Hungry hungry hippo cats going into winter

[RJC]

Just checking- is it everyone else’s experience that cats become bottomless pits going into winter?

Our two feral cats get two full meals a day of high quality raw food and we frequently see them with rodent, rabbit, and bird kills. As soon as the temps start getting cooler in fall, they turn into omnivores and raid the compost pile for cooked squash and whatever else they deem edible from what we dump. They usually both turn into furry basketballs for winter, but this year, the older female with a bum eye isn’t getting rounder and I’m a titch worried (they have and have always had a heated cat house stuffed with straw within the shed they use as home base, so they have shelter).

The inside cats are worse. They get two raw food meals and an evening enrichment snack of kibble (either in puzzle toys or tossed around the first floor kibble by kibble). We try to keep them lean but this time of year, they are determined to fatten up, and they are succeeding more than I’d like. Freshly baked bread cooling on the counter is not safe. The worktop compost bin with lid is not safe. Anything you are eating that you put down for just a minute is definitely not safe. DH’s heart cat was trying to swat individual frosted flakes out of his hand on the way to his mouth last night. I don’t know if they’ve been subliminally convincing us to feed extra because they are so frantic about food right now or if their stolen snacks are adding up, but they are all putting on a bit of weight. Do their metabolisms change this time of year?!

The barn cats are potentially the worst. I already knew putting down unguarded grain was dangerous, but this week, they’ve started trying to eat my horse’s large, hard Standlee alfalfa pellets as soon as I put the feed pan on the ground and go to fetch the horse. Once I have the horse, he has to protect his feed pan from the cats otherwise they try to eat alongside him. All those cats are also becoming their yearly fluffy beach ball selves as well.

This is normal, right? I don’t really remember our inside cats being like this in years past, but maybe I wasn’t paying attention.

[SusanO]

My 3 outdoor front porch, I mean barn cats, are always voracious. I don’t feed dry except occasionally as a treat and my 3 outside cats eat 2 cans in the AM and then two of them come down to the barn and eat another can. Begging for another but I know they won’t clean it up. After breakfast and second breakfast they eat lunch - maybe one can. Then afternoon meal - another can. Then supper - two cans. Except for Uggs who is pretty lazy the other two are not fat but are well muscled and hard. My indoor cats (actually one is in and out) eat about the same. They are not fat. I do think that the strictly indoor cat may be hyperthyroid. She is constantly starving.

My grocery bill frequently is mostly cat food. Nobody better dump another cat here! I do think they are hungrier now that it is cooler vs. 90’s and 100’s. They rarely eat their kill. Maybe a vole or a chipmunk. Nothing will eat the rats they kill. Gretel just left me another present last night - a dead mouse. So it must have not been very tasty.

[luvmyhackney]

I have three barn kitties. They eat unlimited hard food that’s out during the day, then 1 can for each kitty of wet food at breakfast and dinner.

Sometimes they will give me the eyes and get an extra can or two split for lunch.

They also get an extra can of tuna when the kids are home from school. They like to eat it off spoons.

They are ferocious hunters and have cleared my barn of rodents and a couple of pigeons, so I try to pay them well.

[AllTheCarrots]

I get the same way at this time of year, so I’m not one to judge.

[colorfan]

I free feed my barn cats dry food. The can get pretty roundish. lol

[CanadianTrotter]

@AllTheCarrots

I get the same way at this time of year, so I’m not one to judge.

Lol!!!

I don’t eat a lot more than usual in the Autumn but I do buy and hoard like a squirrel.

All five of my cats are on pet store bought urinary food and they are trying to eat more. Bird, Dizzy and Johnny get fed twice a day, I do not give in when they ask for more. They weigh between 18lbs-21lbs and I do not want them to get any heavier.

Ella and Rotten Ralph are on a prescription urinary food and are both eating more with the season change. I keep their food up off the floor so the three Starvin’ Marvins don’t get into it, and put it down for them if they ask for it then I pick it back up. Ella is only 8lbs and although she getting a bit more junk in her trunk with age, she’s in no danger of becoming overweight. Ralph is becoming an old man and needs to keep his weight on, so I give him his food whenever he asks for it then pick it up when he’s done.

I believe all animals eat more when Autumn comes.

[4horses]

Well I have the opposite problem here. The vet commented on how healthy and lean my kitten was looking. I put down a bowl of food this morning and she turned her nose up. One of the cats had diarrhea so I switched everyone to a new food until we can figure out who is having belly issues. I think my kitten just didn’t appreciate the food change. I picked up a new bag of kitten food for supper and dewormed everyone today. I guess we’ll see if that takes care of the issue. She ate everything tonight… The vet said she was in perfect health. I think she might be a picky eater. Sometimes she acts ravenous and other times she’s like “nope, I don’t want this.”

Last time I tried canned food and she looked like I was trying to poison her. Granted it doesn’t smell that great. She does love cooked chicken and I have a feeling she’s getting to be a bit spoiled.

Marvel has his yearly appointment coming up. I’m probably going to bring in a fecal just to make sure we aren’t missing something.

I used to feed purina exclusively. Now I’m feeding a mix of brands (wellness, Tiki cat, chicken soup, and first mate). I’m not really sure they are doing as well as I would like with the food change. Theo has a history of urinary issues and right now he is not on urinary food which makes me a bit nervous.

Still trying to figure out which food they do best on.