Dear Siouxsie, Thomas and Dahlia:
I have two neutered male cats; Fritz is 4 and Giovanni is almost 2. I've had Giovanni for just over a year, and I introduced Fritz about three months after I got Giovanni. They've been fine -- no major fights or anything -- but Fritz pushes Giovanni out of the food bowl all the time. In the past six months Fritz has gained 2 pounds, weighing in at 15 pounds, and my poor Giovanni has lost a pound, and he only weighs 7 pounds. I can feel his spine when I stroke his back, he has hollows where his tummy is, and his hips stick out. I think I'm going to give Fritz away as I live in an apartment and I can't keep them permanently separated to feed them what they need to be fed. Is this the best choice?
~ Melissa

Siouxsie: Melissa, you're dealing with a common cat conundrum! This is a situation we've had to face here in our own house, too, so we know we can help you.

Dahlia: What Siouxsie means is that Thomas keeps trying to eat my kitten food as well as his own grown-up cat food. And Doctor Sarah, my vet, was worried 'cause I wasn't gaining weight and growing like I should.

Thomas: Hey, I'm hungry! I'm a big cat, what do you expect? Besides, it's not like Siouxsie never steals your kibble!

Siouxsie: Can we please get back to the point?

Thomas: Sure, sure. The first thing you should do, Melissa, if you haven't already, is take Giovanni to the vet to make sure there's nothing wrong with him. Some illnesses make cats lose their appetite, and whenever a cat loses that much weight in a short time, a checkup is always important -- even if you're 99 percent sure that Fritz's food theft is the reason for Giovanni's weight loss.

Dahlia: If you lost 15 percent of your body weight in six months without dieting or exercise, you'd probably go see your doctor pretty quick, right?

Siouxsie: If Giovanni's checkup results in a clean bill of health, there are things you can do to make sure that both of your cats eat the right amount of food. In fact, you can start using these tricks before Giovanni goes to the vet if you like.

Thomas: The first thing you have to do is stop free-feeding kibble (if you are doing this). When you have a food-stealing cat, you absolutely cannot leave a bowl full of cat food sitting around.

Dahlia: Read the feeding instructions on the bag or cans of cat food you're using, and feed each cat the recommended daily portion, divided into two or three meals each day.

Siouxsie: If you use both canned food and dry food, make sure you feed each cat half a daily portion of canned food and half a daily portion of dry food.

Thomas: Use a measuring cup as a food scoop for your kibble so you can be sure how much food you're dishing out.

Dahlia: Feed each cat on the opposite side of the room. If you feed in controlled "meals," it's much easier to supervise the diners and make sure Fritz isn't eating Giovanni's food. Mommy keeps an eye on all of us when we eat, and when Thomas tries to steal my food, she tells him "no," puts him outside, or holds him until I'm finished eating.

Siouxsie: It may seem inconvenient to have to watch the cats while they eat, but it's really not that bad. It only takes cats 5 to 10 minutes to eat a small meal, and you can do other things in the kitchen while the cats are eating.

Thomas: It's also a really good idea to feed in measured portions and watch the cats while they eat because you can see exactly how much each cat is eating and when you watch them, you can see if either cat is having trouble eating.

Dahlia: If Giovanni has a bad tooth or a sore in his mouth, for example, he may not be able to eat without pain. Cats with bad teeth tend to drop their food, chew on only one side, shake their heads, or swallow their food whole.

Siouxsie: Another technique some cat caretakers have used to keep the fat cat from eating the skinny cat's food is the "Meal In A Box" trick.

Thomas: This may not be very convenient for you, Melissa, since you live in a small apartment. But we'll mention it because it may benefit others. Basically, this involves getting a good-size cardboard box and cutting a hole in the side just big enough for the skinny cat to get through.

Dahlia: Keep in mind that even fat cats can make themselves pretty small when they have to, so make the hole smaller than you think it needs to be. Put the skinny cat's food inside the box. The fat cat won't be able to get to it, but the skinny cat will.

Siouxsie: We think that supervised feeding of measured portions will get both cats eating the correct amount of food. Fritz will lose weight and Giovanni will gain back some of the weight he's lost.

Thomas: But please, do make sure you take Giovanni to the vet, just to make sure he doesn't have bad teeth or some illness that's causing him to lose his appetite.

Dahlia: You don't have to give away either of your cats. Just spend some quality time in the kitchen with them while they eat!

Siouxsie: Before we go, we'd like to wish all our readers, human and feline alike, the happiest of holidays and a joyous and prosperous New Year.

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.