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Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Feeding cats

Nana and Bradley
Taken with our phone.
Crazy eh!

More of my clients have returned from holidays and I am now caring for 8 cats. (besides my own, of course).
I am always interested in seeing how cats are fed and amounts that are given daily. Most of my clients feed both soft and dry food which is great to see. I do suggest to them, if asked, to cut back on the dry food and add more of the soft into their diet. My own vet suggested this years ago and explained how the dry food adds weight quickly as it is all sprayed with fat to encourage eating and it is mostly made up of carbohydrates. Even the higher-end dry foods have a tendency to put the pounds on the felines. But most cats like the taste and crunch of the dry food and I expect it does clean the teeth to some extent.  I do like to give the cats about 1/4 cup daily. The reason for weight-gain is because owners leave the bowls filled and let the cat graze all day. Constant calories going in and very little exercise (if any) will make for a fat cat.
Annie is one cat that gained weight quickly after she was spayed. I have since cut back again on the dry food and give all the cats a plate of either chicken, fish or beef cut up to share in the evening. This is pure protein. They are given 2 Tbsps. of soft food three times a day and lots of fresh water.

I have a few more cats to show you that kept me hoppin' over the holidays.
This is Hunter. Mighty Hunter, who at one time was a lost soul and probably did rely on his hunting skills but now he is a little pampered love-bug. 

 He lives with his buddy, Mittens.
He's another darling cat with little white mittens.

and Sparky and Rusty
(perhaps Christmas Vacation is a favorite movie in this house-hold).
Both very big-framed cats. They are now on soft food and less dry.
These are two of the sweetest cats I have ever spent time with. Rusty loves to be brushed and purrs like a motor while Sparky is affectionate and kittenish in his play.

And this is Willow
who lives with dear, sweet old Jenny
A very shy little Maggie
(photo taken last summer)

So those are a few more but not the last of them. This is why I love this job.

Lily is doing well today and thank you for all your prayers and concern. I know that's what pulled her through.

hugs, Deb


10 comments:

  1. Some beauties you're caring for. I love the sketch photo of you and Bradley. How is it done??

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  2. Interesting what you say about food. When Posky was ill I investigated a lot of info about diet and CRF, one suggested that dried food had a lot to do with kidney problems as it constantly kept cats in a state of dehydration. It seems to make sense... mine have a mix too, although they are so fussy (aren't they all) that you can never tell what they'll eat on any given day!. Because Charlie is in remission from diabetes I try to give him food that's low carb anyway, so many of them have cereal added. How do you cook the chicken/beef etc (forgive my ignorance, I'm a vegetarian! :O)).

    I do love seeing your employers, what stars they all are...

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    1. My husband cooks a chicken or beef roast during the week in the oven and shares it with them. Pure meat , cut up in small pieces, served warm. They love it. They also love canned salmon.

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  3. Love your blog. Really enjoy seeing all the beautiful kitties. I appreciated the info about feeding a cat warmed baby food if they aren't feeling well and not eating. I switched my cat from all dry food to all frozen formula and/or grain free canned and she is thriving and eventually lost a lot of weight. She ended up with gingivitis and a mouth ulcer, necessitating a trip to the vet. So now she get a tartar control treat after she finishes her breakfast and dinner and it has been well over a year and so far, so good.

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  4. Very Nice blog on cats..I love catee..

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  5. I've been reading your last couple of posts and relieved to hear that Lily is improving =)
    My Lucy kitty is one of the "putting on the pound" kitties you mentioned. I don't leave food out for them to graze on throughout the day. Yet she is still much too big. I've also started to give her canned food in the evenings. My Lucy is a food gobbler and a little thief. She often inhales her own food and then trots off to steal Winston's grub.
    *sigh*
    =)
    Love the "pencil" etching of you and Bradly.
    Hope you are feeling more rested!

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  6. It's good to read of Lily's improvement. It's a heart-warming feeling to see an ill cat return to her normal routine, or at least the start of it. May her health continue to get better.

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  7. With one older cat and one young one we now see the bowls of dry being consumed much faster. I think I'll start giving both more wet and less dry and see how it goes.

    hugs, Linda

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  8. Thanks for the breakdown on what you feed your cats. Mine were getting two tbs. wet twice a day. I'll up that to three times on the days I am home. Utah, the old guy, eats a lot of kibble and he drinks a lot, too.

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