How much to feed a 10 month old cat?

"Dan Espen" wrote in message
...
"William Graham" writes:

"Dan Espen" wrote in message
...
"Spider" writes:

"RPSinha" wrote in message
...
We are feeding a neighborhood cat who visits us regularly. She is
about
10 month old grey tabby. So far it has not been possible to weigh her
(she is friendly enough and lets us touch her but really panics if we
pick her up!)
...
Do not get me wrong. I am not criticizing you; just trying to suggest
that
you take these welfare points into consideration. If you're helping
a
known feral, that's fine - you're every kitty and cat-lovers hero. You
obviously care about your feline visitor, which is great.

It's not that great.
If you feed a feral that's not altered
you're creating at least 10 ferals in just the first year.
Do the math.

Unfortunately, you get exactly ZERO help in solving this problem from
either
cat coalitions or aspca organizations. And I don't mean financial help. I
mean they won't lift a finger to help you trap a cat, or arrange in any
way
to get one fixed.....They just want to sit and wait for you to capture
them
and bring them to the vet for fixing.....As long as this is the case,
there
will be many millions of feral cats born every year, most of whom will
starve to death. The problem is that you are afraid that if you catch one
and get it fixed, he/she will leave and you will never see him again. (I
certainly would if someone were to catch me in a trap and get me fixed)

I've read this from you before.
Fear is the enemy.

You know what's right, do the right thing.

Cats don't hold grudges anyway.

My, "doing the right thing" ....Or not, doesn't address the problem as I
have outlined it. It is just your personalization of the problem, and it
only begs the question.....If you want to help, then address the issue, and
leave my situation out of it.

Try to think of the millions of cats that starve to death every year, and
not my one cat. - Perhaps that might help you to concentrate on the general
issue.

"William Graham" writes:

"Dan Espen" wrote in message
...
"William Graham" writes:

"Dan Espen" wrote in message
...
"Spider" writes:

"RPSinha" wrote in message
...
We are feeding a neighborhood cat who visits us regularly. She is
about
10 month old grey tabby. So far it has not been possible to weigh her
(she is friendly enough and lets us touch her but really panics if we
pick her up!)
...
Do not get me wrong. I am not criticizing you; just trying to suggest
that
you take these welfare points into consideration. If you're helping
a
known feral, that's fine - you're every kitty and cat-lovers hero. You
obviously care about your feline visitor, which is great.

It's not that great.
If you feed a feral that's not altered
you're creating at least 10 ferals in just the first year.
Do the math.

Unfortunately, you get exactly ZERO help in solving this problem from
either
cat coalitions or aspca organizations. And I don't mean financial help. I
mean they won't lift a finger to help you trap a cat, or arrange in any
way
to get one fixed.....They just want to sit and wait for you to capture
them
and bring them to the vet for fixing.....As long as this is the case,
there
will be many millions of feral cats born every year, most of whom will
starve to death. The problem is that you are afraid that if you catch one
and get it fixed, he/she will leave and you will never see him again. (I
certainly would if someone were to catch me in a trap and get me fixed)

I've read this from you before.
Fear is the enemy.

You know what's right, do the right thing.

Cats don't hold grudges anyway.

My, "doing the right thing" ....Or not, doesn't address the problem as I
have outlined it. It is just your personalization of the problem, and it
only begs the question.....If you want to help, then address the issue, and
leave my situation out of it.

Try to think of the millions of cats that starve to death every year, and
not my one cat. - Perhaps that might help you to concentrate on the general
issue.

I think I was clear enough.

You're trying to blame the ASPCA for not doing something
that you know you need to do yourself.

You know you should capture those strays and bring them to
the shelter. If you don't want to just leave them at the ASPCA then
pay to get them chipped and neutered.
This "the cat won't like me anymore" stuff is a bunch of crap.
Sorry to pass judgment on you, maybe you're right I shouldn't,
but you've posted this idea that the cat's going to hold a grudge
and you have to get someone else to take them to the vet too often.

Just my opinion, can't help it.

Anyway I do help, I don't feed stray cats.
My mother in law used to and I saw the results first hand.
It wasn't pretty. A bunch of cats running around with their
eyes falling out.

It's really simple, want to have a cat, feed it, neuter it,
own it. Don't go dumping food into a Malthusian catastrophe.

"Dan Espen" wrote in message
...
"William Graham" writes:

"Dan Espen" wrote in message
...
"William Graham" writes:

"Dan Espen" wrote in message
...
"Spider" writes:

"RPSinha" wrote in message
...
We are feeding a neighborhood cat who visits us regularly. She is
about
10 month old grey tabby. So far it has not been possible to weigh
her
(she is friendly enough and lets us touch her but really panics if
we
pick her up!)
...
Do not get me wrong. I am not criticizing you; just trying to
suggest
that
you take these welfare points into consideration. If you're
helping
a
known feral, that's fine - you're every kitty and cat-lovers hero.
You
obviously care about your feline visitor, which is great.

It's not that great.
If you feed a feral that's not altered
you're creating at least 10 ferals in just the first year.
Do the math.

Unfortunately, you get exactly ZERO help in solving this problem from
either
cat coalitions or aspca organizations. And I don't mean financial help.
I
mean they won't lift a finger to help you trap a cat, or arrange in any
way
to get one fixed.....They just want to sit and wait for you to capture
them
and bring them to the vet for fixing.....As long as this is the case,
there
will be many millions of feral cats born every year, most of whom will
starve to death. The problem is that you are afraid that if you catch
one
and get it fixed, he/she will leave and you will never see him again.
(I
certainly would if someone were to catch me in a trap and get me fixed)

I've read this from you before.
Fear is the enemy.

You know what's right, do the right thing.

Cats don't hold grudges anyway.

My, "doing the right thing" ....Or not, doesn't address the problem as I
have outlined it. It is just your personalization of the problem, and it
only begs the question.....If you want to help, then address the issue,
and
leave my situation out of it.

Try to think of the millions of cats that starve to death every year, and
not my one cat. - Perhaps that might help you to concentrate on the
general
issue.

I think I was clear enough.

You're trying to blame the ASPCA for not doing something
that you know you need to do yourself.

You know you should capture those strays and bring them to
the shelter. If you don't want to just leave them at the ASPCA then
pay to get them chipped and neutered.
This "the cat won't like me anymore" stuff is a bunch of crap.
Sorry to pass judgment on you, maybe you're right I shouldn't,
but you've posted this idea that the cat's going to hold a grudge
and you have to get someone else to take them to the vet too often.

Just my opinion, can't help it.

Anyway I do help, I don't feed stray cats.
My mother in law used to and I saw the results first hand.
It wasn't pretty. A bunch of cats running around with their
eyes falling out.

It's really simple, want to have a cat, feed it, neuter it,
own it. Don't go dumping food into a Malthusian catastrophe.

Sure. I can do that. but what about the other 10.000 people (or more) who
are feeding ferals right now?

You are just like the guys that jumped all over me for driving at night when
I couldn't negotiate the roads well enough. I complained that the state
didn't paint the white lines delineating the road edges often enough, so it
was too hard for me to see and driving was dangerous. Instead of complaining
to the state authorities and telling them to paint those lines more often,
they just bitched at me for driving at night when my vision wasn't good
enough. I am trying to address a general problem that I have observed.
Instead of agreeing with me, you are bitching at me. Don't you see that it
doesn't matter what I personally do? - I could drop dead right now, and the
effect on all the feral cats in the world would be non-existent. In order to
help those animals, something has to actively take place over and above what
is happening right now. The best I can do is to identify the problem and
then write letters about it. You can either join me, or you can bitch at
me.....Your choice.

"RPSinha" wrote in message
...
Spider wrote:

: Having read your OP and replies, I find I have no quarrel with the
replies
: you've received. However, I am a little concerned that you are feeding
a
: "neighbourhood cat". Is this a (possibly starving) feral cat, or a
: neighbour's cat who is otherwise cared for?

She doesn't have a collar and no owner I can figure out. She also has a
very free schedule. She comes around at all sort of hours. She has
stayed in our home anywhere from 1/2 hr (eat and leave) to 8-10 hrs
(sleep). Sometimes she doesn't come for a few days.

Usually she lets us know she wants to eat by aggressively trying to get
into the cupboards (she has seen us get the cans from there). Similarly
when she wants to leave she makes commotion to attract attention and
then leads us towards the door.

By the manner in which she eats and finishes food, see seems genuinely
hungry. She can finish one small 3oz can without problem. Sometimes she
does want more but can only eat a little of the second can. If she does
eat a lot from the second can, she may throw up. That is why I had
asked how much food is good for her.

I do put water out but she rarely touches it.

Hi again,

Mmm. Hard to tell if she's feral or not, but she's undoubtedly hungry! To
answer your original question, I think you should stop at the 3oz can. By
throwing up whenever she has the extra food, she's telling you herself that
3oz is plenty. Of course she'll beg for more - especially if she is
feral - because she may not know where her next meal comes from. If you
want to boost this diet, then buy some hairball remedy cat biscuits and
offer those after her meal, if she's still hungry. I say this because cats
also vomit to expel hairballs (internal wads of fur that build up in the
cat's stomach following grooming); it is entirely natural. Some cats do it
much more than others. My own Cheetah is a serial hairball vomiter, so she
has hairball remedy and extra grooming.

Although you can't pick her up, I wonder if she will let you handle her? If
she will tolerate handling, think about putting a collar on her with a note
in one of those 'barrel' type collar fobs. That way, you may learn if she
has a home elsewhere. If she hasn't, maybe you could then think about
adopting her ....? Up to you.

Best of luck,
Spider

Spider wrote:

: Mmm. Hard to tell if she's feral or not, but she's undoubtedly hungry! To
: answer your original question, I think you should stop at the 3oz can. By
: throwing up whenever she has the extra food, she's telling you herself that
: 3oz is plenty. Of course she'll beg for more - especially if she is
: feral - because she may not know where her next meal comes from. If you
: want to boost this diet, then buy some hairball remedy cat biscuits and
: offer those after her meal, if she's still hungry. I say this because cats
: also vomit to expel hairballs (internal wads of fur that build up in the
: cat's stomach following grooming); it is entirely natural. Some cats do it
: much more than others. My own Cheetah is a serial hairball vomiter, so she
: has hairball remedy and extra grooming.
:
: Although you can't pick her up, I wonder if she will let you handle her? If
: she will tolerate handling, think about putting a collar on her with a note
: in one of those 'barrel' type collar fobs. That way, you may learn if she
: has a home elsewhere. If she hasn't, maybe you could then think about
: adopting her ....? Up to you.

I appreciate your thoughtful comments but conclude a little
differently.

If she has a home where she is loved and fed, then why is she so
hungry?

And if she spends all this time away from home, why doesn't anyone look
for her, put up posters etc?

SO, I wouldn't worry if she has a theoretical owner or not.

I mean, it does not seem like OP is tossing food towards a pet in his
neighbor's backyard. :-)

All ideological mumbo jumbo aside, she is a little creature who *is*
hungry and *she* herself has chosen OP to feed her---I would say go
ahead, feed her, and be grateful for the privilege!

[I come to this from a certain perspective of course.

No two situations are identical, but I fed a cat similarly for 2+
years. She wasn't feral, just abandoned at some point and lived in our
block of 6-7 connected yards. She was welcome in many homes but chose
ours to eat, and watch TV (!), and occasionally to sleep when whether
was hostile; otherwise she got comfortable with her domain and could
not be "adopted" into one home.

She passed away, from natural causes one year ago while we were away on
a trip. Later we learned from neighbors that she was about 17 yrs, and
also that many had tried to adopt her in the past.

I have been heartbroken and, while I used to visit this group regularly
for advice, could not bear to visit here for a year. Just thinking
about her brings tears to in my eyes.]

"Ajanta" wrote in message
...
Spider wrote:

: Mmm. Hard to tell if she's feral or not, but she's undoubtedly hungry!
To
: answer your original question, I think you should stop at the 3oz can.
By
: throwing up whenever she has the extra food, she's telling you herself
that
: 3oz is plenty. Of course she'll beg for more - especially if she is
: feral - because she may not know where her next meal comes from. If you
: want to boost this diet, then buy some hairball remedy cat biscuits and
: offer those after her meal, if she's still hungry. I say this because
cats
: also vomit to expel hairballs (internal wads of fur that build up in the
: cat's stomach following grooming); it is entirely natural. Some cats do
it
: much more than others. My own Cheetah is a serial hairball vomiter, so
she
: has hairball remedy and extra grooming.
:
: Although you can't pick her up, I wonder if she will let you handle her?
If
: she will tolerate handling, think about putting a collar on her with a
note
: in one of those 'barrel' type collar fobs. That way, you may learn if
she
: has a home elsewhere. If she hasn't, maybe you could then think about
: adopting her ....? Up to you.

Hi Ajanta,

I appreciate your thoughtful comments but conclude a little
differently.

If she has a home where she is loved and fed, then why is she so
hungry?
*My Panther is adored and well fed. She is also perverse and steals from
neighbours for the hell of it. I would rather she didn't have this extra
food, but another cat's dinner is somewhat beyond my control.

And if she spends all this time away from home, why doesn't anyone look
for her, put up posters etc?
* Been there .. done the posters .. shed the tears. Sometimes she chooses
to disappear. Yet she truly knows she's loved and eventually always
returns home. Fortunately, she's home with me more often than not.

SO, I wouldn't worry if she has a theoretical owner or not.

I mean, it does not seem like OP is tossing food towards a pet in his
neighbor's backyard. :-)

All ideological mumbo jumbo aside, she is a little creature who *is*
hungry and *she* herself has chosen OP to feed her---I would say go
ahead, feed her, and be grateful for the privilege!

[I come to this from a certain perspective of course.

No two situations are identical, but I fed a cat similarly for 2+
years. She wasn't feral, just abandoned at some point and lived in our
block of 6-7 connected yards. She was welcome in many homes but chose
ours to eat, and watch TV (!), and occasionally to sleep when whether
was hostile; otherwise she got comfortable with her domain and could
not be "adopted" into one home.

She passed away, from natural causes one year ago while we were away on
a trip. Later we learned from neighbors that she was about 17 yrs, and
also that many had tried to adopt her in the past.

I have been heartbroken and, while I used to visit this group regularly
for advice, could not bear to visit here for a year. Just thinking
about her brings tears to in my eyes.]
*I'm so sorry to hear about the loss of your dear feline friend. I lost my
beautiful Cougar to a road accident three years ago. He ran across the road
just to be with me .. we loved each other so much .. it still breaks my
heart, because I still love him. Yes, of course I understand your
perspective; I simply add to that my own fears and considerations.

Spider