How to NOT free feed cats

15 years ago

We have always free-fed out three cats. Recently, Lily was diagnosed with renal failure and is on a strict diet. Canned food (9 Lives, Whiskas, etc) was a special treat usually give once or twice a week for them all, and they always have dry food available at all times.

My dilemma is this: "Fat Boy" Frank loves Lily's new canned and dry food, but it is higher in fat and protein, and Fat boy is becoming a rather large furry meatloaf eating all her food (he is the dominant cat, so he chases Lily away from the canned food plate. Lily, on the other hand I want her to eat as much as she can all the time, she lost 2 lbs off of her already thin 8 lb body.

I need to find a way to bring a regular weight-loss cat food back in for Frank and Cali, but then Lily eats it as well and I only want to feed her the prescription diet, and keep the other cats from digging in with her on her canned food.

I need to know how to feed them separately when Lily's food is much too yummy for them to ignore. I hate to shut a cat up in the pantry while Lily is eating, and she doesn't eat much as it is. I really want her to free-feed, but I don't want the other two eating her diet,

How do I keep the cats apart for this situation?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (4)

glaserberl
15 years ago
How are the other two at jumping? We have one skinny and one fat one. I started feeding the skinny one on a tall shelf. The bigger one just can't jump that high. That worked for over a year, but I caught her up there the other day. She figured out how to climb behind another shelf and work her way up to the food.
Katharina
laurief_gw
15 years ago
Hah! I feel your pain. I free fed all of my cats all of my life until last year. This current pride of cats (15 at the moment) includes a number of too-hearty eaters, many of whom became overweight (from slightly overweight to morbidly obese). So last year I finally decided this could not continue when one of my boys had a diabetes scare.

NO MORE ALL DAY BUFFET FOR MY KITTY KIDS! I switched them to portioned meals, first three times a day, then reduced it to twice a day. They now get fed Innova Evo dry a.m. and Wysong au Jus canned p.m. Each cat is put in a separate room at breakfast so that there is no sharing of food. The evening canned food meal is fed communally, however. This schedule works for most of the cats, and all of the portly felines have taken off weight. Some have even reached target weight.

There are exceptions, though. One of the boys has a very fast metabolism and is extremely active, so I feed him whenever he requests it during his more active summer months. I just stick him in a bathroom with his food whenever he wants to eat.

The newest cat showed up underweight, so he is currently getting fed three times a day. That'll reduce to twice a day soon, though.

And then there's Billy, my CRF and hyperT old man. Since I am home all day, I just feed Billy whenever it looks like I might be able to convince him to eat - at least 6 times a day, usually closer to 10. Since Billy won't eat if I take him to a separate room, I just feed him wherever he is and stand guard to keep the other cats at bay while he eats (unless I get lucky and he's already in a room by himself where I can just shut the door). The other cats all know I won't let them steal Billy's food, but they'll still try unless I'm nearby guarding.

There really is no easy way to handle separate feeding when you're nursing a CRF cat who needs to eat frequently, but it's not impossible, either. If you're at home during the day, it's certainly doable. It just takes a commitment of time.

Laurie
Related Discussions
What do I feed a viceroy cat?
Q
Comments (6)
Hmmm, I'm wondering if your caterpillar is a Red-Spotted Purple. Viceroys feed on a variety of willows. Red-spotted purples can be found on different trees, including, poplars, crab-apples, purple plums, wild cherries, etc. The two caterpillars are hard to differentiate. I would try the cherry, or just continue to provide a few leaves from the apple tree and raise the caterpillar in a container. Check out the FAQs on this forum for more information. One caterpillar shouldn't devastate your tree.
...See More
feeding cats different milkweed varieties?
Q
Comments (4)
Cats switch better in their later instars, in my experience (4th or 5th instars). The older the cat, the better the results. Ultimately, it's better to raise them on one variety if at all possible. Good point about Milkweed's potential for irritation and eye injury. Washing one's hands immediately after handling milkweed will prevent any problems caused by contact c the sap. Rubber gloves may also be used and carefully removed afterwards. But I think interested kids should be taught how to handle MW and cats properly. They can make great students and teachers too in our quest to save this fragile species.
...See More
what to feed a pipevine cat (other than pipevine)
Q
Comments (4)
Some of the 4th or 5th instar cats can really wander quite a ways when they run out of food, but 1st instar isn't going very far. Wish I lived close by, I'd have plenty pipevine for that little cat!
...See More
How to feed a cat with multiple serious health issues?
Q
Comments (16)
Nila, I'm afraid I'm not the best person to ask about cooking meat because I, too, am vegetarian. I have, however, been feeding Raw Prey Model to my cats and dogs for the last several years, so I've gotten a crash course in certain aspects of a meat-based diet for cats. First, I need to caution you against feeding too much liver. Although liver is an essential element in the RPM that I feed, it must be used in very limited quantity. Liver is high in both Vitamin A and iron, both of which can cause toxicity if fed in excess. Liver should not make up more than 5% of a feline or canine diet. The same 5% rule holds true for most organ meats (kidney, spleen, pancreas, testicle, etc.) Heart and gizzards, however, are considered muscle meat, and muscle meats make up approx. 80% of the RPM diet. Although I don't eat meat myself, I am aware that most meats (esp. red meats and, I believe, pork) can be cooked just enough to kill bacteria without substantially changing the texture of the meat. If you cook beef or other red meats to medium or less, they will retain a firm, connected texture that won't shred as the cat chews it. But to be honest, my cats often swallow LARGE chunks of meat without much chewing at all. In fact, the chunks they swallow are sometimes so large that the cat has to vomit it back up and chew it a little more just to get it to stay down (gross but true). I'm sorry that I can't be more specific about cooked meats, but I just don't have much experience with them. If I were you, I would cook meats according to the following chart (use a meat thermometer) to kill bacteria: http://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/mintemp.html Then cool the meat and cut into whatever size chunks you think will work for your boy. Don't overcook the meat beyond the temps recommended at that link, or the meat may start falling apart and shredding, rather than holding together in chewable chunks. Laurie This post was edited by laurief on Mon, Mar 24, 14 at 19:17
...See More
michelle_phxaz
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks, I figured there was no easy way. Katharina, Fat Boy can jump onto the kitchen counters, so that is out. He may be fat but he is spry!

I am home all day, so I will just get into the routine of twice daily feedings for the "hefty" cats and give Lily her canned food whenever she wants (she isn't shy about letting me know she is hungry). I put the plate of food near me and use a foot to keep Fat Boy from Hoovering her plate.

Fat Boy just jumped off my lap after a nice long nap, and as soon as I have feeling in my left leg again I will go close the buffet.

Laurie, I would love to have 15 cats, I do envy you! You can never be lonely with a cat in the house.
laurief_gw
15 years ago
Although I love every one of my 4-l;egged kids with utmost devotion, I certainly never intended to have fifteen cats at one time. Seven years ago, someone in my area discovered that my deadend road in the middle of the woods is an ideal place to dump animals without getting caught. This dumper has graced me with eleven cats and one puppy over the years (and who knows how many more may have been killed by forest predators before they made it to the safety of my farm). When they show up here, they become part of the family. That's just the way life goes here at Shadowood.

Laurie

How to NOT free feed cats

Comments (4)

glaserberl

laurief_gw

Related Discussions

michelle_phxaz
Original Author

laurief_gw

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

How to NOT free feed cats

Comments (4)

glaserberl

laurief_gw

Related Discussions

michelle_phxazOriginal Author

laurief_gw

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

michelle_phxaz
Original Author