Mixing Rice with Canned Cat Food

I'm trying to reduce my two cats calorie and fat intake. The Vet says
they are healthy but could lose a pound or two.

Does anyone have any experience with adding cooked rice to canned
food? How much rice is enough - what's the correct ratio rice/cat
food?

Currently I am giving them Science Diet Adult canned food.

I don't see how adding rice, a starch *very* high in carbohydrates,
would do anything to help a cat lose weight! It would probably cause
them to gain weight. If you're going to add rice, it should be brown
rice (whole grain) but even then I can't see how it would benefit. I
would suggest that you purchase a high-quality, reduced calorie, CAT
FOOD for your cats.

dragon

On Tue, 11 Jan 2005 10:34:56 -0500, Randabana wrote:
I'm trying to reduce my two cats calorie and fat intake. The Vet says
they are healthy but could lose a pound or two.

Does anyone have any experience with adding cooked rice to canned
food? How much rice is enough - what's the correct ratio rice/cat
food?

Rice is filler. You might as well feed them sawdust.

What canned food are you mixing with filler? Do they have a formula for
older/fat/lazy cats? I've put kitties on that stuff when they were only
a year old if they did more eating than running around.

I've learned a lot about cat nutrition since I've started Tucker on a
diet. I don't know that rice will help them--cats don't need
carbohydrates in their diet. I have (slowly!) cut back on food and will
add more water and mix it in to make up for the difference.

Perhaps Megan will post--she knows far more than I do. But basically
you need to determine their daily calorie needs. Here's a web site with
the calorie information for many canned foods:
http://www.sugarcats.net/sites/jmpeerson/canfood.html

Rene

From: Randabana

I'm trying to reduce my two cats calorie and fat intake. The Vet says
they are healthy but could lose a pound or two.

Does anyone have any experience with adding cooked rice to canned
food? How much rice is enough - what's the correct ratio rice/cat
food?

I would not recommend adding rice to your cats' food as it may upset the
nutritional balance. A better way to help your cats lose weight would be to
get them more active by using interactive toys with them, and finding a food
that is more nutrient dense so you wouldn't have to feed as much. I think
Hill's even makes a food that is supposed to help in weight loss if you wanted
to stick with that brand. Or, you might want to find a brand that has less
carbs, something like Wellness.

Lauren
________
See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe
Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html
http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html
Declawing Info: http://www.wholecatjournal.com/articles/claws.htm

On Tue, 11 Jan 2005 10:34:56 -0500, Randabana
wrote:

I'm trying to reduce my two cats calorie and fat intake. The Vet says
they are healthy but could lose a pound or two.

Does anyone have any experience with adding cooked rice to canned
food? How much rice is enough - what's the correct ratio rice/cat
food?

Currently I am giving them Science Diet Adult canned food.

As far as I recall, rice in cat food is usually for when the animal needs a
reduced *protein* diet.

Jim

On 2005-01-11, Randabana penned:
I'm trying to reduce my two cats calorie and fat intake. The Vet says they
are healthy but could lose a pound or two.

Does anyone have any experience with adding cooked rice to canned food? How
much rice is enough - what's the correct ratio rice/cat food?

Currently I am giving them Science Diet Adult canned food.

According to my vet, cat hunger doesn't work the same way as human hunger.
While we want to stop eating when we're full, they want to stop eating when
they get enough of certain nutrients, like fat and protein. By adding more
carbs to their diet, you will just make them want to eat more to get enough of
those nutrients.

Have you checked with your vet to find out if you are feeding them the right
amount of canned food? I wouldn't just go shrinking their portions unless
you're sure they'll still get enough food, but maybe you're feeding them too
much.

I agree with whoever suggested more playtime. My cat isn't a big fan of most
toys, but for $4 I got a "cat dancer" toy that my cat adores, so I can finally
get her butt off the couch!

--
monique, roommate of Oscar the (female) grouch
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Eros was adopted! Eros has a home now! *cheer!*

Why don't you use the Science Diet Light Adult Cat food?
Check with your Vet.

Monique Y. Mudama wrote:

According to my vet, cat hunger doesn't work the same way as human
hunger.
While we want to stop eating when we're full, they want to stop
eating when
they get enough of certain nutrients, like fat and protein.

And that's why there are no overweight cats.

Er...

True that cats do have receptors in the intestine that respond to amino
acids, and these receptors probably mediate satiety (indeed, the
receptors project to areas of the brain that are associated with
satiety). Incidentally, humans also have amino acid receptors in the
gut, and humans do show amino acid-induced satiety - just like cats.

However, in reality, palatability can totally overwhelm any inherent
tendency for cats to feel sated at the 'correct' level.

(...)
I wouldn't just go shrinking their portions unless
you're sure they'll still get enough food,

Eh? Just cut the intake by a small amount (say 10%) and keep track of
the cat's weight. It's not rocket science.

but maybe you're feeding them too much.

If they are fat, they are being fed too much.



I agree with whoever suggested more playtime. My cat isn't a big fan
of most
toys, but for $4 I got a "cat dancer" toy that my cat adores, so I
can finally
get her butt off the couch!

A good idea. Plus, as others have suggested, the OP could swap to SD
Light (or another food with fewer kcal per can).

Steve.

On 2005-01-12, Steve G penned:

Monique Y. Mudama wrote:

According to my vet, cat hunger doesn't work the same way as human
hunger. While we want to stop eating when we're full, they want to
stop eating when they get enough of certain nutrients, like fat and
protein.

And that's why there are no overweight cats.

Er...

And no overweight humans ...

I was trying to explain why adding rice to the cats' food wouldn't necessarily
accomplish the goal. Do you disagree with that?

Actually, I can't even imagine my cat eating rice. But some cats are less
picky.

True that cats do have receptors in the intestine that respond to
amino acids, and these receptors probably mediate satiety (indeed, the
receptors project to areas of the brain that are associated with
satiety). Incidentally, humans also have amino acid receptors in the
gut, and humans do show amino acid-induced satiety - just like cats.

It doesn't surprise me that we have them. I wonder if our bodies use them the
same way cats do.

However, in reality, palatability can totally overwhelm any inherent
tendency for cats to feel sated at the 'correct' level.

Sure, which is why I don't feed Oscar treats instead of meals. Maybe I'm just
"lucky" ... Oscar will eventually eat most cat foods, but she's yet to find a
cat food, wet or dry, that she'll just devour till it's all gone.

She did, however, lose a small amount of weight when I switched her from dry
to wet; enough that she went from being just a smidge high to being about
right.

(...)
I wouldn't just go shrinking their portions unless you're sure
they'll still get enough food,

Eh? Just cut the intake by a small amount (say 10%) and keep track of
the cat's weight. It's not rocket science.

People are notorious for exercising poor judgement about food. Also, weight
isn't the only way to guage health, as I'm sure you know. In fact, weight as
an isolated number is pretty much meaningless.

Granted, I did take Oscar down from 1 can a day to 2/3 per day, but that was
after it was quite clear that she wasn't eating anywhere close to the full
can. She's not even eating all of what I give her, now. But if you asked me
to reduce that serving by 10%, I wouldn't be able to guage it without a scale.

but maybe you're feeding them too much.
If they are fat, they are being fed too much.

(Or they are exercising too little and eating the right amount.)

A good idea. Plus, as others have suggested, the OP could swap to SD
Light (or another food with fewer kcal per can).

I've heard mixed reports on these. Some animals even gain weight on these
foods. I wouldn't say not to try it, but to pay close attention.

--
monique, roommate of Oscar the (female) grouch
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Eros was adopted! Eros has a home now! *cheer!*