I've been dreading this, but had to do it. If anything, he's gaining weight since we got the toys that make him run and leap around! The exercise routine worked for Lazlo - but I guess Billy's compensating for the extra exercise by eating more!
Had to pick up all the dry food.
We used to let them free feed, and I'd give them one wet meal of food at night, though we started splitting that into two and feeding them one wet meal in the am.
Billy doesn't like wet food very much, sadly, because it's the best way to get him to lose the weight, but....
The biggest problem is that even as kittens, we couldn't get them on a schedule. They just won't finish a bowl, now matter how little food you put in there - and we decided that with our erratic schedule free feeding was best anyway. They (except Billy) are all just nibblers. They eat a gazillion times a day, but obviously just a few bites, because none of the them are overweight (except Bill). Lazlo got a little pudgy... but got him exercising, and it came off. Billy... nibbles more
SO.... they're all on c/d because of the boys' problems with crystals.
Talked to the vet, and she suggested that we feed them one can of wet food between the boys a day, and each gets 1/4 cup of dry food over 24 hours - when we feed them is up to us. I give Bill a touch less wet and dry, and give the extra to Tuxie, because we've worked so hard to get him to gain weight and we REALLY want him to keep it - if not gain a few more ounces over time.
I took out plastic bags, and put the 1/4C of food in one for each cat - I put little teeny piles down for each one when they wander around looking for their food: it comes out of their respective baggie. And I've divided the wet up into a breakfast and a dinner. (Thank goodness for the internet and being able to work from home). My goal is to increase the size of the piles and reduce the number of times they get them, to the point where I'm feeding them their dry food 2x a day.
Billy, of course, is the only one acting like we're starving him to death. And of all of them, he's the biggest talker, so he's been loudly letting us know he's not happy with the new arrangement.
But he actually needs to lose about THREE pounds!
Had to pick up all the dry food.
We used to let them free feed, and I'd give them one wet meal of food at night, though we started splitting that into two and feeding them one wet meal in the am.
Billy doesn't like wet food very much, sadly, because it's the best way to get him to lose the weight, but....
The biggest problem is that even as kittens, we couldn't get them on a schedule. They just won't finish a bowl, now matter how little food you put in there - and we decided that with our erratic schedule free feeding was best anyway. They (except Billy) are all just nibblers. They eat a gazillion times a day, but obviously just a few bites, because none of the them are overweight (except Bill). Lazlo got a little pudgy... but got him exercising, and it came off. Billy... nibbles more
SO.... they're all on c/d because of the boys' problems with crystals.
Talked to the vet, and she suggested that we feed them one can of wet food between the boys a day, and each gets 1/4 cup of dry food over 24 hours - when we feed them is up to us. I give Bill a touch less wet and dry, and give the extra to Tuxie, because we've worked so hard to get him to gain weight and we REALLY want him to keep it - if not gain a few more ounces over time.
I took out plastic bags, and put the 1/4C of food in one for each cat - I put little teeny piles down for each one when they wander around looking for their food: it comes out of their respective baggie. And I've divided the wet up into a breakfast and a dinner. (Thank goodness for the internet and being able to work from home). My goal is to increase the size of the piles and reduce the number of times they get them, to the point where I'm feeding them their dry food 2x a day.
Billy, of course, is the only one acting like we're starving him to death. And of all of them, he's the biggest talker, so he's been loudly letting us know he's not happy with the new arrangement.
But he actually needs to lose about THREE pounds!