How Much Should I Feed May Cat?

I frequently see questions on Facebook like this:

“The vet says my cat is overweight. How much and how often should I be feeding her every day?”

If your cat is overweight then based upon what I’ve learned from Lisa A. Pierson, DVM, I’m guessing that you are feeding your cat dry kibble and leaving a bowl of it out for her. Your cat needs protein and fat. Your cat over-eats because her body is telling her that she’s not getting enough protein and fats. Kibble is loaded with carbs.  Cats cannot metabolize carbs, and so the carbs turn into fat.

Because Teddy is a recovered diabetic, we feed him a prescription canned food formulated specifically for diabetic cats – very low in carbs, high in protein.Given the right food, cats will self-regulate and not overeat. I give him all he wants, which is four cans per day. He is not overweight.