elise1mds Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 Okey dokey, so... I have four cats. They range in age from 17 (my 'old man') down to 2. The 17-year-old weighs about 8 pounds; the 2-year-old weighs TWENTY. I'm not happy about the heavy cat's weight, but I'm stumped. What do I feed them that will work well for all their weights? Complications: 1. I can't put the food up on a high ledge where Mr. Fatcat can't jump, because the Old Man can't jump up there, either. 2. I have one cat, age 5, who is intolerant to lactose (so I can't supplement Old Man's food with things like cottage cheese or similar) and tuna. She also will throw up if she goes too long without eating, which means I need to at least have some food available at all times. 3. I'm on a budget, which means I really would prefer to avoid the Science Diet/Eukanuba route, though I can swing something more than Cat Chow if need be. I've looked into Purina DM for Fatcat, but I don't know if it would work for the Old Man. Anyone BTDT? My vet is mulling the issue and wants me to call back next week, but I figured asking a wider audience might get me more options. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 I also have four cats. One has special dietary needs so they all eat the special diet. It just easier that way, at least in my case. A higher protein based diet is good for managing weight issues in cats but can cause urinary tract issues in older male cats. Being that all your cats are grown you could just feed them less often, only once a day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Wisc Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 Put the cat food for the 3 cats in a box that has too small of a hole for fat cat to get into. The other 3 can eat as much as they want. Feed fat cat twice a day in a bowl outside the box. I've taken a Rubbermaid container and cut a hole in the side so that the cats can go in and out. A cardboard box would be a good starter box, though, to see if it actually works. Good luck! Jean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soph the vet Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 Put the cat food for the 3 cats in a box that has too small of a hole for fat cat to get into. The other 3 can eat as much as they want. Feed fat cat twice a day in a bowl outside the box. I've taken a Rubbermaid container and cut a hole in the side so that the cats can go in and out. A cardboard box would be a good starter box, though, to see if it actually works. Good luck! Jean I love this idea but I keep seeing the client bringing in the box with a too fat cat stuck in the too small hole :lol:. I second the higher protein, less carb diet. The move in the veterinary community is to get more cats on moist meat diets. Dry foods are needed for some specific conditions but other than that they are mostly Lucky Charms for cats, IYKWIM. Your fatcat is definitely a diabetic in waiting. I would cut his caloric intake back by 25% for starters and give him more exercise. The skinny one needs to be shut in the bathroom or somewhere with a snack everyday. If they are males, choose food that says it has urinary acidifiers or "protects the urinary tract". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelingChris Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 I have a very large cat- that is he is taller, much longer and has a bigger head than most household cats. He weighs about 16 lbs and I think he probably should lose about 2 lbs. He is eating the recommended amount of Iams lose weight/anti hairball dry food. He is 8 years old and healthy. SHould I be switching him to moist food? WHat kind? Regular canned or something else? He is medium haired and he has an issue with both hairballs at times and with canned foods, he normally overeats and then upchucks. Any recommendations? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elise1mds Posted June 25, 2009 Author Share Posted June 25, 2009 Thanks... I'm loving the box idea. Fatcat would get really mad if he got stuck in the doorway, though I can also see that I may have to actually tape the box down so he doesn't just hoist the entire box to get to the food! :D Three out of the four are males, so I'll check into the urinary tract thing as well. Old Man would love a daily snack, so I'll check that out, too. He's pretty sedentary, but Fatcat gets plenty of exercise racing around the house with the other two "young 'uns." He and my 3-yo male rumble all evening. The advice is muchly appreciated. Thanks so much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfunnybunch Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 fatcat is definitely a diabetic in waiting. I would cut his caloric intake back by 25% for starters and give him more exercise. How do you get a cat to exercise more? This is a serious question, by the way. We have a F-A-T cat. (His name is Limber; I recently suggested we change it to Lumber.) He was a sleek and athletic guy until he was neutered. There's no WAY he'd walk on a leash. I can't think how we'd get him to exercise more. Cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remudamom Posted June 26, 2009 Share Posted June 26, 2009 I love this idea but I keep seeing the client bringing in the box with a too fat cat stuck in the too small hole :lol:. Double Snort! You'd have to use a plastic box with a lid so if fatty got in you could take it off and release him! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted June 26, 2009 Share Posted June 26, 2009 I love this idea but I keep seeing the client bringing in the box with a too fat cat stuck in the too small hole :lol:. Kind of like my 85 lbs. Golden Retiever with his head stuck through the cat door. Unfortunately, my kids have done the same thing. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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