Feed cats separately. Sometimes making its meals more accessible throughout the day can easily solve its underweight issues.
Do be careful though the food must be high in quality with proteins and fats from animal sources rather bulked out with large amounts of plant material.
What to feed underweight cat. To make sure your underweight cat gains weight make sure to feed good quality cat food to it such as the ones from Petcubes. Petcubes cats food are meticulously crafted raw diets which have the right amount of nutrients and protein. You can start by feeding your cat plain old chicken.
To help your underweight cat gain weight one of our top picks for the best high calorie dry cat food is this Solid Gold Indigo Moon with Chicken Eggs Grain-Free High-Protein Dry Cat Food. Recently reformulated this recipe contains 475 calories per cup and a whopping 42 protein and 20 fat. Feed cats separately.
If you have several cats feed the underweight one in a separate room to ensure he gets enough food. Sometimes more dominant cats can hog the food bowl. If all of the above methods fail speak to your veterinarian who can prescribe appetite stimulants.
These medications are especially useful to treat loss of appetite. Increase meals per day. Cats actually prefer to graze and eat small meals throughout the day.
Sometimes making its meals more accessible throughout the day can easily solve its underweight issues. Having food available throughout the day instead of a few big meals could be a good option. Products to help your cat gain weight.
Before buying any products ask your veterinarian if they are good for your skinny cat. You may be able to purchase ORIJEN Cat Kitten Premium High Protein Fresh Raw Animal Ingredients Dry Food which is made with chicken turkey organs fish and cage-free eggs. What should I feed my underweight cat.
Underweight pets should be eating foods that are around 30 protein and 20 fat if theyre eating dry kibble or 7 protein and 5 fat or higher if youre feeding a wet food. Feed your cat a meat-based diet. Since cats are carnivores it is essential that your cat eat meat.
Meat provides your cat with protein and vitamin A that are necessary for her. Some cats may simply need a higher calorie food and could benefit from a high-calorie canned therapeutic food. Older cats struggling to keep on weight may benefit from a highly digestible food rich in antioxidants omega-3 and -6 fatty acids and prebiotics.
First of all you dont need to try and hold your cat on a weighing scale to check if theyre underweight or not. Instead try to rub your hand along your cats sides and notice how pronounced the ribs are. If it seems like you can feel a lot of the ribs and theyre very pronounced your cat could be underweight.
A similar test is to run your hand along your cats spine and feel. If your cat is severely underweight you will want to consult with a veterinarian to determine the ideal feeding pattern for your cat as well as whether you should be leaving food out. Try placing some warm water or milk on your wet food and mixing it up.
Next find a food your cat enjoys dry wet or both and feed it freely. This usually means having dry food down all the time and feeding wet in several small meals throughout the day. If your cat appears to be bored by their food bowl consider whether allowing them to hunt the food using treat balls or even throwing treats for them would spark their interest.
If your underweight cat is eating dry kibble try adding some wet food into their diet or vice versa. Sometimes cats are finicky about their food. Trying a different flavor or brand might be what your cat needs to improve their caloric intake.
Dry food tends to be packed with more calories than wet food so you may increase the dry food portion if your cat is underweight. However look for foods with high proteins with higher fat. Do be careful though the food must be high in quality with proteins and fats from animal sources rather bulked out with large amounts of plant material.
Cats require a minimum of 9 fat in their diet but underweight cats can benefit from a cat food that contains at least 20 fat to help them gain weight. Rich in moisture and flavor. If youre trying to get your cat to gain weight he needs to eat more so choosing a cat food high in moisture and flavor will make it more appealing to your cat.
To get your cat to eat more food warm up its meals or add flavors to stimulate appetite. Any dietary changes must be made gradually over 1-2 weeks. Wet food will be easier to chew especially for old cats with bad teeth.
Free-feed your aging cat so that it doesnt lose out on a meal just because its not hungry at that time. The setup makes it suitable to increase the pets appetite and feed sickly weak cats or kittens The formula has a unique concentration of vitamin C E and taurine. These additions help with the reduction of oxidative stress.
Knowing your cats ideal weight is key before you start them on a weight-gain diet as it can be easy to over-feed your cat and for them to become overweight which brings with it a range of health complications. Speak to your vet about what your cats ideal weight should be and what time frame you should work to in increasing their weight. For underweight cats you can stop force-feeding once it gains some weight.
After that you should encourage the kitty to eat on its own. This is to prevent tooth damage and dependence on long-term force-feeding. To encourage your cat to eat on its own you should serve warm food preferably moist.
You can also dip your finger in the food and let your cat lick it.