Cat seeming hungry on a wet food diet

podperson

Hi all,

Any help much appreciated. I have a cat, who until quite recently was on a dry food diet and seemed fairly happy on it. A few weeks ago she had some major dental work and had the vast majority of her teeth removed. The vet advised me to keep her on wet food for about a week and then she could go back onto dry if she wanted and most cats managed just fine with it even with the reduced teeth.

Anyway fast forward a few weeks and she's completely gone off her biccies and will barely eat them if I put them down - am not sure whether she actually find them harder to eat now or she's just decided she prefers the meat but either way she seems to be on wet food for now

The issue I'm having though is that she seems much hungrier on them. Now I'm well aware, being a cat slave for many years, that they will take advantage and rarely turn down food :rotfl:but she is literally going nuts whenever I go into the kitchen at the moment. She's fed twice a day but she'll be miaowing for more later on.

I usually get her pouches and they do look a bit smaller then her previous portions of biccies but didn't think they were that much! I don't want to be overfeeding her but is she still getting a complete diet with wet food or should be adding something extra in as well?

Thanks in advance x

deedeeliz

Most people I know who feed pouches feed them 3 times a day, and leave dry food to graze on if they're still snackish

picklepick

Have you tried wetting the biscuits for her? If it is her teeth that's causing the trouble.

Fire_Fox

Are you feeding her enough? Some pouches have a very high jelly/ gravy content which is basically water, limited amount of protein and fat. Biscuits are fairly low water so much higher in calories weight for weight. What is the recommended feed rate for the weight of your cat?

My Lulu is indoor only and about 4kg, she eats two thirds or three quarters of a large tin or tetrapack a day - I mostly buy more solid food, not too much jelly or gravy. If she was outdoor she'd likely eat a full can or tetrapack which is four to five pouches. Generally cans or tetrapacks are much better value for money if you check the price per kilo.

scrabbles_2

Firstly, don't worry about the teeth. My Mittens had every single one of his removed (rescue kitty, teeth were in terrible state) and had no issues with food once his gums had healed - as the vet put it "have you ever seen a cat chew?"

Did you move her food over gradually? You do need to do it gradually if you can so they get used to it properly. And have you checked with the vet what the appropriate amount of food is? The instructions on many wet foods is quite general.

As for the hunger, well, we always used to struggle with that with Mittens too. His response to any stress (and major dental work and changes in diet are both very stressful to cats) was to comfort eat.

Tiglath

We don't put down biccies at all, and each cat gets about 2/3 of a tin every day (split between morning and evening feeds). Some of them eat more than the others, but they seem quite content on that amount (except when I crack out something very exciting like cheese). I've never used pouches so I don't know the quantities involved there, but likely to be less than our current tin arrangement.

gettingready

WHAT brand wet food are you feeding the cat?

Some brands are ermmm "empty" crap thing food - some are better and fill the cat nicely.

Depends on the food/manyfacturer/meat content

podperson

Thanks all, it does sound like she might need a bit more then. Hard to tell sometimes as she will just scoff everything if we let her

Gettingready - what are good brands for wet food? Tbh she's always been a fussy mare with her food - originally got her the more expensive, just meat looking ones and she kept throwing them up Put her on the cheapie whiskers ones and she loves them - which was fine for getting something into her at the time but long term I'm aware it's probably not the best nutrionally.

Will try leaving her some biccies down as well - she might be more inclined to go for a mix if she doesn't think she's losing her new meat meals :rotfl:

gettingready

Well, if you are feeding her whiskers - not much meat there ? LOL

Whiskas is probably not enough for her.

Did you try Animonda Carny? Or Bozita? Both available from Zooplus...