Question About Wellness Core Dry Food

princessbear · 07-10-2011, 06:17 AM

So I've made the switch to the Core dry for my girls....eventually, once Bootsy is a year old, I will try to switch them to an all wet food. They are getting 1/2 cup a day to share - although Bella seems to eat the majority of it. Anyway - I notice they are not eating as much of the dry and am wondering if this is because of the high protein levels and perhaps it is filling them up more than the regular Wellness kitten and adult formula, which I was mixing together before I learned about all life stage food. Could this be why they are eating less of it?

**doodlebug** · 07-10-2011, 08:18 AM

Yes...Core is a higher calorie, more nutritionally dense food...they eat less of it. An average 10lb cat should only be getting 3/8-1/2 cup per day, so if your adult cat is eating the majority of it, that's almost all she needs for the day. Sounds like she may be getting too much food.

I don't recall how old Bootsy is, but a kitten over 3-4 months can be on 3 meals per day and does not need free feed kibble.

princessbear · 07-10-2011, 09:36 AM

Boo is about 4 1/2 months old and because I am gone sometimes for about 12 hours at a time during the week, I am leaving a bit of kibble for them. So you're saying that I can take away the kibble now that she is over 4 months old and it's okay to leave her for 12 hours without food?

**doodlebug** · 07-10-2011, 10:07 AM

Yes...I've never left kibble out for any of my kittens once they were that age and I would be gone 11-12 hours every week day. If a kitten is in the wild, it's hunting for it's own food on it's own at that age...mama is not nursing it. It doesn't have a never ending bowl.

Just give her as much as she wants when you're home (without allowing her to eat herself sick).

princessbear · 07-10-2011, 10:25 AM

Thanks, doodlebug - I thought I had read here that that was too long to go without food but it makes sense ... I'm going to finish this very expensive bag of kibble and then start weaning them off... any suggestions on how to do that? They both LOVE canned food - should I just stop leaving out kibble - or wean them off of it? Also, how much canned per day, per cat, should I feed them? Bella could stand to lose about one pound - maybe 1 1/2 pounds, yet I want Boo to get enough while she is growing.

07-10-2011, 06:17 AM	#1 (permalink)
princessbear Tom Cat Join Date: May 2011 Location: Hudson, Massachusetts Posts: 341	Question About Wellness Core Dry Food So I've made the switch to the Core dry for my girls....eventually, once Bootsy is a year old, I will try to switch them to an all wet food. They are getting 1/2 cup a day to share - although Bella seems to eat the majority of it. Anyway - I notice they are not eating as much of the dry and am wondering if this is because of the high protein levels and perhaps it is filling them up more than the regular Wellness kitten and adult formula, which I was mixing together before I learned about all life stage food. Could this be why they are eating less of it?

07-10-2011, 08:18 AM	#2 (permalink)
doodlebug Super Moderator Join Date: May 2006 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 17,702	Yes...Core is a higher calorie, more nutritionally dense food...they eat less of it. An average 10lb cat should only be getting 3/8-1/2 cup per day, so if your adult cat is eating the majority of it, that's almost all she needs for the day. Sounds like she may be getting too much food. I don't recall how old Bootsy is, but a kitten over 3-4 months can be on 3 meals per day and does not need free feed kibble. __________________ Onyx & Callie May forever in my heart.

07-10-2011, 10:07 AM	#4 (permalink)
doodlebug Super Moderator Join Date: May 2006 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 17,702	Yes...I've never left kibble out for any of my kittens once they were that age and I would be gone 11-12 hours every week day. If a kitten is in the wild, it's hunting for it's own food on it's own at that age...mama is not nursing it. It doesn't have a never ending bowl. Just give her as much as she wants when you're home (without allowing her to eat herself sick). __________________ Onyx & Callie May forever in my heart.

07-10-2011, 09:36 AM	#3 (permalink)
princessbear Tom Cat Join Date: May 2011 Location: Hudson, Massachusetts Posts: 341	Boo is about 4 1/2 months old and because I am gone sometimes for about 12 hours at a time during the week, I am leaving a bit of kibble for them. So you're saying that I can take away the kibble now that she is over 4 months old and it's okay to leave her for 12 hours without food?

07-10-2011, 10:25 AM	#5 (permalink)
princessbear Tom Cat Join Date: May 2011 Location: Hudson, Massachusetts Posts: 341	Thanks, doodlebug - I thought I had read here that that was too long to go without food but it makes sense ... I'm going to finish this very expensive bag of kibble and then start weaning them off... any suggestions on how to do that? They both LOVE canned food - should I just stop leaving out kibble - or wean them off of it? Also, how much canned per day, per cat, should I feed them? Bella could stand to lose about one pound - maybe 1 1/2 pounds, yet I want Boo to get enough while she is growing.

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