Calorie... Wet food

[syzygycat]

Those who feed only wet food to adult and senior indoor cats, do you also find the 20cal/lb rule to be nonsense?

One of my cats is dieing of oral cancer, super important to keep him eating. He's 12.5lbs, at 20/cal/lb he should be eating 250calories. I'm 90% sure he's never eaten that much.

I have 5 cats. When they were getting dry food for half their meals. 20cal/lb was too low. For years it's been low carb wet meals, On occasion theyll eat the equivalent of 15cal/lb. But on average it's more like 12cal.

 

[Draco]

I honestly don't quite follow that calorie rule. I feel like its a different rule per brand/type of food.

I judge based on how much my cat eats and the weight. I use the brand's recommendation as a start, and take it from there. If they look skinny or is very active, I feed a little more. if they're lazy and chunky, I feed a little less.

 

[tabbytom]

Those who feed only wet food to adult and senior indoor cats, do you also find the 20cal/lb rule to be nonsense?

One of my cats is dieing of oral cancer, super important to keep him eating. He's 12.5lbs, at 20/cal/lb he should be eating 250calories. I'm 90% sure he's never eaten that much.

I have 5 cats. When they were getting dry food for half their meals. 20cal/lb was too low. For years it's been low carb wet meals, On occasion theyll eat the equivalent of 15cal/lb. But on average it's more like 12cal.

So sorry to hear about your cat

I don't follow the rule of cal/lb. I just feed my boy (wet food) whenever he's hungry and it has been like this since he was a kitten. Now he's 8 years old and he weighs around 5.7 kilos, about almost 13lbs? I think he eats around 200 - 250 cal per day. Some days slightly more and some days slightly less. I'm rough basing on the cal stated on the can which is 48 cal per can.

 

[FeebysOwner]

The '20cal/lb' isn't a rule, it is a general guideline - which really ranges more from 15-25 cal/lb - that is impacted by all sorts of factors - food type, including carb, fat, and protein content, as well as activity level and the metabolism of the individual cat. Just like people, there is a recommended guideline, but it can't possibly apply to every human being.

Monitoring a cat's body condition is also more appropriate than just using a weight number on the scale to determine if a cat is in good body shape.

 

[maggie101]

I have never followed the rule. My cat that should eat 200 cal 0nly eats 140. She eats weruva. Maybe because it's so high in protein she doesn't need as much? She is at a healthy weight

 

[syzygycat]

...She eats weruva. Maybe because it's so high in protein she doesn't need as much? She is at a healthy weight

That's exactly what I'm thinking. The 20-25cal estimate accounts for the typical 1/3+ carbs in the most popular foods. A lot of which isn't metabolized.

 

[syzygycat]

The '20cal/lb' isn't a rule, it is a general guideline - which really ranges more from 15-25 cal/lb - that is impacted by all sorts of factors - food type, including carb, fat, and protein content, as well as activity level and the metabolism of the individual cat. Just like people, there is a recommended guideline, but it can't possibly apply to every human being.

Monitoring a cat's body condition is also more appropriate than just using a weight number on the scale to determine if a cat is in good body shape.
View attachment 474930

My biggest guy is almost a 7 on that chart. 11years old 14lbs. By far the most active of the bunchIs the only one that can pack away 200cal. most days.

 

[Antonio65]

Those who feed only wet food to adult and senior indoor cats, do you also find the 20cal/lb rule to be nonsense?

One of my cats is dieing of oral cancer, super important to keep him eating. He's 12.5lbs, at 20/cal/lb he should be eating 250calories. I'm 90% sure he's never eaten that much.

The rule I knew was
RER = 70 + (30 * kg) kcal
where a 4 kg cat has to eat at least 190 kcal a day (RER stands for Resting Energy Requirement).
My cat had an oral carcinoma too, and I was never able to have her eat the minimum requirement. I was syringe feeding her.