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#21
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Kiran wrote: Phil P. wrote: : An average, healthy, adult, neutered, moderately active, indoor cat has a : daily energy requirement (DER) of about 20 calories/lb (45 kcals)/day... I have been going by weight-based recommendations on the cans and am not fluent in this language. I was about to guess that a 4.5 lb cat needs 20x4.5 = 90 calories, but I am not sure what 45 kcal/day means. This could be too much. I just looked up Science Diet at www.hillspet.com and they recommended 2! cans per day for a 5 pound cat. That's 190 kilocalories! Offhand, they seems to be twice the calories an indoor, neutered, inactive cat would need. I would get a scale. A good scale is over $100. But I am thinking. A 10 pound postal scale, with a tray on it, would be awkward, need a Hold button, but put a tray on it, and the cat on the tray? The weight recommendations from all the companies do not make sense to me. They seem way too high. Sometimes. They need to be more specific. Even Science Diet does not specify if the weight is for a target weight or the present weight or what? A 10 pound cat aiming for 8 pounds is not the same as a 12 pound cat aiming for 10 pounds. I pointed this out to them and hope that in the future they will have far more accurate information. Take Phil P'.s recommendation of 30(BW) + 70 for example for relatively small animals. That's 30 x 2.04 [4.5 pounds / 2.2046 = 2.04 kg] + 70 = 131 calories/day But if neutered, inactive, I might say 100 kilocalories per day, or 1 small can. I think Phil P. said 30% less for inactive, neutered cats, which is about this. But Science Diet says 1 1/2 cans to 2 cans per day. This is too high for your particular cat in my highly uneducated opinion. If you pester Science Diet, they will pull out the scientific literature, which then specifies about 6 different levels of caloric intake depending on any specific cat's situation! They really need to put all 6 different levels on their food products so people don't make the mistake of feeding indoor, neutered, and inactive cats what an intact and active cat requires!!! I'm not a vet and I don't have all that much experience except all the information I am getting is not logically consistant from the companies. That's not good. |
#22
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"Kiran" wrote in message ... Phil P. wrote: : An average, healthy, adult, neutered, moderately active, indoor cat has a : daily energy requirement (DER) of about 20 calories/lb (45 kcals)/day... I have been going by weight-based recommendations on the cans and am not fluent in this language. No one is fluent in 'pet food industry' language- even most of the people in the industry don't understand it! They should translate it into plain, simple language that pet owners can understand without having to study a textbook on nutrition. I was about to guess that a 4.5 lb cat needs 20x4.5 = 90 calories, And you would be correct. but I am not sure what 45 kcal/day means. 45 kilocalories per kilogram of bodyweight per day. Pet food manufactures use kcals instead of 'calories' because an actual calorie is a very small measurement and complicates feeding calculations. Although incorrect, the terms are often used interchangeably. BTW, how many calories are there in one oz of Friskies or Fancy Feast? Product lines vary from line to line. The Tender, Flaked, Chunky, and Filet Pate' lines average about 90 kcals/3 oz can- or about 30 kcals/oz. The Sliced, Roasted, Grilled, and Marinated lines average around 72-80, and the Seafoof Filet line averages about 60 kcal/3 oz. Friskies also varies from line to line from 130-190 kcals/5.5 oz can. Friskies Fine Cut and Seared Filet 3 oz pouches average around 85-90 kcals. She is fixed, almost 2, less active than should be but is too smart to remain interested in any toy I bring for more than a few days. Once she realizes it is not a real mouse/bird, she loses interest! She wants an interactive toy that she can hunt and capture. PetsMart makes a cool toy called a 'CatFish". Its a small fishing pole (12') and reel with 40' of fishing line with a fuzzy cat lure on the end. You cast the lure and reel it in like you're fishing. Your cat will have more fun if you reel in the lure in jerky, zig-zag motions to mimic mice and other prey. Your cat will have even more fun if you cast the lure under a couch or into a box so she can ambush the lure- or onto a cat tree where she has to climb to catch it. Another cool interactive toy is a radio-controlled mouse- $22 from Animal Planet http://www.maxshouse.com/Ours/Jade+APMouse.jpg One of my cats ended up falling in love with it. Instead of chasing it, she cuddled up with it! LOL! http://www.maxshouse.com/jade'o_mine+her_mouse.htm My cats go nuts over the laser pointer- but I think it frustrates them a little because they can't actually catch it. |
#23
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"Phil P." wrote in message
Another cool interactive toy is a radio-controlled mouse- $22 from Animal Planet I was thinking of getting the Cy-purr mouse. Supposedly, it taunts the cat into chasing it. http://www.petsmart.com/global/produ...3Eprd_id=84552 4441777943&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302033745& ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=253 4374302023690&bmUID=1125490801506 |
#24
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"Diane" wrote in message ... In article .com, " wrote: The weight recommendations from all the companies do not make sense to me. The ones that say, "X amount per pound of cat" don't make sense to me because what if 5 pounds of the cat is extra weight? That's why a cat's body condition score should be used to determine the amount to feed. BCS is much more useful than simply using body weight as a guide because there can be a large variation in ideal body weights for different sized cats. For example, my female foster weighs 13 lbs and my female resident cat weighs 15 lbs. The 13 lb cat has a BCS between 6-7 and the 15 lb cat has BCS of 5. IOW, the 15 lb cat is at her ideal weight while the13 lb cat is overweight (not for much longer). http://www.maxshouse.com/nutrition/B...stem-Chart.jpg |
#25
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"Phil P." wrote in message ... "MaryL" -OUT-THE-LITTER wrote in message news:E_4Re.3887$Ix4.2278@okepread03... At the same time, I would like to point out that I am not an expert on this and am only working from my own experience. You're certainly more informed about feline nutrition than the vast majority of vets! Ask most of them for feeding advice and they'll just tell you to read the label! LOL! Phil It's sort of like doctors for people. Many MDs have only the most rudimentary (if that) knowledge of nutrition, yet that is the advice that many people really need (not necessarily more pills). This same problem seems to exist among a large percentage of veterinarians. MaryL |
#26
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#27
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rpl wrote:
: Curious... how do you feel about soda-water ? Not a big part of my life, but also not on my black-list like syrupy sodas Coke and Pepsi. It is water plus CO2, the gas has no nutritional value and body is designed to get rid of it. I just find it idiotic to drive, pay for, and haul around bottled CO2 that you plan to just burp out. :-) |
#28
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carola wrote:
: Well, does the cat look overweight? Just a tad, going by the top and sideways profiles. : How old is it? Cats up to 8 months should get whatever : they can eat vet says, they're growing. Just under two, so no she is not a kitten. |
#29
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" wrote:
: This could be too much. I just looked up Science Diet at : www.hillspet.com and they recommended 2! cans per day for a 5 pound : cat. That's 190 kilocalories! Offhand, they seems to be twice the : calories an indoor, neutered, inactive cat would need...The weight : recommendations from all the companies do not make sense to me. : They seem way too high. : Take Phil P'.s recommendation of 30(BW) + 70 for example for relatively : small animals. : That's 30 x 2.04 [4.5 pounds / 2.2046 = 2.04 kg] + 70 = 131 : calories/day : But if neutered, inactive, I might say 100 kilocalories per day, or 1 : small can. : I think Phil P. said 30% less for inactive, neutered cats, which is : about this. But Science Diet says 1 1/2 cans to 2 cans per day. This is : too high for your particular cat in my highly uneducated opinion. I agree, manufacturers seem to recommend too much. Pre-packaged portions also encourage over-eating (it is easy to serve one 3 oz can rather than try to save what seems like a tiny amount), for my cat at least although they may be just right for others. Calorie density is another issue. It is like me eating solid chocolate: a couple of biscuits may have enough caories but my stomach will feel empty and thus hungry. This is one reason I don't give kibble; I thought canned food did not have this problem but that may not be entirely true. My cat has had no trouble finishing a 3 oz can per meal; if that's too many calories, then having the right number of calories could leave her feeling hungry. I don't know how I will deal with that. For starters I am planning to give her 3/4 small cans per meal (or 3/4 large can per day), watch her reaction, and take it from there. |
#30
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Phil P. wrote:
: ... Thank you for all the information. I think she needs fewer calories but I am a little worried about calorie density. She has had no trouble finishing a 3 oz can per meal (two meals a day); I am wondering if having the right number of calories will leave her feeling hungry. High calorie density is one reason I don't give kibble; I thought canned food did not have this problem but that may not be entirely true. Anyway, I am planning to try giving her 3/4 small cans per meal (3/4 large cans per day), watch her reaction, and take it from there. In human situations, I would compensate for high calorie density foods by adding soups and salads etc, but I don't know if there is a feline equivalent. Just out of curiosity, I wonder how many calories per consumed ounce do cats get from a mouse? That's the calorie density canned-food industry should aim for. :-) |
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