Wellness

So little nero is 14.2 pounds, and i would like him down to about 10 pounds. I have been reading a bit around here that Wellness will help to slim him down. I was wondering if they offer it in wet food? or dry? or both? I was also wondering if it will actually help to slim him down? and Where can i find it, i have checked a few local pet stores but i havent seen it there, where do you guys get it?

Wellness (http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/cat_index.html) is available in a variety of flavours, both canned & dry.

Store Locator Canada (http://www.geoserve.com/scripts/esrimap.dll?Name=L&Com=fo&Db=DLROMHWell&Ds=&Cn=CA)

Yes it will help, high quality ingredients, no fillers & portion control :cat:

Is Nero a dog or a cat?

nero is a cat:cat:

Oh so they do have it at Ruffins! i guess i just over looked it when i was there or it was out of stock, i didnt bother to ask, thought i would have seen it:headslap: Just curios as to how much it is and how much you guys feed to your kitties eaach day? i know it will say on the bag..

Wellness (http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/cat_index.html) is available in a variety of flavours, both canned & dry.

Store Locator Canada (http://www.geoserve.com/scripts/esrimap.dll?Name=L&Com=fo&Db=DLROMHWell&Ds=&Cn=CA)

Yes it will help, high quality ingredients, no fillers & portion control :cat:


Thanks, i didnt even think to look for a store locator..

nero is a cat:cat:

Cool. In that case, it's the canned you want, not dry. What does he eat now?

Just curios as to how much it is and how much you guys feed to your kitties eaach day? i know it will say on the bag..

I tend not to follow what the bags or cans say. A general rule is 20-30 calories per lb of ideal weight. So if you want Nero to weigh 10 lbs, that's around 200-300 calories per day. A 5.5 oz can of Wellness is roughly 200 calories depending on the flavour, so you could start with a can a day (no kibble) and adjust from there. You don't want weight loss to be too rapid (no more than 1-2% per week), so ideally you have access to a baby scale or else drop by the vets periodically to weigh Nero.

Just curios as to how much it is and how much you guys feed to your kitties eaach day? i know it will say on the bag..

Duffy hasn't had canned or dry for nearly a year (on raw) but the 5.5 oz cans were $1.49 each, last year here in BC, she is about 12lbs & had about 1/2-3/4 can per day, no dry food & wasn't hungry afterwards.

Feeding portions will also depend on if Nero is hungry after his meals.

I am feeding him a food from a local pet food store, i'm not realy sure of the name, althoguhi know its not nearly as good as he should be feeding him. to be honest i never really knew to much about cat food untill this past year.. from beign here. from you and other members. But i am trying to change that now, i want him to be more healthy.

i want him to be more healthy.

Awesome:thumbs up! If you have any trouble convincing him to eat better food (cause to some cats, dry food = donuts; canned food = broccoli), there are tips here: http://www.catinfo.org/#Transitioning_Dry_Food_Addicts_to_Canned_Food_
It's important to go slowly and have lots of patience when changing a cat's diet. Good luck! Let us know how it goes.

I dont think its going to be a problem switching foods for nero once he is hungry enoough he will eat just about anythign (it's not like i'm not feeding him, sometimes he runs out of food, but he makes sure to tell me...by nearly tripping me:cat: ) so it shouldnt be to hard to get him to switch.

Do you think one can will be enough food for one day? Should i split it in half..half in the morning and half in the evening?

Yup should be good to start with, feed half a can in the am & half in evening. If he leaves any in the dish they you can reduce the next meal by that much & if he is still hungry add a teaspoon or two see if that satisfies his hunger. I've always meal fed canned w/morning & evening. Nero may also want smaller meals, (on raw Duffy usually eats 4-5 smaller meals) if he walks away leaving food in the dish & comes back later then he's likes smaller portions. Some cats will eat it when left out - you can add a tsp of water to freshen it up - but some prefer fresh out of the can all the time, if that is the case you can scoop what he doesn't eat back with the rest & re-feed it later w/some fresh stuff :D

Thanks a ton guys, i am going to finish off this bag of food and the rest of his wet food and go check this stuff out.

It all depends on your cat. I know people who had their cat on Wellness and they got fat.

ACO22

My 3 cats eat 3 cans of Wellness/day(breakfast,lunch,dinner),but the smaller cans and seem perfectly happy,even leave some.
I pay $1.09/can,but I have seen other store charge more,up to $1.39.
I have a little fatty(Vinnie almost 18 lb's) and I do believe he is losing some weight.:thumbs up

It all depends on your cat. I know people who had their cat on Wellness and they got fat.


One can get fat from anything if you eat too much of it. The thing with *canned* Wellness is that it's a decent, widely available, commercial food with good quality ingredients, which is more than can be said for much of the other crap out there. Other than that, there isn't anything magical about it that guarantees weight loss. Common sense still applies: if a cat is too fat, feed less, if it's too skinny, feed more.

I'm curious as to why it has to be canned for weight loss?
I dont get it.

I asked the manager at Pet Valu and he said if you buy a flat, 24 cans, they'll give you a discount. Here it was working out to about 7-9 cents per can, and Wellness was on the shelf (bigger cans) for 1.59. He said the 24 didn't have to be all the same flavour either.

I bought an assortment to see what my Cookie likes, and next trip I plan to go for 24 at a time!:thumbs up

So i checked at Ruffins ( the store locator said they sell it there) but since they are rearragning their store and restocking with new food brands and everything they didnt have much in the line of food, so no wellness, so i will keep checking..

And Puss'FavPerson thanks for the tip about buying in the 24 cans, i will have to ask about that, it is a little pricey but if it will make my kitty helathy it is way worth it!:cat:

I'm curious as to why it has to be canned for weight loss?
I dont get it.

For starters, wet food is just simply better for cats than dry. Lots on that here: http://www.catinfo.org/

But the big issue with cats getting fat in the first place has to do with the high amount of starch in dry food, necessary for it to keep the kibble shape. Cats aren't used to dealing with this excessive carb load and any excess gets stored as fat. Canned food usually has fewer carbs and more protein, and it's the amount of protein consumed that tells a cat when it's full. As well, it's less likely that a cat's caretaker will do the bottomless bowl method of feeding canned the way they tend to with dry, reducing the cat's propensity to overeat from boredom. This link here (http://www.catinfo.org/feline_obesity.htm) goes into much greater detail and is well worth reading.

I see...
Thank goodness my felines prefer raw (insert "phew" guy here)
I am so far behind on car nutrition its not even funny, atleast I got the research in on raw for them while doing it for the dogs.

I feed my gang of 5 two 5 oz. cans in the morning, which gives me 2 tablespoons for each of them. In the evening I give them two more cans, plus I started giving them 1 3 oz can, so they each get 3 table spoons in the evening. I decided to feed them more in the evening because they have longer to wait until breakfast and they aren't as beggy for food. By adding the extra 3 oz can it equals to a can a day for each of them of food.

The all vary in weight and size but they are all at a steady weight. My biggest one is Vlad who is about 18 pounds, but he's not fat, just a big cat according to my vet.

Thank goodness my felines prefer raw (insert "phew" guy here)


Raw really is the ultimate, so you're way ahead of the game there:thumbs up. I can understand some of the reasons people have for not wanting to delve into raw, in which case a quality canned food is the next best thing. Kibble is on the bottom rung.

Sugarcatmom,probably a dumb question,but Wellness has cans where fish is with the chicken,chicken/herring for instance or they have one kind with sardines,are those cans as damaging as any other fishcans for cats??
Mine really like the chicken/herring,but they don't get it every day..

Ditto here. My gang love fish, but I have tried to avoid giving them the mixed combination for that reason.

On a side note, um...shouldn't their poop not smell so bad if they've been on Wellness for a while?:o

One can get fat from anything if you eat too much of it.

Why assume they are getting too much? Cause I can tell you that they do not get too much.

ACO22

Sugarcatmom,probably a dumb question,but Wellness has cans where fish is with the chicken,chicken/herring for instance or they have one kind with sardines,are those cans as damaging as any other fishcans for cats??
Mine really like the chicken/herring,but they don't get it every day..

A couple times a week or so won't hurt. It's more a problem if they were to eat it every day and get addicted to it, and start refusing other non-fish flavours.

yueah taht is a problem woth Du at this point she needs a strong flavor but i make sure its wrm and very moist and that seems to help
i have also noticed that both cats eat a lot less of the wellness than the fancy feast and still seem satisfied

Jim,that's what I do too,add a little water,I find the Wellness is sometimes a little dry.
I buy 42 cans of Wellness at a time,enough for two weeks for my guys and they do like Turkey,Chicken,Chicken/Beef too,I also get 10 cans of Fancy Feast,just for a treat ever now and then,they still love it:shrug:

Chico, I don't buy the Beef flavors anymore because the last several times I've gotten it I feel like I'm cheated out of food. There's so much gelatin in the can :frustrated: Do you find the same thing happens to you?

Why assume they are getting too much? Cause I can tell you that they do not get too much.


So how much do they get? And how much do they weigh?

It's really a very basic principle: (too many calories in) + (not enough calories out) = overweight. Unless these cats have a metabolic disorder, that's all there is to it. http://www.thepetcenter.com/imtop/catweight.html

So what is happening that predisposes our domestic felines to a life of sedentary obesity? The answer is multifactorial but to simplify, just remember this… any individual mammal (dog, cat, horse, human, etc.) will gain body weight if it consumes more calories than it burns as fuel for energy. That’s pretty simple, but true. In Nature, food acquisition has never been a sure thing for any creature… not for canines, felines or humans. So food acquisition has always been accompanied by physical exertion to capture (or cultivate) and consume the food. It is only in recent times that the unnatural situation of food excess, readily acquired and consumed with little accompanying physical exertion, has become a way of life. We humans have figured how not to have to do all that work of capturing and cultivating to build up stores of food. Through agricultural expertise we have learned how to grow food and raise livestock and to have those food sources readily available and in abundance… just in case we get hungry! We learned how to refrigerate, dry, preserve and store foods in large quantities that assured us we would not have to endure long and unsuccessful hunting forays nor suffer through famines. We have created the very same food acquisition assurances for our domestic dogs and cats. They, as we, no longer have to hunt to survive. Indeed, we no longer even have to live outdoors.

It’s interesting that our pets have mirrored our own tendency to have trouble with weight control. The major difference, though, is that we humans have complete control over what our pets eat and how much they eat. Unless your dog or cat is sneaking into the fridge and making ham and cheese sandwiches late at night when no one is around, the only way they get to eat is when YOU place the food in front of them.

Every veterinarian has repeatedly heard a serious minded dog or cat owner state “I know you think she’s overweight, Doctor, but it isn’t from the food! She hardly eats a thing.” Well… is the pet overweight from high calorie air? Maybe it’s the water… or from laying on that couch all the time. That’s it! The couch is making the kitty fat, not the food. Seriously, far too many pet owners truly believe that food intake has nothing at all to do with their pet’s weight and no amount of counseling will convince them otherwise. If that describes your position, read no further because the rest of this article is all about how to feed the proper food and in the correct quantity so that the cat will loose weight safely or maintain an optimum weight. There will be nothing in this article about the effect of high calorie air, water or comfortable furniture on the cat’s weight problem.

AG,I really don't mind the gelatin,it makes the food a little wetter,unless someone tells me it's not good for the cats.
I don't find there is a lot,but I buy the small cans,maybe with 5 cats you buy the bigger ones:shrug:

Oh, you buy the 3 oz cans then. Yeah, those are packed better. I get the 5 oz cans and that extra gelatin actually takes up the space of an extra table spoon :frustrated: LOL it might not sound like much to us but to them it's an extra little scoop of food. I even started to buy the Fancy Feast too so that I can add a little in when I get a can that doesn't yield enough for them.

Yes,the 3 of them split 1 small can 3 times/day,it does not sound like much,but they seem satisfied and Rocky has gained back most of his weight:thumbs up

If you give them that 3 times day that sounds pretty good. I split 4.5 cans between 5 of them during the day. 2 5 oz in the morning and then 2 5 oz with 1 3 oz in the evening. So that pretty much equals about a 3 oz can a day for each of them. Their weight is steady and they all seem satisfied. :shrug: And of course I'm guilty of giving treats :rolleyes:

Wow - After reading through this thread I think I have been over feeding my kitties :eek:

My cats were on a raw diet (which they really enjoy) but recently Lexus -13lbs has had really bad constipation issues. So, for now to keep her regular she is on Miralax 2x's a day (stool softner) and I have switched her back to canned w/ water for extra moisture. She does enjoy the raw so I mix one or 2 of her meals of canned a day (she gets fed 3x's a day) with raw. I have been feeding her 1 1/2 cans of wellness a day. I decrease this amount when I give her some raw. I really would like her to lose weight:shrug: Does this sound like I am over feeding her?

Bishop is 18lbs and I want him to lose weight as well. I have been a bit afraid with his bowel movements on full time raw (he goes about every 3 days) so I wanted to add some moisture into his diet to help with regularity. I have also started feeding him a mixture of raw and canned. And I have been giving him about 1 can or so of Wellness plus about 1-2oz of raw a day (spread out in 3 meals). Does this sound way too much?

It is really hard b/c I am feeding them a mixture of raw and canned. Does the canned weight the same as raw? Because if it does I can weigh it on the kitchen scale I have. And give them a certain amount of ounces a day of the mixture :rolleyes:

By the way - where do you guys get your Wellness canned from so cheap. Here in Winnipeg I have been buying the cans at $1.89 each....any pointers on finding it cheaper would be greatly appreciated!

for $1.89 me thinks I gonna drive the 2 hours to wpg... it is 2.09 here..... yikes...

Khari,I answered this post in August,I've since changed and buy 12.5oz Wellness cans instead and my 3 eat half in the morning the other half at night,if they still seem hungry I give them a 3 oz can later.
I was trying to cut down on the $$and the 12,5 oz is $2.69 compared to 3X $1.19 for the 3 oz.
I don't know anything about raw,other than my cats don't eating it.

IML,I would not drive 2 hours to save a little,you'd be spending more on gas for the car:cat:

I've since switched to 12 oz cans myself. they are way less expensive to buy when feeding. You get more food for less. For me it works out great. I can feed all 5 of mine with one can at each feeding time.

I've been feeding mine Innova Evo, but they are getting tired of it, so today I went to get some Wellness. It's about 50 cents more, but they aren't eating the Innova and I'm throwing most of it away. So now I have to go back to Wellness at least for a while. These guys sure are finicky, but I don't blame them.

I'm going to head out right now to see the price difference between the 5.5oz can and the 12oz can....anything to save a buck :thumbs up And I thought I was paying alot when I was feeding Royal canin calorie control from the vets office for $1.49 - $1.69 a 5.5oz can :shrug: :laughing: But I know I would never feed them that crap again - now that I am more aware of the contents :frustrated:

lUvMyLaBfor $1.89 me thinks I gonna drive the 2 hours to wpg... it is 2.09 here..... yikes..

Are you going to Petland for your Wellness canned? I stopped into Petland (I never shop there because I don't want to support Puppy Mill's) and the 5.5oz cans are $2.09 but if you have a Petland card some flavours are $1.77ea. I would rather pay $1.89 at Pet Valu. Afterwards I went to Pet Valu and the 12.5oz cans are $2.99ea. The sales lady confirmed that when you buy by the case you save 7 or 8 cents. So far this is the cheapest.

I have started feeding 3/4 of a 5.5oz can each cat a day. How do I feed the 12.5oz can? (which is clearly cheaper) They would not get a full complete can each day between the two of them. I will be feeding a complete meal of raw at dinner time and the two other meals will be canned for now. Can I take it out of the tin and put into a container? And weigh it when need it? I am confused on how to figure out the portions with a 12.5oz can:sorry: I am concerned about portion control because of the extra weight my cats carry :cat::cat:

Khari,I feed 1/2 12oz in the morning,my 3 cats do not like food cold from the fridge and heated,so I just wrap it up and leave it out for their dinner.

I have started feeding 3/4 of a 5.5oz can each cat a day. How do I feed the 12.5oz can? (which is clearly cheaper) They would not get a full complete can each day between the two of them. I will be feeding a complete meal of raw at dinner time and the two other meals will be canned for now. Can I take it out of the tin and put into a container? And weigh it when need it? I am confused on how to figure out the portions with a 12.5oz can:sorry: I am concerned about portion control because of the extra weight my cats carry :cat::cat:


i have lids for the cans of food, since neither of my guy get a full can of anything for their meal, you can find them at Zellers for sure, and also at superstore i think. Any pet store would have them too. The are really chep like 1.00? i think..they are good and sturdy and keep their food good, so it is worth it. or you can use a piece of tin foil over the top, i do that also when i cant find when of the lids, it works just the same, excpet i guess it would be slightly cheaper to buy the lid since you can reuse it.

I have lids as well. Always have used them and have no problem with keeping the leftovers in the fridge.:thumbs up

My concern is with figuring out the right portions with a 12.5oz can.
If I am feeding each cat 3/4 of a 5.5oz can a day this would equal 1-1/2 (5.5oz cans) a day between the two cats. That would be 8.25oz a day between the two cats. Can I just weigh the content of the 12.5oz can to this amount a day? Would this be the way to get the correct portion? Eyeballing it may not be a great idea with their weight issues :shrug: I can't feed them half of the can in the morning and half of the can in the evening b/c this would be 12.5oz. And they only require 8.25oz. I wish it was that easy....:laughing:

I have found that using a measuring spoon I can feed them all enough to satisfy them. I use a tablespoon measure. Each 12oz can allows me to give each cat 2 tablespoons at each feeding. I empty the can into a glass bowl and mix in a little bit of warm water and then begin to spoon out each of their plates. Sometimes the cans allow me to give them a little extra. I've been using this measurement for them for several months and it allows them to get their fill and maintain their weight.

AG,love your avatar by the way:laughing:

Chico, I have another one of the same little kitty with another kitty. They both look like they are laughing. I was planning on using it as an avatar after I changed this one. That one is cute too. These make me smile every time I see them.

uhhhm...i think i know why Onnie isgetting chubby :o

I leave out wellness kibble all day and sometimes they eat a whole can between them as well (the soup can size, 12.5 oz I believe). If not a whole can then 3/4 of a can....

But chico ure kitties only eat 1 can and no kibble? and theres one more to feed!
And Ag ure kitties also just the one can a day between them?

My cats are pigs :yell:

uhhhm...i think i know why Onnie isgetting chubby :o

I leave out wellness kibble all day and sometimes they eat a whole can between them as well (the soup can size, 12.5 oz I believe). If not a whole can then 3/4 of a can....

But chico ure kitties only eat 1 can and no kibble? and theres one more to feed!
And Ag ure kitties also just the one can a day between them?

My cats are pigs :yell:

Onster, my gang eat twice a day. I give them 1 12.5oz can in the morning and another one in the evening. They each get 2 tablespoons at each feeding, but if the can has a little more, I split the rest between all 5, so they might get like 2.5 tablespoons. I've found that this is a good amount for them.

They eat their fill, and then have a little left to pick at if they get hungry after a while. I don't leave any other food out for them other than what they each leave on their plates. I know from those plates they all just pick at all day. But, it's not so much that they can over eat.

They have all maintained a good weight for each of them for several months. Even though Vlad weighs 17 pounds, my vet said that's a good weight for him, because he's so big. I've been happy that I've been able to maintain him at that weight and he's not gained.

I'm sure you can stop leaving out the kibble. It sounds like they get enough food between them with the can. When I had just Vlad and Oksana, they would split a 5oz can between them at each feeding and sometimes they would leave a little bit left.

Wow! I feel like a bad mommy now. I just open a can and put it on two saucers for my indoor guys. They share. It's left out and they nibble on it during the day. Depending on what kind of meat it is sometimes they eat it up pretty quickly.
My catty cats get 8 small cans a day. Plus a good quality dry is left for them with tons of fresh water. Or as good a quality as I can afford for them. They also get their hearts and gizzards and tuna treats a few times a week and eggs occasionally.
With this number of kitties and with them all sharing I can't divide equally. They literally have their noses in the cans before I can get the food on the plates. :rolleyes:

14+ you are not a bad mom by any stretch of the imagination!!! All your kitties look healthy, none are skinny..in fact, some are a little plump :D

I just didnt realize how much more my guys were eating than other kitties :eek:....I just filled both their bowls with kibble (several cups worth)..itll last bout 2 days before i see the bottom of the bowls again and top up.

They get their canned food usually twice a day...for breakfast and then when we eat lunch, sometimes the can will last 2 days (depending on how much they beg :o). I dont really dividie it up at all...they both just eat. Onnie eats for less time but hes a quicker eater. Also, while Bunduk stays in my room pretty much all night, I think Onnie may be doing kibble feasting at night...which would make sense as to why I think Bunduk eats more than Onnie yet Onnie is the one with the huge belly.

This is not too mention the human food they manage to beg for :o

AG thanks for the info! If 5 eat 2 cans surely 2 can eat 1 can!!

I'll have to mull over this..... maybe stick and canned with the kibble but measure/possibly divide canned into 3 days? hmmmm Im not sure about taking kibble out completely and just giving them the can....I suppose I could try but I can imagine kitties trying to kill me during the night.

Onster,I think you learn to know how much each cat needs,a little difficult for 14+:laughing:but her kitties all look great,as do Onnie and Bunduk.
My Vinnie could probably eat all day,if I let him,Chico dos not eat as much as the others,but likes to come back later for more.
That means feeding-time,I have to keep an eye on Chico's dish,so Vinnie does not finish it.
Rocky eats very good and I know he gets enough.

I still leave a little dry food out,but they hardly touch it,hoping to stop all together.
They have their dinner around 4pm,but if they seem to not have had enough,I give them a small can,but most of the time they are satisfied,with one 12oz can/day.
They do get a little cooked chicken or beef ever now and then mid-day +Temptation(I know it's not a good treat,but they love it)...
Chico and Rocky are at a good weight,Vinnie HAS to lose weight:cat:

I started Bishop & Lexus's new feeding amounts yesterday. I felt bad for Bishop (18lbs)....He was sleeping beside me on the couch and @ about 2pm I started hearing some wierd noises. At first I couldn't figure out what the noises were but once I realized it was Bishop's stomach growling....it was sooo loud. Poor baby....It sounded like he was starving. I feed them at 6am -4:45pm - 9pm...

It sounds to me that everyone feeds their cats the same amount even if they weigh different. Bishop is 18lbs and Lexus is 13lbs (they both need to lose some weight). I started giving them the same Wellness amount in the morning and the evening (between the two of them - 3/4 of a 5.5oz can in the morning and the same at night). Lexus didn't eat as much in the evening. But when I feed them raw at dinnertime I give Bishop 2oz's and Lexus gets 1.5 oz's

I pray I am not starving Bishop :fingerscr

14+, a bad mommy? Are you nuts? you're a great mommy. It's harder for you since you have so many. I'm sure they all get enough to satisfy them.

Onster, I've been struggling with their food for months and months. First to find something they liked, then figuring out how much was enough and not too much. At this point, I think I've found a system that works. My system might now work for your guys, but you can always try to see what works with your guys.

Chico's feeding routine was a starting point for me and I just went from there and found what worked for my gang.

Khari,I feed 1/2 12oz in the morning,my 3 cats do not like food cold from the fridge and heated,so I just wrap it up and leave it out for their dinner.

But they are not spoiled, right Chico2 :laughing::laughing::laughing:

My dogs won't eat "plain" kibble anymore...has to have either beans or rice or yogurt or something with it. They just stare and wait if we put only kibble down.

I love this board...I feel so "normal" :D

By the way, this is another tidbit of information I picked up on this board which is true for animal and human foods...FYI

http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=59590&highlight=opened+canned+food

Likewise, kibble should stay in its bag and not be transfered into any type of plastic storage bin directly.

Thanks for the info - I have always kept the tin in the fridge covered once opened. Glad to know because I am buying the 12.5oz tins of wellness. So I can take it out of tin and put unused portion into a glass bowl overnight and it will be much safer. I am learning so much. Wish I would have known everything years ago :wall: