I'm waiting to hear some answers on this one too. I have the same problem, 3 cats-2 skinny & one 10-year-old who is morbidly obese. I found the obese one in a parking lot, she obviously hadn't eaten in days & had a severe case of conjunctivitis. I have always wondered if she eats because she's afraid it will disappear. As yours does though, she eats any time anyone goes near the dish. I need to put her on a diet, but I don't know how, my other cats like to eat a little throughout the day. This one will eat until she is literally sick, then go back for more. Just before Christmas I thought she wouldn't make it long, she was wheezing so loud even when she wasn't moving. She stopped eating for a few days, lost several pounds & is now much, much better. She is back to eating again though, so I don't know how long that will last. If you can possibly get this problem in hand now, you can surely avoid the health problems my cat is having. Good luck!

I was going through the same thing with my kitten and one adult cat. I switched cat food and only put food out 2 x a day after that. The 3rd cat who is 17 yrs old quickly learned to be waiting for her share when I got up in the morning and when I made dinner. It took about a week for the "sharks" to stop circling when I went past the feeding station but it seems to have sorted its self out now. My theory of changing the cat food is that it was lacking something and the Nutro satisfied what ever it was they were missing. OR... The old cat food was better tasting and they only eat the Nutro because they have too. lol All in all it has sorted itself out. Good luck.
Lorie

I have the same problem. 2 fat cats and too really skinny cats. I am not sure what to do about it either and right now one of the skinny ones is very sick so I am feeding her 4 times a day to try and get her weight up.

I've switched their food a few times in the last few months. I was mixing adult with kitten, now shes on straight adult. I was switching between 2 premium brands, mostly. And she WILL gorge herself if there is only very little food in the bowl. Even if I feed them in two seperate bowls she will shove the other cat and growl at her, to eat out of her bowl, and she'll go back and do it again if the other cat goes to the other. She's protecting it. I dont want her to eat all of the food and have there be none left for the other cat, if I only give them small portions a few times a day. I'll try it though and see how the older kitty does. She's been here the longest out of all the animals and the poor things had to get used to a boxer pitbull, a puppy that LOVES the cats, and a new kitten. If she doesn't adjust, it'll have to go back to the way it was. I dont want her getting underweight and lethargic to save the other kitty from getting chubby.

And though I do worry about her getting fat, I'd like to figure out how to stop her from getting into all sorts of food, and eating anything she finds on the floor the might be edible. She doesn't jump on the counters when anyones around, but she definately gets up there at night. We cant even leave a dirty plate in the sink, or she'll get up there and lick it clean. But how do you stop an animal from doing something you cant catch them doing?? Tape and tinfoil havent phased her. I hate when she gets into the dog food because its so bad for them.

The other day she mustve snuck under my feet into the garage, and when I went back out I foud the dog food bag on its side, and the cat right in there, sitting down, feasting away.

I've had a fat cat before, the ones who just eat too much. But never ones possesive of their food, or anything foodwise. She tries to steal the dogs bones/cookies from them. We cant set our dinner down and turn away from it at all or she'll get up on the table and eat it, as long as we arent looking. She got into EVERYTHING when she snuck into the pantry once.

I need to know how to curb her behaviour, as well as her tubby belly.

Well, there are two suggestions I have. One, talk to your vet about food. Or at least look at calorie contents online. I've found that the calorie control food that our vet has is lower calories. We were using the vet food for quite some time and although our cats didn't loose weight much, they maintained instead of constant gaining and getting really fat.

The other is to control your cats feeding schedule. Our cats have gained weight over the past few months because we got sloppy on this. So, for example, our cat that was maintaining nicely at 16 lbs+ is now 18 lbs +. (The other thing is that he was constantly hungry and grumpy - which is partly why we have been overfeeding him. So we are now adjusting the cat food again per the vets instructions - half diet/half diabetic - and he is not diabetic.) Our cats are grazers too. And we have three of them. I give them half of their food in the morning and watch to make sure that each cat eats only out of their bowls. This takes 5-10 minutes each morning and I pick up their bowl as soon as they walk away to keep the other cat from eating it. They always want a second feeding about 10-15 minutes later. So, I give them their bowls again when they want it, and again make sure no one else eats out of it and pick it up again as soon as they walk away. We repeat this whole cycle again in the evening - and try to save a very small portion as a before bed treat. After seeing two of our cats gain a couple of pounds because we were getting so sloppy (feeding them extra, not paying attention to who was eating what) we are now getting back on track again. I should also mention, our other big cat is strictly on weight control and the third eats a mixture of Low Residue dry and canned (for IBD) and the weight control (which he doesn't need but insists on having). So, even more important for us to make sure they each eat out of the right bowl. Our thin cat will actually vomit if he gets any of the diabetic food.

The other thing, the bags have to be stored where the cats can't get into them. We store our smaller bags in an upper kitchen cabinet (they can open lower cabinets). Our big 16 lb bag gets stored on a closet shelf.

FYI - we have only been trying the diabetic food for about a week now but the big cat seems a lot less hungry. Vet indicated that it has more protien. And we are actually using the amount for a 13 lb cat as a guideline. So, hopefully with the new food for the one, our more watchful eye, and keeping stricter about their feeding schedule (no snacks once they finish their daily amount), we are hoping the two will loose the two exta pounds they have gained the past few months.

I know this problem well - make sure you nip weight problems in the bud sooner rather than later, because getting a cat to lose weight is really, really hard. Our problem was always that we didn't want our two cats eating each other's food. We found that the easiest solution was to feed the small cat on top of the fridge or the countertop -- he could reach it easily. Our very obese cat can barely jump onto the couch, so she has no chance in heck of getting onto the counters. It's worked out well over the years, and our fat kitty has slowly been losing weight. This'll only work, though, if your pudgeball is so fat that they can't jump very well.

You are right about your starving cat who now won't stop eating. All my cats are normal weight except the really old one is skinny. But the two rescues who were starving and in really rough shape are now both obese ,especially Izzy. She weighed under 7 pounds and now weighs 17. But I have a kitten and geriatric cat and am losing the battle. I don't have the patience to have many feedings during the day. I do only feed wet in the morning and the fatter they are the less they get..Old and young boy get the most.

Hmm. Maybe I will chat to my vet. The cats are do for shots and check ups soon anyways. Maybe then I can completely rule out anything medical too, since it hasn't been this way the entire time I've had her. The brand of food my vet sells, I don't like at all. From what I know about cat food, its not a very good one. Its mostly corn meal and byproducts, and meat doesnt come into the ingredient list until probably 5 ingredients in. So I'll ask her opinion on different food, but if she recommends only that brand I'll have to do a little research on my own.

And I wish she couldnt jump on the counter. That would solve all my problems, since I already feed them on our telephone desk. Cant put the cat food down, or the dog will eat it. Cant put the dog food anywhere in the house or the cat will eat it. I do keep the food bags in the garage. The kitty food gets put into a washed out plastic kitty litter bin. And then I fill up a container with a lid and pour spout to use in the house. I even keep that away too, though. Just incase, she is one smart kitty.

Last night we were eating some chips and a small piece dropped on the floor and she ran over to eat it. When my boyfriend tried to take it away from under her nose, she howled like I'd never heard her before, shoved it in her mouth and took off with it into a different room. I hope she doesnt become so aggressive over food that she gets physical.

Sounds like a check up is in order. Our stray kitty also tries to get the other's food, which is why we have to keep a constant eye on things when they eat. As long as I am watching, they won't take each others food, but if I walk away he frequently will.

Just curious, what brand of cat food does your vet sell? Instead of just looking at the ingrediant list, try checking to see the % of protien, etc.

They sell science diet.

These are the first few ingredients, of what I was given. the rest after that are mostly vitamins and other stuff that I dont know what it is, lol. The protien percentage is 33%. 2 percent less than the food they're on now.

Chicken By-Product Meal, Ground Whole Grain Corn, Pork Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), Corn Gluten Meal, Brewers Rice, Chicken Liver Flavor, Fish Oil, Flaxseed, Dried Egg Product.

They do have a few adult cat foods that have Chicken as the first ingredient, but the protien content is only 30 percent in those. And both the kitten and adult foods have more calories and fat, than the food they're currently on.

I also have cats in a collection of sizes--some sleek, some a little portly. I do carefully measure the food and do two feedings a day only. One feeding is usually wet food, the other dry, which I believe has more calories, so maybe cutting down on that would help your cat.

When we were battling the bulge with our big guy, our vet suggested getting a box, cutting a hole in it that only the thin cats could fit through and then keeping the food for the free-rangers there.

Instead, we were able to get his weight under control by having several feeding areas and carefully measuring his food. But maybe the box would work for you?

Hmm thats actually a really good idea. I'm not sure if the difference in size is enough for that, but its definately worth a try. Both my cats are fairly small in stature. My calico is about 8 pounds, shes just a tiny little thing. Not underweight though, just a small cat. My kitten is going to be an even smaller cat. Shes a bit shorter in length, and a bit taller, and about 2 pounds more than my other cat. She's only a bit wider than the other cat, but being that shes so short, it makes her look awful pudgy.

I'll give that a try tonight! hopefully theres a big enough difference in size that it works, and hopefully she doesnt chew through it.

Did he suggest how to measure so the big cats couldnt get in, or was there enough difference in yours that it was pretty easy?? I know cats can squish their way into holes smaller than their body, so I may have to measure my kitty, and make it just a bit small so she can just squeeze in, and hopefully the other can't.

I like Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul better than Science Diet because it has fresh chicken as the first ingredient. fresh chicken, salmon, turkey, duck and egg protin. apple cranberry, rosemary, parsley, potatoes. carrots peas, flaxseed dried chicory root(for gastrointestinal health) chicken fat and vitamin e to manitain freshness. I feed this in dog form to my dogs and their coats and skin look so good. My regular cats get dry food, my 20 lb cat(the one who is indoor only by choice) gets canned adult cat light.

Hi munkos, I forgot your piggy eater was a kitten when I posted about the box. You're right--if there isn't much a size difference it may be difficult to make an opening that one cat can get through but the other can not. I would start with a hole that's much smaller than you think you need to see if your calico can get into it.

A couple more thoughts: How long have you had this kitten? I ask because I took in a calico kitten last March who was completely food obsessed. We keep our cat food in those giant, airtight plastic tubs. During feedings, she would get on her hind paws, look down into the tub and meow frantically. There were even a few times where she just jumped into the tub and started eating!

My husband and I timed her. She would devour an entire can of cat food in less than 3 minutes and a serving of dry food took her about 5 minutes. She never bit down on her food but just swallowed it like a duck. She was loony!

I can't say for sure when it happened, but she did calm down. She still likes eating but she grazes casually. I think she knows now that the food is never going away.

Another thought: Just my experience, but all the kittens I've taken in have continued to grow and develop up through year 2. I had one that I worried would be a butterball but he suddenly had a spurt of growth and he's now a perfect weight. If your kitten is a little chunky, it's possible she may stretch out to be more proportionate.

I've had her since may, she was 12 weeks when I got her.

She eats like your kitten did, she rarely chews anything. She just goes nuts. And the times they only have a bit of food in the morning, I'll wait to refill til that evening, so they have two feedings. She runs around howling and meowing and chasing me up and down the stairs. I try to tell her that if she makes me fall down the stairs, she certainly won't get fed, but I dont think she listens well, lol.

She managed to steal a cookie from the beagle last night. I had one unhappy whiney dog on my hands for a few mintues after that.

I was thinking she might stretch out, and become proportionate. Though it seems even when she's growing lengthwise, she keeps growing widthwise too. I'm not all that worried yet, shes still very active, if not over active. So she's definately getting her exersize. But Im glad I've got some tips on what to do now, if it does become a problem and her weight doesn't start to even out.

My sister has a cat that is 20 pounds, and he cant clean himself anymore. He gets so dirty and greasy, they have to bathe him atleast once a week. He's just a big cat though, he looks like he's got a lot of maine coon in him. When I hold him his tail goes down to my knees! Oddly enough, he hates people food and cat treats. He only likes cat food. But I dont want my little kitty to become wheezy and grunty like he is. While its cute and amusing, I feel bad for the big guy.