cat diet

o&p

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Hi everyone! I'm new here and I thought that maybe some of you can help me with this. My cat is only 2 years old, and he's huge! He weighs about 16 or 17 lbs. I also have a kitten that was a stray and she was just skin and bones when I got her. She is starting to look better though. I want to put Oreo on a diet and get him to lose weight, but I don't know how b/c I don't want to feed the kitten diet food, and if I just feed them less, he will probably eat more and leave less for the kitten. He is quite active by the way-just really big! Suggestions anyone?
 

illusion

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That's a real tough one. You really need to keep enough KITTEN food out for the young one since she is growing. Then if you tried to put your older one on a diet it is a given that he is going to just eat the kitten's food. You SHOULD NOT put the growing kitten on diet food. Matter of fact, it should be eating a kitten formula and your adult cat should be eating an adult formula.

My cat is on a diet and sometimes he gets so desperate he eats dog food.

Ask a vet what he thinks. You should consult a vet before putting your adult on a diet anyway. I've had my cat on premium lite food, but it never worked. The food he is on now was given to me by my vet, and it's prescription only, and he's lost 2lbs since October.
 
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o&p

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Illusion-thanks for your response. I tried feeding kitten food to Piglet b/c I know she needs the nutrition especially after starving on the street, but she would eat oreo's food, and oreo would eat the kitten food and then throw it up! I tried putting them in separate rooms to make sure they'd eat their own food, but they would cry when they were separated! Oreo was eating the Whiska's food which he loved, but I think it was making him fat. When I went out of town, he stayed w/ my fiance and ate his cat's food (meow mix) and lost a little weight, so that's what I'm feeding them now. I just don't know what to do, b/c when I brought him to get his shots, the vet told me he definitely needed to lose weight, but didn't really give me any food suggestions.
 

sandie

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It's always a dilema when you have more than one cat in the house. When a cat is seriously overweight then you need to consider a special diet. Usually a prescrition diet is necessary. Vets also can formulate the amout of food the cat actually needs to maintain an ideal body weight. They do make some lite formulas. The one I happen to like is Science Diet. It is made for less active cats. However, you have the kitten in the house. Like you said, it makes them crazy to be apart. If your big guy is still active and is not obese I would try to switch to a premium food. The premium foods have more of the nutrients they need and they tend to eat less.
 

alexnell

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Is your older cat able to jump up on your kitchen counter?
You could put the diet food up there so the little one can't get to it. And then maybe take a card board box and cut a kitten-sized hole in the side, one small enough that your adult cat can't get through, and put the kitten's dish inside.
 
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o&p

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Thanks for your ideas guys! The cardboard box is a really good idea, but unfortunately the kitten is 9 mos. and is big enough to jump on the counter. With the way my apartment is set up, she can also get to the highest places too
. I think I'll try a premium food-I think maybe that the food I get tastes way too good so he eats more. I keep reading that some people here have 20 lb cats, so I guess he's not severely obese. Probably chubby-He's got a pretty big bone structure so that probably doesn't help the weight. I appreciate all your help!! Any other suggestions would be appreciated too
 

illusion

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The food that Satey is on is Hill's Science Diet, Prescription Diet, R/D (Reducing Diet) for Felines (whew long name). It is available only through veternarians. It is much lower in fat and calories than Hill's Science Diet Lite, which is readily available in stores.

There are also other brands of cat food that offer "prescription" foods too. I am surprised your vet couldn't recommend one for you. But you should ask him(or her) about the Hill's, it's a very good product. Maybe s/he can look into getting some for you.

alexnell those are great ideas for keeping a cat on his own food!
 

hattkatts

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On the flip side, here is a thought: Instead of leaving food down 24/7, feed twice a day and put kitten in the bathroom to eat and the big guy wherever you normally feed. Allow them enough time to eat, maybe 30 minutes, and then pick up the food until the next feeding. It keeps the cats off the counter, you control who eats what and how often. Just a suggestion.

Pete
 
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o&p

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HattKatts-I think you've had the most logical answer! Feeding them is a riot though-I have to put both of their bowls down at exactly the same time, or one will race to eat the other's food-it is hilarious! I have been leaving dry food out for them which they eat a little at a time throughout the day. Should I be giving them meals at certain times to eat instead?
 

hattkatts

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Originally posted by O&P
HattKatts-I think you've had the most logical answer! Feeding them is a riot though-I have to put both of their bowls down at exactly the same time, or one will race to eat the other's food-it is hilarious! I have been leaving dry food out for them which they eat a little at a time throughout the day. Should I be giving them meals at certain times to eat instead?
O&P,
There are different theories involved here and the subject of debate. Feeding the cats at certain times allows you to control what they eat, how much and when. There is also the cat's anticipation of eating as the time approaches, starting the digestive juices flowing and aiding with digestion (this is the case for specific feeding times). When you have a situation such as yours it is also one way to be sure both cats are not only eating but eating the diet special for their needs.
We leave dry food down 24/7 and feed a wet food once a day, usually in the morning. I will mix up their blend and then walk back and forth a few times down the hallway and back, bowl in hand, with the parade of cats following and meowing. This adds to their anticipation and simulates, in a rudimentary manner, the chase for the prey which may or may not aid in getting the digestive juices flowing but it's a game they have come to know. Basically, I think you need to use the solution you are comfortable with that satisfies the needs of the cats in the manner you feel best while at the same time works for you, as well.
Hope this helps.

Pete
 

carolmre

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I have one 'normal sized cat' and one 'wide body' animal. My vet suggested that I feed them their usual dry food (Purina Special Care Cat Chow) twice a day, morning and evening, giving them each 1/2 cup. Let them eat for 15 minutes then remove the bowls. If there is unfinished food, that will be part of the 1/2 cup the animal receives the next feeding. The animals will have to be fed in different areas of the house at the same time. Considering that 'wide body' noshes all day, this twice a day will be a challenge. Since I'm going on vacation within a week, I've decided to wait until after I return to start the new regimen. I had tried the 'diet' cat food and found that 'wide body' is a urine crystal maker, and she reluctantly went to the vet for cortisone and antibiotic to clear up the irritated urethra. The vet suggested that I continue with the Purina Special Care Cat Chow they have been eating, just limit the amount 'wide body' gets. Hope this helps.
 

teddythe1

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Hi:

We have the same problem with our cats too. Baxter is a big boy and Abby is a petite female. Since the very beginning, we have had to separate them at feeding time. Baxter will eat his food and then push Abby out of the way and eat her food too!

You need to give the kitten the kitten food because its growing. It needs the extra nutrients. Just separate them at meal time and all will be well.

Good Luck!
 
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o&p

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Thanks so much for all your suggestions!!!
Carolmre-let me know how that works for you. My kitties are used to eating a couple bites of food at a time throughout the day, and sometimes I give them a little wet food in the morning.
Teddythe1-when I first got Piglet (the kitten), she'd do the same thing-she'd push Oreo out of the way and eat his food, but Oreo's the big one!!
 

mofong

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You are living the exact situation that I had a few months ago. Nigel, my big guy, was a Hoover vacuum cleaner when it came to food. T.C. my little girl ate only things that she liked. In the beginning, Nigel would wait for T.C. to finish and then finish off her food, he quickly gained 3 pounds. T.C. eventually didn't like her kitten food anymore, and pushed her way into Nigel's bowl of diet food. I eventually, had to stand in the middle of them both and make sure that T.C. ate her food until she stopped. Then I would pick up her bowl and toss it. This lasted until T.C. turned 9 months old. Then, they began to eat the same food and T.C. got kitten supplements (Baby Tabs). I only fed them in the morning, and a small snack when I got home in the late afternoon.

Now, they are both on dry, per the vet's recommendation, and T.C. still gets her supplements. She just turned a year old, and they both eating Innova, which had kept Nigel from throwing up. He was throwing up at least once a month, at times weekly. Since I've changed to the all Natural Innova, there has been no calling cards left on the carpet.
 
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