View Full Version : Over eating?
Tigerkitty
10-25-2006, 02:16 PM
Over the last few days my Tuxido kitty Mercury's suddenly started eating twice as much as he used to. He's now going through 3-4 foil puches of Whiskas a day, plus a full bowl of crunchies!
He's 7 months old, and we've just gotten him casterated, so could it be part of the healing process / a growth spurt? I'm not too worried, as he's acting completely normal besides the boost in his apetite, I'm just wondering if I should prepair to be spending twice as much on his food now!
rstowe
10-25-2006, 02:19 PM
When was the last time he was checked by a vet for worms? Or it could just be a growth spurt.
squashynose
10-25-2006, 04:05 PM
Have you checked the feeding guide on the pouches? We feed the adults at work 4 pouches a day, with biscuits overnight. Maybe he's growing up :)
KittyKat05
10-25-2006, 04:32 PM
Just don't give him that much, he can't open the pouches himself can he?? LOL:)
I give my cats a tablespoon of wet food in the morning, and at night. And a cup of dry food in their bowl all day long. And depending on what I am making that night for dinner, I give them a piece of raw fish, hamburger, steak, or chicken.
Like Emily says, check the feeding guidelines. As I sit here reading a 5.5 oz can of cheap cat food it says to feed a 6-8 lb adult cat two cans per day so I can't imagine that 3 or 4 pouches of Whiskas and some kibble is completely out of line. There's a lot of 'gravy' in those packets. If your cat isn't gaining weight then yes, you should be prepared to pay twice as much on his food.
Tigerkitty
10-26-2006, 12:17 PM
Just don't give him that much, he can't open the pouches himself can he?? LOL:)
Uhm...*sigh* he can actually. He's oddly intellegent and has figured out that if he stands on a pouch and grabs it with his teeth and shakes it'll rip eventually.... I've had to hide them from him.
What worried me was that it was a very sudden increase, not slow and steady but one day he was fine eating 1 1/2 packages of whiskas and a half bowl of crunchies, and the next day it was 3-4 pouches and a whole bowl! He's not gained a lot of weight though, no more than you'd expect at 7 months old.
I had him wormed when we got him castrated about two weeks ago so I'm not worried about that, I'm thinking it might just be a growth spurt / healing process.
KittyKat05
10-26-2006, 04:06 PM
Uhm...*sigh* he can actually. He's oddly intellegent and has figured out that if he stands on a pouch and grabs it with his teeth and shakes it'll rip eventually.... I've had to hide them from him.
Really??? WOW, that's kinda funny!!
Tigerkitty
10-26-2006, 08:40 PM
Really??? WOW, that's kinda funny!!
The first time you see it it's hillarious... a week of it is very expensive... :D
KittyKat05
10-26-2006, 09:47 PM
The first time you see it it's hillarious... a week of it is very expensive... :D
Well yeah I guess!!! Just have to hide it from her, unless she can open cubboards. Which I know my cats can!!! :)
Tigerkitty
10-27-2006, 03:59 PM
Well yeah I guess!!! Just have to hide it from her, unless she can open cubboards. Which I know my cats can!!! :) We've ended up putting it in the cubboard by the washing machine and putting the laundry basket in front of it!
ally7kat
11-03-2006, 07:23 AM
Yeah, my Zorro will just chew & chew the package until it comes open... so if he finds the pouches, I'll come home to chewed up packages all over the place. I put 'em in the closet and tied the door shut (he also eventually can get doors open, he is a very determined cat.)
Jerica
11-04-2006, 04:30 AM
Why not feed dry food? Its cheaper and better for them anyway. Soft food causes bad teeth, bad teeth cause health problems. Even if fed soft food and hard food you can still get the teeth problems, especially if that is mostly what they're getting. I'll never feed a wet food to dogs or cats as I've seen what it does. Just an thought and it does sound like your kitty is just going through a growth spurt.
It's a myth that dry food cleans cat's teeth. It doesn't. Has anybody ever watched their cat eat? How much chewing do you see going on? Have you noticed when your cat throws up kibble, what comes up looks practically the same as it did when it went in? Dry food causes more overall harm than good when it comes to your cat's health. http://www.littlebigcat.com/?action=library&act=show&item=doesdryfoodcleantheteeth
Tigerkitty
11-04-2006, 07:43 AM
It doesn't really matter if I feed him wet or dry food as I get his teeth cleaned once a month anyway when he gets his nails cut and a good wash :)
Yes, i pamper my kitty
zig zag zoey
11-04-2006, 10:49 PM
im going to start my cats on an all wet food diet now and a feed skedule im glad sombody said something thank you :)
KrazyKatLady
11-05-2006, 07:47 PM
It's a myth that dry food cleans cat's teeth. It doesn't. Has anybody ever watched their cat eat? How much chewing do you see going on? Have you noticed when your cat throws up kibble, what comes up looks practically the same as it did when it went in? Dry food causes more overall harm than good when it comes to your cat's health. http://www.littlebigcat.com/?action=library&act=show&item=doesdryfoodcleantheteeth
It's not a 'myth' ...
It is 'better' for their teeth because the hardness of the food helps knock/scrape/whatever tarter and such off ... sure sometimes they are excited and don't chew all the way, but for the most part, kitties chew ...
When we're doing dental prophalaxies (teeth cleaning under anesthesia) at work, the majority of kitties who need teeth extracted eat wet food only. Wet food tends to get stuck in the very back of their mouths, causes bad breath, infections, and makes icky teeth! :) Infections can spread throughout the body and make for a not so happy kitty!'
From what I've seen, I'd definately recommend dry food (any maybe half a can of wet during the day for a treat!)
With all due respect, don't believe everything you read on-line, there is no proof that was written by a DVM ... I just go by what my doctors say (all 3 of which were in medical school for over 8 years and have been practicing years and years). I see what all wet verses all dry causes every day ...
Do what's best for you and your kitty ... whatever that may be! :)
It's not a 'myth' ...
It is 'better' for their teeth because the hardness of the food helps knock/scrape/whatever tarter and such off ... sure sometimes they are excited and don't chew all the way, but for the most part, kitties chew ...
We'll agree to disagree. :)
When we're doing dental prophalaxies (teeth cleaning under anesthesia) at work, the majority of kitties who need teeth extracted eat wet food only.
Tell that to my cat who no longer has any back teeth and who ate kibble all his life. Dry food didn't do anything for him. That may be the experience in your office but there are studies to the contrary. Some studies suggest that it is genetics which play a larger roll in maintaining healthy teeth than the diet. As I said, we will agree to disagree and there's nothing wrong with that. People can feed their cats the food of their choice, I just hope they will read all of the information that is available. <edit> Like this one: http://www.blakkatz.com/naturetooth.html
KrazyKatLady
11-05-2006, 09:41 PM
We'll agree to disagree.
Tell that to my cat who no longer has any back teeth and who ate kibble all his life. Dry food didn't do anything for him. That may be the experience in your office but there are studies to the contrary. Some studies suggest that it is genetics which play a larger roll in maintaining healthy teeth than the diet. As I said, we will agree to disagree and there's nothing wrong with that. People can feed their cats the food of their choice, I just hope they will read all of the information that is available.
I completely agree to disagree! :)
Of course all kitties are different ... it's just the majority of the kitties I see with extractions eat only wet food. Cats are weird, we all know that! They're all different ... that's what makes them so wonderful! :)
CatRescuer
11-12-2006, 07:21 PM
I will butt in and agree to disagree too. Well ok not quite. If someone has seen first hand that wet food rotted a cats teeth I can't disagree with that. But it could have been that the cat has never had a dental like it should occationally or something like that for example. I guess I don't know for sure on wet but I do know that a wet diet is better for cats with UTI or crystal problems mainly for the fact that it increases their water intake, since many cats don't drink enough of it anyways.
For dry food I totally disagree that it does anything at all for cleaning their teeth. They shatter the piece of food with their fangs and swallow the rest, how can that clean anything? Cats don't thouroughly chew their food like people do at least not to the point where that dry food is moved around against their teeth enough to scrape them clean.
Emalee
11-28-2006, 05:40 PM
i think if i start my cats on a feeding schedual it will be better for thrm both but i work weird hours and same with my boyfiend my schdual is never the same i could end up working for 12 through the day or night or 3-5 hours at anytime of the day how do you sugest starting a feeding schedual with a crazt schedual and with cats who are not acostem to it
Tigerkitty
11-29-2006, 06:09 PM
i think if i start my cats on a feeding schedual it will be better for thrm both but i work weird hours and same with my boyfiend my schdual is never the same i could end up working for 12 through the day or night or 3-5 hours at anytime of the day how do you sugest starting a feeding schedual with a crazt schedual and with cats who are not acostem to it
Get an automatic timed feeding dish :-) I used to work 12 hour shift work four days on, four days off. Which meant I'd have four days working midnight to noon, then four days at home, then four days working noon to midnight, then four days off, My poor kitty NEVER got fed at the same time for more than four days, so I got him an automatic dish. It was a DREAM. They're only about £10 from a pet store (that's about $20 american) and it's just the niftiest thing in the world. Also, if you go away for a weekend you don't have to worry about him scarfing all his food down in one go and being hungry the rest of the weekend if you can't find someone to come and feed him!