I just found this site, and have been reading just about everything here - what a goldmine! Here's my situation:
I have 2 cats, Molly (13-14 lbs), and Mrs Norris (8-9.5 lbs). Molly's around 5 years old, while Mrs Norris is around 3. And she's prone to hairballs, while Molly never seems to have any.
It's almost impossible to slim one cat down while trying to fatten another up, so I just don't give Molly extra treats. She'll get a Temptations or two after I clip her nails, but not as a meal supplement. I was feeding them both Purina Cat Chow Indoor Cat Formula. As I mentioned, Mrs Norris is a hairball factory. It was sometimes common to be greeted by hairballs (and sometimes some thrown-up food) up to 3 times a week. Then she just started throwing up her food, sometimes before it even started to be digested, but not every day - maybe once or twice a week. Usually on the furniture. :-) She loves Fancy Feast wet food (a fatten-up treat for her) and doesn't throw that up, so I figured maybe she just doesn't like the taste of the Indoor Cat dry food.
I switched them both to the Cat Chow Advanced Nutrition. Mrs Norris hasn't thrown up since the switch was made (about a month ago), which leads me to believe she just didn't like the other stuff. However, she has lost a half-pound since then, and she doesn't really have a lot to spare. She still drinks regularly and eats regularly, but not as much - almost like she's on a self-imposed diet. Her litter visits are normal. They both play "chase me" with their normal vigour.
Has she just turned into a finicky eater?
To try and accommodate having a fat cat and a skinny cat, should I try switching them to the new Iams Multiple cat? I've also discovered that Hill's Science Diet has a "Sensitive Stomach" blend. Would this maybe be better for Mrs Norris?
Any thoughts would be appreciated!
