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- Jan 14, 2014
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Hi there!
I have been having an issue with feeding my two cats, and I am hoping someone can give me some valuable insight.
My first one is nearly two years old. She is overweight and on an oral care food that was recommended by my vet to help keep her weight at least stable. She has an automatic feeder that feeds her twice a day, but she grazes whenever she wants. She loves wet food, but after I gave her a new brand and it gave her tummy troubles, I have only been feeding her the vet-recommended dry food.
My second cat I just got on Thursday. He is two months old. The shelter had been feeding him Royal Canin Babycat wet and dry twice a day, so I have continued with that. I asked them what I should do to keep them from eating each other's food. They told me to keep the kitten separated in another room when he eats. 'That's fine,' I thought...
The problem is, if I shut the kitten in the room by himself, he won't eat, and even if I sit there with him, he will eat a little bit and then want to play. Then, my older cat will sneak in and try to eat his food (especially if there is any wet food left). I have been taking the food dish away and giving it back whenever the kitten cries and I figure he is hungry, and then I take it away again once he has eaten a bit. This has been annoying but has worked out alright for the past few days while I was home, but today, I had to go back to work. I gave the kitten slightly less wet food this morning and watched him eat it, hoping that because he only has dry food left, my older cat will leave it alone.
My older cat is sneaky about it - she knows she should not eat his food, but she tries anyway. I am worried (A) that the food will give her tummy troubles or make her gain weight and (B) that the kitten will not get enough to eat! I don't feel right about separating them all day while I am at work. I have a feeling my older cat will cry and scratch at the bedroom door to get at the kitten (she loves him!). I also don't feel comfortable with trying to put them on a schedule and forcing them to eat all at once. With my older cat, this would be fine, but with the kitten, I fear that for the first little while, while I am training him to eat on a schedule, he will not get enough to eat - and he is a growing boy!! There has been no problem with the kitten eating my older cat's food, except for when he gets really hungry and his food dish is not out, then he will wander over and start to chow down. Once the kitten is six months, I may be able to put him on adult food, but for the next four months I have a feeling this will be a trying issue.
I am taking my kitten for his post-shelter check-up on Thursday, so I will ask him then what he thinks, but I was hoping someone would have an idea for me that I have not thought of yet. I have a feeling that my vet will not agree with only feeding at scheduled times. He has a cat that is diabetic and has said before that he thinks there should always be food available to them if they want it.
These are my babies, Dina and Simon.
Thanks so much :-)
Angie
I have been having an issue with feeding my two cats, and I am hoping someone can give me some valuable insight.
My first one is nearly two years old. She is overweight and on an oral care food that was recommended by my vet to help keep her weight at least stable. She has an automatic feeder that feeds her twice a day, but she grazes whenever she wants. She loves wet food, but after I gave her a new brand and it gave her tummy troubles, I have only been feeding her the vet-recommended dry food.
My second cat I just got on Thursday. He is two months old. The shelter had been feeding him Royal Canin Babycat wet and dry twice a day, so I have continued with that. I asked them what I should do to keep them from eating each other's food. They told me to keep the kitten separated in another room when he eats. 'That's fine,' I thought...
The problem is, if I shut the kitten in the room by himself, he won't eat, and even if I sit there with him, he will eat a little bit and then want to play. Then, my older cat will sneak in and try to eat his food (especially if there is any wet food left). I have been taking the food dish away and giving it back whenever the kitten cries and I figure he is hungry, and then I take it away again once he has eaten a bit. This has been annoying but has worked out alright for the past few days while I was home, but today, I had to go back to work. I gave the kitten slightly less wet food this morning and watched him eat it, hoping that because he only has dry food left, my older cat will leave it alone.
My older cat is sneaky about it - she knows she should not eat his food, but she tries anyway. I am worried (A) that the food will give her tummy troubles or make her gain weight and (B) that the kitten will not get enough to eat! I don't feel right about separating them all day while I am at work. I have a feeling my older cat will cry and scratch at the bedroom door to get at the kitten (she loves him!). I also don't feel comfortable with trying to put them on a schedule and forcing them to eat all at once. With my older cat, this would be fine, but with the kitten, I fear that for the first little while, while I am training him to eat on a schedule, he will not get enough to eat - and he is a growing boy!! There has been no problem with the kitten eating my older cat's food, except for when he gets really hungry and his food dish is not out, then he will wander over and start to chow down. Once the kitten is six months, I may be able to put him on adult food, but for the next four months I have a feeling this will be a trying issue.
I am taking my kitten for his post-shelter check-up on Thursday, so I will ask him then what he thinks, but I was hoping someone would have an idea for me that I have not thought of yet. I have a feeling that my vet will not agree with only feeding at scheduled times. He has a cat that is diabetic and has said before that he thinks there should always be food available to them if they want it.
These are my babies, Dina and Simon.
Thanks so much :-)
Angie