2 fat cats, 1 skinny cat

[skispirit]

Hello all. I have 3 cats - one that is probably about 6 (he wandered in from the street one day), one that is 3 and one that is about 1 year old and still growng. The problem is that my 6 and 3 year old are getting to be very overweight while my 1 year old is still quite slender. I am worried about the 2 older cats health and am trying to figure out how to get them to lose weight. I tried separating the kitten from the other 2 at feeding time and giving the older 2 diet food, but the kitten gets so stressed out at being secluded that she refuses to eat. Any help would be appreciated. thanks.

[Lucky Rescue]

What kind of food, and how much, are you feeding your cats every day?

[skispirit]

meow mix, i just fill the bowl when its empty because I want to make sure the little one has food when she's hungry

[Lucky Rescue]

Meow Mix is very poor quality food - like us eating a steady diet of junk food.

Adult indoor cats don't need to eat constantly all day, and this, combined with the food is what is making them obese. Some cats will regulate their intake, and others will just keep eating.

Get a better quality food, like Nutro, and feed them meals - once in the morning and again at night. Or you can break down the portion into 3 small meals with the last one at bedtime.

You can get them some toys, like Kitty Teases, or smurf balls so they can get some exercise too!

[chico2]

I am sure Lucky will have a good answer for you...but ,I would not feed my cats meow mix,fattening,not very good food.
I have a reverse problem.my young one is getting fat while the two older ones are in good shape.
I have seperate bowls when I give them canned food,the little one is always checking out the other two bowls,but I make sure he is eating only his own share.
Dry food is more like snack-food and it is always there,together with fresh water.They get Nutrience Adult and Natures Choice by Nutro.
Unlike cats I had before,these three never eat people-food.
Obese cats can become diabetic(I had one)and get all kinds of problems.
Try canned food a couple of times a day,give the older ones only a little(since it too is fattening) and the young one a little more.
He is still a kitten at one year and needs more food to grow big and healthy.I would give them a little variety,only one kind of dry food all the time is like feeding you meat-loaf seven days a week
Ooops,I meant to get this in before you Lucky,but I type too slow

[skispirit]

where do you get nutro? i've never heard of it. Oh, and of course as fate would have it my fat cats love wet food and the little one turns her nose up at it and gives me a disguted look.

[chico2]

I don't know where you are,but Nutro you buy in Pet Value,Pet-Smart or any of those stores,usually grocerie stores only sell junk.
It is a bit more expensive,but well worth the investment...

[Lucky Rescue]

Right now I have an ex-feral cat who doesn't like canned food, although I'm trying.

I never ever fed any of my many cats dry food. They all ate canned and none were ever fat.

If your cats like canned food, then that is a good option. I find it satisfies them more.

Right now I have a foster kitten - 4 months old - who is a PIG. I have to put her in lockdown when I feed the cats or she would eat everyone's food.

Maybe you could get your young cat used to eating separately. I find it works quite well for mine!

[chico2]

Lucky,actually in my house feeding time is a challenge
Both Rocky and Chico want to be away from Vinnie,so Rocky eats in one room,Chico in another and Vinnie is in the kitchen...Maybe they are nervous about Vinnie jumping them while they eat,or go for their dish But it works well this way,although I am glad I have all the time in the world
Another thing,at least my cats will not eat canned if it has been in the fridge,adding a little hot water helps,not that there is ever any left-overs...also they don't like chopped or sliced food has to be the pate kind.

[Lucky Rescue]

also they don't like chopped or sliced food has to be the pate kind.

LOL - that is hilarious. My ex-feral tomcat will eat ONLY Friskies Turkey and Giblet Buffet, and ONLY pate too! Also, he will only eat it if it's fresh!

Pretty damn fussy for a cat who spent his life outside starving, isn't he?

He also does something really funny, left over from his feral days. As I get closer to his bowl with his food, he starts to puff his fur up and by the time I get there, he is totally poofed!

I think this is because he would do that outside to keep other cats away from any food source. He is so funny!

Here he is at "full poof" - he is shorthaired and his hair usually is very sleek and close

[chico2]

Well,he looks beautiful poofed up
Here in Ontario,I can get no more beef-cans(Fancy Feast),because of the BSE ban in the US and the spoiled brats don't like chicken,turkey etc...(except Vinnie!!!who eats anything)and I don't like to feed them fishy stuff too often.
Tried Iams beef canned,but no go....ended up as crow-food
You must have very special powers and patience to get a feral cat to calm down.
Did you have your Fair yet?

[chico2]

I always meant to ask you,do you ever keep any very special cat as your own?I know you have a very pretty pit-bull,how does she react to the cats?

[TalonsMa]

I have two kitty's, one is 10 (female) and the other is 6 (male) the female is kinda heavy, or at least she has a saggy belly..LOL My main question is about the male. We feel them Nutrience (bought at Pet Smart) I always used to feed them once a day - in the morning. We started buying this new food in December, and now they seem to eat it alot quicker than the other food we bought them (Whiskas). Now when the food bowl is empty he hovers around it, and anytime we go near it (it's in the kitchen) he cries for food. It is getting quite annoying. I don't know if he is legitimatly hungry or what The girl seems to be ok, but if we go near the bowl she as well will run to it, thinking we are feeding her. They never did this before...what do you think?? Also, I'm not sure I understood correctly...but are you saying it is better to just feed them canned and not dry? As they love canned and get it as a "treat" once in awhile.

Thanks in advance

[chico2]

Talon,I believe cats need to eat twice a day,morn and night..once is not enough.Cats are usually snackers,will eat a little and then come back for more..I personally believe canned food should be the main meals,dry food for snacks.My three get one third of a small can of Fancy Feast morning and night,dry food is always there(Nutro,Nutrience)since they do not gorge themselves on it.

[mona_b]

Casper,my 6 month old gets fed 3 times a day.

Morning,afternoon and evening.This is with the canned food.One can does all three feedings.I also have dry out for him.He snacks on that.

Pheonix,my 2 1/2 year old calico gets fed 2 times a day.Morning and evening.She is a VERY picky eater.But again,dry is put down for her.

With me,I like giving both.It gives them a variety with the soft and the dry...The dry for the teeth.

My dogs get both canned and dry too.

[TalonsMa]

When I last took my Talon to the vet, I asked how much they should be fed...he said half to 1 cup a day per cat (Sades is overweight already). He mentioned I could break it up, or feed them it all at once. Before we bought this new food in December, I would feed it to them in the morning and they would just eat throughout the day. Their bowl was never empty, meaning they never ate all of it. Now they both but especially Talon seems to gobble it up right away and then wants more. He's gaining weight and I don't want him to be a porker.

[mona_b]

Well Phoenix was starting to put on the weight.

So I switched her to Eagle Pack Dry.What a difference.She is looking much better now.And I didn't think she would like it at all.

She was on Royal Caine for indoor cats.That was the only dry she would eat.

Eagle Pack is a holistic food.

[Lucky Rescue]

How much to feed depends on the type of food - you will have to feed more of a low quality food, like Purina.

I feed my cats 3 times a day - canned in the morning and at night, and dry at dinner time.

I always meant to ask you,do you ever keep any very special cat as your own?I

Yes, the cat (Owen) in the above pic is one I kept, out of the more than 16 fosters I've had, including adorable kittens.

I trapped him and tamed him, and he trusts me totally. I just couldn't bear the thought of taking him to an adoption clinic or giving him to anyone else and betraying his trust in me!

I am also keeping his mother, who is too feral to be adopted out, even though I didn't really want to keep her. Oh, well.....

My Chloe loves cats - all cats - and gets along very well with them. The hard part is convincing the the cats that she is harmless!
With proper introductions, I've never had a problem yet.

[chico2]

Talonsma..It probably is because he is so very hungry,getting fed just once a day
The vets know a lot,but they can only give you general advice and often tell you what you want to hear.
You have to use your own judgment with each cat,they are all different,but I know for sure that feeding once a day is not good,not for a cat.

[TalonsMa]

But what I'm trying to say is, he's always been fine getting fed once a day until I switched to Nutrience in December, now he would eat ALL day if I let him. And he's getting FAT. So I know it's not the fact that he's just hungry....

[mona_b]

Well it could be that he really loves the Neutro.Not only because it is a better food,but because it tastes better then the Whiskas.To him that is.

Like me,I like eating at Swiss Chalet....But get me into the Manderin,and watch out...

[TalonsMa]

Originally posted by mona_b
Well it could be that he really loves the Neutro.Not only because it is a better food,but because it tastes better then the Whiskas.To him that is.

Like me,I like eating at Swiss Chalet....But get me into the Manderin,and watch out...

LOL That's what we were thinking! But he has certainly packed on the pounds since being on this new food!!!

[chico2]

Lucky,I am happy to hear that
Talon,you do what you think is best for your cat,I can only tell you what my cats are eating and they are not fat(Vinnie is on the way though).
My two cats like Nutrience and Chico likes Nutro(Natural choice) and they never finish it,kind of just go for a couple of pieces when they feel like it.

[TalonsMa]

Originally posted by chico2
Lucky,I am happy to hear that
Talon,you do what you think is best for your cat,I can only tell you what my cats are eating and they are not fat(Vinnie is on the way though).
My two cats like Nutrience and Chico likes Nutro(Natural choice) and they never finish it,kind of just go for a couple of pieces when they feel like it.

Yup Talon def likes Nutrience! LOL A little too much maybe
Tally has always been a good size for such a big cat. My vet was always happy with his weight. What we've started doing is feding him twice a day, although he still horks it down pretty quick.

Thanks for all the advice We're taking both of them to the vet for a check up next month, and I'll ask the vet as well.

[chico2]

In my last post it looks likeI have 2 cats,I actually have three..
My youngest( Vinnie)will eat just about anything(but I won't let him),today when we were outside,he even got a hold of peanuts I'd left out for the squirrels,he loves choclate,olives,cereal and now peanuts.But of course he gets none of the above

[Iggette]

So I see.........Ive been doing it wrong all these years ......I give my cats dry food as well and canned food as a treat...... What do you say about Purina cat chow?.........seems the only one I could find that no one barfs on so I stuck with it I go through just over 18 kgs bag a month

[mona_b]

What do you mean you have been doing it wrong?Feeding both canned and dry?....Nothing wrong there.

As for the Cat Chow,not a very good one.

What foods have they been barfing on?