Meet my pet cat - advice needed please!

[@alanj5438]

Check out Jackson Galaxy for recommendations on cat food. If your husband spoke to the vet about your cat being overweight, and they still recommend four pouches, that's what should be given. Make sure all the information about your cats daily activity was disclosed as well, as an indoor cat needs less food than an outdoor cat. If you're worried about its weight I'd suggest playing with it as often as you can, and looking for a higher quality food, or perhaps a food designed to promote weight loss. To be safe with your furniture, make sure there is a scratcher in every room. This will make him feel that he owns each room and more confident. To keep him off your bed just shut the doors when you're not in there. You can also commit to washing the bedding weekly if that's what you're worried about. His shedding can also be mitigated by using a deshedding comb every week during normal times, and every day during high shedding periods. For more info just explore Jackson Galaxy's KZbin channel. I got a cat for the first time last October, and learned everything from him.

[@managingtheoverwhelm]

That is so helpful. You’ve answered everything and given me a way forward. Thank you!

[@TheMissyFiles]

Awww, Henry looks a lot like my cat Senshi... really cute x As a new cat mum to another, take Henry's lead, let him explore and warm to his surroundings and you. His setup is already really good, so no need to worry on that front. Good luck x

[@MostlyPennyCat]

Our cats and bunnies loved each other and adult bunnies are far too big for a domestic cat to hunt. They used to just sniff and wash each other and hang out. You could try introducing them once the cat is settled.

[@rayja_]

Heya I'm also a relatively new cat parent and I spent a LOT of time doing food research and reading papers before my kittens arrived. I apologise in advance for the wall of text If you really want this cute boy to lose some weight I'd recommend first of all not free feeding him. That way you always know how much he eats and can control it. He may not like it at first, especially if he has been used to free access it his whole life, but he will get used to it. This is also a way to control their energy level, as it will rise and fall with mealtimes (2-3 mealtimes a day is fine). Make sure to play with him before feeding to mimic hunt/catch/kill/eat/groom and he will be even happier. Another important point I'd like to mention is the choice of food itself. Cats are notorious underdrinkers and get most of their water intake from the food they eat. They rarely drink even if dehydrated simply because they don't feel thirsty the same way we do. Feeding dry food is convenient for us humans, but not healthy for the cat. It is one of the leading causes of feline obesity. If you look at the ingredients of dry food (even pricey ones that promise a high % of meat ) you will see a large amount of carbs, carbs and more carbs (grains, potato, sweet potato) and other plant matter like "plant proteins" (pea, soy, alfalfa etc.). An optimal amount of plant matter for a cat is around 4% to help with digestion (mimics insides of a prey animals stomach). This should best case scenario be in a form of a non starchy veggie though, like carrot, broccoli, zucchini or low sugar fruit like blueberry. The rest should be meat, mostly muscle meat (this includes things like heart, lung and gizzard). Organs (Liver, spleen, kidney etc. ) are also very important and necessary for a healthy diet as they are rich in vitamins and minerals. And a little bone for calcium (6-10%). This brings me to my next point. If a producer is proud of the quality of their product they will not hide ingredients. As sad as it is, standards for pet foods are abysmally low. They can get away with calling a flavour "beef" when it only contains 4% cow and that doesn't even mean meat, it can be anything. The rest? "Meat and Animal Derivatives" - again, what does than mean? How much meat? What animal meat? Is it chicken, duck, lamb, salmon, horse, beef, turkey, random fish? What are those derivatives? Hooves, horns, fur, scales, bones, feet? Anyone can take a guess. Which is why it is very important to read the label and see if it is open, semi-open or closed declaration. I would avoid all foods with closed declaration as you can never know what is in it. Maybe even avoid semi-open ones. One batch it is one protein, then next time you buy it it can be something entirely different.. whatever slaughterhouse trash was cheaper to buy bulk that time. One of the best declared brands I have come across is the "ANIfit". I did google the food brand which you have shown in the video and it is sadly closed declaration, both wet and dry food. You can of course finish what you have bought, but I personally would not continue buying it. The dry food you could maybe use as treats? But when I see "Pea Component typically 80% of product" I'm not sure I would keep feeding it in any way. I also really don't understand how ASDA can claim in their feeding guide that "Cats seldom overeat" when we have so many overweight pets nowadays. It is our responsibility as a pet parent to monitor it's food intake to ensure they stay at a healthy weight. I'm sorry I can't give any specific information on where you can buy/order good quality cat food as I don't know where you live. I can only recommend wet food brands like MACs, Feringa, MjAMjAM, Carny, Rosie's Farm, catz finefood, GRAU, Lucky Lou, Purizon, ANIfit, GranataPet, Venandi Animal, Cat's Love (not any specific order, all are fine, some amazing, depends on your budget). If you can, please avoid all the brands like Felix, Gourmet, Kitekat. Whiskas, PURINA, Royal Canin, Hills Science Plan, Sheba and the likes. I have no idea how these brands have managed to make a name for themselves and be so expensive when their products are so bad. It's worth mentioning that even if higher quality wet food is more expensive per kg, you usually have to feed less of it as it has less fillers. E.g Catessy ~320g / Feringa ~235g for active 4kg cat per day. On another note, cats usually prefer eating from flat dishes as deep dishes/bowls may cause them "whisker fatigue" by hitting their whiskers along the bowl. If you see him taking food out of the bowl and eating it on the floor, this might be the reason why. As for the shedding, maybe try brushing him every two days. I have to brush my girls daily, but they are long haired and they love it anyway, so it's a bonding activity for us. I wish you lots of luck with your new kitty and hope the best of health for you and him.

[@managingtheoverwhelm]

That is very impressive research and super helpful, thank you so much for taking the time to pass on helpful advice x

[@vortex_1336]

I wouldn't worry that much about cat food. I try to give mine expensive food and she would rather eat the .60 cent a can Friskies food.

[@managingtheoverwhelm]

That’s actually what I’m noticing too.

[@4amlibra]

Hello new cat mom! 😊 I’ve had cats for years, so in addition to me seconding the referral to every single video Jackson Galaxy has ever made, here’s my thoughts on the food situation if they help: - Your fiancé is right that the raised and tilted food stand helps digestion. As far as quantity, always remember that dry food is much higher in calories and carbs than wet food; if your schedule allows it, try to give him wet food for as much of his diet as you can (that’s probably what the vet meant with the 4 pouches a day, if I had to guess) and address chonk by cutting down on dry food when necessary (personally, I leave a tiny bit of kibble in their dishes when I’m home - so that they know it’s always available and don’t scarf it down when I give them more - and only give them more when I leave for work or go to sleep). Also playing with him more will help him burn some calories. - Wet food is also better for them because of the water content, since cats evolved to get hydration more from their prey than from a water source. They’re prone to getting dehydrated pretty easily, so in addition to primarily feeding my kitties wet food I also spritz their kibble with a bit of water when I do give that to them for a little more hydration. (Also on water, some cats are finicky about having their water near their food, since in nature the buried remains of their prey would soon end up contaminating the water. Also also, some cats do a lot better with a fountain than a water bowl, since standing water in the wild can get you sick and a fountain mimics a stream or river.) - The comment above from @rayja_ hits on a lot of really good and important points about ingredients. As stated, the regulation of pet food manufacturing is horrifically minimal, so it’s extra important to look for brands that are intentionally transparent with their labels and prioritize meat over stuff like pea flour. - Shedding can be reduced by brushing with a deshedding tool on a regular basis, which can also help decrease the occurrence of hairballs. Hair on surfaces like couches and bedding can be removed with a lint roller pretty easily, but there are also brush rollers specifically intended for pet hair that work fantastic. - I have a lot more information bouncing around in my brain, but it’s already midnight where I live. If you have any other specific questions just reply with them and I’ll be happy to answer to the best of my ability. 🙂

[@managingtheoverwhelm]

Extremely helpful. Thanks so much! X

[@herbertkeithmiller]

Harold may be hesitant but he likes you. It's a beautiful setup. He's got a nice sleeping area he's got nice raised food dishes the litter box is in a good position everything looks wonderful. As others have commented if you want him to lose a little weight cut out the free feeding and only put down food at meal times. But yeah you're doing great. And check out Jackson Galaxy's cat videos for lots of helpful tips. Cats like to be scratched under the chin or around the ears individual cats will vary but try doing that instead of just petting. But Harold seems to have taken to you he doesn't run and he stretches out and purrs when you pet him which is a good sign.

[@managingtheoverwhelm]

Thank you for your kind comments and I’m never sure where to stroke him so thanks for the tip 👍

[@cricket2182011]

Im more of a cat person than a dog person but I luv most animals. Since it is a male cat if the vet said 4 pouches you really should stick to that because male cats can get digestive problems and UTI's more frequently than females (my family has had multiple male and female cats over the years and none of the females ever got utis) also you are gonna get super attached to cuddles so I advise you to buy some kitty blankies that will wash well frequently that you can put on your furniture like the couches and eventually your bed(most likely you will change your mind on letting him on the bed.) Also invest in a good brush since you have a shedding cat. Also get plenty of toys to keep him from getting bored since he is a single cat in the house. Treats in the house are a good choice too. Happy bonding 💓 😊

[@managingtheoverwhelm]

Many thanks xx