New cat owner with 2 cats

Hi, A friend gave me his two cats because his wife had just delivered a baby and he didnt want the cats around. They are 2 beautiful Persian cats (about 8 to 10 months old) and I was reluctant to take them TBH as I didnt want the hassle and I live in an apartment.

Well now, they have grown on me and I adore them. BUT I dont think the cats will truly enjoy themselves in an apartment, any thoughts/suggestions on this?

Alos I notice that one cat has a bigger appetitie than the other and often ends up eating the other ones food. Well shes gotten much fatter than her sister now, so I separated their feeding areas and give them their food individually now.

My other question, I know cats can sometimes be very picky with food, and one type of food that one cat likes, the other one does not. Sometimes I see them pawing the floor when I give them food they dont like, anything to make out of that?

Thanks!

Originally Posted by blued

Hi, A friend gave me his two cats because his wife had just delivered a baby and he didnt want the cats around. They are 2 beautiful Persian cats (about 8 to 10 months old) and I was reluctant to take them TBH as I didnt want the hassle and I live in an apartment.

Well now, they have grown on me and I adore them. BUT I dont think the cats will truly enjoy themselves in an apartment, any thoughts/suggestions on this?

Alos I notice that one cat has a bigger appetitie than the other and often ends up eating the other ones food. Well shes gotten much fatter than her sister now, so I separated their feeding areas and give them their food individually now.

My other question, I know cats can sometimes be very picky with food, and one type of food that one cat likes, the other one does not. Sometimes I see them pawing the floor when I give them food they dont like, anything to make out of that?

Thanks!

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Welcome.....I have a brother/sister bonded pair in a condo. The rule of thumb for indoors cats is to give them LOTS of things to climb and play on. Get a nice tall cat tree and place it by the window.

Cats (like people) have different genetics...unless the larger girl is considered "overweight"...I wouldn't worry.

Welcome to the world of "trying different foods until you find one that they both like".

Katie

:wave:2 Hello and a warm welcome to you and your kitties they sound adorable

Katie has given you some great tips, cats need to play time, but as you know they just love to sleep most of the time so I am sure you´ll soon get into a routine with them !

Pawing the floor around food is a common and rather strange habit, lots of our members kitties do it, some think its an old 'wild' habit, like covering food when they have eaten enough, to save it for later

Anyway its great to have you here, once you get settled maybe you could post some photos we just love photos here

Glad you joined us and enjoy the forums !!

Cats can be an ideal apartment companion! Truthfully, I have 3 cats (granted, my boys are in middle-age and approaching their senior years) in a 475 (read: tiny) square foot studio apartment. They are doing just fine, but they have tons of high shelves and trees to climb and lots of nooks and crannies to hide and play in and we have playtime each night and most mornings.

I think your cats will do very well as long as you interact with them! Persians are also known to be more mellow than most standard breed kitties and other purebreds.

As for the food, they're "burying" it when they paw at the floor, in order to save it for later and keep the smell out of the path of predators...it's a natural thing to do and many housecats do this. As far as food...the food that is the best is the one each cat does well on and thrives on. You may need to experiment to find the right food. Just make sure to make food switches slowly, by adding small amounts of the new while decreasing the old.

And welcome!

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome, nice to be here. I know I'm in good hands as far as getting great advice on cats here, so thats a relief!

Yes I think I'll have to add some things to my apt, because theres nothing really for them to climb on in here. And I was kind of worried that they'll quickly get bored cooped up in here, esp with me being away for up to 10 hours at times. Fortunately theres 2 of them, so at least they're not alone, I can just imagine how lonely it would be if it was just one of them here.

Re the food, these cats are wierd to say the least! Sometimes they might not eat cat food yet resort to eating my plants! At times I'd throw them small scraps from my own food just to see how they react and they'll eat that, even if its a piece of bread.

Hello and welcome to you and your 2 additions. I had up to 3 cats in a 700 sq. ft. apartment before, and as someone stated, they need things to climb, play with..Even empty boxes can be quite amusing to them for days on end.

Hi welcome to TCS, this is such a great site and is filled with such nice people Also it can be very helpful as u can see and fun too It seems that everyone has given u some good advice, but I cant wait to see photos of ur crew we photos here ! Well see u on the forums

Welcome two beautiful Persian sisters and blued

to TheCatSite and we thank you for adopting these sweet sister cats. Apartments are GREAT environments for cats, and two sisters will love one another, play and sleep together, and be great companions to one another, which is better than being separated. Keeping cats indoors only keeps them safer, healthier, and parasite-free; they tend to live longer than cats allowed outdoor, too. It's regrettable that their first home did not commit to them and continue loving them just because the woman was having a baby; many of us grew up with cats from birth and we are actually healthier because of it, besides being fortunate enough to have these wonderful, loving, unconditionally loyal friends! It is their loss and your gain; and we hope that they have found a loving, forever home with you.

A suggestion about food is to buy premium foods such as Nutro Max Cat, Natural Balance, PetGuard, Solid Gold, or others; "supermarket" foods such as Whiskas, Friskies, Nine Lives, Iams, and Science Diet are not as good ingredient-wise and though they are cheaper initially, the lower quality means more waste and potentially more health issues. So we always feed premium foods (available at Petco, PetsMart and other good supply stores); I would find four or five flavor formula varieties they like, and stick to those, as dietary changes can affect cats' delicate digestive systems. Sometimes cats paw the floor in a "covering up" gesture because they either don't like the food, or they are "saving" it as cats do in the wild with their prey.

The most important things are to make sure they get a veterinary checkup annually, vaccinations against the major illnesses, and spayed if they are not already. Your veterinarian may have a package "deal" on the innoculations/checkup, and a low fee on spaying -- ask him or her.

The cat care forum will give you a lot more good information, and we hope you and your cats will enjoy it here and visit often. We'd love to know their names and see their photos if you feel like sharing them, too!

Welcome to TCS!

Hola y bienvenido a TCS!..
(Translate: Hi and Welcome to TCS!!!... ..)

See you on the forums!

Hi welcome to TCS!