[Charcoal&Trigg]

Charcoal is around 13 to 14 months, so I transitioned her off kitten kibble for her dry food and on to a grain free adult cat kibble. She also gets a small can of wet food at 5:30am and one around 6pm. The kibble is usually just there for when she gets hungry between meals and when I’m not home. I have noticed she likes this new dry food quite a bit and has gained a little weight over the past month. She is very active, and seems to be a smaller cat. She recently got spayed and the vet didn’t have any concerns. I also have been providing hospice care and have been gone a lot more, so she is likely helping herself to more food than she normally would. I have never weighed her, but she feels comparable to a 5 lbs weight. I was wondering if I should pay more attention to the amount of dry food I put in her bowl. I normally keep it full and let her eat on demand. The side of the bag says to feed 1/2 to 3/4 cup per day for a cat her size. Her food bowl probably holds 1.5 to 2 cups. Should I start measuring her dry food? I just want to make sure she is getting a healthy amount of food. Also, she is completely indoor. Thanks a bunch!!

 

[Mosi]

What the bag says sounds like a lot of food for a cat that size to me. I ignore what it says on cat or dog food bags, as it always is too much in my opinion and animals, like us, are in better health generally if kept on the lean side. My cat weighs close to 10 pounds and he gets 1/3 cup of dry food a day plus 1/4 of a flat can of canned cat food and he's just right in weight and health.

I always judge what my animals should get by simply how they look and feel to me. If they gain weight I cut back and/or increase activity, and if they are thin or seem to be too hungry all the time I give them more. It doesn't have to be complicated at all.

 

[miscellaneous]

If I fed my cats according to the label, I'd have to roll them around the house in a wheelbarrell. Way too many calories! So based on what I've fed previous cats, they get 6 oz of wet food and 1 ounce of dry, including treats, per day. However, unlike my previous cats, I can't free-feed them because they have as much self- control with their food as I have with Oreos, so I split their daily intake into 4 small scheduled meals a day, and make sure they have lots of play-time to burn it off. That way we ALL get a good aerobic work-out!

 

[Charcoal&Trigg]

Thanks for the responses! They were very helpful. I slightly adjusted the amount of dry food I put out, and I think I feel better about Charcoal’s feedings now. She loves that grain free dry food a lot, so I’m being more conscientious about how much I put into her bowl. Im still not measuring, but I feel better knowing she’s getting a good amount regardless of what the bag says. She knows how to get my attention when she’s hungry, and brings me her nerf balls when she’s ready to play fetch. Thanks again!