Guess How Many Kibbles are in the Jar

Show us your carnival skills and pet feeding knowledge.

Jan 05, 2025

This 8-ounce jar contains all the kibbles Checkers eats per day. He is a six-year-old male tuxedo cat, otherwise known as Chexie, Checkerman, Smudge, and Rambo. My daughter was filling her car at the local station when she spotted a ball of fluff tearing through the grass, dragging his hind legs. The vet estimated him to be five weeks old.

We’ll never know why he was alone. He might have fallen behind his littermates trailing their feral momma cat. He could have been dumped by someone who didn’t want an imperfect kitten.

Nor will we know why his back legs don’t sync with his front. Throw a toy, and he’ll run, run, run, plop, with legs giving out and hips falling to one side, much like a batter sliding into home base. He exhibits no pain, the flopping a temporary hinderance to chasing his prize. All tests have come back normal. The only advice we’ve been given is to keep him at proper weight to prevent undue stress on his spine.

Proper weight presents a challenge with a food motivated pet. If the clock is within two hours of any meal – mine or his - I cannot step foot in my kitchen without Chex running to his bowl with a “meow” one would equate with a cat on the edge of starvation. I’m the primary pet food distributor, so I know this cat has not missed a meal!

He wasn’t always a pest. That all changed when our now-deceased cat, Sunny, had to be fed many small meals throughout the day due to decreased appetite and medication needs. Can you guess who thought he, too, should be fed many meals throughout the day?

I was a sucker for Checker’s pleading, doling out kibble to him while coaxing Sunny to eat. But my guilt led to the scales tipping for the black and white feline. While Sunny shrank, Checkers earned a spot in the growing cohort of overweight felines at risk for medical complications.

To appease his pestering and my need to treat, I now measure his kibble for each meal then set aside 20 pieces. I hand these out as “treats” between the current meal and the next. When Chex runs to the kitchen, I can “indulge” him without overfeeding.

This method has worked so well for me and Checkers that I now use it with Shiloh. I remove a handful of kibble at each meal and use the set-asides in her puzzle games and to practice tricks. To date, neither Checkers nor Shiloh protest my treat selection. They eagerly consume the offerings!

2 small plastic containers sit on a shelf. One says "Chex" The other is black — Treats anyone?!

At Checker’s current age, his perfect weight is 12 pounds. He eats 1/4 cup kibble for breakfast and 1/4 cup kibble at dinner. The jar in the photo has exactly 1/2 cup kibble, right sized to keep his weight in balance.

Can you guess how many pieces of kibble are in the jar? Leave your answer in the comments below. Look for the answer in the next post: Answer Page to How Many Kibbles are in the Jar?

If you have a crafty way of keeping your pets healthy and satisfied, share your story in the comments below. Your solution may be just what someone else needs!

Snickers and Midnight Update

Foster cat Snickers has recovered from a day of tarter scraping and teeth pulling. Two decaying teeth were removed. The bone fragment that remained when his canine tooth fell out was drilled and the hole stitched. Midnight was found to have IBD (irritable bowel disease). He is now on a course of steroids to reduce inflammation. Thankfully, he gobbles his pills readily when hidden in food. Both have been given greater opportunity to explore the house when we are home. Snickers rarely leaves the 2^nd floor. Midnight explores every open door and cabinet and scours the countertops for scraps.

Blu by You?

Does there exist a better mischief maker than a merry dog? Blu brought a bit of sunshine to readers feeling blue during the holidays. Read more about her at The Real Dogs of the Quad Press: Meet Blu