Can I mix Hills C/D with other food?

[erinnicole]

My cat blocked a little over a year ago and since then the vet has had him on a Hills C/D diet. I mostly feed him the dry food but occasionally wet food if I feel he needs the extra water. He was fine for the past year, no complaints, just a little weight gain. However, I have a new roommate who brought 2 cats with her. They generally get along fine, but I am concerned about their food mixing with my cat's and have two questions:

1. How dangerous is it for my cat to eat their food? I try to separate them as much as possible, but I cannot constantly monitor who is in what room eating what. I know my cat gets into their food and just wanted to know how stressed out I have to be about it. Obviously I'm still doing what I can but its becoming more and more difficult. I'm believe my roommate feed them Purina or another mid-quality.

2. Since my cat has tasted their food, he downright refuses to eat the Hills C/D. I know he's hungry and I'll put a bowl of the Hills in front of him. He'll take a few bites then try to get to the other food. He hasn't eaten a full serving of the Hills in over a week. I've tried mixing a little Iams Proactive Health in their and he'll perk up and eat a little more but still not a whole serving. Any tips on how to get him to eat the Hills again? I have yet to try wet food. I know that should be my next move. But if that fails?

 

[verna davies]

One of mine has UTI issues. I feed a little Hills C/D and Royal Canin urinary SO wet. For the past 4 months he eats 60% ordinary cat food without issues. According to my vet it will not harm my other cat if he eat this food but I would give your vet a call and ask him. It might vary cat to cat.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. I would suggest you talk to your roommate about the possibility of feeding her cats in a room that can be closed off. That is, assuming, she has them on timed feedings. If not, perhaps an automated cat door to that room that can only be opened by her cats, via a chip collar. You could offer to contribute to the cost. Same type of thing could be done with automated feeders operated by chip collars - a separate one for your cat and another one for hers.

There is also canned Hill's C/D that you need to try to see if he would like it more than the other cats' food. Maybe crush up some of the other cats' food on top of the Hill's canned food to see if that might just be enough of an enticer for him. As V verna davies mentioned above Royal Canin SO (both canned and dry) might be another option. Just check with your vet.

After many years of Feeby (15+ yo) being on dry only of the above two mentioned foods, I did add canned about 2-3 years ago, and now even give her some Fancy Feast mixed with the other foods. While it is not the same as a blockage with a male cat, Feeby did have stones so bad that it required surgical removal 10 years ago. The prescription, even in dry form, must have worked for her as she as been stone free since. So, I do understand your hesitancy about his non-prescription food intake.