6 year old Hunter

[Kay]

Hello! First time poster here...

I adopted 6 year old Hunter from the MSPCA last Friday. He's a love!

He's 19 pounds and comes to us with a history of urinary crystals, so he's on Science Diet c/d. According to the Hill's site, he should be getting about 6 small cans of food per day, which seems like a lot of cat food to me. He could stand to lose his house pouch, but I'm not inclined to work on his weight until he's settled in for a while. So far I've been giving him 1 can of food, mixed with some water, 3x day and 1/4 cup dry food twice a day. I'm not sure how to find the right amount of food for him. Any thoughts?

He's still in quarantine on the third floor, but introductions to our other cat Quinn will begin next week.

I've had cats my whole life but had never heard of Savananahs until last week. And, of course, I had no intention of adopting a cat but once I met Hunter I was smitten!

Cheers,

Kay

 

[Brigitte Cowell]

I've never fed Science Diet, it's one of those diets that vets sell because they make a profit from it, not because it is a high quality diet. But I don't restrict my Savannahs' food intake because they are all lean cats. Does Hunter have a belly or does he have what is termed a primordial pouch which is especially common in Egyptian Maus which was a permissible outcross for the Savannah breed when in development? Google "feline primordial pouch" if you want to know more.

You might consider a raw diet for Hunter also as that is known to help with urinary issues in cats. It can be more work although commercial raw diets are available and take away much of that labor.

 

[Patti]

Welcome to the forum, Hunter is a very handsome fellow!

Like Brigitte I would not limit his intake unless/until you are ready to put him on a diet. He does not look overweight to me in the picture you posted, if what you are referring to is a primordial pouch then it won't go away with dieting...

 

[Kay]

Thanks, Brigette and Patti!

I'll stick to the c/d while Hunter adjusts to his new home then look into healthier alternatives. I've never had such a big cat so I don't know what's normal for a cat of his size. The vets at Angell Memorial in Boston did think he was a little heavy. He's really solid! If he ever stops moving I'll try to get a picture of him standing. Quinn and my previous cats primarily consumed dry food and grazed, so the whole canned thing has me wondering if I'm giving him enough/too much. I assume he's satisfied since he seems content to play rather than scarf his food immediately.

Yesterday he helped me with my work. As you can see, he's all over his responsibility... LOL

 

[KMcgown]

Hi Kay! I may have some information on Hunter! You can email me at kmcgown@northeastsavannah.com.