My new stray cat ate a lot of food. How much should I feed him?

The amount of food will vary depending on the particular food. Generally, a small can of Fancy Feast twice a day is all a cat will need. If you feed dry food, post a picture of the feeding guidelines and we can help you determine how much. This is also a great time to help your pet exercise. You can use a feather toy, a small ball or pom pom on a string, a laser pointer, etc.

Sounds like your cat was very hungry. Maybe you are not feeding it adequately so it will scarf whatever it can. Best feed her a good quality brand name wet food, approx. 5 to 6 oz split into two feeds per day.

Every cat food will usually have its own recommendation for feeding guidelines based on the ingredients and nutrient density of the individual food. I frequently recommend Fancy Feast, which comes in small cans of around 3oz. 1 can twice a day is plenty for an inside-only cat. If the cat goes outside or is extremely active, then 1.25 cans can be fed at each meal. If you have a particular cat food in mind for Winston, we can help you figure out how much of it to feed him!

It's possible being a stray could play into part of it. Some cats also just really enjoy eating food. Ruling out any common issues such as parasites, metabolic issues, etc is also a good idea if you haven't already as this may also cause appetite changes along with weight changes/constant hunger. There are some timer-based feeders as well as feeding toys that allow you to schedule when your cat eats. The feeding toys are also great because you can separate his meal into smaller portions and "hide" them around the house for him to find. It encourages him to get some exercise, get enough food, but in smaller portions so he can constantly graze throughout the day without feeling like he's not being fed.

You should feed her kitten food, canned food if possible because it adds water to her diet since most cats don't drink a ton of water. This in turn helps promote good urinary and kidney health long term. You should get a high quality kitten food such as Fromm, Hills science diet, Royal Canin, Evo or Eukanuba. You should be feeding her 3 times a day, and the amount should be based on what the bag or can says as a guideline. Best of luck with your kitty and I hope that she does well at her first vet visit. Take care.

The best plan would be to weigh your cat and use the info on the packets to work out her daily intake if she was on just try or just wet food. If you give her half of the wet amount and half of the dry it will work out as a daily ration. I would leave the dry out for her then feed the wet nice and fresh once or twice a day.

It may simply be a case of him not being hungry, especially if he is stray and hasn't been getting much food. However, I would be concerned about this open wound you mention. It could be infected or causing pain. Ideally I would take him to s vet for an exam and treatment, given the circumstances you may be able to attend a charity clinic.