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Hungry cat

Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2017 9:41 am
by andybriz
The vets has put one of mine on a diet. He's 3.5 y/o and and has been at 6 kilos for the past couple of years however last check up he had gone up to 6.5 kilos and has developed a big of a sag! They recommended a dry obesity management food. I'm following guidelines for his size but he's always so hungry. It's been a couple of months now and he is constantly hungry all the time. He is properly wormed and healthy. I work from home which probably doesn't help and he follows me around, meows for food all the time. I've spread out meals to 3 times a day which has helped slightly but still I don't ever get any peace! He's quite clingy so I don't suppose he would go anywhere else but it does worry me. Any ideas?

Re: Hungry cat

Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2017 1:55 pm
by meriad
I'd be curious what the ingredient list is of the obesity food. Chances are it's mainly cereals used to bulk and fill but won't keep sated for very long.

Personally - and many may disagree - I'm not a big fan of the prescription foods unless there is a good medical reason (ie urinary / kidney issue etc) and I think just by gradually cutting down their usual food you'll get a result as well and often at a fraction of the cost

also if your boy has has his diet changed from one day to the next it may be really hard for him. Could you maybe increase the food amount a bit and then gradually reduce it so he gets used to it?

Also if he is very food oriented what about taking the dry food and making him work for it (it will involve a bit of effort from you as well though)... take the portion of dry food and put one or two kibbles on the floor on one side of the kitchen; then walk to the other side and put another one or two down and so on and on - make him walk for his food. Or invest in a treatball and put the food in there so he has to be active to get at it?

Is he indoor only or can he go out?

Re: Hungry cat

Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2017 2:09 pm
by Janey
Hi, many years ago our vet once said that one of our cats was getting a bit overweight and prescribed us Hills dry food. We changed the food and she lost weight because she didn’t care for it and was miserable. Since then I’ve always free fed my cats and never had any problems with weight issues, but understand this may not work for all cats. I also disagree with just feeding dry, I think a mixture of wet and dry is best. I think cutting down the food, if need be, and giving just some of the prescription food, if he likes it, and as Meriad says, work for the food games, which can be enjoyable to some cats as well. If he goes out I would also watch that he’s not eating elsewhere. Best of luck!

Re: Hungry cat

Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2017 10:13 pm
by Lallum
Midnight has been on a diet for 2 years. He was weighed this week and he is now just over 5kg. I've been told he needs to lose another half kg.

It's been very hard work and he is constantly hungry. I feed him 4 times each day but it makes little difference. He steals food from the other 2 and dishes have to be put in the dishwasher immediately otherwise he licks them. I still think he is just a big cat. He seems big boned with large paws and head. I think he will be too thin when he gets to target weight!

Re: Hungry cat

Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2017 12:41 am
by Mrs Kane
We have the same problem with ours. The vet warned us in March to cut her down or she'll have severe problems come her later years.

I've set a timer and I have a measuring cup. It's the only way I've found to do it without feeling guilty.

It's set for 8am, 2pm and 12am as that's when one of us is always in the house and she gets 200ml level spoonful every meal. (large gaps I know but she doesn't seem to care in the afternoon and it settles her down at night.)

I'm almost 100% certain that food equals attention for her as we are out a lot for work during the late afternoon and evening and she tends to bounce around and then eat when we come home. So I've tried to accommodate meal time around we're calm and relaxed so she's not panic/excited eating.

To what Meriad said, I am also sceptical of prescription foods. I hate that my cat is allocated "spayed" cat food over here because I'm basically limited to one brand. The vet gave me the "horror" speech of when I feed my cat unspayed food but more and more I'm thinking "If I change up her routine a little perhaps she won't be so greedy." I mean we've basically had to set a routine and I think she knows it.

Re: Hungry cat

Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2017 11:54 am
by catly254
I would advise you to stick to the diet plan as instructed by the vet and dont be tempted to feed your cat more than what is prescribed by the vet. He will gradually warm up to the strict meal plan and be on his way toa healthy weight loss journey.

Re: Hungry cat

Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2017 2:18 am
by sweep-emily
After several years of struggling with this with our late 'big' cat, Florence, what finally worked was simply splitting her food into six or even seven little portions through the day and evening (being at home all day made this feasible) plus vigilance to ensure she didn't steal from the others' dishes. Mainly wet food with a very small sprinkling of dry. Special fat-cat dry food got hoovered up, like all dry food, without bothering to chew, then frantic demands for more (including the type that's supposed to make them feel full on less - ha!); and she then still expected wet food for the main course. I wasn't happy giving an all-dry diet either.

Re: Hungry cat

Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2017 12:50 am
by Mrs Kane
That leads me an interesting point. How long do you guys leave out leftover wet food before you change the bowls or scrub them?
I've tried Sofi on a few brands and she tends to either eat the chunks and leave or lick the mousse and leave and then complains around 3/4 hours later for more dry food. Bowl still half full.

I've tried halving and quartering the package but it seems once it's open she'll eat what she wants and leave the rest, no matter the if the bowl is rinsed, if it's room temp on the counter or from the fridge.

I know she was raised on dry food and went through a few owners that didn't seem to care about her food intake too much. Is there any way to convert a dry food cat to healthier stuff? (I feel like I'm trying to raise a kid that was weened on McDonalds McNugggets)

Re: Hungry cat

Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2017 1:31 pm
by meriad
Mrs Kane wrote:That leads me an interesting point. How long do you guys leave out leftover wet food before you change the bowls or scrub them?
My lot usually get 1/2 pouch wet each in the mornings and again in the evenings. The morning bowls are usually left down all day because mine are pickers and there isn't much time between them being fed and me leaving for work. The evening ones it varies... because they have more time between being fed and my going to bed quite often the bowls are empty so I'll pick them up. If there's anything still in them then I leave them down.

All bowls once picked up off the floor - any remains are scraped into a plastic bowl that goes out for the fox / hedghog / strange cat - whoever will eat it and the bowls then go into the dishwasher. Unless I'm refilling the bowl at the same feeding session then all bowls are generally used once only before they're washed.

Needs to also be said winter and summer are different routines because of open doors and flies. Winter follows the above routine and summer mornings aren't usually an issue because the house is closed off whilst I'm at work. But on warm summer evenings (and yes they do happen in the UK :lol: ) once I'm home the doors are wide open and stay that way until I go to bed, and that usually means flies coming in. I then tend to lift bowls as soon as I can and if need be will give a 2nd helping of food just before I go to bed.

Re: Hungry cat

Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2017 6:10 pm
by Lallum
Food left in bowls? Never happens here. All 3 eat their meals faster than the speed of light. They then investigate each other's bowls in case someone left something behind. Midnight continues on his diet but the other two are ok weight wise.he gets 4g of dried cd twice each day and a pouch of cd twice a day. At the end of the day they each get 3 treats. The treats dont even get chewed!