Dr. Janet Jackson Answers Your Question
I have two cats, and both eat Purina Cat Chow, no people food and no canned food. Being females, they are both relatively small. The smaller of the two, Domino, weighs between five and seven lbs. I don't weigh her between vet visits. She is very active and is allowed to go outside. She climbs trees, chases squirrels and stays very busy. She eats approximately one cup of Cat Chow per day. I fill their bowls once a day and they "graze" all day long. I have started giving her "treats" which are two calories each. What would you estimate her desired calorie intake to be? I don't want to overdo the "treats." My other cat weighs about 11 lbs. and doesn't like treats, so that is not an issue.
A:
Dr. Janet answered:
It is difficult to get an accurate estimate of calories expended during activity because the intensity of activity, time doing activity varies considerably. Since your cat is very active it will be difficult to estimate her daily calorie needs. Therefore, if you decide to give her few treats during the day then I would suggest you monitor her weight regularly and keep a watch on her body condition. If she develops signs of overweight then you may want to reduce number of treats given to her.