So, for one thing, Casper's appetite has been off for a while now. Ever since he was ill some weeks back. There are some days where he just is very picky about his food and I'm realizing the canned is just not interesting to him right now. He'll pick at it, eat maybe an ounce of it and pretty much he's done. I can sometimes manage to get him to have a few more bites if I sprinkle some crushed up dried chicken treats over the top. If I offer kibble, he's on it like flies on poop. So, not so sure it's his appetite per se; more like him just being bored of the wet food or something.
I've tried mixing it up and getting some new brands to try him on. He'll be interested for a day and then it's back to the same old routine. Just tried him on Hounds and Gatos which he wolfed down the first try and now, not so much. Ugh.
So my second problem is Cocoa, who was on the undernourished side when she arrived to us a couple of months back, has turned in to a piglet! She, is eating what he doesn't want. It's like I have to stand over them and watch them eat to make sure he gets what he wants first or she'll nudge her way over and polish off his bowl before I'm aware of it. Which makes me wonder who it was that ate it. I can't be sure if Casper is getting enough food or not this way.
I'm up at 5:45 am, feed them at 6:00 am. Casper is fed in small doses because he has a history of barfing if fed all at once. I give him a tablespoon or 2 to start. Lately, he isn't even finishing this. She in the meantime, polishes off her 1/2 can in the time it takes him to eat 1 tablespoon lol. I'll pick up his bowl, come back 1/2 hour later, give him the rest of his food. But, I can't sit there and watch every minute - I mean, I need time to get ready to be out the door by 7am. Inevitably I see Cocoa, at some point, dashing into the kitchen and him leaving and usually I know it's because he's left food behind that she is taken advantage of.
So, before I leave, I give him some kibble now to make sure he's getting enough calories in him. He eats that, NO problem (and she, is pushing her way to THAT too!).
Dinner, my BF feeds them. Most nights Casper is doing the same thing. I'll come home around 7ish, and his bowl is still practically full and has been for nearly an hour. Hers, is usually wiped clean. If his is gone or nearly gone I can't be sure if it was him that ate it because my BF doesn't pay nearly half the attention I do to what's happening with their meals. All I know is most nights I arrive home and there is food in Casper's bowl and he is NOT interested in going back to it. So, it becomes kibble, again.
I'm sure he isn't eating more than a couple of ounces of wet a day right now and he's about 14 pounds. Add in the maybe 1/2 cup of kibble.
She, who is only 7 pounds, on the other hand, is eating practically 2 whole cans, I'm sure she's getting somewhere between 8-9 ounces of wet a day plus, a bit of kibble of his also. I wanted her to gain weight but this is ridiculous. It's costing me a freaking fortune now.
I'm wondering if I should just dispense trying to feed him the wet food at this point - although it utterly pains me to do so. Opening 2 cans a day, for her basically, is not cost effective for me. It would be one thing if I fed Friskies, but I don't. The medium price point of the cans is probably around $1.50 each or over $90 a month in wet alone.
Does anyone have any ideas how to manage the two of them, having such differing appetites right now, combined with my schedule?
I am not ready to do the raw thing, although I have been reading A LOT about it. Just really not sure if I'm quite the type to manage it, as I have a tendency to pass out early for bed and knowing myself, I can't even remember to take out lunches I prepare for myself to take to work so I don't know if I'm going to remember to thaw out frozen raw food the night before consistently for the kitties. And, my BF is even worse than I about that kind of stuff, combined with some general aversions to dealing with raw food.
I've tried mixing it up and getting some new brands to try him on. He'll be interested for a day and then it's back to the same old routine. Just tried him on Hounds and Gatos which he wolfed down the first try and now, not so much. Ugh.
So my second problem is Cocoa, who was on the undernourished side when she arrived to us a couple of months back, has turned in to a piglet! She, is eating what he doesn't want. It's like I have to stand over them and watch them eat to make sure he gets what he wants first or she'll nudge her way over and polish off his bowl before I'm aware of it. Which makes me wonder who it was that ate it. I can't be sure if Casper is getting enough food or not this way.
I'm up at 5:45 am, feed them at 6:00 am. Casper is fed in small doses because he has a history of barfing if fed all at once. I give him a tablespoon or 2 to start. Lately, he isn't even finishing this. She in the meantime, polishes off her 1/2 can in the time it takes him to eat 1 tablespoon lol. I'll pick up his bowl, come back 1/2 hour later, give him the rest of his food. But, I can't sit there and watch every minute - I mean, I need time to get ready to be out the door by 7am. Inevitably I see Cocoa, at some point, dashing into the kitchen and him leaving and usually I know it's because he's left food behind that she is taken advantage of.
So, before I leave, I give him some kibble now to make sure he's getting enough calories in him. He eats that, NO problem (and she, is pushing her way to THAT too!).
Dinner, my BF feeds them. Most nights Casper is doing the same thing. I'll come home around 7ish, and his bowl is still practically full and has been for nearly an hour. Hers, is usually wiped clean. If his is gone or nearly gone I can't be sure if it was him that ate it because my BF doesn't pay nearly half the attention I do to what's happening with their meals. All I know is most nights I arrive home and there is food in Casper's bowl and he is NOT interested in going back to it. So, it becomes kibble, again.
I'm sure he isn't eating more than a couple of ounces of wet a day right now and he's about 14 pounds. Add in the maybe 1/2 cup of kibble.
She, who is only 7 pounds, on the other hand, is eating practically 2 whole cans, I'm sure she's getting somewhere between 8-9 ounces of wet a day plus, a bit of kibble of his also. I wanted her to gain weight but this is ridiculous. It's costing me a freaking fortune now.
I'm wondering if I should just dispense trying to feed him the wet food at this point - although it utterly pains me to do so. Opening 2 cans a day, for her basically, is not cost effective for me. It would be one thing if I fed Friskies, but I don't. The medium price point of the cans is probably around $1.50 each or over $90 a month in wet alone.
Does anyone have any ideas how to manage the two of them, having such differing appetites right now, combined with my schedule?
I am not ready to do the raw thing, although I have been reading A LOT about it. Just really not sure if I'm quite the type to manage it, as I have a tendency to pass out early for bed and knowing myself, I can't even remember to take out lunches I prepare for myself to take to work so I don't know if I'm going to remember to thaw out frozen raw food the night before consistently for the kitties. And, my BF is even worse than I about that kind of stuff, combined with some general aversions to dealing with raw food.
I could put Cocoa in hers while he eats, I suppose if this continues to be problematic. Awesome suggestion.
