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Feeding My Cats

buzzard0627buzzard0627 Registered User regular
edited March 2008 in Help / Advice Forum
Howdy H/A. So I've got two cats (about 4 months apart, both just under a year). One is getter fatter by the feeding and the other is getting skinnier. It would seem that the younger one is gobbling up all of the food. I feed them both once a day at the same time.

The real problem is the skinnier one is a nibbler. He has never eaten all of his food at one sitting. Given that, I cannot separate them at feeding time as I would have to keep him locked up for half the day. Also, I cannot put out extra food, cause I did that and the fat one ate until she was sick.

Anyone have any ideas on this one?

Thanks

buzzard0627 on

Posts

  • TrowizillaTrowizilla Registered User regular
    edited March 2008
    You could try feeding them both twice or three times a day but in smaller portions and picking up any leftover food afterwards. Feeding the skinny one a more nutritious food (Evo would probably do it) so he gets more calories from a smaller volume of food would also help.

    Another thing I've heard of is putting the skinny cat's food in a place only he can get to it. It might work if your cats are dramatically different sizes.

    Trowizilla on
  • buzzard0627buzzard0627 Registered User regular
    edited March 2008
    Hmmm, I like the idea of feeding them smaller bits at different times of the day. The location trick won't work as they can both pretty much go wherever.

    buzzard0627 on
  • DaenrisDaenris Registered User regular
    edited March 2008
    It might work out even if they can both get everywhere. The key is in giving them different bowls and then training them that they shouldn't eat out of the other bowl. But they need to be separated by a good distance, you can't just have two bowls next to each other and expect them to only eat out of their own.

    I only have one cat at the moment but my wife's parents had the same problem with one cat eating all the food. Now one cat has a bowl in the kitchen, and the other cats bowl is in the laundry room. They get fed at different times (2-3 times per day) and have different brands of food.

    I'm actually surprised that your one cat ate until she was sick. Cats in general won't eat when they aren't hungry. The shelter we got our cat from recommended leaving out a bowl of dry food all the time, and then feeding the cat wet food 2-3 times per day.

    How often do you feed them now?

    Daenris on
  • DeathwingDeathwing Registered User regular
    edited March 2008
    Also, what brand of food are you feeding them?

    If you're not already, consider giving them one of the higher-quality and more nutritious foods, like Wellness or somesuch - yes, it's more expensive, but it evens out somewhat, as they are more likely to get satisfaction and proper nutrition from the proper portion sizes. We used to feed one of our cats Fancy Feast, and she would eat easily 1 can twice a day + dry food mixed in.

    After switching to the Wellness grain-free varieties (during the whole pet food/gluten poisoning scare last year), she's perfectly happy with half the amount, and sometimes she doesn't even finish that....and the weight problem she was developing was halted in its tracks.

    If you don't have access to somewhere that sells more than the grocery store-quality brands, try petfooddirect.com, I use them for buying almost all our food.

    Deathwing on
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  • FFFF Once Upon a Time In OaklandRegistered User regular
    edited March 2008
    My GF and I feed her older cat on top of a dresser, separate from the other two, younger cats, who are fed in a different room. Works out pretty well, as we feed them all at the same time twice a day instead of leaving food out all day.

    The most I ever have to do is scold the younger two from eating the other cats food, but since they have to jump up there it usually leaves enough time for me to scold them before they can actually start in with the OM NOM NOM.

    FF on
    Huh...
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