Dear Siouxsie and Thomas:

I have an 11-year-old Seal Point Siamese. I brought her and her sister, Thelma and Louise, into my home as kittens. I have always "demand" fed my cats with no problems, allowing them to nibble all day. Louise passed away last January and I brought Sara, a Chocolate Point, into my home last May to fill the void in both mine and Thelma's lives. Thelma and Sara get along really well and my only concern is that Sara is a "gulper" and eats as much of the food I put out as soon as she can. I know the best way to feed gulpers is to put out only what they should eat at each meal, but I hate to do this because Thelma is a nibbler and expects the food to always be there for her. Thelma has arthritis in her back leg so she can't jump or climb very well so I can't even put her food up (not that I could ever get it out of Sara's reach anyway) I really don't want Sara to become obese. Any suggestions?

Thelma and Sara's loving mother,
Cheryl

Siouxsie: It's always difficult to feed a "nibbler" and a "gulper" in the same house, but especially when your nibbler has trouble climbing or reaching areas that you may be able to make off-limits to the gulper.

Thomas: Your best option is to train both of your cats to eat in one particular way. You can train them both to be free-feeders, or you can train them both to eat at only certain times of the day.

Siouxsie: Most experts believe it's easier to train both cats to eat on a set schedule, particularly when you've got one cat that inhales all food available. But if you have the time and the patience, you may be able to train Sara, your gulper, to become a nibbler.

Thomas: The best way to get Sara accustomed to being a nibbler is to feed smaller meals more frequently throughout the day.

Siouxsie: If you do this, you need to be sure that Sara's daily ration doesn't exceed the total amount she should eat in a day. So if the feeding instructions on your kibble say that each cat should get one-half to two-thirds of a cup per day, be sure to divide that total portion into a small amount distributed at increasingly frequent amounts through the day. You might start with a quarter of the ration every 3 or 4 hours, and then go to every 2 hours, and maybe every hour and a half after that.

Thomas: You don't want to leave canned food out all day. As you probably know, canned food gets crusty and gross after about half an hour.

Siouxsie: If you feed a combination of kibble and canned food, use the same portions you already do, but just put out a tablespoon of canned food at feeding time.

Thomas: You can also purchase a rolling treat toy and put some of the kibble inside it. That way, the cats can get some exercise and play as well as a treat. Again, if you use the treat ball, make sure you adjust the food portions accordingly.

Siouxsie: It will take a while for Sara to get used to eating only a little bit at a time. You may have to do this periodic feeding of small amounts for a couple of weeks before Sara gets the idea that she doesn't have to Hoover up every single speck in her plate.

Thomas: We'd recommend that after two weeks of controlled-portion feeding, you conduct an experiment to see if Sara is learning to be a nibbler. Put two portions of food in her dish at one feeding -- preferably not the first feeding of the day, because she'll probably be extra-hungry first thing in the morning -- and see if she eats all of it.

Siouxsie: If she doesn't eat all the food in the double-size portion, you've successfully transitioned Sara into the nibbling habit. If she does, you're going to have to continue to feed small portions for another week, then repeat the experiment. Once Sara has gotten used to the idea that she can take a bite or two and leave the rest of the food in the bowl, you can start leaving out full bowls for Sara and Thelma to graze on throughout the day.

Thomas: If you want to train both cats to eat controlled portions at one time of day, you'd do the opposite: Leave small amounts of food out and gradually increase the portion size and interval of times between feedings.

Siouxsie: Many vets believe it's more natural for cats to eat small amounts whenever they feel like it, rather than eating a large portion twice a day. But if one of your cats becomes diabetic or has some other special health need that requires strict diet regulation, you may need to switch over to controlled portion feeding.

Thomas: Good luck, Cheryl. We hope this helps your kitties live and eat happily together.

Got a question? Need some advice? E-mail us at advice@paws-and-effect.com. None of the material in this column is meant to be a substitute for regular veterinary care.