I have a one-year-old torbie female cat. I feed her dry kitten food and she is just getting bigger and bigger. It almost seems as if her head and legs are short and stubby compared to the rest of her body which is becoming very round. I was wondering if this has anything to do with the type of cat that she is...Brown Mackerel Torbie... Does anyone know if this is typical of these kinds of cats?
2006-09-05 10:01:00 · 8 answers · asked by vicki 2 in Pets ➔ Cats
Gaining weight is typical for any kind of cat if it's being free-fed....especially kitten food at a year old. Put her on an adult indoor formula.
DON'T use Hill's Science Diet. I've had my cats on it....thought it was a good food. But someone mentioned that it's simply crappy cat food at a high price. So I checked the ingredients list; sure enough, tons of meat byproducts and corn. NOT all the nutrients cats need.
I'm switching my cats to Solid Gold soon.
2006-09-05 10:06:54 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋
She should not be on kitten food. Adult food only and check the dosage on the bag to be sure you are feeding the correct amount. Indoor formula is good if she is an indoor cat and less active.
BUT, there are medical reasons a cat can get fat. Get her to the vet, discuss the food and also, have a full blood panel done to check for diabetes, a thyroid problem or possible other issues. But you will need to get her off the kitten food - it's too fattening.
Choose a high quality, premium food. You'll feed less, the stool odor won't be as bad, it's better quality, lasts longer, gives them a healthier long life...so much better in the long run. Talk with your vet for their recommendations. Also, if you don't want the pet store premium or the kind the vet may sell, ask what kind of store bought would be best. Remember, you get what you pay for, so a higher priced food is better.
2006-09-05 17:39:40 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Some cats just have a different bone/body structure. My cat Rudy is "tall" for a cat, while my mom's cat Lucy is small, even for her age.
Your kitty needs to be eating adult cat food now... unless she is pregnant, in which case kitten food is recommended. Make sure it is good, balanced, nutritional food like Hills Science Diet (available only through your vet) or NutroMax (available at Petsmart). It's a little more expensive, but worth it. Your cat will be healthy, have shiny fur, clean ears and eyes, regular toilet habits... it's made all the difference in my cat and others I've seen that are on it.
Check the labels to see if there are byproducts. I don't remember Hill's having any - like Purina, Friskies, etc - but it's been a long time since I've been around it.
Also: "Torbie" is a color scheme for cats, not a breed. Your cat is probably an American Shorthair.
2006-09-05 17:08:30 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Cats are naturally lean and well-muscled, it's part of their genetic heritage. We interfere with this when we feed our cats food that is 2/3 corn. Corn is used to fatten animals for slaughter. Those animals have only a two-year life span at best.
Corn is cheap and the grocery store food we feed our cats makes for BIG profits for the pet food industry. Do you know that the $4 box of corn flakes you buy has 14 cents worth of corn in it?
The quality foods for your cat can be found at the small, owner-operated pet store. They carry the best foods and are most knowledgeable about pet nutrition. You must learn to read the label on the food you buy for your cat. If two of the first three ingredients are corn don't buy it.
The better foods have a meat protein source as the first two ingredients on the label. They use rice, oats, tapioca as fillers.
Cats need meat protein. It is their natural food and if you want a trim cat that's what they need to eat.
2006-09-05 17:14:37 · answer #4 · answered by old cat lady 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Since your cat is a year old now you need to gradually reduce the kitten food and gradually add an adult food. The kitten food is only ment for cats under one year old. Genes may play a little in the weight gain. Getting her to excecise will aid in droping some weight also.
2006-09-05 17:14:57 · answer #5 · answered by Hawaii808 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Time to take your cat off kitten food - it has a much higher calorie count than adult food. If that doesn't do it, put her on a reduced calorie (or indoor) formula
2006-09-05 17:09:07 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
ladylaw122 is your name Carol? an old roommate who wanted to do the same with my cats, even though I gave her a temporary roof?
2006-09-05 17:15:32 · answer #7 · answered by gypsy56@sbcglobal.net 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, but I could feed it to my snake and there'd be no worries.
2006-09-05 17:07:07 · answer #8 · answered by ladylaw_912 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋