best food to fill up a cat

cheepskate_2

I know not technically a money saver but he's eating me out of house and home.

we have a 7 month netured tom cat, now i know cats are supposed to be fussy and only eat when they are hungry, but boy he always seems to be hungry/greedy.

Regulary wormed, so know that is not the problem.

He eats loads 1 tin(400 g) and big amount of biscuits each day( not including all he steals)( not far off our wei's meal intake ), but will devour anything (apart from kit e kat) . His list includes cooked mushrooms and onions, curry last night (although we whip it away as quick as possible).

He constantly miews for food and is like a greyhound chasing a hare if he sees any. Kit e kat is the only food (animal and human) that he does not want to eat.

I was always led to believe that cats are fussy and only eat enough for their needs.

Are we by indulging him in huge meals, storing up trouble as an older cat i.e obesity, or can this be normal(1st time i've had a cat) and also is there any brands that will fill him up more than others?

lottee

Have you mantioned this to the vet? Is he overweight ? (the cat, not the vet!)

cheepskate_2

hi

no he is not overweight( but vet is) , and have not seen the vet since he was netured at 5 months ,and we only had him for a few months , we did say he ate loads but she just commented on what a greedy boy he was, and didnt seem concerned.

Bossyboots

Cats are quite greedy and are also scroungers but what you describe goes beyond the naughtiness of stealing and sounds like desparation.

What tinned food are you feeding him? I wonder whether it is largely water in content and thus not really a meal for him.

Have a word with the nurse at your vets. It is usually they who deal with diet and nutrition issues and she should be able to advise you over the telephone of any ideas she has.

I would suggest you try switching to a dried complete food. Vets recommend these rather than tins anyway. You can then decide whether to simply leave his daily ration down for him to eat when it suits him or feed him at times that suit you.

MonkeySaving?

The best food to fill up a cat, is a big mouse.

Raksha

You might like to ask the vet about thyroid conditions, these aren't uncommon in cats and can affect the appetite.

Fritha_2

According to one of my old friends Iams will fill a cat to exploding point (although, bizarrely it is made by a company that actually test on animals! go figure!), but as the other have said it's worth taking him to the vets just to check there's nothing wrong with him.

cheepskate_2

MonkeySaving? wrote:

The best food to fill up a cat, is a big mouse.

I think he must be a lover, not a hunter, as we have 2 gerbils sitting (in cage) on our kitchen unit and he doesn't bat an eye at them.



We feed him on ASDA tined and ASDA complete, this is what the previous owners fed him on.


I will try and change his diet to dried food and see if this changes his attitude,
probably part of his constant miewing is that hubby gives him meat from the fridge everytime he is in the kitchen and the little rascal starts his noise as soon as the fridge is opened anytime now.

Thanks for the help , will see if the dried food helps if not will speakk to the vet

hamaradam

I have several cats and I too use asda TIGER brand. Its nice as there are many different varieties. so this way they don't get bored with same flavour constantly, What i do to supplement this is go to a fishmonger on the local market and ask for a 50p bag of fish trimmings or 'cat bits' you get quite a lot,then i cook it and serve it up for them, its probably as cheap at most fishmongers ,it will give him variety as well, i have mixed cooked brown rice in with mine before too, that keeps them feeling full for longer i believe. If you don't like the stink, cook it in the microwave to reduce the smell in its sealed bag., or a lidded microwave cooking dish. Also it may be worth getting his thyroid checked too. 2 of my cats actually weigh each, a stone! (oscar) he is like a scottish wildcat very stocky, neutered, and the other (mojo) -spayed - was an only- kitten, apparently , and got all the best of her mothers milk so was set up well for life, she looks like a british shorthair, big round eyes they are both stocky rather than obese, and funnily enough, they are always the very two who choose to lay on my tummy when i am asleep in bed..like a pile of heavy books.....

claireandella

We have 5 cats and find that they regulate their own food intake. We give them a tin of catfood morning and evening, between them but in different bowls, and leave big bowls of biscuits and water down all the time. It's funny, but the expensive iams type brands always seem to go straight away, whilst Tesco's own seems to last much longer... None of the cats eats excessively though and all are a healthy weight.

I have noticed that they eat quite a lot more in the winter, and in cold weather generally, although they don't seem to get heavier, so presumably just need the calories to keep warm. (Again, funny, cos they spend all their time lounging in their radiator beds in the nice warm house...)

I'd get the vet to check your boy and, if he gets the all clear, I wouldn't worry too much about his eating habits. Provided he's got access to biscuits and water he'll probably regulate his intake, if not you'll notice him becoming overweight and can cut him back. It sounds as if he's got a lovely home and is just a typical teenager going through a growth spurt...

**purplemoon**

cheepskate wrote:

probably part of his constant miewing is that hubby gives him meat from the fridge everytime he is in the kitchen and the little rascal starts his noise as soon as the fridge is opened anytime now.

Ha ha he has you very well trained!

Cats cotton on very quick especially where food is involved and they soon start demanding stuff that's meant to be a treat all the time. We used to have an old cat that came running every single time you opened a tin, whether it be soup, beans or his dinner lol

We switched him to dry food on vets advice cos of his teeth (wet food causes bad teeth/gums) and he gradually stopped responding to tins being opened when he realised none of them were for him. We started by dividing his daily ration of dry food in 3 and fed 3 times a day to stop him eating it all in one go and nothing for rest of day, then reduced it to 2 and eventually just left the whole day's ration in his bowl and he'd pick at it throughout the day.

This might work for your cat too but as others have said get him checked by a vet first to make sure he hasn't got a problem making him eat so much. Good luck!