This is really just a matter of curiosity. I'm wondering how you feed your cats, measured amounts or free access. When I first got my cat she was un-neutered, and I gave her free access to food, and she maintained a pretty skinny profile until I had her fixed. Then she ballooned, and I have been feeding her twice a day about 1/4 -1/3 cup a day of dry cat food to maintain her 7-and-some-pound weight.

This has been going on for 7 years. In all this time, I have noticed that free-fed un-neutered cats consistently maintain their weight and don't overeat, while neutered cats are the ones who become fat. My previous vet has a HUGE orange cat named Morris (neutered), who, he says, would be so hard to convert to measured food that he simply doesn't.

I am very curious to know how you all feed your cats and whether or not they are neutered. As I said, it's only a matter of curiosity, but I would think it would be excellent information to put in "How-To" books, which I don't see there at present.

-- Leslie A. (lesliea@mm2k.net), October 28, 2001

Answers

I have a 1-year-old female. She was spayed at 5 months. She has free access to dry food and is given 1 can (5.5 oz) wet food daily. She gets NO table scraps. She spends 60-70% of her day outside for exercise (and my sanity). So far no weight problem.

-- Nancy (NAWoodward@lakewebs.net), October 28, 2001.

I have a nine year old female Maine Coon cat who was spayed at five months. We have always fed her free choice premium dry cat food, no table scraps but an occasional half-tiny-can wet food, about twice a week as a treat. She always stays at around 11 pounds, with the exception of the momentous introduction of her first dog, the aforementioned Hole-digging Aussie. She lost weight with that stressor but eventually got back to her normal weight. I have a theory about aliquot feeding (set meals), and that is that the cat so looks forward to the high point of its day (mealtime) that it wolfs down more than it would in a free choice situation. Anyone share that hypothesis?

-- Debbie Trimble (risingwind@socket.net), October 29, 2001.

We have a cat we found abandoned about 7 years ago when the neighbors moved and left her behind, so she's about 8 years old now. We had her spayed sometime during the first year we had her, and for a short time she gained some weight. She is now an outdoor kitty, but comes into the enclosed porch for her feed and to sleep at night, and the weight is no longer a problem. We don't keep food outside for her because of the oppossums and other critters, but she comes and goes whenever she finds someone to open the door for her. Every so often, we give her some soft cat treats. She turns up her nose at table scraps, won't eat them at all except for a tiny dab of scrambled egg. She catches small birds and rabbits to entertain herself, and sometimes eats those. Cats are like any other animal, and will eat to fill the time if they are bored. If your cat gets ample exercise opportunities, food doesn't become the main focus and the weight seems to take care of itself.

-- CJ Glass (glasss2001@hotmail.com), October 29, 2001.

I have two inside cats, ages 6 years and 1 1/2 years. They are both spayed The older one weighs about 16 pounds while the younger has no weight problem. They both are offered the same amount of food and are, generally, equally active. I have no idea why Tippy,the older one, has always been rotund while Brat, the baby, is a normal cat size. And, yes, Brat is a brat...

-- Ardie from WI (ardie54965@hotmail.com), October 29, 2001.

genetics , its ike obiesity in humans , some have lower metabolisms , i have a 14 lb male cat who maintains his svelte self by sneaking outside and catching assorted mice and birds ......and i have 2 females , both un spayed (farmcats) and one is our round bellied and short bodied cat , and the other is long and lean , they are 100% inside , (the males are outside) and eat together , and play together , but out of diffrent families , and its just how they are .

-- Beth Van Stiphout (willosnake@hotmail.com), October 29, 2001.

We have two, a brother and sister from the same litter. They are 3 years old, both neutered at about four months of age. They are primarily outside kittys. Fed free choice dry food. They also have their choice of mice, rats, and rabbits (little ones unfortunately), and moles (hooray!). They are both slim and trim and in good shape.

-- Rickstir (rpowell@email.ccis.edu), October 29, 2001.

We have 4 indoor cats and 8 outdoor (barn) cats. The indoor cats (which do go out during the day) are fed free choice dry food. The outdoor cats get well fed twice a day because I don't want to feed the possum, coon, skunk and bobcat population as well. Most are neutered and the only one with a serious weight problem is a 5 yr old male that weighs 23 lbs. I would have to agree with the genetics suggestion on this one.

-- beckie (sunshine_horses@yahoo.com), October 29, 2001.

Leslie, there is a plethora of info on this subject. Check with the Vet Techs where you take your pets for some continuing education articles on it, also back issues of Cat Fancy Magazine etc. As mentioned above Cats are just like us. It's genetics. Some need more excersize and less food than others. If you go to a few cat shows and talk to people there you will get a good overview of what foods work best for them to keep their cats in shape. :)

-- Little Quacker (carouselxing@juno.com), October 29, 2001.

I have eight spayed/neutered barn cats, all with free choice acess to dry food 24/7. Some are of normal weight, some a bit overweight, but not extremely so. The ones who are of normal weight spend the most time hunting, so exersize has alot to do with it as well as genetics.

I believe the unspayed/unneutered barn cats that seem to be so "thin" are suffering from additional parasites and lack of good care, most folks who do not spay/neuter their barn cats are also ignoring good husbandry practices as well.

-- Annie Miller in SE OH (annie@1st.net), October 29, 2001.

I have free fed every critter I've ever had. I believe they digest the feed better when they nibble instead of wolfing the food down. The female cats/dogs have all been spayed. No worm problems and I've never had a fat dog/cat.

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), November 01, 2001.