Diet question

[Bobcat]

All our kitties are indoor cats, and all are, uh, full-figured. One of them,
about 3 years old, went to the vets for her shots yesterday and she's hit
16 pounds! Our vet says it's not a dangerous weight because she's a pretty
big cat, but it wouldn't hurt her to lose some poundage. The problem is that
they all eat from a communal bowl. On the vet's advice, we feed them dry
Hall's Science Diet. At present we give them the "Maintenance" level for
average cats, but we're considering switching to "Light". The youngest,
about 8 months old, is filling out now because she must have been fed people
food in her previous home (she's a stray) and loves her supplement of plain
cooked chicken or fish. Any suggestions on the type of dry food we should
feed our three little chubbies? Many thanks.

[kaeli]

In article >,
enlightened us with...
> All our kitties are indoor cats, and all are, uh, full-figured. One of them,
> about 3 years old, went to the vets for her shots yesterday and she's hit
> 16 pounds! Our vet says it's not a dangerous weight because she's a pretty
> big cat, but it wouldn't hurt her to lose some poundage. The problem is that
> they all eat from a communal bowl. On the vet's advice, we feed them dry
> Hall's Science Diet. At present we give them the "Maintenance" level for
> average cats, but we're considering switching to "Light". The youngest,
> about 8 months old, is filling out now because she must have been fed people
> food in her previous home (she's a stray) and loves her supplement of plain
> cooked chicken or fish. Any suggestions on the type of dry food we should
> feed our three little chubbies? Many thanks.


Wet food is better. Cats' bodies use it better, they get more moisture,
and they tend to eat less because it makes them more full.

That said, any food will make a cat gain weight if they eat too much of
it. Give them a set amount of food (depending on what you feed them) and
that's all they get.
I have yet to see free-fed cats that are not heavy if there is no
contention over the food. My cats are free-fed dry during the day and
given wet twice daily. The boy is fat. The girls are not, mostly because
the boy is always eating. *G*
My Mom's cat, when he was free-fed, was fat.
My cats when I was growing up were free-fed, and they were fat.

Cats, dogs, and even people were not made to have food available all the
time. Having it there tends to make us, and them, just eat it because
it's there (even when we aren't hungry) and so we get fat.
A good compromise is to give them dry during the day, take it up when
you get home from work, then give them wet before you go to bed.

--
--
~kaeli~
Kill one man and you are a murderer. Kill millions and you
are a conqueror. Kill everyone and you are God.
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace

[kaeli]

In article >,
enlightened us with...
> All our kitties are indoor cats, and all are, uh, full-figured. One of them,
> about 3 years old, went to the vets for her shots yesterday and she's hit
> 16 pounds! Our vet says it's not a dangerous weight because she's a pretty
> big cat, but it wouldn't hurt her to lose some poundage. The problem is that
> they all eat from a communal bowl. On the vet's advice, we feed them dry
> Hall's Science Diet. At present we give them the "Maintenance" level for
> average cats, but we're considering switching to "Light". The youngest,
> about 8 months old, is filling out now because she must have been fed people
> food in her previous home (she's a stray) and loves her supplement of plain
> cooked chicken or fish. Any suggestions on the type of dry food we should
> feed our three little chubbies? Many thanks.


Wet food is better. Cats' bodies use it better, they get more moisture,
and they tend to eat less because it makes them more full.

That said, any food will make a cat gain weight if they eat too much of
it. Give them a set amount of food (depending on what you feed them) and
that's all they get.
I have yet to see free-fed cats that are not heavy if there is no
contention over the food. My cats are free-fed dry during the day and
given wet twice daily. The boy is fat. The girls are not, mostly because
the boy is always eating. *G*
My Mom's cat, when he was free-fed, was fat.
My cats when I was growing up were free-fed, and they were fat.

Cats, dogs, and even people were not made to have food available all the
time. Having it there tends to make us, and them, just eat it because
it's there (even when we aren't hungry) and so we get fat.
A good compromise is to give them dry during the day, take it up when
you get home from work, then give them wet before you go to bed.

--
--
~kaeli~
Kill one man and you are a murderer. Kill millions and you
are a conqueror. Kill everyone and you are God.
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace

[Bobcat]

"kaeli" > wrote in message
...

> Wet food is better. Cats' bodies use it better, they get more moisture,
> and they tend to eat less because it makes them more full.
>
> That said, any food will make a cat gain weight if they eat too much of
> it. Give them a set amount of food (depending on what you feed them) and
> that's all they get.
> I have yet to see free-fed cats that are not heavy if there is no
> contention over the food. My cats are free-fed dry during the day and
> given wet twice daily. The boy is fat. The girls are not, mostly because
> the boy is always eating. *G*
> My Mom's cat, when he was free-fed, was fat.
> My cats when I was growing up were free-fed, and they were fat.
>
> Cats, dogs, and even people were not made to have food available all the
> time. Having it there tends to make us, and them, just eat it because
> it's there (even when we aren't hungry) and so we get fat.
> A good compromise is to give them dry during the day, take it up when
> you get home from work, then give them wet before you go to bed.
> ~kaeli~

Thanks for your helpful comments, Kaeli, in fighting the battle of the bulge
in our kitties!

[Bobcat]

"kaeli" > wrote in message
...

> Wet food is better. Cats' bodies use it better, they get more moisture,
> and they tend to eat less because it makes them more full.
>
> That said, any food will make a cat gain weight if they eat too much of
> it. Give them a set amount of food (depending on what you feed them) and
> that's all they get.
> I have yet to see free-fed cats that are not heavy if there is no
> contention over the food. My cats are free-fed dry during the day and
> given wet twice daily. The boy is fat. The girls are not, mostly because
> the boy is always eating. *G*
> My Mom's cat, when he was free-fed, was fat.
> My cats when I was growing up were free-fed, and they were fat.
>
> Cats, dogs, and even people were not made to have food available all the
> time. Having it there tends to make us, and them, just eat it because
> it's there (even when we aren't hungry) and so we get fat.
> A good compromise is to give them dry during the day, take it up when
> you get home from work, then give them wet before you go to bed.
> ~kaeli~

Thanks for your helpful comments, Kaeli, in fighting the battle of the bulge
in our kitties!

[Uncle Fred]

Bobcat wrote:
> All our kitties are indoor cats, and all are, uh, full-figured. One of them,
> about 3 years old, went to the vets for her shots yesterday and she's hit
> 16 pounds! Our vet says it's not a dangerous weight because she's a pretty
> big cat, but it wouldn't hurt her to lose some poundage. The problem is that
> they all eat from a communal bowl. On the vet's advice, we feed them dry
> Hall's Science Diet. At present we give them the "Maintenance" level for
> average cats, but we're considering switching to "Light". The youngest,
> about 8 months old, is filling out now because she must have been fed people
> food in her previous home (she's a stray) and loves her supplement of plain
> cooked chicken or fish. Any suggestions on the type of dry food we should
> feed our three little chubbies? Many thanks.
>
>
I think you might want to consider seperate bowls and different
diets for different ages of cats. Kittens have different
nutritional needs than older cats. I think it would be hard to
try to thin some of them down while providing a proper diet for
others. Best of luch with it.

Fred

[Uncle Fred]

Bobcat wrote:
> All our kitties are indoor cats, and all are, uh, full-figured. One of them,
> about 3 years old, went to the vets for her shots yesterday and she's hit
> 16 pounds! Our vet says it's not a dangerous weight because she's a pretty
> big cat, but it wouldn't hurt her to lose some poundage. The problem is that
> they all eat from a communal bowl. On the vet's advice, we feed them dry
> Hall's Science Diet. At present we give them the "Maintenance" level for
> average cats, but we're considering switching to "Light". The youngest,
> about 8 months old, is filling out now because she must have been fed people
> food in her previous home (she's a stray) and loves her supplement of plain
> cooked chicken or fish. Any suggestions on the type of dry food we should
> feed our three little chubbies? Many thanks.
>
>
I think you might want to consider seperate bowls and different
diets for different ages of cats. Kittens have different
nutritional needs than older cats. I think it would be hard to
try to thin some of them down while providing a proper diet for
others. Best of luch with it.

Fred

[JBHajos]

On Wed, 18 Feb 2004 10:57:00 -0500, "Bobcat"
> wrote:

>The problem is that
>they all eat from a communal bowl.

Until recently, we had the same situation, which was no problem. The
cats and dog, Sandy, (who *loves* to snitch kitty food) are all
indoors. Now all are on diets of their own -- Speckles has a special
diet for her failing kidneys, Hobo gets special foods for his
diabetes, and Sandy has come up with a high liver-enzyme problem,
requiring still another diet. Now mostly wet foods, some dry. It's a
daily juggling match, keeping each from digging into the others'.
Best bet so far is feeding them in different rooms, putting each bowl
up out of reach when they're finished.

I have no advice on what brands you should get, especially since your
kitties are different ages (ours are all teens), but hope you find a
suitable solution soonest.

Jeanne
Jeanne Hajos
spamguard:( u is i, and not is net)
===
"Anger improves nothing except the arch of a cat's back."
--- Coleman Cox
My SETI team:
http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/stats/team/team_125874.html

[JBHajos]

On Wed, 18 Feb 2004 10:57:00 -0500, "Bobcat"
> wrote:

>The problem is that
>they all eat from a communal bowl.

Until recently, we had the same situation, which was no problem. The
cats and dog, Sandy, (who *loves* to snitch kitty food) are all
indoors. Now all are on diets of their own -- Speckles has a special
diet for her failing kidneys, Hobo gets special foods for his
diabetes, and Sandy has come up with a high liver-enzyme problem,
requiring still another diet. Now mostly wet foods, some dry. It's a
daily juggling match, keeping each from digging into the others'.
Best bet so far is feeding them in different rooms, putting each bowl
up out of reach when they're finished.

I have no advice on what brands you should get, especially since your
kitties are different ages (ours are all teens), but hope you find a
suitable solution soonest.

Jeanne
Jeanne Hajos
spamguard:( u is i, and not is net)
===
"Anger improves nothing except the arch of a cat's back."
--- Coleman Cox
My SETI team:
http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/stats/team/team_125874.html