Chloe - Small Cat/Doesnt eat a lot

[Donna]

Chloe has always been a lot smaller than Misty. They are not related so assumed Misty was just a "big cat" and Chloe was a "small cat".

She is very fussy with food, but likes kibbles (which she cannot tolerate as she gets cystitis when on dry food).

I do worry about her as you can feel her spine. She appears very healthy and happy but just seems too small if you get my meaning.

She tends to lick the gravy/jelly off of food and leave the meat, so she doesnt really get to each much at all each day. Misty is quite happy to mop up her left overs :roll: which will explain why she is a bigger cat.

If she does eat stuff she only eats a small amount and then leaves the rest for later maybe, but it is gone when she is back as Misty is there again :roll:

I have tried giving chicken leftovers after dinner, but she is not fussed... although she loves raw chicken...

Any ideas to help me get her to eat something/bit more?

[angieh]

How old is Chloe Donna, and do you know exactly what she does weigh?

[Donna]

How old is Chloe Donna, and do you know exactly what she does weigh?

Hi, she is five years old this month and I have just weighed her. She is 3kg exactly.

[angieh]

I wouldn't think that 3kg is too bad, but it is certainly worrying if you don't think she is eating enough. If she is a "little and often" girl it is sad that when she goes back to her food, it has been cleared up by Misty! I would think that's the main problem to try and sort first. Is there anywhere she could have her food where Misty won't be able to finish it off for her? That's a hard ask I expect but may be worth thinking about.

[Donna]

I might go down a "better quality" food.. bought some Natures Menu today to try them on.

Also, will maybe give her a few tidbits when Misty is not around so if she does miss out on her dinner by Misty finishing it off, then she will get extras from me as treats. Might give her some raw as well once in a while as a treat. Does that sound ok?

I dont think she is too bad weight wise, but just dont want the situation to make her underweight as she cannot afford to lose any!

[angieh]

Yes, the treat idea when Misty isn't around is a good idea and also the "better quality" food, if she will eat it. Just try and up her calorie intake. I take your point about her not being able to afford to lose any weight, especially with the cold weather around the corner.

Good luck - let us know how she gets on.

[Elaine]

Wil she take cat milk at all? A little cat milk a few times a day might help, maybe even split her meals into smaller amounts but feed them more often.....
Just a thought.

[dandysmom]

All good ideas, smaller but often, extra treats, cat milk. It's difficult with one cat who likes to leave some for later and another who scarfs up any found food. Good luck, Donna.

[pamela81]

When we put a sachet of food down to harris, he only takes a tiny amount of it and leaves it, he does go back during the day but again he only eats minute amounts of it. We feed him on felix which is what he was fed at the cat protection. We also put dry food down which he eats aswell. Hes only about 6 month and when we got him, he only weighed in at 2.37kg, hes still quite skrawny but very healthy and active.

[Netty]

Oliver is the same Pamela. He only eats small amounts of food and when we got him, we took him to the vet to get a check up and the vet said he was a bit underweight. He was 2.5 kg and 11 weeks old. Still cant get him to eat a plate of food, but he does like chicken and fish, which he scoffs! Havent weighed him since, but he will be 4 months at the end of the week and he still looks scrawny!

[Velvet]

Nature's Menu is brilliant. We sprinkle a little dry over it. Tim has come on in leaps and bounds from we put him onto it. He was a wee bit underweight when we got him plus he was allergic to the Whiskas the sanctuary where giving him [They also had them on Royal Canin kitten dry].

I cannot rate Natures Menu highly enough.

Tim is now 4 1/2 months old - we feed on demand still. That may change when his "little brother" comes at the weekend - competition may make him eat his food when its set down, or, hey ho, we may end up feeding both on demand