May I suggest that instead of having food out on the floor all day, you begin feeding them measured amts (of any good food) at specific times, and then remove the bowls when they're finished. If they don't finish all at once, they'll do it later, or else ... begin losing some weight (they won't starve if you do feed them at least twice a day!). They'll get used to the set times and show up to eat then, and no one will need to be on a diet, so much as just getting the right amt of food to begin with.

I second the above. I always had food out because my old cat was too skinny. Now that Mollie is gone I feed the other two only twice a day. I'm feeding Chicken Soup For The Pet Lover's Soul light formula. That and the feeding only twice a day has helped my "chunky" cat to loose 1 pound in a couple month. It's slow, but it works.

Here is a link that might be useful: Chicken soup

If you ask my boy cat he'll tell you that Purina Pro Plan Weight Management is really great- he managed to gain another 2 pounds on it!

I have to agree with the other posters, your best bet is to control the food and its availability. That's really hard with more than one cat though! My boy is now losing weight since the other cat has to eat a prescription diet so now we have to find a way to control food. Now it doesn't seem to matter if he's eating a lite formula or not, he's losing weight because he's just not eating as much. Some days I feel like all I do is uncover one's food, cover it up, uncover the other's food, cover it up...

Good luck.

Q

Fancy feast. It's mostly water.

Fancy Feast cans meghane? I am having the same problem. I have 4 kitties. the girls are the weight they should be or a little under. One is 6lbs, one is 7lbs. the boys are monsters. one is 13lbs, and one is 14lbs. they should be under 10lbs! I think they keep gaining weight to be bigger than the other? is that crazy? kind of like the overpowering ruler of the roost? I do feed them cans of fancy feast (about 4 per day total - so about 1 each) and I do leave dry food out. they eat about a small bowl full a day. I had been leaving the dry food out for years with the oldest and he was about 10.5 lbs. He has gained since I got the other three over the last 2 years. I am afraid the girls who are on the skinny side will lose weight while I am trying to get the boys to do so. I have to start keeping a log of their weights. I don't know what to do about the food though.

Boppadaboo- Yep, Fancy Feast cans. Most cats snarf it up quickly so that there can't be any sharing. One can twice a day is usually plenty for a normal-sized cat (not the giant maine coons, etc). No dry food. The dry food is probably the problem- the boys graze all day and the girls get their FF and nothing else.

The other option is to feed each cat separately, but that's a pain.

thanks so much meghane. I had it all wrong. I have been cutting back on the fancy feast instead of the dry food! which is silly if that isn't the worse of the two since they love it so much. If I did one can twice a day for each of them it would be 4 cans in the morning and 4 cans at night. Maybe I will try a bit more fancy feast a day and start to cut down on the dry food.

I do see all of them eat the dry food now, but probably since there isn't enough canned stuff to go around.

meghane's right. Canned food is much better for them then dry food because it's mostly water and fills them up quicker. Has your vet told you they're overweight? My 2 girls weigh in at 6.5 and 8 pounds. 8 pounds is normal for her breed. The oldest and only boy weighs 12.5 - 13 pounds. 12 to 14 is normal. They are birmans so they have squatty kind of bodies compared to a sleek breed.
My DD has a part Maine coon who weighed over 22 pounds but since starting him on fancy feast he's lost 4 pounds and looks wonderful. And make sure you exercise them.

The vet has told me they were overweight, but was not very helpful in terms of what to do to help them lose weight.

I guess the only part I am still unsure of is how to slowly break them of the dry food. I am guessing it isn't good for them to go cold turkey. One of my 4 is very persnikety and has starved herself when I first got her. I know that can be bad for them.

Right now I put down two cans of food in the morning and two cans at night and they don't eat it all. I am assuming I have to work up to 4 cans in the morning and at night and no dry food. I guess maybe if I start them on rations of dry at the same time as the cans? then slowly work out the dry?

I dont' know why I am so worried about this!

Actually I would give them both. Just really limit the amount of dry food (which helps with their teeth). My cats are really picky about what kind of canned food and the presentation. They only like "gourmet" fancy feast. My daughter's cats like the sliced. Fish only but no salmon. I empty the cans onto the plate in a whole form. They won't eat it if you smash it up. They like to lick the oils off the food first. For three cats, 4 cans a day.

OK - I stocked up on the fancy feast and I am going to give it a try. thanks to both of you for your help and encouragement. I have been really worried about their health but at the same time paranoid about what to do. (good think I don't have kids!) I have a coworker that has serious problems with one of her kitties that stopped eating for awhile and developed some type of digestive disorder because of it and that just paralyzed me. I know it is silly, but there I was.

thanks again!

I give my cats both wet and dry. The dry food is more fattening, but without it they might develope dental problems.
Donna