I bought a self-feeder for my cat. All she gets is dry food. Is this healthy and okay?

Question

She seems to be gaining-she is at about 20lbs.

Answer 1

The problem with a self-feeder is that she is free feeding any time she wants throughout the day and night. Usually it is recommended to feed them at a certain time each day. I had an overweight cat and was told by the vet to feed him once a day. I choose to feed him after dinner every day and would measure out his food as written on the bag of cat food. He eventually went down to a healthier weight. That would be my recommendation. As for just giving her just dry food, that is the best thing to give them (my vet also told me this). They tend to have problems with build-up on their teeth if you feed them wet food. It's not a good idea to feed them human food either because of this reason, and milk products are actually not good for their stomachs.

Answer 2

20 pounds?! That's a big cat! Lots of cats overeat, especially on cheap foods. They have a lot of artificial flavors in them that make them taste yummy. You need to measure out your kitty's food every day and only allow her to eat that much. How does self feeding seem like a good idea?! I've never seen a free fed cat that was a healthy weight. If they exist, they are few and far between. Take the self feeder back to the store or throw it away and use a measuring cut to measure out her food. Feed the amount that it recommends on the back for your cat's ideal weight. It's probably not more than 15 pounds. Most cats should be more like 10 or 12.

Answer 3

Dry food is SO much better than wet food, although if she is gaining weight, maybe having constant access to food (through the self-feeder) is not a good idea. Keep an eye on her, and she keeps gorging on the always available food, then the you might need to ditch the self-feeder and give her food at regulat intervals throughout the day (or just in the morning and evening or something).

Answer 4

It is always better to feed wet food over dry. They need the hydration from the wet food. I use both. It is also better to feed two to three separate meals a day rather than free feeding, unless they are a kitten. There are a lot of sugars in the foods from the grocery stores, which can cause weight problems too. Iams is thought by many to be a good food, but in fact, it actually is not. Just read the ingrediants and do a reference check on them through the internet. You will be surprised at what is out there. It is better to feed a quality food, such as Wellness, Innova, Chicken Soup for the Soul, Paul Newman's foods, Foster & Smith, Solid Gold (Felidae), etc. You can get them at better pet stores.Look for a store that carries these brands and you will normally find very knowledgable sales people as well. You can also find better foods at the Foster & Smith website, as well as The Natural Pet. Even if you don't buy from them, you can get a good education from their, as well as many books, etc.
Even if you decide not to buy these products certainly stay away from products that contain the following carcinogins: BHA, BHT, Food Dyes, i.e., Red #40, Ethoxyquin, any foods that list an ingredient followed by the word by-product. By-products are normally a waste-product not fit for consumption. Animal foods are not regulated like human foods. There are only guidelines set up by the FDA for pet foods, but there are no 'FDA laws' set up like there is for human food. Always read the ingrediants, and if you don't know what it is, do some research before you buy.
Since I have been using better foods for my cats and dogs, they do not throw up, no weight problems, coat is much shinier and cleaner and we rarely have to see the vet. Even though the foods cost more, we save by not having the health problems that, in the past, caused me to visit the vet more often.

Answer 5

I too have a self-feeder. I have used one for 2 years. I have 2 cats, 3 years old, one is 10 lbs. and the other is 18 lbs. they both are from the same litter, and their father was a huge cat. I do not blame the self-feeder on my cat wieghing 18 lbs. If it were true, the other one would too.

Answer 6

You could either try a food for weight loss and make sure she gets more exercise, or maybe ditch the self-feeder--she must be eating like a glutton! But be careful not to limit her intake too much. My friend did that, and I think it messed up her cats' metabolism big time--she feeds them just a tiny little bit twice a day and they're both huge!

Answer 7

Some cats (Maine coons, Norwegian forest cats) are generally larger than, say, a domestic short/medium/long hair. Still, 20 pounds seems like too much...

Look into a weight control formula ( Iams has one, I love it) and read the back of the package. Feed her the amount they suggest for her age/weight ONLY.

Obesity in cats can lead to joint problems, diabetes, and other health issues.

Answer 8

I think that its not ok for a cat to eat when it wants, it could get alot of health problems being over weight. It is ok for a cat to get just dry food I think cats don't need need wet food only if theres problems with your cat or your spoiling it once in a while.

Answer 9

Check with your vet to be certain!

But, our cat was gaining weight, so we put him on a diet. He doesn't have the self restraint to only eat what he needs to survive. He's a pig! So, we now have to give him only 1/2 cup of dry food per day. Yeah, that's all. We feel bad, but he is losing weight now and that's what is important. You don't want your cat to get diabetes. So, check with your vet to see what they recommend for a course of action.








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Answer 10

Ooooh...yikes...take the self feeder up. She's gaining too much weight for a cat. You need to put her on a diet...only give her small bowls of food....maybe twice a day you can fill it.