I'm really stressing out about their food!

spamlet · 07-18-2005, 06:04 AM

For the past 3 months since my cats turned 1 I have been feeding them half a pouch of wet food in the morning and another half in the evening and leaving dry food out for them all day. Recently though Spandex has started to put on a bit of weight (they are both quite small, Twiggy's about 2 pounds and Spandex about 3) and I started to think that maybe this was because of them being allowed to graze on dry food all day.

However Twiggy is really small, possibly slightly underweight. So the other day I decided to just feed them wet food. The packet says the recommended daily feeding is 4 pouches a day!!!! Well I give them one in the moning each and they leave about 3/4 of it and then the same happens at night! I really don't know what the best option is. Me and my partner aren't really here during the day so I can't really feed them more than three times a day. Any suggestions...is the cat food company going to recommed 4 pouches a day because it benifits them? Will my cats eat as much as they need if it's out for them or do I need to monitor their eating more?

I am planning a trip to the vets soon and I will ask his advice...but in the meantime....?

Purity · 07-18-2005, 07:11 AM

I was reading the back of the Whiskas kitten pouches the other day too, and it recomends that my 3 month olds should be eating 2 a day each. Hah, not a chance!! Mine also have dry food down all day, but even if they didn't there's no way they would eat that much (although they always seem to make room for chicken!).

My dad has two older cats (over 10 year olds) and they probably only eat two a day with dry food down to graze as well.

emma_pen · 07-18-2005, 03:20 PM

Most commercial pet foods recommend WAY more than a cat should actually have.

roseeden · 07-18-2005, 03:39 PM

TRUE

Besides, my cats actually eat less when they are on wet food than when they are on dry food. Even though wet food is mostly water, it is still more filling.

micp879 · 07-18-2005, 04:11 PM

A food like Whiskas is likely so loaded up with fillers and unneccessary ingredients, it takes more of it to meet the nutritional goals for cats. However the cat is likely getting full on all those unneccessary ingredients and turning his nose up at the rest once he is full. Just a guess. If you like pouches, you could probably try somethin like Nutro Pouches and see how well it goes over. Nutro isnt the best, but its definitely better than Whiskas. Im still trying to decide my thoughts over the whole "pop top can causes hyperthyroidism in cats", so I opt for pouches or the large cans that dont have pop tops.

emma_pen · 07-19-2005, 03:58 AM

You don't get Nutro in the UK

The best quality tinned food in the UK (IMO) is Denes, but its so expensive! For dry, you can't beat Burns every time!

spamlet · 07-19-2005, 04:22 AM

Thanks Emma, can you buy that from just any major pet shop? What wet food do you use?

ilovemy2cats · 07-19-2005, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by emma_pen

You don't get Nutro in the UK

The best quality tinned food in the UK (IMO) is Denes, but its so expensive! For dry, you can't beat Burns every time!

Nutro has a UK website: http://www.nutro.co.uk/

emma_pen · 07-19-2005, 03:17 PM

Thanks! I didn't realise that!

Most of the better brands (JWB, Burns, Autarky, Denes, etc) are either available in large pet stores, or online. I get mine through work, so your vet surgery may be able to order it in for you if you ask. The Burns website do free delivery, and when you work it out, its not all that expensive, especially compared to pouches.

I feed Burns dry, and Whiskas tinned.

Ems

roseeden · 07-19-2005, 04:29 PM

I think the UK version of Whiskas is much better than the US version of Whiskas.

07-18-2005, 06:04 AM	#1 (permalink)
spamlet Cool Cat Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: England Posts: 1,266	I'm really stressing out about their food! For the past 3 months since my cats turned 1 I have been feeding them half a pouch of wet food in the morning and another half in the evening and leaving dry food out for them all day. Recently though Spandex has started to put on a bit of weight (they are both quite small, Twiggy's about 2 pounds and Spandex about 3) and I started to think that maybe this was because of them being allowed to graze on dry food all day. However Twiggy is really small, possibly slightly underweight. So the other day I decided to just feed them wet food. The packet says the recommended daily feeding is 4 pouches a day!!!! Well I give them one in the moning each and they leave about 3/4 of it and then the same happens at night! I really don't know what the best option is. Me and my partner aren't really here during the day so I can't really feed them more than three times a day. Any suggestions...is the cat food company going to recommed 4 pouches a day because it benifits them? Will my cats eat as much as they need if it's out for them or do I need to monitor their eating more? I am planning a trip to the vets soon and I will ask his advice...but in the meantime....?

07-18-2005, 07:11 AM	#2 (permalink)
Purity Jr. Cat Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: South UK Posts: 64	I was reading the back of the Whiskas kitten pouches the other day too, and it recomends that my 3 month olds should be eating 2 a day each. Hah, not a chance!! Mine also have dry food down all day, but even if they didn't there's no way they would eat that much (although they always seem to make room for chicken!). My dad has two older cats (over 10 year olds) and they probably only eat two a day with dry food down to graze as well. __________________ Slave to Alfie and Max

07-18-2005, 03:20 PM	#3 (permalink)
emma_pen Cat Addict Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: UK Posts: 2,655	Most commercial pet foods recommend WAY more than a cat should actually have.

07-18-2005, 03:39 PM	#4 (permalink)
roseeden Premier Cat Join Date: May 2005 Location: BRAZOS VALLEY, Texas Posts: 5,630	TRUE Besides, my cats actually eat less when they are on wet food than when they are on dry food. Even though wet food is mostly water, it is still more filling.

07-18-2005, 04:11 PM	#5 (permalink)
micp879 Cat Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: California Posts: 198	A food like Whiskas is likely so loaded up with fillers and unneccessary ingredients, it takes more of it to meet the nutritional goals for cats. However the cat is likely getting full on all those unneccessary ingredients and turning his nose up at the rest once he is full. Just a guess. If you like pouches, you could probably try somethin like Nutro Pouches and see how well it goes over. Nutro isnt the best, but its definitely better than Whiskas. Im still trying to decide my thoughts over the whole "pop top can causes hyperthyroidism in cats", so I opt for pouches or the large cans that dont have pop tops.

07-19-2005, 03:58 AM	#6 (permalink)
emma_pen Cat Addict Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: UK Posts: 2,655	You don't get Nutro in the UK The best quality tinned food in the UK (IMO) is Denes, but its so expensive! For dry, you can't beat Burns every time!

07-19-2005, 04:22 AM	#7 (permalink)
spamlet Cool Cat Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: England Posts: 1,266	Thanks Emma, can you buy that from just any major pet shop? What wet food do you use?

07-19-2005, 03:17 PM	#9 (permalink)
emma_pen Cat Addict Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: UK Posts: 2,655	Thanks! I didn't realise that! Most of the better brands (JWB, Burns, Autarky, Denes, etc) are either available in large pet stores, or online. I get mine through work, so your vet surgery may be able to order it in for you if you ask. The Burns website do free delivery, and when you work it out, its not all that expensive, especially compared to pouches. I feed Burns dry, and Whiskas tinned. Ems

07-19-2005, 04:29 PM	#10 (permalink)
roseeden Premier Cat Join Date: May 2005 Location: BRAZOS VALLEY, Texas Posts: 5,630	I think the UK version of Whiskas is much better than the US version of Whiskas.

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