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Old December 30th 11, 05:16 AM posted to rec.pets.cats.anecdotes
J J Levin
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Posts: 147
Default Do cats eat more in winter?

"CatNipped" wrote in message
...
On 12/29/2011 9:04 PM, J J Levin wrote:
wrote in message
...
On 12/29/2011 6:46 PM, J J Levin wrote:
Our two cats, Agatha and Edgar, seem to have bigger appetites now that
the
weather is colder. Either I am giving them better food (I have not
changed
their menu much) or they need more food because it's winter.

They share a small can of moist food morning and evening, and have
kibble
available all day. But now he (more than she) is begging for more
treats
after breakfast and after dinner. And he used to be sort of picky and
pick
and choose which treats he ate, now he wolfs them all down.

Is this common?

Thanks,

Jay




Cats do tend to eat more in colder weather to put on an extra layer of
fat
to keep warm - this is especially true for outdoor or indoor/outdoor
cats.
However, if he is eating much more then you might want to have his
thyroid
checked. I know you got them both as adults, but do you know how old
they
are?

--
Hugs,

CatNipped



They're 3 years old, brother and sister. They saw their vet 2 weeks ago.
He
pronounced them healthy and definitely NOT overweight -- as a matter off
fact he commented that one of them (Edgar, the bigger one) is big but
he's
all muscle and very lean.

Jay


If they're only three, depending on the breed of cat, or the breed mixed
into their genes, they could be in a growth phase - in which case that,
combined with the colder weather, would make it quite natural for them to
be putting on more weight. I think they'll be OK, just keep an eye on
them and if you see any other abnormal behavior then give your vet a call.

I asked about age because older cats tend to have thyroid problems (next
after renal problems which is the prime cause of disease and death in cats
which is why I think canned food is so important to their health).



--
Hugs,

CatNipped



Thanks. I read somewhere (maybe here?) that canned food is important because
of its moisture. Ours get 2 cans of Fancy Feast a day (they share them).
Turkey and chicken are OK, but they really love the salmon and tuna in their
various permutations.

Jay