# My cats are constantly begging for food



## MEOWx4 (Apr 22, 2009)

Ever since I started feeding my cats wellness wet food only they are constantly acting like they are hungry every time I go into the kitchen. Between 5 cats I am feeding them about 1.5 to 2 12.5oz cans a day mixed with water to almost a soupy consistency. They are all at a healthy weight, mind you they have lost weight, but they are now right where they should be and have stayed consistently at their current size. I just have no idea why they act like they are starving and homeless every time I go to the kitchen 8O Does anyone elses cats do this?


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## Mrs. PBJ (Dec 29, 2009)

y cat does this and his food drive is so hi we have taught him like 15 tricks. 


Boss can 
Sit 
Lay 
Paw
Potty
Dance
Jump
Stay
Do a agilty course without casing anything
Sit pretty

They just love food


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

I don't know your cats sizes and their metabolisms, but 1.5 to 2 cans for 5 cats seems to be on the light side if that's all they're eating. Typically, an average cat needs 5.5-6 oz. per day, which would put their needs at 27.5-30 oz. You're only feeding 19-25 oz. On days when you feed 1.5 cans, you're seriously underfeeding them. 

As I said, I don't know your cats, they could all be 5 pounds and this is plenty of food. But if they're approaching 10lbs or more, then, despite the fact that they're maintaining weight, they really need more food to remain healthy.


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## ~Siameseifuplz~ (May 6, 2007)

Yeah I'd be feeding closer to 2.5 cans (half a can a day for each cat). Also if you feed more meals every day that might help so that they never get a really empty tummy.


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## furryfriends251 (Jan 1, 2009)

Milo and Mikey split a 13 ounce can a day when they get Wellness, it is the perfect amount of calories for them. They are both about 13 lbs.

How much do your cats wiegh?


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## raecarrow (Oct 27, 2009)

I think they thought you were splitting one 5.5oz can a day between them

I too split a 13oz can between my 2 13lb boys. So no worries.


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## Mom of 4 (Jul 29, 2006)

I have an 8+ lb cat and a 9 lb cat. They each get 3/4 of the 3 ounce cans, twice a day (that's 9 ounces a day for two). My husband also gives them 5 pieces of dry, each, on top of their wet - so in an emergency, they could eat dry if they had to. Most days, they eat it all, but they will leave a tiny bit every so often. 
I feed them based on 20 kcal/pound/day, with Talley getting a bit more as she is more active than Zoey - especially when her sister, Harper, is here.


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## MEOWx4 (Apr 22, 2009)

One of my cats is extra petite, I would say no more then 6lbs, another is fairly petite at probably 8lbs and then the other 3 range from medium to large in size. Enzo is the largest cat, if I had to guess he's probably in the ballpark of 13 to 15lbs just because of how tall and lengthy he is. So the 3 boys eat the most and spend more time at the bowls then the girls do and actually the girls beg the least of the 5 and are the smallest. I feed them all twice a day with their largest portion being their "dinner" portion. The 2 smallest girls and 2 of the boys share out of the same bowl and they have the full 12.5oz can at dinner time, Scruff eats by himself because the others simply won't eat with him (he was my starving rescue) and he gets about a half of a 12.5oz can at dinner time. In the mornings I have been giving a 5.5oz can to the 4 that share and 1/4 of a 12.5oz can to Scruff. Scruff gets the most because he is still gaining weight, some of you read my post a few months back about rescuing him and him having been literally a walking skeleton so I'm still putting some weight on him.


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

The common bowl means some cats can gulp and get more than their fair share. I'd feed them each out of their own bowl with an appropriate amount of food for their size. I also don't understand why they're getting more than double the amount of food in the evening than they do in the morning. If you're feeding twice a day, split the food in half and space the meals as close to 12 hours apart as possible. Personally, I prefer to feed 3 meals a day. 

And I still don't think you're giving them enough food to begin with. Scruff is getting plenty, but the other 4 are splitting 18 oz between them and it should be more like 24. That's a significant difference.


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## furryfriends251 (Jan 1, 2009)

MEOWx4 said:


> One of my cats is extra petite, I would say no more then 6lbs, another is fairly petite at probably 8lbs and then the other 3 range from medium to large in size. Enzo is the largest cat, if I had to guess he's probably in the ballpark of 13 to 15lbs just because of how tall and lengthy he is. So the 3 boys eat the most and spend more time at the bowls then the girls do and actually the girls beg the least of the 5 and are the smallest. I feed them all twice a day with their largest portion being their "dinner" portion. The 2 smallest girls and 2 of the boys share out of the same bowl and they have the full 12.5oz can at dinner time, Scruff eats by himself because the others simply won't eat with him (he was my starving rescue) and he gets about a half of a 12.5oz can at dinner time. In the mornings I have been giving a 5.5oz can to the 4 that share and 1/4 of a 12.5oz can to Scruff. Scruff gets the most because he is still gaining weight, some of you read my post a few months back about rescuing him and him having been literally a walking skeleton so I'm still putting some weight on him.


A six pound cat should be getting roughly 151 calories a day.

An eight pound cat should be getting roughly 179 calories a day.

Enzo should be getting somewhere between 250 and 275 calories a day.

I use the formula: wieght (times) 13.6 = #. Than add 70 to that number.

List of calories in Wellness wet food 12.5 ounce cans:

500 in the _chicken_ 12.5 ounce can
439 in the _beef and chicken_ 12.5 ounce can
445 in the _beef and salmon _12.5 ounce can
412 in the _turkey and salmon _12.5 ounce can
495 in the _turkey_ 12.5 ounce can
429 in the _chicken and herring _12.5 ounce can
443 in the _chicken and lobster _12.5 ounce can
375 in the _sardine, shrimp, and crab _12.5 ounce can
472 in the _salmon and trout _12.5 ounce can

So if the 6 lb cat, 8 lb cat, and Enzo all shared a 12.5 ounce can of the chicken formula they would be around 90 calories under what they need.


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## MEOWx4 (Apr 22, 2009)

doodlebug said:


> The common bowl means some cats can gulp and get more than their fair share. I'd feed them each out of their own bowl with an appropriate amount of food for their size. I also don't understand why they're getting more than double the amount of food in the evening than they do in the morning. If you're feeding twice a day, split the food in half and space the meals as close to 12 hours apart as possible. Personally, I prefer to feed 3 meals a day.
> 
> And I still don't think you're giving them enough food to begin with. Scruff is getting plenty, but the other 4 are splitting 18 oz between them and it should be more like 24. That's a significant difference.


I used to feed them 12.5oz of wet mixed with 1 cup of dry and they were all getting fat on that (the 4 that share). I understand the point of giving them their own bowls and I've tried this, they end up trading off and when I separate them the girls munch, leave, munch, leave, munch, leave while the boys scarf theirs down in another room. Even at dinner time the 2 girls end up trading off with Scruff and they munch out of his bowl for a little while and he goes and munches off and on between the other 2 boys munching and taking a break to lick their chops. I was always worried my girls weren't getting enough, but they always seem to be the least hungry and the most satisfied. Also the reason I add water to their food to make it almost a soupy consistency is to slow them down so that the boys can't come in and gobble it down before the girls get the share they are happy with. 

I also should note that more than not I do feed them more, whether it is sharing some meat with them, giving them a little bowl of dry or some crunchy greenies treats or something along those lines. 

I have no problem feeding them more, I've just noticed that when I do start feeding them more they start putting on weight and they are very active, the boys keep everyone on their toes.


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## nanook (Jun 12, 2005)

> ...1 cup of dry...


More than likely, that's what was putting the weight on and not the 12.5 oz of wet.
It really does seem like you're not feeding them enough right now.
Mine are both 10 lbs and they maintain their weight on about 5 oz each per day. That is split into 3 meals a day. Breakfast, dinner and a snack before bed.


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