So I'll try to make this short. Wish me luck
We have three cats, and each has a different food issue.
Our newest, Nougat, is undersized and needs to gain weight. (She weighs six pounds at almost eleven months.) She is the only one with digestive issues and so far her stools are too soft, though improving on a bland prescription diet. She dislikes wet food (other than Fancy Feast which gives her the runs, so she doesn't get that) but likes her dry prescription food just fine. She eats in little nibbles here and there, basically grazing all day and all night. The amount she should consume barely gets eaten this way. To get her to eat her (also prescription food) wet, I have to hold it next to her nose and then she gingerly will eat a bit at a time. The vet said her dry food should be out and available at all times.
Cat number two, Clara, has really taken to Nougat's dry food. The vet said the food is fine for all the cats to have, though costly $$$. But for the last month I had left the dry prescription food out, and Clara has gained a lot of weight. She's had some weight issues before, but this new prescription food had made her balloon. DH has said we have to make sure she only gets fed meal-times and not have access to it all day (and night!) long.
Cat number three, Sokolov, is a normal cat with no food sensitivities, who is happy to eat Nougat's new food (wet or dry) and Fancy Feast, and any old food. He does not have stool issues nor is he overweight or underweight.
I have a way to separate them during wet-food feeds (so far twice a day) but not for the rest of the time, as our smallish home should be open to roam and go about and interact.
I don't know what to do about the *dry food to be left out* matter.
What would you do?
We're wide open to suggestions.
We have three cats, and each has a different food issue.
Our newest, Nougat, is undersized and needs to gain weight. (She weighs six pounds at almost eleven months.) She is the only one with digestive issues and so far her stools are too soft, though improving on a bland prescription diet. She dislikes wet food (other than Fancy Feast which gives her the runs, so she doesn't get that) but likes her dry prescription food just fine. She eats in little nibbles here and there, basically grazing all day and all night. The amount she should consume barely gets eaten this way. To get her to eat her (also prescription food) wet, I have to hold it next to her nose and then she gingerly will eat a bit at a time. The vet said her dry food should be out and available at all times.
Cat number two, Clara, has really taken to Nougat's dry food. The vet said the food is fine for all the cats to have, though costly $$$. But for the last month I had left the dry prescription food out, and Clara has gained a lot of weight. She's had some weight issues before, but this new prescription food had made her balloon. DH has said we have to make sure she only gets fed meal-times and not have access to it all day (and night!) long.
Cat number three, Sokolov, is a normal cat with no food sensitivities, who is happy to eat Nougat's new food (wet or dry) and Fancy Feast, and any old food. He does not have stool issues nor is he overweight or underweight.
I have a way to separate them during wet-food feeds (so far twice a day) but not for the rest of the time, as our smallish home should be open to roam and go about and interact.
I don't know what to do about the *dry food to be left out* matter.
What would you do?
We're wide open to suggestions.