Happy Cat Owner

by gail fortunes
(apex nc)

My cat is 6 yrs. old and although he has always had a good appetite, I have found that he is ravenous all day! I brought him to the Vet last week for his yearly check-up and he had lost 5 lbs in a year. I have been giving him Purina Healthy Weight Formula for the past 4 yrs. as he has been overweight. Last year he weighed 15 lbs. and, although he is a very big part Maincoon, the Vet said I needed to slim him down. He has been getting 1/4 cup twice a day for the last year. When they saw how much weight he had lost they suggested I have bloodwork done and urine sample. All came back normal. They were checking for diabetes, kidney disease, or thyroid. I started increasing his food intake and he has gained 1 lb back in just 10 days. However, he is ALWAYS ready for more food. Any suggestions?

Answer by Kate
If your cat hadn't been checked for a thyroid problem then I would definitely say that his behaviour could be a sign of a thyroid issue.

However since he has been checked I can only assume that either he is a greedy cat (this is common and has to be managed) or he is not getting sufficient food in the meals that you are giving him to satisfy his appetite. Make sure you follow the feeding instructions on the food packaging and perhaps also leave some dry kibble available for him during the day.

As long as you are feeding the right amounts for his weight etc then you may have to assume he is just a greedy cat.

the vet should have given you some guidelines as to how much he needs to eat for his body size and weight.

best wishes Kate

---