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Old April 17th, 2006, 01:13 PM
macdonv macdonv is offline
Molly & Mrs Norris's mum
 
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Location: Windsor, Ontario
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Caught between a fat cat and a skinny cat

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!

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Old April 17th, 2006, 01:30 PM
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phoenix phoenix is offline
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Location: Peterborough, Ontario
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If you've been reading everything on here, you'll know that grocery store food brands are not quality foods and might even be causing some of the problems you're having. Check out this thread:
http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread....good+cat+foods

I'm not a cat person but please read some threads in the feeding section. None of the foods you've mentioned are good quality for your kitties. Well, I'll let some cat owners give you better advice than I can, but just wanted to get you started.
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Old April 17th, 2006, 01:51 PM
macdonv macdonv is offline
Molly & Mrs Norris's mum
 
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Location: Windsor, Ontario
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Quote:
Originally Posted by phoenix
If you've been reading everything on here, you'll know that grocery store food brands are not quality foods and might even be causing some of the problems you're having. Check out this thread:
http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread....good+cat+foods

I'm not a cat person but please read some threads in the feeding section. None of the foods you've mentioned are good quality for your kitties. Well, I'll let some cat owners give you better advice than I can, but just wanted to get you started.
Thanks for replying so quickly. However, now I am even more confused. When I first got Molly, the vet suggested Iams or Science Diet. I understand that Cat Chow isn't the best for them, but it's a step up from Happy Cat. But why not Iams or Science Diet? I just came from PetsMart and their aisles and aisles of cat food. I'm leery of going with a brand that I have never heard of - what do the cat folks here suggest that is reputable, healthy, and most of all, affordable? Nutro Natural Choice? Nutro MaxCat? ProPlan? Authority? Royal Canin? My head spins!
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Old April 17th, 2006, 02:01 PM
jawert1 jawert1 is offline
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First off, welcome to the boards! I know your pain about food, one would *think* a vet's office and pet stores would carry only the very best foods, however most vets have contracted with companies like Iam's and Hills to peddle their food - which is just gross. Nutro is a great start and is carried by Petsmart, certainly better than anything Purina or Hill's puts out, and not quite as hard on the budget. There are a ton of cat folks here that can give you recommendations as to what they feed their feline companions. Thanks so much for doing your homework for the best health of your furries, says a lot about you as a person

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Old April 17th, 2006, 02:54 PM
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phoenix phoenix is offline
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So sorry to confuse you!
It is a lot to read and "digest", so to speak. But, yes, as stated above, vets unfortunately do not learn a lot about nutrition in school, and often carry very poor quality foods that have been pushed on to them through contracts with companies.
I hope someone who actually has a cat (Chico??) comes on and gives you some good advice. All that I can say is that Iams, Hills, Science Diet, Cat Chow/Purina etc are not very good due to the fillers, corn etc in them. Some good brands are Wellness, Felidae, Solid Gold, um...
Anyway, good luck with your reading (do a search on cat food to find some previous threads on this topic). You are to be patted on the back for trying to find out more about this!
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Old April 17th, 2006, 03:47 PM
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chico2 chico2 is offline
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Location: Oakville Ontario
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Hi Macdonv welcome to the Forum!I am certainly no expert,but I know what to feed my cats and what they like.
I too have one cat that is a bit chunky and my other two are fine.
I've tried everything on the market wanting them to eat what is actually good for them,no cornfiller etc..
Right now,they free-feed on Nutros Natural Choice,a good middle of the road food and Chicken-soup-for-cat-lovers-soul(not available everywhere)and although I've tried,Merricks,Wellness and other canned foods,they prefer Fancy Feast,they split a small can twice a day.
I always have to watch that my little fatty(Vinnie)does not finish the other 2 dishes,because he would!
I think it's important they have their own dish,some people don't,that way you can control how much they eat.
Another thing,I never listen to my vet,when it comes to food,although she always tries to advice me,we the owners,know our cats,they do not and will push what they sell highly overpriced,for garbage-foods.
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