Switching from free-feeding

Lazlo and Sheldon both have slight amounts of blood in their stool. The last time this happened, it was just Shelly, but we took a sample of the stool and the cat to the vet immediately. The vet said it wasn't enough blood to be concerned with - most people wouldn't even notice it (because it would have been covered with litter). (We were watching the cats go to the bathroom to make sure Tuxedo was the only with a urinary tract infection).

They checked Shel out, said he seemed very healthy - he had no fever or anything, and they sent the stool in for testing, and results were negative for everything they test for.

The vet said it was most likely Tuxedo's prescription food bothering him - like a slight allergy or something.

Well - Tuxedo has a UTI again, is back on his prescription food (both wet and dry), and this food, which wasn't the same food that bothered Shel before, IS bothering Shel - AND Lazlo. That is - if it is food at all! We're thinking about taking them and stool samples to a different vet... BUT as of tomorrow, we're going to stop free-feeding the cats. MaeMae has different food as a kitten, Tuxedo CAN'T have access to it, Tuxedo is on prescription food, and (supposedly) this is what is bothering Lazlo and Sheldon... so we're not going to leave the dry food out anymore. BUT - I have a lot of questions!!!!

1) They're all just over a year. Do we feed them twice a day or once a day?

2) They're used to free-feeding dry food and receiving wet food (as a treat, really) once a day in the evening. Do we still only provide wet food once a day - if we're supposed to provide a dry meal to them more than once a day?

3) Do we just mix the dry and wet foods together? (That's what we did for them when they lived outside).

4) How often do we feed the kitten? (8 weeks old). Right now, whenever we see her at the "big cats' food" we pick it up and give her her kitten food. But we won't have that as a guage anymore...

I conducted some searches but couldn't refine the terms enough to come up with any useful threads on this though I'm sure they exist. Thanks for your help!

Sending get well vibes. Hope things work out for you.

Laurie,

Have you thought about timed feeders? Automatically they dole out only so much food and no more. The do make them for mulitple cats. You can find them on Meowhoo under Basic Pet Supplies/Food & Water

I would feed them wet food three times a day. For Mae Mae, kittens are notorius nibblers. I would set up a feeding station just for her with a small enough hole in the box that only she can get in though I am sure the others have tried.

I would also start adding canned pumpkin to their food. Nuke it in the microwave and start out with about a teaspoon per feeding.Over time increase it to a tablespoon for the older cats and 2 tsps. for mae mae.

You can mix the food together if you like, cats aren't usually that picky so they don't care, especially ferals.

You also might want to look into Royal Canin blends. They have some really good ones that will help you out with the blood in the stool problem. I have the same thing going on with Noddy. But the vet has tested the stool every which way he can and came up with only "slight colitis."

Thanks, MA. The problem with timed feeders is that Tuxedo can't have access to any food but his own.

MaeMae isn't such an issue - she has free access to her food via the box method. But Tuxedo can't have access to any dry or wet food but his own. The other cats had been eating the same dry food via free-feed, but this appears to be bothering them, so they need to eat different dry food. I can't think of any way to do this but to stop free-feeding the cats.

Hi Hissy


Why Canned Pumpkin? I have never heard of that before!