How often do i feed my elderly indoor cat wet food?

Candelaria

I have fed my cat dry cat food all his life, he is an indoor cat and health if a little over weight. He is now 13 years old and starting to have trouble with hairballs and puking in my room. I want to switch him to healthier canned indoor cat food for old cats. He has always been able to eat whenever and how much he wants with the open food bucket but now i closed the dry food. My question is how often do i feed him a day from the canned food?



Ahmad

This is going to be long, but this is stuff you need to know, so read up. First, Im amazed nobody has asked how big the cans are! Average store-bought canned cat food ranges between 3oz per can, up to approximately 5.5oz per can. Obviously thats a huge difference, so this isnt a question of "how many cans", but rather of "how much volume".However! Theres the QUALITY of food to consider as well, which is what really counts. High-quality canned cat food with real meat as the primary ingredient will require less volume because the cat is able to more efficiently process the moisture and nutrients contained therein without having to pass through filler and grains. This means they will start to feel satisfied sooner, and eat less per sitting. High-quality canned food is invariably more expensive than low-grade foods with lots of filler, but if health and longevity are you primary concerns, you want cat food with REAL meat (not byproduct) as the 2nd or 3rd ingredient listed at the absolute least. First ingredient if you can get it. Now the important part: as a rule of thumb, its recommended that for every pound your cat weighs, you should allow 20 to 30 calories of wet food intake. Pay attention to each foods nutrition information, and youll notice that high-quality food actually provides more calories per ounce (you may need to check nutritional details online, as not all manufacturers list the caloric content on their cans), so you cat will have to eat even less again to satisfy his body needs. As an example, take a cat who weighs approximately 10 pounds. If you want to MAINTAIN that weight, feed a solid 25-30 calories per pound, for about 250-300 calories per day. If you want them to lose weight, 20 calories per pound will help, so try to keep it around 200 calories/day. Bear in mind that kittens, however, are advised to eat approximately twice the amount of calories as compared to adult cats, since they need that extra nutrition and energy to grow. Lastly - and I cannot stress this enough - contrary to popular consensus, a cat does NOT require dry food. AT ALL. Period. It does nothing for their health, and can, in fact, cause more harm. A felines digestive system is very straightforward and very efficient at extracting nutrients and water from the meat of their prey. This is why high-quality wet food with meat as a primary ingredient is so vitally important...in nature, cats only eat a very, very, VERY small amount of grains, typically less than 1-2% of their daily intake, and they can get that from the minimal grain and meal content present in all canned foods (if youre an exceptionally dedicated cat owner you can even buy small pads of live pet grass for them to chew, usually for less than 5 bucks at your local pet store).Excessive grain intake forces the cat to eat more empty calories in order to get the same amount of nutrition (leading to obesity, which can open the door to ailments like feline diabetes). it also makes them drink much more water to compensate for the moisture they are not getting from fresh meats, and this excessive fluid intake can place strain on their urinary system and kidneys, leading to potential renal (kidney) failure. In short, cats simply are not designed, digestively, to be omnivores. They are carnivores. Meat-eaters. That is literally all they need, and any vet worth their salt will tell you so. You may have to get your boys teeth cleaned about once per year to keep plaque buildup at bay, but that is a recommended yearly practice for ANY pet owner, regardless. Everyone should pay attention to a pets oral health, and thats no different whether they eat dry, wet, or a combination of the two. Anyway, I know this was a long read but hopefully it all helps a little to point you in the right direction. Calculate how much volume of food your cats needs, portion it out over 2 or 3 servings per day (depending on how much he wants to eat in one sitting), and go for it. Your cat will be happy you did. :)(P. S. - The advice posted by "Dj F" about weaning him off dry food slowly is absolutely true. Start with about 50/50, drop to about 25/75 after a week or so, then go 100% full canned after the 2nd week. This will give your cat plenty of time to get used to the new diet, both psychologically and intestinally.)



Karena

I would give him some hairball gel like laxatone or hartz mountain hairball gel 2 x a week and see if that improves the hairball/puking problem before i would switch his food. Are you actually seeing a hairball come up with the puke? At 13yrs old I would take him to the vet for a checkup because the puking is new and get the vets opinion on what food and how much. I have heard from our vet /vet techs that some of the "indoor " formulas cause urinary problems down the road.



Adelle

Feed him twice a day with the canned food and you can also leave out about A 1/4 cup of dry if he just wants to munch. Because he is vomiting and has more trouble with hair balls he should have him senior health check. Make sure that you brush him every other day to keep the hairball problem down.



Noreen

Twice a day and since he is used to dry food I really suggest doing a mix, (1/2 1/2). That way his body doesnt go into shock over the change. Keep in mind that he is getting older, 13 is pretty good, but even wet food may not help. If you havent taken him to his VET recently then I suggest a check up and explain to them whats going on, they may have some medicine to help him. Good luck!



Allyn

You should probably feed him one-two cans if he doesnt exercise a lot. If he does run around and exercise, feed him three times a day. You shouldnt take away the dry food. Its good for him, give him a bowl of dry food and leave it out all day for him to munch on. It helps him stay full =]



Marcene

A mixture of dry and wet food is best. My cats tend to be overeaters and puke up their food after they eat it, so maybe just try a little bit at a time. Like a half-can at a time, to total 2 cans a day.



Amber

I feed my older cat half a can of wet food at dinner along with a little dry food in the morning just a handful of dry food.



Catheryn

Get him off kibble. It is awful for senior cats and really hard on their kidneys and livers.



Carlena

Twice a day.