My Sphynx is always STARVING!!!

[PrinceTheSphynx]

Hi everyone, I am a new Sphynx Mum and after some advice. I’ve spend ages reading different posts and advice on raw feeding but find the answers to be polar opposite to each other.
Either free feed or a % of what they weigh.

I have a 5 month old male. And he is food obsessed! I have to shut him out of the kitchen we I cook because he steals food!! He will try and steal food off my plate whilst I eat!!

He has always been raw fed since his breeder weaned him.
When I first got him I wasn’t sure how much he weighed so I just used to fill his bowl up & mix with water (he doesn’t drink otherwise!) he would always eat the entire bowl.
I’ve had him about a month now and he is getting boobies! So not wanting an overweight cat I weighed him (2lb) and now feed 10% of his weight.
The difference in portion size is a lot! Looks like I used to feed him his days allowance in 1 meal and he has 3 x meals a day!
Now I’ve cut his food down (2days in) he is a nightmare at night time. He used to sleep through the night and wake up at 6am. Now he’s awake most of the night being a little pain (probably so I will feed him!)
Come 6am he will not shut up until I feed him!

I’m just so worried that if I feed him more, he will become overweight.
But he always acts like he’s not eaten for days! Even when I was feeding him a huge bowl full!

He is lean everywhere except his boobies.

Please help!

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[Yoda mom]

@PrinceTheSphynx , welcome to the lair family! I take it your adorable babies name is Prince? tagging some of the food pros @Condo commando , @Sheldon13

 

[Natalie Murphy]

I too have a food monster and really struggled as all the good quality food only gives little portions. So I struggled with a cat who appeared starved for days and was very over weight when I got him.
He has now balanced out only because I got an automatic feeder and set it for several small portions a day then increased it to less portions and bigger quantities to two feeds a day.
The plus side to the automatic feeder was I could set it early in the morning so I could sleep. He now knows where the food is and sits on his feeder willing it for food instead of coming to me.
But I still have a food monster and can not eat a thing without sharing. In the kitchen I have a backseat rider who is perched on my shoulders crying for food. He will sit for hours watching the food in the oven cook.
It took a while for him to get into routine and he is 1year and 7 months now and still gets 3 meals a day. I have worked out what times suits him. He once had an euphoria moment and got into his food packet and ate a months supply of food in one go. He has no stop button.
Welcome to club of food monsters. Look into getting an automatic feeder. It will allow you to sleep and have a happier, loving cat when you return home at night
They have built in programs . All you do is type in the food you feed and it automatically work out a feeding plan for you. That you can adjust if you want to

 

[Misty Lee 123]

Others may disagree with this for good reasons but sharing my experience, with my girl the vet said not to restrict while a kitten and then to do so if needed. She ate a LOT compared to moggy kittens I foster cared. I too was worried she would become overweight but followed vet advice. When she was about a year old we cut back to two meals a day but she would howl for food incessantly so we tested out free feeding again and have not gone back since even though it initially seemed counter intuitive. She self regulates eating small amounts every few hours and is a perfect weight. She is highly active so gets a lot of exercise. Are you mistaking the primordial pouch for breasts? A little fat on their tummy is completely normal. Waist and rib appearance can be an easier indicator of their weight being in a normal range. There has been a good infographic about this posted on here a few times….

 

[Natalie Murphy]

I totally agree with Misty Lee get your vet involved in your diet plan. My vet still says my man is over weight. But he is great with keeping up to date with Shamus’ diet plan on every visit. I have never cut back only given the correct daily dose and a few treats

 

[Condo commando]

LOL at these stories, so true.

I had one of mine tested for hyperthyroid because no matter how much food I gave her she wanted more. Test came back normal. Her name should have been Meryl (as in Streep) for that Oscar worthy performance.

Some cats can self regulate but if you feed raw you can't leave food out anyway. I've gone from twice a day feedings to 3 and now to 4. In total it's the same amount of food but spreading the meals out helps. Another trick is add extra water to their food to fill them up.

 

[Condo commando]

When it comes to how much to feed it varies by adults and kittens.

Here are suggestions for an adult:

• For a full grown adult that is at his "right" weight, I'd start with 25 calories per pound of weight. So for example, a 10 pound cat would get 250 calories per day.
• If your Sphynx is slightly overweight I would suggest 22 or 23 calories per pound to start.
• If he's very overweight I would try 20 calories per pound to start.

See this chart. Considering Sphynxes are a thicker breed, the "right" shape for a Sphynx is 5. For the sake of comparison, a Siamese would be "right" as a 4. You want to tweak the amount of calories so your Sphynx can be a 5. Every cat has a different metabolism and activity level so you have to tweak.

Never ever feed less than 15 calories per pound of body weight. Too fast a weight loss is dangerous.

 

[Condo commando]

For a kitten, I don't have an exact number to give you. Kittens eat a lot. It's unbelievable really how much they can eat. That is only until they are 1 year old though, and then you can start them on a calorie count. For me, I would feed a kitten as much as they could eat in 4 sittings. This is assuming they are at least 3 months old so that their stomachs can hold food. Before 3 months they shouldn't even be adopted out.

 

[Natalie Murphy]

Lol this chart always makes me laugh. Mine is a 5 from the top looking down but the side view is a 7 unless he isn’t running on his wheel. Then he pulls in those tummy muscles quiet nicely and it’s a 5

 

[Monkeylover]

I give my ones a heaped table spoon of raw mix.
Once at 7am
Again at 4pm

Then a teaspoon size at 9:30pm.
ideally I would like to restrict to only twice a day but they seem happy and of healthy weight

 

[TopherTuna]

Hi everyone, I am a new Sphynx Mum and after some advice. I’ve spend ages reading different posts and advice on raw feeding but find the answers to be polar opposite to each other.
Either free feed or a % of what they weigh.

I have a 5 month old male. And he is food obsessed! I have to shut him out of the kitchen we I cook because he steals food!! He will try and steal food off my plate whilst I eat!!

He has always been raw fed since his breeder weaned him.
When I first got him I wasn’t sure how much he weighed so I just used to fill his bowl up & mix with water (he doesn’t drink otherwise!) he would always eat the entire bowl.
I’ve had him about a month now and he is getting boobies! So not wanting an overweight cat I weighed him (2lb) and now feed 10% of his weight.
The difference in portion size is a lot! Looks like I used to feed him his days allowance in 1 meal and he has 3 x meals a day!
Now I’ve cut his food down (2days in) he is a nightmare at night time. He used to sleep through the night and wake up at 6am. Now he’s awake most of the night being a little pain (probably so I will feed him!)
Come 6am he will not shut up until I feed him!

I’m just so worried that if I feed him more, he will become overweight.
But he always acts like he’s not eaten for days! Even when I was feeding him a huge bowl full!

He is lean everywhere except his boobies.

Please help!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

There is a disorder that some purebred dogs and cats have, where the "full" mechanism does not exist! Leave them with a bag of food and they will gorge themselves, possibly to injury. Ask a Vet.

 

[Yoda mom]

@TopherTuna , welcome to the lair family. glad you joined this fun friendly bunch. don't hesitate to start an introduction post.

 

[TopherTuna]

There is a disorder that some purebred dogs and cats have, where the "full" mechanism does not exist! Leave them with a bag of food and they will gorge themselves, possibly to injury. Ask a Vet.

Yhats mu Sphynx...and my bf's black lab. There is apparently no hunger shut off switch. Gotta close yout ears to them.