# How much food does a 11 lb cat need



## teasha (Aug 15, 2010)

How much food does a 11 lb cat need daily to keep him alive? 

How much karo syrup would be safe to give him? 

He is losing weight so and tips advice would be great. 

I am force feeding but need to know a minimal amount.

My other thread: http://www.catforum.com/forum/37-behavior/138976-cat-sick.html


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## Susan (Mar 29, 2010)

A minimum of 15 calories per lb of body weight per day. So, if he's 11 lbs, then 11 x 15 or 165 calories per day. If you don't know the calorie content of what you're feeding him, someone earlier posted a spreadsheet which includes calories for various food brands.


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## LucilleBluth (Oct 23, 2010)

I have no idea about the Karo syrup - generally corn-based products are a bad idea, but if you need to get calories into your baby its a judgment call  And Susan's right - aim for 165 minimum calories, with 150 being the absolute lowest I would go.

Here's a link to a sheet w/ the calories of common wet and dry cat foods (look at column W). What food are you force feeding? Let me know and I'll look it up for you


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Not sure if this is allowed, sorry if it isn't.

What about something like Nutracal? My mom always gave that to ailing puppies/dogs that need a lift and/or weight. I couldn't remember the name, I had to call her and get it. I suppose anything LIKE this would work fine. Here's the info on it:

Brand Name:
Nutri-Cal (EVSCO)

Ingredient(s)
Guaranteed Analysis per teaspoon (6 grams) Crude Protein (min)..0.7%, Crude Fat (min)..34.5%, Crude Fiber (max)..3.8%, Moisture (max)..14%, Calcium (min)..(0.0026%)..0.16mg, Calcium (max)..(0.0033%)..0.20mg, Phosphorus..(0.0006%)..0.03mg, Iron..(0.0088%)..0.53mg, Iodine..(0.0088%)..0.53mg, Magnesium..(0.0067%)..0.42mg, Manganese..(0.0176%)..1mg, Potassium..(0.0027%)..0.16mg, Vitamin A..1045 IU, Vitamin D3..60 IU, Vitamin E..6 IU, Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)..1.8mg, Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)..0.2mg, Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)..0.8mg, Vitamin B12..2mcg, Folic Acid..0.2mg, Niacinamide..2mg, Pantothenic Acid..1mg, Linoleic Acid (LA)..990mg, Linolenic Acid (ALA)..138mg, Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA)..32mg, Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA)..21mg


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## LucilleBluth (Oct 23, 2010)

That sounds like a great suggestion! It's cheap and packs more than 300 calories per 100g! Its on 



 if you need it quick, Teasha. Good luck!


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## Sinatra-Butters (Aug 9, 2010)

Great suggestion MowMow!

Petsmart has Nutri-cal. It is in the cat medication section. We used it on Meeka the last month or two of her life, she had hyper-thyroid and just wasn't eating how she should. It really does pack on the calories, plus it is just a paste, so it is easy to give. Smelly though.


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## teasha (Aug 15, 2010)

THANK YOU! I am currently feeding toddler meat sticks blended. But I still have the jar so can look there.


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## laurief (Jun 22, 2008)

I haven't had time to visit the forums much lately, so I'm afraid I'm late responding to Cubby's illness. I just read the other thread, but I'm unclear on a few things and have a few questions:

Has Cubby had a recent thyroid test (Total T4), and if so, what was the result?

Has he been running a fever?

Which meds is he taking and at what doses?

How much weight has be lost and over what period of time?

When was his last bloodwork run, and what were the results?

How much food are you getting into him at this point, and what are you feeding him?

As far as Karo is concerned, I would NOT recommend giving it to him at all unless he is acutely hypoglycemic. Karo will spike his blood sugar and throw it out of whack, so it's not the way you want to add calories to his diet. It's better to add protein and fat to his diet rather than carbs. That said, Nutrical is a good short-term option to help add calories and nutrients to his diet.

If he is severely debilitated, I also recommend picking up a case of A/D from your vet. It is a prescription diet specifically formulated for debilitated animals in need of a calorie and nutrient-dense diet that can be easily mixed with water and syringe fed, if necessary.

As a general rule, a 10 lb cat should consume 5.5-6 oz of canned food daily to maintain proper weight. It sounds, though, like Cubby is quite underweight at this point, which means he should be taking in more than that to help regain weight. Also, if he has undiagnosed hyperthyroidism, he may need 2-3 times more food just to keep from losing more weight. It's almost impossible to put weight on a cat with uncontrolled hyperT, so if Cubby hasn't had a recent thyroid test, you really need to get that done ASAP.

Laurie


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## teasha (Aug 15, 2010)

laurief said:


> I haven't had time to visit the forums much lately, so I'm afraid I'm late responding to Cubby's illness. I just read the other thread, but I'm unclear on a few things and have a few questions:
> 
> Has Cubby had a recent thyroid test (Total T4), and if so, what was the result?
> 
> ...


No blood tests done, they just did the xray and told me to go to my vet in 10-14 days. 

He has had a slight fever of 103 degrees, I have not checked it today. 

He is on Lasix 12.5 mg and Zeniquin 25 mg

I don't know how much he has lost, the last time he was weighed was when he was 4 weeks. He is 11 lbs now. And I don't really know how long this has taken to happen. I just noticed symptoms and got him to the vet the next day. 

He's never had his blood tested other than for feline leukemia and heartworm. The vet never even suggested it. 

I am feeding him toddler meat sticks and I blend it and add a little water. I get as much as I can into him but I know it's not enough. Maybe 1/2 jar? It's har because I hold him the proper way but sometimes he chokes. 

Is A/D the same as critical care,I don't remember?

I am doing the best I can but seems it's not good enough. I wish the vet would have told me about the thyroid test. But she wasn't my regular and I think she wanted to get me out of there as it was after hours. 

I'm going to call my vet in the am and see if we can get in tomorrow. I wish life were simpler.


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## teasha (Aug 15, 2010)

Thank you Laurie for responding and giving me some ideas. Particularly the blood panel. I will keep you posted.


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## Susan (Mar 29, 2010)

I believe Cubby's only 2 years old. So, your vet (or the alternate vet) likely didn't mention testing for Hyper-T since it would be very rare for a cat of that age to have Hyper-T. Good luck at the vet tomorrow.


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## teasha (Aug 15, 2010)

I took Cubby back to the vet and had a whole slew of tests run. Xray, serum, a blood panel and thyroid. It all sounded like he might have a chance until his kidneys were off the wall at 155. Then he did a urine tested and it showed his kidneys were barely working. His heart is still very enlarged. Cubby is also very dehydrated and thin. The vet suggested taking him home and calling him when I'm ready to put him down. (It will be this week.) The only thing that can save him is what he described as an animal ICU. I don't have that kind of money. I also think it would be unfair to torture Cubby with all of that and there's no guarantee. I am pretty upset about it as anyone would be, I cried the whole way back. My poor Cubby he's only 3.

While reading on this disease I see Ragdolls are prone to heart disease, I would like to know how to catch it early. I guess I'll have to talk to the vet about that later.

I appreciate everyone's suggestions and well wishes. Thank you.


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## Susan (Mar 29, 2010)

Teasha, I'm so sorry to hear the news about Cubby. That's so very sad, especially given how young he is. My thoughts are with you and him. atback


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