Hi! I'm seeking advice on cat food, and I have five very different hungry beasts. I need to improve the schedule and content, to make sure my fat cat doesn't get fatter, my skinny cat doesn't get skinnier, and my healthy kittens continue to stay healthy. I hope you may have some suggestions.
To give you an idea what I'm looking for/need, let me give you a brief rundown on who I'm trying to placate. All cats are male and neutered, except Sorrow, who is of course spayed. All cats will be going for their annual appointment in March, though Tesla might be going sooner. The kittens are 10 months old, and it's time to get them onto proper adult food.
Mealtimes: 9am scoop of dry to share, evening younglings get scoops of dry Purina kitten chow (and separated from adults) while the adults split a can of wet and a scoop of dry. When the kittens are let out again, they devour every last scrap of wet that the adults have left. Everyone's a browser here, except for the wet food.
1. Mercury- 8yrs, long hair, huge frame with wide build, 20lbs, very chubby. I want to see him lose a few pounds. He generally isn't interested in wet food, and cleaves to dry. Frequent, but light browser.
2. Tesla- 3.5 yrs, short hair, tiny frame, 13lbs, muscular build, very thin. He refuses to eat dry food but for rare occasions, and frequently eats some of his wet food fast enough to get the hiccups. He has very bad teeth, and I'm going to get them vet-cleaned in a few weeks. The vet pointed out that he might not be eating dry because they hurt his mouth, hence the earlier visit. Tesla has always been thin, and he's still energetic, but he seems to be losing a little weight. I have been checking to make sure that his ribs aren't any more exposed than they were before, but he sinks in after the ribs more than I'm comfortable with. His last vet visit was in August, and the vet certifies him healthy barring the teeth. Browses rarely.
3. Sorrow- 10months, short hair, tiny lithe frame, healthy weight. She is small, and doesn't seem inclined to grow large. Very hyper.
4. Haze- 10months, short hair, medium lithe frame, healthy weight. He is Tesla's size already, and his paws indicate he may become a large cat. He is muscular, and his body is more dense than any of the other four. If he doesn't keep up the activity, he may get chubby, but that's not a great concern yet. His stomach is fuller than the others. It's important to point out that much of his activity is tussling with Tesla, as Tesla frequently stalks and surprises the other cats, though the wrestling rarely seems to become earnest. Haze and Tesla do this more frequently than any other combination.
5. Marigold- 10months, short hair, medium lithe frame, healthy weight. Pretty active, with a long body.
I've spoken to my vet about all five, and they suggested to me that I would need a high-protein, low-carb diet that I can get over the counter, or DM (prescription) which is $24 per 6lb bag. I'm willing consider it, but I want to see the options before I take the plunge into feed that is so expensive.
Sorry for being so long-winded, I just wanted to consider all of the factors related to the question.
To give you an idea what I'm looking for/need, let me give you a brief rundown on who I'm trying to placate. All cats are male and neutered, except Sorrow, who is of course spayed. All cats will be going for their annual appointment in March, though Tesla might be going sooner. The kittens are 10 months old, and it's time to get them onto proper adult food.
Mealtimes: 9am scoop of dry to share, evening younglings get scoops of dry Purina kitten chow (and separated from adults) while the adults split a can of wet and a scoop of dry. When the kittens are let out again, they devour every last scrap of wet that the adults have left. Everyone's a browser here, except for the wet food.
1. Mercury- 8yrs, long hair, huge frame with wide build, 20lbs, very chubby. I want to see him lose a few pounds. He generally isn't interested in wet food, and cleaves to dry. Frequent, but light browser.
2. Tesla- 3.5 yrs, short hair, tiny frame, 13lbs, muscular build, very thin. He refuses to eat dry food but for rare occasions, and frequently eats some of his wet food fast enough to get the hiccups. He has very bad teeth, and I'm going to get them vet-cleaned in a few weeks. The vet pointed out that he might not be eating dry because they hurt his mouth, hence the earlier visit. Tesla has always been thin, and he's still energetic, but he seems to be losing a little weight. I have been checking to make sure that his ribs aren't any more exposed than they were before, but he sinks in after the ribs more than I'm comfortable with. His last vet visit was in August, and the vet certifies him healthy barring the teeth. Browses rarely.
3. Sorrow- 10months, short hair, tiny lithe frame, healthy weight. She is small, and doesn't seem inclined to grow large. Very hyper.
4. Haze- 10months, short hair, medium lithe frame, healthy weight. He is Tesla's size already, and his paws indicate he may become a large cat. He is muscular, and his body is more dense than any of the other four. If he doesn't keep up the activity, he may get chubby, but that's not a great concern yet. His stomach is fuller than the others. It's important to point out that much of his activity is tussling with Tesla, as Tesla frequently stalks and surprises the other cats, though the wrestling rarely seems to become earnest. Haze and Tesla do this more frequently than any other combination.
5. Marigold- 10months, short hair, medium lithe frame, healthy weight. Pretty active, with a long body.
I've spoken to my vet about all five, and they suggested to me that I would need a high-protein, low-carb diet that I can get over the counter, or DM (prescription) which is $24 per 6lb bag. I'm willing consider it, but I want to see the options before I take the plunge into feed that is so expensive.
Sorry for being so long-winded, I just wanted to consider all of the factors related to the question.
