kitteh at bedtime, and I think about 1/2c or so dry for each to nibble on

until the next night.

[arcadian]

2. How many do you have?

And do you only feed them all in the evening? I think I'm gonna put out a set amount of dry food in the morning and then let them have their normal dinner.

[GreenPartyVoter]

4. 2 Kittehs and I give the all the food at once. They nom on the cans and then through the next 24 hrs

they graze on the kibble. Seems to work well for them. Not chubbeh anymore. :)

[Gormy Cuss]

3. Cut back on the dry food a bit and see what happens.

If the evening meal is their main meal they can probably get away with less dry food.The wet food is good for keeping them hydrated (cats don't have a good thirst instinct) and the dry food is a nice supplement. If they're getting fat it's off of the dry food.

There is no magic amount because it depends on the cat and its activity level plus its own appetite. My cat just started on a wholly wet food diet and he eats about 3/4 - 1 can (5.5 oz)each day. When he was eating dry & wet he ate more in volume -- 1/2 cup dry plus 1/3 can each day. This cat is an outdoor/indoor, active kitteh and not fat -- he's right where he should be for his body size.

[arcadian]

5. Thanks, Gormy

I'm gonna have to figure something out. Cut back on the dry food, It's really hard though when they come in and walk to the empty food bowl to not give them something.

[MrsBrady]

6. I switched my cats to a wet diet...

they were getting fat...and I had cut back their food so much with they dry, there was no way I could feed them any less.
They were begging from hunger.

I also changed to no grain diets...I use Wellness.

Now we are almost back to normal weight. Feed them wet at night and morning...
occasionally dry.

I found out the grain diets were making them fat, one of my cats had bladder stones...(may or may not have been from lack of hydration with dry food...but I wasn't going to chance it.)
9 months later, they are not fat...and said cat has not had any more stones. (Yea! cuz that was scary, and she had surgery.)

I order cat food in 12oz cans since I have 3 of them. They eat 2/3 to a full can at night between the 3 of them. I will mix the 1/3 left over in the morning with water and dry food for a morning snack. Or open a new can.
They seem happy. Mine are indoor only. You might want to adjust for activity.

Although if they are outside, are yours getting extra snacks in birds and such?
Or could someone else be feeding them?

[astral]

7. 'cats don't have a thirst instinct?'

My cat drinks lots of water. I just give him about a heaping teaspoon of wet cat food in the morning and at night, and leave a handful or two of dry food in his other dish with brewers yeast sprinkled on it for him to munch on without leaving out enough that it sits there more than a day and a half.

He's real big, but an older cat.

If I let him marrr-ouze me into giving him lunch too (as on weekends) I just give him smaller portions.

[Gormy Cuss]

8. Cats do not have a good instinct about hydration.

If a cat doesn't like the water offered, it may not drink enough. Some cats won't touch fresh tap water, some cats are fussy about the size and shape of the bowl, some prefer running water. At any rate, if your cat doesn't have suitable water available it may just go without and become dehydrated.

Most people learn this the first time the vet diagnoses a urinary tract issue. Cats who are fed exclusively dry food diet are more prone to FLUTD unless they're big water drinkers because they aren't ingesting enough liquid. Cats who eat some wet food don't need to drink as much water because they're getting moisture from that food, cats who eat all wet food diets are getting plenty of hydration from that alone and may not need much water.

[Bertha Venation]

9. this thread is useless without pictures

[TZ]

10. My vet told me dry food is kitty candy.

Cut back on it to about a bowl for two cats a day is what she told me.....