dry suggestions with fibre?

Very seldom does fiber help with cats... Mostly is wastes calories and possible other nutrients in over the normal amounts 3-5%

IMHO up the wet , you will be naturally dropping calories and the extra water will both aid in filling up tummies and the digestive process

You may want look at the basic foods with grains for one with fewer calories than the Taste( not high but it is solid middle to high on the premium food calories)

Just between the two formulas on the website is a 40 calorie difference( for a cat of ten lbs the 150-300 calories a day... this is a substantial difference

here is the fish formula stats
Canyon River Feline™ Formula

A grain-free formula with sweet potatoes provides highly digestible energy for your active cat. Made with trout and wood-smoked salmon, this formula offers great taste and quality fish protein.

Protein: 32% Fat: 16%
Calcium: 1.6%, as-fed; Phosphorus: 1.10%, as-fed
Calories: 3,741 kcal/kg (350 kcal/cup) Calculated Metabolizable Energy
Available in 5lb and 15lb bags.

the "original"
Rocky Mountain Feline® Formula

A grain-free formula for all life stages with peas and sweet potatoes provides highly digestible energy for your active cat.

Protein: 42% Fat: 18%
Calcium: 1.9%, as-fed; Phosphorus: 1.2%, as-fed
Calories: 3,745 kcal/kg (390 kcal/cup) Calculated Metabolizable Energy

there is also a new Lamb based one I would guess its calories to be about the 350 mark( I do not know)
http://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com/products/

I agree in increasing the wet...
When my vet told me to add fiber to my cat's diet, I did not have the luxury to change his food, as he has allergies, so he approved a fiber supplement to be mixed into the food. For a wile I just mixed into the dry for everybody; now I mix on the wet for him.
On the dry, you mix one capsule a day - they share the food, so you would mix one capsule in the am food, and another in the pm serving. This way each cat would be getting one capsule a day. This is what I did with my cats.

All my cats like it and never had a problem with the taste... It helped my hairball girl a lot!
Here is the supplement I use, you can discuss it with your vet: Vetasyl Fiber Supplement

I also agree on increasing the wet which will allow you to decrease the dry. Is there a specific reason you only do 1/6 a can at a time?

Hey Sylorna - wet food, wet food, wet food.

You've asked, and you've received some great suggestions.

The eating issues my cats have all lead back to me.

I'm being educated about cat's diets - but, when the rubber meets the road, and I have cats climbing my leg, yelling, etc., it's a difficult thing to be strong.

Someone gave the advice - can't remember who, or where - that when the cat(s) start demanding food or else!!, it's best just to leave the house.

We, too, have several cats with different diet needs - it's tough to comply.

We have one that is overweight - he's the Man of his family, and everyone else moves out of the way when he's already eaten through his food, and begins working on theirs.

(The Gray Family is of whom I speak.) The Man is the daddy, and very macho, - naturally a big cat so his family lets him do whatever he wants.

But, I was surprised yesterday ... Gray had eaten through his food, and began to eat on his son's - that's when I stepped in, and showed him to back off (I found the Signal after watching my other cats put up their paw to stop the intruder) ... I put up my hand (paw) to stop his vision of the son's plate, and said "NO".

Gray backed off - so, maybe he does know he shouldn't be taking the other cat's food, hmmmm?

Just sayin' - I know it's hard - but I hope you are able to find what will work for you and your cats.

There are some DVM's that will tell you any wet food is better than kibble - but, I guess it all depends on who you talk to about diet.

Vets - like human Medical Drs., don't seem to be trained in diet issues - they rely on the salesman's word, and then parrot the salesperson's words to the patient.

Right now, I like what Lisa A. Pierson, DVM has to say about cat food:
http://www.catinfo.org/
in case you'd like to browse her information.

The owner of the pet store that I frequent will order food for me - our FeLV cat I have on wet food only, no grain - and right now he's on Merrick's Cowboy Cookout, and Wellness Turkey (no grain). He's cooped up in a bedroom with little activity - his weight is perfect.

Sounds like the portions you're feeding is a starvation diet, to me ??? but then, what do I know!

I hope the 1/6 of a can is at least a 5.5 oz can. How can you divide that up into such small portions? WOW!

We have three on Royal Canin Urinary SO - canned. They only get the dry as a treat when I go to bed, and then it's less than 1/8th of a cup each. The canned food is the primary diet, and they get from 3/4 of a can (6.5oz) to 1 can each per day --- and, they are not over weight.

The Gray family (4 of them) is another whole story - Gray was a stray that brought along his feral "wife", having 2 feral kittens before I had all altered.

They've been outside, and free feeding (dry) with both the canned food (Trader Joes Turkey - 59¢ per 5.5 oz can - in the A.M., then 1-2 can(s) in the P.M. (no doubt they had help while they were outside).

We just brought them all inside, and they are no longer free feeding the dry. I put down 1 can of food in the A.M., maybe a little more for "lunch", and in the P.M. Before bed they get treats of dry Royal Canin Urinary SO. Every other day I fix some chicken tenders and broth for them (yummy).

I don't cook for myself, but those eyes!! those eyes!!! - they love the chicken broth.

Gray is my FIV - and if I can't get his weight down, other health issues will come.

I write all this just to say - we all have issues with feeding adventures - and TCS members give good suggestions, we just have to figure out what works for us and the cats we care about - and then, be strong. (ha! )

For me - the food may cost a little more, but if what I am feeding causes health problems - the vet bill will cost more - not to even mention the suffering that the cat goes through without a nutritional diet.

I don't like the Prescription diet either, but until I find what else works, I'm stuck. We just had a $1500 surgery for bladder stones because our Phoebe loved the dry Natural Balance so much - and I couldn't refuse her eyes, and her fancy pants dance - well, she paid for my weakness, as we paid the bill.

Dry is nasty stuff - at least for our Furfamily - and now it's only used as treats.

I hope you find something, that works for both you and your cats.

There are solid and IMHO decent to good wet foods in every price bracket..you can Pm me if you want me to attempt to figure some out for you in your price range..

Everyone s experience is a little different ... but you can see the general thought_

I never give food based on my cats demands and ignore them. My watch though has an 8-alarm cycle timer though, and they are fed on a schedule.

I also do not allow them in the bedroom at night, and use a SSSCAT device just behind the door sill. I could probably remove it though, as they can never tell if it is or isn't there (poking the head around to see results in a puff of compressed air in the face which apparently is the worst thing ever heh), and so simply avoid the room. It is better than an actual barrier, as they would likely scratch at that and meow, but the invisible barrier is like an omnipresent evil force.

I agree in increasing the amount of wet food consumed. Bulk purchases of large cans and refrigeration of the remaining portion can drive down costs. Its high moisture content hydrates while filling tummies and naturally since its near 80% water has low caloric density.

For your dry food, I would stick to a regular quality one, as they will typically just consume more of a less nutritious food, and high fiber usually just means high empty filler and possibly a lot of carbs which can cause blood sugar swings. You can get an automatic dry kibble feeder, or on the cheap side use these food balls:

http://www.amazon.com/MultiVet-SlimC...3222067&sr=8-1



Inexpensive and "slows their roll" quite literally when it comes to chow, which generally results in less eaten over a longer period of time.