Food question

We have been discussing cat foods and amounts.  The most recent was for the kitty on the diet and eating pouches.  I realized that the discussion had people from different countries responding with info.  Are the pouches and cans the same in different countries?  When referred to 2 or 2.5 pouches, I was thinking of those here in the US.  The poster is in Britain and Opus (sorry, you are the first one I can remember) is in Canada.  Are we all discussing the same things or could we be off a bit on sizes, etc?  Even the pouches and cans here can vary among brands.  Am I overthinking this?

[LivingInHope]

I don't think you are.  I think consulting with your vet and the food company that makes the particular product you use, telling them your cat is too heavy and how much should you give (safely) to help them shed the unwanted extra weight might be helpful.

[opus88]

good point ali, just found some great info re cats and obesity....like it says 'whens the last time you saw an over weight lion'????
good reading -)

http://www.catinfo.org/felineobesity.php

[aligator79]

It was mainly a Hmm I wonder if the sizes of things are the same across the world.  Not a kitty needing a diet question.  The page was a lot of fun to read.

[nancyjac]

I think more important than the size of the pouch is the size and the metabolism of the cat.  Kittens and younger adult cats have higher metabolisms and therefore need to eat more per pound of body weight.  Older cats generally have somewhat lowered metabolic rates and a lesser activity level.  The bone and muscle structure of a cat can vary considerably from one cat to the next.  Fortunately most cats are very good at regulating their own caloric intake. Just as there is no standard for the size of a pouch or can of food, there is also no standard for the amount a particular cats needs,  It depends on the individual cat.