Wondering if I should change to a different food...

[ldlewis45]

Right now, Oliver eats Dr. Tim's Chase dry food. He gets about 1/2 cup per day, usually fed at night. He's a slow eater, so he grazes throughout the night and the next day, until it's feeding time again. He's a bit tubby, though, and definitely has more fat on him than he needs (especially the lower abdomen). I'm at a loss about whether I should start reducing the amount, or simply change to a different food that might be lower in carbs. I like the Dr. Tim's, though, as it doesn't upset Oliver's tummy or give him gas. The breeder I'll be getting his future brother or sister from in a few months uses Young Again, which I think I tried when Oliver was a kitten and didn't really like, as I remember it reeked of fish. I've attached a couple of photos of Oliver, so you can see the little "pooch" he's got.

 

[Monica]

He’s a cutie! The best way to judge whether a cat is overweight is to look down at his back from above (him standing on all fours). From the photos you provided, he doesn’t seem overweight IMO... If you can snap another from above, that would be more easily seen.

Many cats have a primordial pouch, or as we like to affectionately call it, the FUPA. On a sphynx, it’s more easily visible since they are hairless. Cat’s either have it, or they don’t. There’s no way to get rid of it, even if they are super fit and trim!

Cat FUPA <—- here’s a link to the article about the cat pooch! It also has some helpful pictures of healthy, muscular cats with and without the flap.

 

[Bailey21]

Your boys tummy looks exactly like my boy Yoda's. Ok, its actually a bit smaller than Yoda's if I'm being honest (his FUPA is outrageous).

I think I may be the problem though, as my rescue girl had no visible fupa when she came to us, and now 10 weeks later, VOILA she has her own fupa foot warmer (facepalm).

How much does handsome Oliver weigh?

 

[ldlewis45]

Your boys tummy looks exactly like my boy Yoda's. Ok, its actually a bit smaller than Yoda's if I'm being honest (his FUPA is outrageous).

I think I may be the problem though, as my rescue girl had no visible fupa when she came to us, and now 10 weeks later, VOILA she has her own fupa foot warmer (facepalm).

How much does handsome Oliver weigh?

He was a little over 12 pounds, the last time he was weighed, I think. He's not obese, in my opinion, but I think he could stand to lose a little. I call him my raw turkey, lol, because he looks like one when he perches on my leg! I'm hoping that when the new kitten comes, he or she will keep him busy enough that I won't need to put him on a diet!

 

[ldlewis45]

He’s a cutie! The best way to judge whether a cat is overweight is to look down at his back from above (him standing on all fours). From the photos you provided, he doesn’t seem overweight IMO... If you can snap another from above, that would be more easily seen.

Many cats have a primordial pouch, or as we like to affectionately call it, the FUPA. On a sphynx, it’s more easily visible since they are hairless. Cat’s either have it, or they don’t. There’s no way to get rid of it, even if they are super fit and trim!

Cat FUPA <—- here’s a link to the article about the cat pooch! It also has some helpful pictures of healthy, muscular cats with and without the flap.

The photo from above is hard to get with him. He won't stay still long enough to get a decent one, lol! Going by the visual weight chart here, though, I think he is a bit overweight, but not obese. I think he's gained a bit of weight since Chewie died, too, since he isn't as active as he used to be.

 

[Sheldon13]

He looks perfect to me!!


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[Toa and Ross]

Oliver is very handsome. My boy Toa is a bit too chunky too. I tried to let him lose weight but when I stopped free feeding my other two got problems with puking from stress about the food. I then noticed Toa eated way less then the other two (one is normal, one a bit skinny).
Maybe ask you vet to advice you? It doesn't sound like you're feeding too much. I don't know the brand of food but looked it up and it looks like good food to me

 

[ldlewis45]

Oliver is very handsome. My boy Toa is a bit too chunky too. I tried to let him lose weight but when I stopped free feeding my other two got problems with puking from stress about the food. I then noticed Toa eated way less then the other two (one is normal, one a bit skinny).
Maybe ask you vet to advice you? It doesn't sound like you're feeding too much. I don't know the brand of food but looked it up and it looks like good food to me

Oliver thanks you for the compliment! After thinking about it, I'm going to give it a few more months before changing anything. I'm thinking now that he may have just been getting more of the food than I realized when Chewie was still around (they shared a dish, so I just usually gave them a cup of food per day to share), and since it's been less than a month since Chewie passed, there hasn't really been enough time to see a difference.

 

[Yoda mom]

@ldlewis45 hugs n head smooches

I actually fed my crew dr Tims Chase for awhile.
I only switched because chewy.com always was out of stock of the larger big I needed
Do you buy it direct? I didn't know that was an option now .
I really liked them on this food

I can tell you if you call Dr Tim - he has a vet practice - he will answer your questions
I have chatted with him a few times

His phone number is at the bottom right of his website

Foods

Premium All Natural Pet Foods. An honest, nutritionally sound kibble designed for every lifestyle and every lifestage of your pet.

drtims.com

Here is a quote from his site about adjusting feeding amount
Feeding Directions
Always feed to maintain ideal body condition. Adjust individual amount as needed considering activity level, environment, and age. Always have fresh water available. Not for human consumption.
Based on their metabolism and activity levels, pregnant cats, lactating queens and kittens may need 75% more and senior cats may need 25% less than the guidelines.
Dr. Tim's Chase Cat Food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Cat Food Nutrient Profiles for all life stages.
Metabolizable energy (calculated): 4140 kcal/kg
Chase is 472 kcal ME/cup (114g)

 

[ldlewis45]

@ldlewis45 hugs n head smooches

I actually fed my crew dr Tims Chase for awhile.
I only switched because chewy.com always was out of stock of the larger big I needed
Do you buy it direct? I didn't know that was an option now .
I really liked them on this food

I can tell you if you call Dr Tim - he has a vet practice - he will answer your questions
I have chatted with him a few times

His phone number is at the bottom right of his website

Foods

Premium All Natural Pet Foods. An honest, nutritionally sound kibble designed for every lifestyle and every lifestage of your pet.

drtims.com

Here is a quote from his site about adjusting feeding amount
Feeding Directions
Always feed to maintain ideal body condition. Adjust individual amount as needed considering activity level, environment, and age. Always have fresh water available. Not for human consumption.
Based on their metabolism and activity levels, pregnant cats, lactating queens and kittens may need 75% more and senior cats may need 25% less than the guidelines.
Dr. Tim's Chase Cat Food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Cat Food Nutrient Profiles for all life stages.
Metabolizable energy (calculated): 4140 kcal/kg
Chase is 472 kcal ME/cup (114g)

No, I buy the small bags through Chewy.com, and have them auto ship me 2 bags at a time. I used to get the big bags, but I dont think they make that size anymore. I'm considering switching to Orijen at this point, since the ingredients look really good.

 

[Yoda mom]

@ldlewis45 I did try Orijen and Acana -
USA orders are now made in USA with different ingredients than Canadian version

*( Acana did have late 2018 newsletter regarding a beef fat supplier with a detection of pentobarbital euthanasia med )

https://truthaboutpetfood.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Update-on-Class-Action-Lawsuit-20181112-.pdf

The new USA Orijen formulas didn't sit well with my crew
Orijen diarrhea
Acana grasslamds very stinky butts and extremely greasy brown skin

I ended up last year switching crew including my IBD Bengal to Nutrisource cat and kitten (Hollywoodfeed.com ) no skin poo or vomot issues even picky brat loves it

Another member feeds the same manufactures grain free Purevita Duck
Both no recalls made in USA

I was bummed to see large bags of dr Tims Chase go away

** chewy.com does have a little known not advertised frequent buyer food on many brands including dr tims - buy 10 one free
You have to call arms ask what brands

You can call chewy and see if you have a free bag of chase due to you
I add up

 

[Condo commando]

What I've read is the typical cat needs need 20-25 calories per lb of body weight. That's based on the weight they SHOULD have and not their actual weight. So say your cat should weigh 10 lb, then they would get 200-250 calories.

That food has 472 calories per cup so it would be about a half cup per day.

Unfortunately with dry food, it doesn't take much to reach the needed calories and the cats are still hungry. Canned food works better in this regard because the water helps to fill them up without adding calories and water is actually good for them. So that's food for thought if you do decide to switch the food.

 

[VictorFU]

Feeding my cat with Orijen, there are guides on how much to feed.

How Much Should I Feed My Cat? The Cat Feeding Guide

Want to know how much your cat should be eating? Check out our article where we break down how much you should feed your cat.

www.catological.com

I followed the suggestions on the above website.
Your cat seems to be a little bit overweight, try to feed something with a higher protein ratio.

 

[Yoda mom]

@ldlewis45 hello
What food did you decide on for Oliver
Amd his review ?

 

[ldlewis45]

For now I'm sticking with the Dr. Tim's, since I still have 2 bags of it. Since Yzma will also have to switch to a new food when he comes home, I'm waiting until he comes to make a decision on it, so I can do both of them at once. I'm considering trying the food that the breeder uses again, just to see if Oliver tolerates it now.

 

[Yoda mom]

Sounds like a good plan
Keep us updated
So excited for you and Oliver !
Head smooches sent