How much to feed a 10 month old cat?

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!)

Questions:

1. At this age do they get kitten food or adult?

2. What is the approximate right amount? Are two small cans or one
large one too little, about right, or too much?

3. So far we have been using old stock left by a friend who moved
overseas with their cats, but is there an outright best value
recommendation among various brands?

4. On that note, the cans we have are about 6 months old. Is that ok or
too old?

We are newbies and appreciate all advice. Thanks.

In article , RPSinha Nobody wrote:
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!)

Questions:

1. At this age do they get kitten food or adult?

Check the can/bag. It should say.

4. On that note, the cans we have are about 6 months old. Is that ok or
too old?

6 months past the "use by" date, I'm thinking so. 6 months past the
manufacturing date but not past the "use by" date, no. No "use by"
date, got me.

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Q: Why is top-posting such a bad thing? [TOFU := text oben,
A: Top-posting. followup unten]
Q: What is the most annoying thing on usenet? -- Daniel Jensen

On Wed, 03 Oct 2007 17:31:34 +0000, RPSinha wrote:

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!)

Questions:

1. At this age do they get kitten food or adult?

The kitten food people say one year for kitten food; the cat food people
say feed their stuff from the beginning.


2. What is the approximate right amount? Are two small cans or one large
one too little, about right, or too much?

That depends on the food value of the food, and the weight and activity
level of the cat, and also on the weather for outdoor cats. Most cats
won't overeat, so if she leaves a bit, that's probably about the right
amount.

3. So far we have been using old stock left by a friend who moved
overseas with their cats, but is there an outright best value
recommendation among various brands?

Best value? That's as much emotional as anything else. I have fifteen
cats - cost and quality are both important, and I have settled on
Walmart's house brand (Special Kitty) kibble as the main feed. I have to
feed Spooky some canned food because he has lost enough teeth (he's very
old) to make it difficult for him to eat dry kibble - I use another
chain's house brand (Best Choice), but not any varieties with wheat or
wheat products in them (wheat is not so good for cats).

If the cat thrives, the food is good enough. Otherwise, otherwise.


4. On that note, the cans we have are about 6 months old. Is that ok or
too old?

Canned food, human and other, is usually good for at least two years from
manufacture.

--
T.E.D. )

"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!)

Questions:

1. At this age do they get kitten food or adult?

2. What is the approximate right amount? Are two small cans or one
large one too little, about right, or too much?

3. So far we have been using old stock left by a friend who moved
overseas with their cats, but is there an outright best value
recommendation among various brands?

4. On that note, the cans we have are about 6 months old. Is that ok or
too old?

We are newbies and appreciate all advice. Thanks.

At 10 months, they can eat regular canned cat food and/or dry kibbles....I
usually give mine both.....They always have kibbles available (an infinite
supply) and I give them the canned if they come into the kitchen and "ask"
for it. One feral male likes chopped roasted chicken, and it is almost as
cheap as cat food, so he gets it a lot. But they all eat the kibbles in a
pinch, and when we go on vacation they survive fine on kibbles and
water......

You also didn't quite make it clear as to the sex of the cat?
Is it really a "her"?
From my experience females don't eat quite as much and
usually weigh less.

I feed my girl 1 can of Fancy Feast 6 times per week,
(I make her fast 1 day per week off the wet food)
she likes and has tried all the vareities...then,
Iams, Purina, Whiskas, or other kibbles, for the most part,
as much as she wants...and don't forget clean clear water.

She only gets hairball formula kibbles in the summer when she sheds,
and she gets a new batch of oat-grass I grow her every 6 weeks.

She grazes the oat grass constantly, and I am firm believer
in it's healthy benefits.
She purrs while eating it, so it must be good.

She is 14 years old now and still in good shape, so I hope I'm
doing something right.
She doesn't like people food at all...except for the occassional
piece of wheat bread or very small piece of blue cheese.

"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!)

Questions:

1. At this age do they get kitten food or adult?

2. What is the approximate right amount? Are two small cans or one
large one too little, about right, or too much?

3. So far we have been using old stock left by a friend who moved
overseas with their cats, but is there an outright best value
recommendation among various brands?

4. On that note, the cans we have are about 6 months old. Is that ok or
too old?

We are newbies and appreciate all advice. Thanks.



Hi,

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?

I confess I should not be pleased if I learned that a neighbour were feeding
my cat. What if that cat is on a special diet? ... abstaining from food
prior to an operation?... already had an operation and needing
vetinary-specified food?

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.

When you're feeding puss, don't forget the importance of fresh water.

Regards,
Spider

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.

"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