# Good foods to fatten up cat?



## joeyboy (Jul 19, 2008)

Basically to be blunt one of our cats is dying, just gradually. He's okay in himself still, albeit isn't grooming properly by himself, but still goes outside, jumps on top of the shed, brought back a blackbird yesterday etc. However he has a large mass in his abdomen (very swollen) and has lost a lot of weight gradually, his spleen is swollen and he has a high amount of liver enzymes in his blood, his eyes are also clouding over though it isn't cataracts apparently, he's getting corneal neovascularization and they seem perplexed as to why it's happening. They're not exactly sure though the assumption is some sort of cancer (bar the eye thing), they thought leukemia at first though seemed to rule it out. 

He's 16 and they've basically said considering his age and how invasive identifying and trying to treat him would be, it might be best for his well being just to leave him while he's still got a good quality of life and then make the decision about what do to further down the line (i.e. do we want to put him to sleep). 

So right now he's constantly hungry, more so than before he was ill, which I suppose is better than him not eating. But since he's continuing to get thinner and thinner I was wondering what he could be fed which might help maintain weight? 

I've read about plain yoghurt (not much obviously) and scrambled eggs, and sardines..though I can't seem to find them sold in spring water, only brine, suppose feeding whole cooked or raw sardines could be an idea. Anyone had any ill cats which needed to gain weight for any advice?


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## Badgerroy (Mar 16, 2015)

So sorry to hear your cats ill. At the wildlife hospital I work at we tend to feed less but more often with animals that need to gain weight(5 or 6 small meals a day). High protein food is good for weight gain but do be beware that high protein foods tend to be high in phosphorus which can accelerate the decline of the kidneys. Another way is to buy human meat based baby food but make sure there's no onion or garlic in it.
But the safest and easiest way to fatten him up would be to start feeding Him a good quality kitten food as theres a lot more Calories,fat and protein in it.
If he doesn't seem interested in his food gently heat it as it then smells more and he will then be attracted to it.
Good luck and don't under underestimate the value and usefulness of lots of love and cuddles to him.


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## joeyboy (Jul 19, 2008)

cheers I'll look into some good meat content kitten food.

As for human baby food, even the meat ones (assuming you mean those baby pots) seem to be about 50% veg and only 8-10% meat? (cow & gate beef casserole, chicken etc).


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## Badgerroy (Mar 16, 2015)

Veg is good. If you just feed him meat then a whole new set of health problems can arise. To be honest the baby food is just a backup in case he gets to the point where he has difficulty swallowing/chewing. The best bet would be kitten food as that has everything in it that he will need.


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## Rogue665 (Mar 17, 2010)

joeyboy said:


> Basically to be blunt one of our cats is dying, just gradually. He's okay in himself still, albeit isn't grooming properly by himself, but still goes outside, jumps on top of the shed, brought back a blackbird yesterday etc. However he has a large mass in his abdomen (very swollen) and has lost a lot of weight gradually, his spleen is swollen and he has a high amount of liver enzymes in his blood, his eyes are also clouding over though it isn't cataracts apparently, he's getting corneal neovascularization and they seem perplexed as to why it's happening. They're not exactly sure though the assumption is some sort of cancer (bar the eye thing), they thought leukemia at first though seemed to rule it out.
> 
> He's 16 and they've basically said considering his age and how invasive identifying and trying to treat him would be, it might be best for his well being just to leave him while he's still got a good quality of life and then make the decision about what do to further down the line (i.e. do we want to put him to sleep).
> 
> ...


Baby food isn't good enough for babies (ask any nutrionist) Homemade is better, and veg and cats don't mix they are carnivores not omnivores like dogs, they can't digest grains/cereals and veg and it leads to health problem down the line. Why i wouldn't suggest a dry biscuits either they are made of crap that fill him up with no nutritional value. 
Your better off getting science plan from the vet i think its called, its really good for building up underweight and ill animals, are you sure he doesn't have worms? when was he last wormed? for a vet to say there no point in investigating because he's 16 i wouldn't think that was that old for a house cat, they can live well into their early 20's so could have 5+ years if he can beat this problem. I've heard off many cat nutritionist that fish isnt all that good nutrition wise your better off with a nice mince or even hole prey if he has all his teeth.


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## Badgerroy (Mar 16, 2015)

Rogue665 said:


> Baby food isn't good enough for babies (ask any nutrionist) Homemade is better, and veg and cats don't mix they are carnivores not omnivores like dogs, they can't digest grains/cereals and veg and it leads to health problem down the line.


You are wrong on the cats not needing or eating veg or being able to digest it. Even in the wild cats big and small do need and eat veg and other plant matter. They chew and eat grass and eat semi digested Plant and vegetable matter in the stomachs of there prey. Don't take my word for it, spend 5 mins on google and read up yourself.


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Cats are obligate carnivores and their diet should consist primarily of meat and their digestive system is equipped to cope with that - not vegetation. They can't digest grass because they don't have the necessary enzymes to break it down. 

A cat only eats grass if it needs to make itself vomit due to a possible hairball or something similar which they have eaten and which is causing discomfort. 

Also unlike herbivores they have no chewing teeth and their jaws are not designed to grind, so they can't eat it.


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## CloudForest (Nov 27, 2013)

Good quality Kitten food would be my recomendation too, along with lots of TLC in his last days, sorry to hear he's so unwell...give him whatever he wants and can hold down 




Regarding vegitation, its a nonsense that cats do not ingest vegitation; mice, birds, rats, rabbits etc etc are full (gutloaded) with seeds and other plant matirial which are extremly important to a cats overall nutrition, they dont eat corn and carrots directly, but they do get a reasonable amount of those things in their diet naturally via the stomach contents of their prey


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## Rogue665 (Mar 17, 2010)

Badgerroy said:


> You are wrong on the cats not needing or eating veg or being able to digest it. Even in the wild cats big and small do need and eat veg and other plant matter. They chew and eat grass and eat semi digested Plant and vegetable matter in the stomachs of there prey. Don't take my word for it, spend 5 mins on google and read up yourself.



Google it..no, I'd rather listen to cat nutritionists and my old college.


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## Badgerroy (Mar 16, 2015)

Rogue665 said:


> Google it..no, I'd rather listen to cat nutritionists and my old college.


So what your saying is there's nothing online worth listioning to? Well in that case why are you online being part of the very thing you think is nonsense? As far as I'm concerned iv given my advise to the OP and you have given yours. Which advise they take is up to them but personally I'm sick and tired of people constantly trying to cause arguments such as yourself. In future why not just do what I did and just give advise and let the OP decide themselves instead of trying to make out your the only person who knows anything and trying to make out all over advise is wrong. The advise iv given is tried and tested. Maybe yours is to, the fact is there is very rarely only 1 way of doing things.


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

CloudForest said:


> Regarding vegitation, its a nonsense that cats do not ingest vegitation; mice, birds, rats, rabbits etc etc are full (gutloaded) with seeds and other plant matirial which are extremly important to a cats overall nutrition, they dont eat corn and carrots directly, but they do get a reasonable amount of those things in their diet naturally via the stomach contents of their prey


 Ingesting is not eating/chewing - that was my point. As you rightly say 'gutloaded' is partially or totally pre-digested, which is different to feeding the actual food.

The poster I was replying to said cats "chew and eat" grass, which they don't, because they are neither equipped to chew it or digest it.


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## CloudForest (Nov 27, 2013)

feorag said:


> Ingesting is not eating/chewing - that was my point. As you rightly say 'gutloaded' is partially or totally pre-digested, which is different to feeding the actual food.
> 
> The poster I was replying to said cats "chew and eat" grass, which they don't, because they are neither equipped to chew it or digest it.


I had a cat who loved Peas, Peti-Pois to be exact  i'm sure he wasnt the only cat that liked a bit of veg now and again:whistling2: (whether it was good for him or not i duno...he only got one or two occasionally)

I see what you are saying, you are right of course, you wont find many cats munching a carrot...but, in prepared cat foods, those things may need to be added, because pure meat (unless you are feeding a varied whole rodent diet), doesnt contain any of those extra nutrients


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

But where did I say no veg? I didn't! I said cats were obligate carnivores, which they are and that they didn't chew or eat grass, except to induce vomiting.

I had a cat who loved Christmas cake, didn't mean to say it was good for him though! :whistling2:


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## Rogue665 (Mar 17, 2010)

Badgerroy said:


> So what your saying is there's nothing online worth listioning to? Well in that case why are you online being part of the very thing you think is nonsense? As far as I'm concerned iv given my advise to the OP and you have given yours. Which advise they take is up to them but personally I'm sick and tired of people constantly trying to cause arguments such as yourself. In future why not just do what I did and just give advise and let the OP decide themselves instead of trying to make out your the only person who knows anything and trying to make out all over advise is wrong. The advise iv given is tried and tested. Maybe yours is to, the fact is there is very rarely only 1 way of doing things.



Sick of tired of people causing arguments yet your the one who quoted my comment to try and prove me wrong, I never said there is nothing valuable online, there are some experts on this forum which is why i'm here and as for googling it, not everything you see online is true which is why i would rather go along with cat nutritionists and college experience.


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## Rogue665 (Mar 17, 2010)

CloudForest said:


> I had a cat who loved Peas, Peti-Pois to be exact  i'm sure he wasnt the only cat that liked a bit of veg now and again:whistling2: (whether it was good for him or not i duno...he only got one or two occasionally)
> 
> I see what you are saying, you are right of course, you wont find many cats munching a carrot...but, in prepared cat foods, those things may need to be added, because pure meat (unless you are feeding a varied whole rodent diet), doesn't contain any of those extra nutrients


peas have the same properties as grass, so yeah they'd prob wolf them down.

Yes food companies pack as .much cereals/grains and veg into their animal food as possible to bulk it because its cheaper than meat but dogs and cats shouldn't be eating it though cats definitely not, dogs could be vegetarian but a cat couldn't they just don't have it in them to digest and absorb everything they need from veg, they break it down differently or something


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## CloudForest (Nov 27, 2013)

ferog i think you are looking for an argument where there is none...at least if your response was directed at my post.




Rogue665 said:


> peas have the same properties as grass, so yeah they'd prob wolf them down.
> 
> Yes food companies pack as .much cereals/grains and veg into their animal food as possible to bulk it because its cheaper than meat but dogs and cats shouldn't be eating it though cats definitely not, dogs could be vegetarian but a cat couldn't they just don't have it in them to digest and absorb everything they need from veg, they break it down differently or something


you are completly ignoring the fact that wild cats eat whole prey, which includedes all the grains, seeds, plants, root veg, flowers, fruits, nuts etc etc that their favorite prey eats, including rabbits, rats, mice etc etc - they do need these things - thats not to say that companies dont cheat by using veg protien instead of meat protien, but thats a seperate issue.


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## Rogue665 (Mar 17, 2010)

CloudForest said:


> ferog i think you are looking for an argument where there is none...at least if your response was directed at my post.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yes they do add it all and it isn't good for the cat and they often end up with kidney stones and other upset organs later down the line.
Yes but its already digested by the prey so it isn't classed as a particular grass or grain its just digested matter a slurry of ingredients, if the stomach contents leaked out and it was undigested you wont see a cat wild or pet picking at the undigested grain, they eat the stomach first.


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## CloudForest (Nov 27, 2013)

Rogue665 said:


> Yes they do add it all and it isn't good for the cat and they often end up with kidney stones and other upset organs later down the line.
> Yes but its already digested by the prey so it isn't classed as a particular grass or grain its just digested matter a slurry of ingredients, if the stomach contents leaked out and it was undigested you wont see a cat wild or pet picking at the undigested grain, they eat the stomach first.


thats just not true mate....look up disections of stomachs, to see what people actually find in there! things dont enter a stomach and instantly turn into poo 

sure, some contents are digested, but even then, its still complex carbs and many other things which do not exist in meat, the building blocks for those plants are still all there, and they are what are important, not whether they are in the shape of a seed or a strawberry or blade of grass, or mixed up into a smoothie of vegatable nutrients



( I would agree that the additional enzymes they gain from the heriborves stomach juices, helps to breakdown those nutrients and make them useful though )


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

CloudForest said:


> ferog i think you are looking for an argument where there is none...at least if your response was directed at my post..


I'm not looking for an argument at all. I was merely clarifying a point made by you about cats ingesting the contents of herbivores' stomachs, which you are actually agreeing with in your conversation with Rogue for the benefit of Badgerroy who said that cats eat and chew grass.


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## Badgerroy (Mar 16, 2015)

feorag said:


> I'm not looking for an argument at all. I was merely clarifying a point made by you about cats ingesting the contents of herbivores' stomachs, which you are actually agreeing with in your conversation with Rogue for the benefit of Badgerroy who said that cats eat and chew grass.


Im not getting involved in pointless childish arguments but one point I do need to make. You jumped on my post when I said cats "chew and eat grass" and gave it the big Nono and then Said "cats only eat grass to make themselves vomit" Well wether they are chewing and eating the grass for fun,cos it's good for them or becouse it makes them vomit is illrelavent,the point is they DO eat grass. You've admitted it yourself when you said they do it to make themselves vomit.

All that aside,iv got 10 cats, all very healthy and well fed, and everyone of them will eat vegetables. Iv got one who loves sliced carrot,another that loves crunchy water chestnut, Maybe they aren't getting oodles of goodness from it but they do eat it.

Has anyone given a thought to the original poster? He came on here to ask a genuine question about something that is no doubt very upsetting for him.
And all half of you seem to want to do is prove everyone wrong about any advise that's givin,even when the advise your giving yourself is 9/10s the same as the advise they have given! 
:2wallbang:


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## annsimpson1 (Mar 23, 2008)

sorry your cat isn't well but to be honest if he's 16 and possibly hasn't much longer to live then I'd not worry about his weight but just feed him what he wants and when he wants it. I can't see that anything you give him is going to do any more harm at this stage and equally make him fatter or better, if he likes table scraps then give it, if he likes cream then do that as long as he's eating and is happy and not in pain then thats all that matters. I know there are high calorie cat/dog products aimed at specific problems but if the animal won't eat them then they're a waste of money however they do come in small containers so could be worth a try, most I think though are bought through a vets but you maybe able to buy them on line. After a very quick look this came up but there are lots of specialist products http://www.hillspet.com/products/pd-feline-ad-caninefeline-critical-care-canned.html just an example.


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## Chris18 (Mar 22, 2009)

Wow so much misinformation here. Cat eat stomach's of animals that can digest the veg etc which means that the contents will be partially digested making it easier to gain nutrients from it. Even then a lot of it is just passed and used as fibre to push things through the digestive tract, same as the bones and fur.



Rogue665 said:


> peas have the same properties as grass, so yeah they'd prob wolf them down.
> 
> Yes food companies pack as .much cereals/grains and veg into their animal food as possible to bulk it because its cheaper than meat but dogs and cats shouldn't be eating it though cats definitely not, dogs could be vegetarian but a cat couldn't they just don't have it in them to digest and absorb everything they need from veg, they break it down differently or something


You recommended Science plan, a food known for doing this and charging a ridiculous price for a brand name?

Honestly I'd go for a raw diet or really high quality wet food.


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