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#1
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Do cats eat more in winter?
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 |
#2
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Do cats eat more in winter?
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 See all our masters at: http://www.PossiblePlaces.com/CatNipped See the RPCA FAQ site, created by "Yowie", maintained by Mark Edwards, at: http://www.professional-geek.net/rpcablog/ Email: L(dot)T(dot)Crews(at)comcast(dot)net |
#3
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Do cats eat more in winter?
"CatNipped" 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 |
#4
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Do cats eat more in winter?
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 See all our masters at: http://www.PossiblePlaces.com/CatNipped See the RPCA FAQ site, created by "Yowie", maintained by Mark Edwards, at: http://www.professional-geek.net/rpcablog/ Email: L(dot)T(dot)Crews(at)comcast(dot)net |
#5
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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 |
#6
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Do cats eat more in winter?
On Dec 29, 11:16*pm, "J J Levin" wrote:
"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 Yes, Rusty (RB) was put on a prescription canned food only diet after his second urinary blockage. I even added a bit of water to his canned food to make sure he got enough water. -- Winnie |
#7
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Do cats eat more in winter?
On 12/29/2011 10:16 PM, J J Levin wrote:
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 Yep, despite some of the crazy things a cat will eat, they are by nature "obligate carnivores". Cats evolved in a desert environment, around Africa/Egypt [side note: this is why cats are crepuscular rather than diurnal or nocturnal - they could not hunt in the heat of the day or the freezing temperatures at night so they were most active at dawn and twilight, as were their prey]. There is very, very little free-standing water(1) in a desert so cats depended on the water contained in their prey. Mice, other rodents and other animal prey contain about 80% water. Canned food contains about 70% - 80% water and 20% - 30% dry matter. Dry food contains 20% - 30% water and 70% - 80% dry matter, so cats on a dry food diet would have to make up the difference in drinking water... and this goes against their evolutionary instincts, so even though they're forced to drink some, they can never drink enough water to make up the difference. Chronic Renal Failure (CRF) is one of the leading causes of death in cats (I think cancer may have finally equaled it or beaten it since cats are now living longer in general). Male cats are particularly prone to urinary problems since their urethra are much narrower than in females and when their urine becomes crystallized (as it can do on a high carbohydrate diet with too little fluid intake) it can cause extremely painful blockages and even death. Some people argue that dry food is better for a cat's teeth, but in actuality, the very opposite is true. Dry food contains lots of carbohydrates (a form of sugar), and since a cat's jaws are made for grasping, puncturing and tearing meat off of bones, they don't do any true mastication, so dry food is *not* ground against teeth cleaning them, it is merely crunched in half and more often swallowed whole. When it is crunched, tiny pieces of "kibble" can lodge in the nooks and crannies of teeth and the carbohydrates/sugars can cause decay. There are chapters and chapters I could write about the very distinctive digestive tract of cats that would further prove the necessity of a canned food diet, but I'm sure I've bored you enough already. I know people will say "but my vet said to feed them this", but remember that nutrition is barely mentioned in veterinary school and most of the information that vets get about nutrition comes from the cat food salesmen who haunt their clinics. I'm also sure that there have been umpteen gazillion cats who were fed dry food and lived long and healthy lives... I just don't want to take the chance with mine and would rather follow mother nature's instructions. ; (1) Cats in a desert will never pass up a newly found source of water without taking a drink, so if you have a cat who needs to drink extra water, try moving their water dishes to new spots in the house every day. The water from canned tuna or canned chicken is also alluring, but the tuna water has to be given in small quantities because of the mercury content. One last comment... I give mine dry food occasionally (every 3rd or 4th day they'll get half a handful to kibble) and they love it. But, like children, you can't decide what they eat by how much they like it - they'll always go for the sugary treat even at the expense of their health. -- Hugs, CatNipped See all our masters at: http://www.PossiblePlaces.com/CatNipped See the RPCA FAQ site, created by "Yowie", maintained by Mark Edwards, at: http://www.professional-geek.net/rpcablog/ Email: L(dot)T(dot)Crews(at)comcast(dot)net |
#8
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Do cats eat more in winter?
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. I think they eat most in autumn, having evolved to try to lay down fat stores ahead of the leanest time of year. Ours aren't eating a lot at the moment, compared with two months ago. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- e m a i l : j a c k @ c a m p i n . m e . u k Jack Campin, 11 Third Street, Newtongrange, Midlothian EH22 4PU, Scotland mobile 07800 739 557 http://www.campin.me.uk Twitter: JackCampin |
#9
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Do cats eat more in winter?
yes
"J J Levin" wrote in message ... 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 |
#10
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Do cats eat more in winter?
"J J Levin" wrote in message ... 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 Yes they do natural instinct to store fat for the winter I love when it gets cooler here in Florida Rumble becomes a love machine |
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