Fattening up a cat

So we have a cat (C2) that has been with us since 2003. (18 years old.) About 3 weeks ago she got outside (we often let her out to go kill moles and the like), but she never came back. We assumed a coyote or something got her.

Until today, when she turned up on our doorstep meowing her dang head off. She's pretty dang thing and somewhat weak (as is to be expected with a cat who has likely not eaten regularly for 3 weeks or so), but appears to otherwise be in good health. She meowed like crazy (I assume to tell us all about the injustices she'd suffered LOL), ate a bunch of dry cat food with an egg on top, and then promptly went to sleep hardcore. I've never heard a cat snore as loud.

Anyways....I've got her in for a vet visit on Thursday, but in the meantime, what tips do y'all have for fattening up a cat? We're giving her pretty much whatever she wants, as she's never been one to just eat everything in site; but being as she's otherwise healthy, I'd like to give her every advantage we can.

 

@Kerch71 @jaredmillerdvm are going to be able to give you the best info for this.

 

Maybe get her on a raw diet for a while.

 

Yeah, was thinking about that. I figured at the least, we can give her the occasional egg, more feedings than usual, and switch some stuff in and out (e.g., wet cat food, tuna, and so on), but didn't just want to throw anything at her without talking to people who've been there/done that.

 

@hagrid you are also a lover of the Kittehs, are you not? Any wisdom to share on proper pussy plumpification procedures?

 

I'm not the biggest fan of just any cat, but this particular one has earned its place. It's survived

- 18 years
- a 2 hour ride in my wife's engine compartment
- numerous other cats
- and now 3 weeks outside

By now this cat has a thousand-yard stare, I think; and the least I can do is help it out as much as I can. LOL

 

I mean just feeding a lot overtime should help, crazy story after weeks of being gone

 

If you feed your cat a lot of tuna, be sure to get Skipjack or Tongol tuna. Their little bodies can't handle as much mercury as a human. Skipjack and Tongol have very little mercury. I'd also add some lactose free whole milk to his diet. Cats can't handle lactose, but the milkfat in the lactose free version should help.

 

She'll let you know what she needs. Wet food / Tuna is great.

Glad she came back. We've had them disappear for 3-4 weeks a couple of times.

 

Aren't cats obligate carnivores requiring a strictly meat based diet?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnivore
https://feline-nutrition.org/answers/answers-what-exactly-is-an-obligate-carnivore

 

Yeah, I was on the can @ the time; and all of a sudden I hear my wife half-laughing/half-crying and the loudest "MEOW!" I've ever heard in my life. So I yelled "What is all the racket about?"

Wife said "C2 is back!" I told her "You're kidding me...." and she told me to come out and look for myself. Soon as she saw me she literally leapt from my wife's arms into mine; did the same thing with our 12-year-old son. He didn't think he was all that attached until I woke him up to show him the cat and he started getting teary-eyed. LOL

 

I mean, it doesn't have to be tuna. Was just going though my mind thinking about the stuff cats can likely have that we have in our pantry/fridge. At 18 years old and with everything she's been through I figure the least I can do is spend a bit more on food for her if she wants.

 

Senior food, has a higher protein %. We have a 17 year old that is going threw kidney failure but the only way to put weight on is the high protein foods. We have been using the Blue Buffalo and it seems to help slow the weight loss but hes old and its envitable.

 

at the +17 yrs mark, kitties will start eating lots of stuff they usually didn't or become even more picky. Free feeding might help put some weight. And as Rod mentioned, higher protein as they get older is important but so is water, so treat her some canned food or raw meats.

 

Great reuniting story! Keep their dish full and don’t let it run dry, wet food and eggs are helpful too.
My vet always loves to see how plump Ringo is, she says a chunky cat is a healthy cat and it’s better when they get older to be heavier than to be thin and frail.

 

Was this recommended by the vet? High protein diet can make kidney failure worse, at least in humans.

 

Is this what your vet told you? Our dog is going through the same issue and dogs get the opposite treatment. You give them a low protein diet as it's easier on the failing kidneys.

 

If you're asking me, the vet hasn't recommended squat yet. LOL We're feeding her the same cat food she's had (Iams senior diet, or something like that), and supplementing with the occasional egg, pieces of chicken, etc., as she wants. Waiting on buying or giving her anything else until she goes to the vet Thursday.

 

No we were asking the person above you you said he gave a high protein diet to his cat with kidney disease which is actually the opposite of what you normally do.

It sounds like you have the right idea by waiting for the vet and letting her rest. Sounds like that cat has seen some shit!

 

Kidney failure in cats is because of cheap ass food and less than optimal water intake, they don't feel thirst like humans or dogs do. Hence you feed them stuff other than dry food or keep a fresh bowl of water available at all times.

 

Sorry, I said that wrong.. high FAT diet. You are correct they need high fat and lower protein foods.

 

That high protein diet is still going to ruin the kidneys in kidney failure faster than a regular diet. I made no mention of type of food used, wet or dry, other than high protein should probably be avoided. Especially if not getting adequate fluids to dilute the proteinuria flowing through the kidneys.

 

This makes more sense.

 

A high protein diet is not harmful to the kidneys, there are no high quality studies linking the two. Kidney failure is more likely to be caused by highly processed carbohydrates, or some anomaly.

Cat food = protein, fat and water.

 

I’ve been really happy since I started visiting your vet. I like her messaging.

 

Again, not a vet, and may not apply to cats, but humans in kidney failure are on a low protein diet to preserve kidney function. High protein damages our kidneys if they are not healthy kidneys. And there have been numerous studies on this.

 

Just FYI (this may put you at ease a bit), my wife's a CDE (certified diabetic educator) and a nurse of 20 years who works for a company that specializes in kidney care...so if there's ONE thing my wife is likely aware of, it's how to NOT tank our cat's kidneys. LOL!

I probably should have led off with that. (And let me tell you, during my lithotripsy and bout with COVID last year, she was a freakin' godsend.)

 

On a side note....our cat has the same color (black/white) and she also sticks her tongue out all the time. I wonder if that's some color scheme cat thing....

 

Give teh kitty delightful bacon to eat and let her sleep some fat onto her ribs.

Otherwise wet kitty food will work just fine.

 

Me either! LOL! I think we're on the same wavelength here. I didn't interpret your post as suggesting that a high protein diet might be a implicated in causing kidney damage. I seemed to me that your comment might have been brief enough that it could've been misinterpreted to suggest such and felt compelled to try to cover that base for ya. Maybe a slight overshare.