Question for Cat owners, lovers etc.....

[Amesjustin]

Straws are the absolute favorite of both our cats, followed closely by bottlecaps, pens, and twisty-ties. Also any type of bug that happens to get in, even spiders with 1-inch abdomens.

[Tiamat]

I guess we need to get IAMS then cause we be feeding the kittie junk food. We give them dry food. Yup we bought all the expensive cat toys and they just go to waste. Sparky's favorite thing to do is to get what ever to he's playing with at the time and swat it under the pantry door in the kitchen and then see how far he can stick his arm under the door to get it. Always amazes me cause he always manages to get it out.

[Japher]

Iams comes dry too... Just compare lables on the food bags.

Make sure the first ingredient is some sort of by-product "meal", not just "by-product", and check the fat contents. Cats sleep a lot, so they don't burn much fat.

I can't remember too much on this, my wife takes care of most of their nutrition, I just buy the food and allot it.

If I gave my cat all the food it wanted it would be 20 pounds again.

My wife is an Animal Science person (she's got a BS in it) and worked for a Vet clinic for 5 years, grew up on a ranch, and now works in a vivarian clinic. When she gets home I'll ask her what to look for... but, I do know that Iams is the best store brand, and that only recently became one.

[Tiamat]

Yes our little Stevie is quite the little porker

[Japher]

"Kitty" was 8 pounds when we got him. About 3 years later I got him this sheepskin bed you hang in the window. The same year we got a dog. That cat stayed in that bed for 2 years!!! Coming down only to eat and sheit. At the end of it he was up to 22 pounds!!! That was 4 years ago. I took over his diet and he is now back to 10 pounds, which I think is a healthy weight for him. Yet, then he gets along well with the dog now.

[Tiamat]

Stevie's favorite thing to do is to climb on my husbands chest when he's laying down and snuggle under his chin but yesterday when she tried she moved the wrong way and her weight made her slide off down his side and there she is this fat little cat claws out grabbing onto his chest for dear life. After he got through screaming in pain we laughed for a few minutes after...

[asleepathewheel]

Iams and Science diet dry are the way to go for cats.

[Japher]

I think I caught them in the "act", see how much they love each other:

[Japher]

Tiamat


I talked to my wife, and here is what she says about feeding your kids:

a) Take them off of wet food. To ween them from wet food mix half wet with half dry... They need to get to dry food because it helps their teeth clean, sharpen, and shorten.

b) Do not feed them "weight loss" food until they are at least 1 year old, even if they have weight problems. They need the proteins that is in the "kitten" food.

c) Do not feed them more than 1/2 cup a day of food, especially if they have eating problems... like Stevie seems to have.

d) If one of them is gaining more weight than the other, feed them separatly. In different rooms, doors closed... chances are the fat one is stealing the other ones food.

e) Do not let them have access to food all day. Train them to eat at specified times, if the don't take it away and let them starve... they will learn... Our "kids" eat at 7 am and 10 pm, we never have a problem with them begging or starving, more likely the still gain weight based on the amount of food we give them.

f) After 1 year of age put the fat on weight loss food. Any brand that says "less active" or "weight control" will do. Cats are picky eaters, so whatever they will eat. Iams is good but Nutro is too (ignore the recent problems with that food, it HAS been fixed), we feed Kitty Science Diet because it is the only one he will eat.

That's about it....

[Tiamat]

Thanks so much!! Steve (husband) feeds them every time they whine........ I tell him not to but he whines just as much!! But their hungry.....and look at them how can I not. He stood behind me and read your post so now maybe he won't give into them so much. And no he didn't name the cat after himself he named her after his favorite singer Stevie Nicks.

You got any suggestions to fix why they won't cover their poo up? We have trouble getting Stevie to do that she always wants to scratch the side of her litter box and not cover anything up. And since I have such a hard time getting Steve to change the cat box I got a bit devious

I figure if they aren't going to cover their poo up and it stinks so bad I placed the poo box right next to the computer desk since he spends so much time on the computer playing games.......it's amazing how fast and often that box is getting changed now!

[Japher]

I have the same problem with the poo covering bit. Unfortunately, I have no idea, and Kitty's liter box is right next to the computer too!!! (have you been talking to my wife?)... It took several years for me just to keep the cat from scratching the side of the box for 5 minutes! It's an annoying sound. One thing I found that helps is to get one of them boxes that has the vent filters on top, I also use Liter Deoderant stuff, and that helps.

Also, you could get a dog. They like to eat kitty poo

[Tiamat]

Oh my gosh!!! We live in the same house!! ARGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG I can't tell you how many times I wake up screaming at her to stop FREEKING scratching!! God is that annoying!

I think we are going to get one of those self cleaning cat boxes. But that might take all the fun out of it for Sparky. He's just like a guy......drops a big stinking load and has to come get you to check it out 'cause he's proud of it