Switch from the diet dry food crap and give them wet food. Wet food is more protein-based. The Atkins diet is bullshit for humans, but the Catkins diet is perfect for kitty. They need protein protein protein because they're strict carnivores. Dry food usually has A LOT of added, unnecessary filler carbs that contribute to fatty kitty. I put Princess on a strictly wet food diet a few years ago (1/2 can morning and night, making one full 5.5 oz can a day) and she's down from 13 lbs to about 9, much healthier. The feeding guidelines say I'm actually underfeeding her, but she's a sedentary super senior at 14 years old, so her energy expenditure is REALLY low. She's been steady at 9 lbs for a couple years now, unless you count that month of weight loss when she wasn't eating while she recovered from Raz's attack.
Now as for Raz, we tried a strictly wet food diet, but he doesn't eat a lot at once, he tends to let it sit and graze throughout the day, and if wet food is left sitting out it goes bad, so we switched him to a dry food diet, BUT on a very specific dry food. None of that "diet" crap. I buy him Blue Buffalo, which has mostly dehydrated meat (i.e. PROTEIN!) and no grains like corn or wheat or soy or any of that other filler stuff found in most dry food. I also only feed him 1/4 cup in the morning and another 1/8 cup at night. When we adopted him, he was underweight and we were told to help him gain some healthy weight. Eating 1/4 cup in the morning and another 1/4 cup in the evening (so 1/2 cup for a day) brought him up to about 9 - 10 lbs (he started at 7 lbs), which is where the vet wants him, so I reduced his night-time feeding by 1/8 cup and his weight has stayed steady and he's happy and healthy and energetic and his food doesn't go bad and make him sick. So if you absolutely want to stick to dry food, get QUALITY dry food. The Blue Buffalo stuff is rather pricey compared to most cat foods, but Raz's health is worth it to me, so I pay it.
Quality is a big deal for wet food, too. I just switched Princess' wet food because I couldn't continue to support Friskies, which is ultimately owned by Nestle, a company I refuse to give my hard-earned money to. I'm still searching for a better wet food for her, but it's going to cost many monies - the stuff I have her on now is about $1/day to feed her.
Avoid by-products. "Chicken by-product meal" is NOT chicken. Avoid grains. Get lots of meat, look at crude protein percentages on the side of the can/bag. And never let them free-feed. If you have cats that are stealing food from other cats, feed them in completely separate areas, perhaps in other rooms with the doors shut. Not allowing access to other cats' food is the best way to keep kitties from filching extras.
Ugh, I was afraid of that. I used to take turns feeding them in a room but I don't have time to do that anymore. I could try separate rooms maybe. I haven't tried that one yet. That'd probably be easier than sitting there waiting for them to finish eating.
I don't think money is a problem because my parents are gonna pay for it and they don't mind as long as it's not $100 or something. I'll probably try the Blue Buffalo after the diet cat food is gone then (we got a lot left).
Now as for Raz, we tried a strictly wet food diet, but he doesn't eat a lot at once, he tends to let it sit and graze throughout the day, and if wet food is left sitting out it goes bad, so we switched him to a dry food diet, BUT on a very specific dry food. None of that "diet" crap. I buy him Blue Buffalo, which has mostly dehydrated meat (i.e. PROTEIN!) and no grains like corn or wheat or soy or any of that other filler stuff found in most dry food. I also only feed him 1/4 cup in the morning and another 1/8 cup at night. When we adopted him, he was underweight and we were told to help him gain some healthy weight. Eating 1/4 cup in the morning and another 1/4 cup in the evening (so 1/2 cup for a day) brought him up to about 9 - 10 lbs (he started at 7 lbs), which is where the vet wants him, so I reduced his night-time feeding by 1/8 cup and his weight has stayed steady and he's happy and healthy and energetic and his food doesn't go bad and make him sick. So if you absolutely want to stick to dry food, get QUALITY dry food. The Blue Buffalo stuff is rather pricey compared to most cat foods, but Raz's health is worth it to me, so I pay it.
Quality is a big deal for wet food, too. I just switched Princess' wet food because I couldn't continue to support Friskies, which is ultimately owned by Nestle, a company I refuse to give my hard-earned money to. I'm still searching for a better wet food for her, but it's going to cost many monies - the stuff I have her on now is about $1/day to feed her.
Avoid by-products. "Chicken by-product meal" is NOT chicken. Avoid grains. Get lots of meat, look at crude protein percentages on the side of the can/bag. And never let them free-feed. If you have cats that are stealing food from other cats, feed them in completely separate areas, perhaps in other rooms with the doors shut. Not allowing access to other cats' food is the best way to keep kitties from filching extras.
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I don't think money is a problem because my parents are gonna pay for it and they don't mind as long as it's not $100 or something. I'll probably try the Blue Buffalo after the diet cat food is gone then (we got a lot left).
Thanks :)
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