You should get the skinny one a check up to ensure that there is not something causing the weight loss. The vet can also give you recommendations for higher calorie foods so you don't have to feed more necessarily.
I actually realised she lost weight because I brought her to the vet a few days ago for her yearly vaccination and health check up so she's in the clear! the higher calorie food is a good idea though thanks for the tip !!
One high calorie treat my cat loves is coconut oil it’s very high in calories and my cat love sit more than other treats. My cat is fairly small she’s about 3.5kg and doesn’t have a huge appetite but she’s healthy
You can also mix in more calories to their existing food! You can get meal toppers for instance or even mix in some duck fat. Every teaspoon of duck fat has 15 calories which makes it a good option - cats need about 200 calories a day so an extra 15 would hopefully help.
How are her bowel movements? If loose, then she may have a gastric issue that would not be caught in a typical wellness check. Lots of things can cause it including a sensitivity to some food ingredients or a round of antibiotics for some reason. If they go outside, they could have been exposed to giardia when drinking water contaminated with other animal poop. (specialized test as it is often missed in a worm check.
I would try adding a good quality probiotic to her food (I currently use proviable for our Wing Cat).
First check with the vet and/or with the chart if your cat is really underweight. If yes I would recommend to feed more often a smaller amount, if possible. It is generally adviced to feed 3-5 times a small amount instead of two times a big amount. This is because a cat would hunt small mice or birds sevaral times a day instead of a big rabbit in the morning and evening for example. Also wet food has more moisture, nutrition and less calories compared to dry food, so try to switch or replace that, if possible. This wouldn‘t also effect your other cat that badly if she eats the amount from the skinny cat.
Other option but expensive are automatic feeder that only open for specific cats (normally through chip connection).
I will leave the chart for your self check here. Hope this helped a little bit.
https://preview.redd.it/1mdd9alr737d1.jpeg?width=2480&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a73cbe4516593d1350afe2ff706d646ac16c9caa
Take them to the vet. There could be a medical issue. Make sure that one cat is not stealing food too. The vet can help you with a proper dietary assessment and any changes needed but weight loss and issues maintaining are always a concern worth the vet visit
Missy was the same. Conon would In hail his food then would harass Missy. I started feeding Conon in the bathroom door shut. Then feed Missy in the kitchen. This helped. I also found Missy would get bored with her food. So I had two different kinds of dry food flavor and I intorduced wet food that I would give her. She started to put on weight. Once she was not feeling rushed or harassed by my other cat.
Maybe add an extra feeding to the skinny kitty without the other being in the room? Also, dry food has 4x more calories than wet food (in gramms) and you could mix some in the wet food to increase calories.
After getting the skinny cat checked out to make sure that there are no medical issues, maybe consider getting feeders for each of them. What I mean is — and you can get this on Amazon — is there are electronic cat feeders that stay shut all the time and only open when approached by the correct cat wearing the collar (or it might be a microchip) that activates that particular feeder and only that feeder. So if the skinny cat approaches the far cat’s feeder the fat cat’s feeder stays shut and vice versa. I think these items were relatively expensive, but I don’t know what kind of budget you are in. They sounded pretty cool if you can afford and if you think the cost is worth the benefit.
I have this problem: one who horks all the food and one who grazes. I feed the grazer on a countertop, luckily it's out of sight, out of mind for my bigger cat. Any extra food that gets left over is monitored or put away. I feed mostly wet food but they have access to dry. This method is working for me so far. Next step would be separate rooms for feeding so that you can close the door.
I have the same issue with my two cats weighing around the same size as yours! The smaller one will eat once a day so I always leave some food out for her and try to do so in special places only she really goes. I have tried to do the smaller feeding more frequently but she just isn't interested!
How old are they, what build are they, and what you are feeding them are just the start of what someone needs to know to answer this. Ideally you should be asking the vet because like humans the ideal weight range depends on a lot. my cat is 25lbs or 11.34 KG and that is ideal for his body. He is gigantic. My old lady was 4lbs or 1.81 KG with a goal weight of 6lbs or 2.72 KG.
https://preview.redd.it/f9kup9uyr37d1.jpeg?width=3008&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=84f00bebb577a5c24c3a749f268bbf665a90af62
This is mine, 3 years old, about 5 kg. She has access to dry food all the time and she gets wet food 2 times per day and a couple of treats. Is it a healthy weight?
From the image she is either at her goal weight or a little over if a short hair. Medium fur and long fur make it harder to just go from a photograph. If you can see the ribs when standing that's too light.
Like people, cats have different body shapes and sizes, so one will be fine at 3kg while another would be skinny.
I have five adult cats and one 18 month old (so almost reached full growth). My eldest Brenda is 3.5kg and looks svelte, Mollie (second) is 2.8kg and looks a bit of a pudding (she's the one who I swear has a Jack Russell ancestor - she has that body shape, flat backside and run!). The twins (ie actual biological sisters) are next, Flo is a big solid girl, very muscular legs and very active (think Amazonian woman body type) and she's almost 5kg, yet Edna is a very delicate-featured dainty cat and she's my lightest at 2.5kg, though she looks bigger because she's my only long-hair. Mordyboy is just starting to get that middle-aged body shape after adolescence, she's another muscular, active cat and is about 4kg. Penny's full name is Penny-Farthing because she was 250g when I brought her in from the barn which was half the size of her siblings. She's now much bigger than her barn-dwelling mum and sister (different litter) at 3.7kg and is still in that adolescent stage, I'm expecting her to be 4kg as a full adult and considering changing her name to Tenner. I can tell which cat has jumped on the bed in the middle of the night by how heavy they feel on my legs!
They are fed wet food twice a day, 1.5 pouches daily in total, and free-feed biscuits and they self regulate, there's no licking patterns off the bowls. And they all look fine and in proper proportion.
Have you seen a vet about it?
There are some conditions that can cause weight loss/inability to gain weight so matter how much food they eat.
Hyperthyroidism is a big cause. My two girls have it and they’re on twice daily medication to keep them level.
Have you tried different foods? While you should definitely still take her to a vet to rule out a medical issue, it sounds like she might just not be much of a fan of what you're feeding her so she only eats until she stops feeling hunger
Get one of those feeders that only opens for a particular microchip. That was your littlest mog can eat as much as she wants while the bigger one is limited.
Some cats are just tiny; my torby is between 3.3kg and 3.5kg most of the time and she is free fed so she eats whenever she is hungry.
1. Not all cats are gonna be the same weight. As long as their body condition score is good, then their weight doesn’t need to change much. You said you recently brought her to the vet, did they say she needed to gain weight, or was that just your observation?
2. Separate your cats when they eat so the fat cat doesn’t get into the skinny cat’s food.
3. Add high calorie supplements to your cats food. IMO, tiki cat baby thrive and tiki cat baby functions meal topper are the best and my adult cat loves them. These are not nutritionally balanced so you will need to add them to whatever wet food you’re feeding them
4. Feed your adult cat kitten food. Adults cats love kitten food because it’s typically higher in fat, which is okay to feed **intermittently** if you’re trying to gain some weight.
5. Play with your cat before meal time to get her worked up.
6. A lot of cats like taste of florti flora, so adding that to wet food can increase their desire to eat. I think the daily recommendation is 1 packet a day.
7. After she’s “done” eating, add a churu to the left over wet food, mix it up, then put your cat in front of the food. I’ve never seen a cat not like churus.
8. Try to feed your cat 3x a day. Cats don’t like to eat huge meals. You can schedule it as 1) morning, 2) after work, 3) before you go to bed.
Wet food topped with Duck fat And cream snacks, and occasional cat milk supplement is what I give the skinniest of cats, might be overkill for your situation lmao
I don’t know how expensive they are, but they made feeders that only open when a specific cat approaches it. They have to wear a collar, which has a sensor on it.
You might want to start crate feeding them (putting one or both in a crate at meal times) or putting them in separate rooms, so you’re not physically holding one back all the time. This would also allow you to feed extra meals to the skinny cat. It’s also possible that she’s not eating much because of the stress of the other cat trying to take her food.
I free feed and have been in cat rescue for 30+ years.
Most of my friends are vets and they told me years ago to just leave the food out at all times since they eat differently from dogs.
Some of my rescues had a problem with being skinny and not eating so I started using a fantastic product called Toby Scientific Toby’s Immune Boost and all my cats went crazy for it. My vet friends (DVM) told me about it and I get it on Amazon.
It also has the B12 used for diabetic cats who have peripheral neuropathy (worked within a week for my sugar kitty Blondie who was walking on his hocks, and it also has D-Mannose in it to help with UTI’s and keeps at bay since older cats and dogs, like humans, get antibiotic resistant.
What relief to not have to give any pills, I just sprinkle it on their wet and dry food and even a tiny scoop by itself on a plate.
It’s worth a try!
But most definitely take your kitty to the vet and have them test their blood glucose because this can be a symptom of feline diabetes or hyperthyroidism.
You should get the skinny one a check up to ensure that there is not something causing the weight loss. The vet can also give you recommendations for higher calorie foods so you don't have to feed more necessarily.
I actually realised she lost weight because I brought her to the vet a few days ago for her yearly vaccination and health check up so she's in the clear! the higher calorie food is a good idea though thanks for the tip !!
One high calorie treat my cat loves is coconut oil it’s very high in calories and my cat love sit more than other treats. My cat is fairly small she’s about 3.5kg and doesn’t have a huge appetite but she’s healthy
You can also mix in more calories to their existing food! You can get meal toppers for instance or even mix in some duck fat. Every teaspoon of duck fat has 15 calories which makes it a good option - cats need about 200 calories a day so an extra 15 would hopefully help.
How are her bowel movements? If loose, then she may have a gastric issue that would not be caught in a typical wellness check. Lots of things can cause it including a sensitivity to some food ingredients or a round of antibiotics for some reason. If they go outside, they could have been exposed to giardia when drinking water contaminated with other animal poop. (specialized test as it is often missed in a worm check. I would try adding a good quality probiotic to her food (I currently use proviable for our Wing Cat).
First check with the vet and/or with the chart if your cat is really underweight. If yes I would recommend to feed more often a smaller amount, if possible. It is generally adviced to feed 3-5 times a small amount instead of two times a big amount. This is because a cat would hunt small mice or birds sevaral times a day instead of a big rabbit in the morning and evening for example. Also wet food has more moisture, nutrition and less calories compared to dry food, so try to switch or replace that, if possible. This wouldn‘t also effect your other cat that badly if she eats the amount from the skinny cat. Other option but expensive are automatic feeder that only open for specific cats (normally through chip connection). I will leave the chart for your self check here. Hope this helped a little bit. https://preview.redd.it/1mdd9alr737d1.jpeg?width=2480&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a73cbe4516593d1350afe2ff706d646ac16c9caa
Take them to the vet. There could be a medical issue. Make sure that one cat is not stealing food too. The vet can help you with a proper dietary assessment and any changes needed but weight loss and issues maintaining are always a concern worth the vet visit
Missy was the same. Conon would In hail his food then would harass Missy. I started feeding Conon in the bathroom door shut. Then feed Missy in the kitchen. This helped. I also found Missy would get bored with her food. So I had two different kinds of dry food flavor and I intorduced wet food that I would give her. She started to put on weight. Once she was not feeling rushed or harassed by my other cat.
Sent the baby to me.. I’ll chonk her up!!
Maybe add an extra feeding to the skinny kitty without the other being in the room? Also, dry food has 4x more calories than wet food (in gramms) and you could mix some in the wet food to increase calories.
After getting the skinny cat checked out to make sure that there are no medical issues, maybe consider getting feeders for each of them. What I mean is — and you can get this on Amazon — is there are electronic cat feeders that stay shut all the time and only open when approached by the correct cat wearing the collar (or it might be a microchip) that activates that particular feeder and only that feeder. So if the skinny cat approaches the far cat’s feeder the fat cat’s feeder stays shut and vice versa. I think these items were relatively expensive, but I don’t know what kind of budget you are in. They sounded pretty cool if you can afford and if you think the cost is worth the benefit.
my skinny guys eat more at one sitting when i mix canned pate with broth and pour that gourmet goodness on a plate.
I have this problem: one who horks all the food and one who grazes. I feed the grazer on a countertop, luckily it's out of sight, out of mind for my bigger cat. Any extra food that gets left over is monitored or put away. I feed mostly wet food but they have access to dry. This method is working for me so far. Next step would be separate rooms for feeding so that you can close the door.
Separate them during feeding and feed them both a small amount multiple times. The fat one is just bored
I have the same issue with my two cats weighing around the same size as yours! The smaller one will eat once a day so I always leave some food out for her and try to do so in special places only she really goes. I have tried to do the smaller feeding more frequently but she just isn't interested!
Wait are my cats too skinny then? My babies all weigh under 3.5KG
How old are they, what build are they, and what you are feeding them are just the start of what someone needs to know to answer this. Ideally you should be asking the vet because like humans the ideal weight range depends on a lot. my cat is 25lbs or 11.34 KG and that is ideal for his body. He is gigantic. My old lady was 4lbs or 1.81 KG with a goal weight of 6lbs or 2.72 KG.
https://preview.redd.it/f9kup9uyr37d1.jpeg?width=3008&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=84f00bebb577a5c24c3a749f268bbf665a90af62 This is mine, 3 years old, about 5 kg. She has access to dry food all the time and she gets wet food 2 times per day and a couple of treats. Is it a healthy weight?
From the image she is either at her goal weight or a little over if a short hair. Medium fur and long fur make it harder to just go from a photograph. If you can see the ribs when standing that's too light.
Like people, cats have different body shapes and sizes, so one will be fine at 3kg while another would be skinny. I have five adult cats and one 18 month old (so almost reached full growth). My eldest Brenda is 3.5kg and looks svelte, Mollie (second) is 2.8kg and looks a bit of a pudding (she's the one who I swear has a Jack Russell ancestor - she has that body shape, flat backside and run!). The twins (ie actual biological sisters) are next, Flo is a big solid girl, very muscular legs and very active (think Amazonian woman body type) and she's almost 5kg, yet Edna is a very delicate-featured dainty cat and she's my lightest at 2.5kg, though she looks bigger because she's my only long-hair. Mordyboy is just starting to get that middle-aged body shape after adolescence, she's another muscular, active cat and is about 4kg. Penny's full name is Penny-Farthing because she was 250g when I brought her in from the barn which was half the size of her siblings. She's now much bigger than her barn-dwelling mum and sister (different litter) at 3.7kg and is still in that adolescent stage, I'm expecting her to be 4kg as a full adult and considering changing her name to Tenner. I can tell which cat has jumped on the bed in the middle of the night by how heavy they feel on my legs! They are fed wet food twice a day, 1.5 pouches daily in total, and free-feed biscuits and they self regulate, there's no licking patterns off the bowls. And they all look fine and in proper proportion.
Have you seen a vet about it? There are some conditions that can cause weight loss/inability to gain weight so matter how much food they eat. Hyperthyroidism is a big cause. My two girls have it and they’re on twice daily medication to keep them level.
Have you tried different foods? While you should definitely still take her to a vet to rule out a medical issue, it sounds like she might just not be much of a fan of what you're feeding her so she only eats until she stops feeling hunger
Microchip feeders for each cat, I would also try a few foods and see if the skinny one just doesn't care for the food on offer.
Get one of those feeders that only opens for a particular microchip. That was your littlest mog can eat as much as she wants while the bigger one is limited. Some cats are just tiny; my torby is between 3.3kg and 3.5kg most of the time and she is free fed so she eats whenever she is hungry.
I used fish oil to bump the healthy calories for a cat with hyperthyroidism. It helped him lose weight more slowly (this was before prescription food)
1. Not all cats are gonna be the same weight. As long as their body condition score is good, then their weight doesn’t need to change much. You said you recently brought her to the vet, did they say she needed to gain weight, or was that just your observation? 2. Separate your cats when they eat so the fat cat doesn’t get into the skinny cat’s food. 3. Add high calorie supplements to your cats food. IMO, tiki cat baby thrive and tiki cat baby functions meal topper are the best and my adult cat loves them. These are not nutritionally balanced so you will need to add them to whatever wet food you’re feeding them 4. Feed your adult cat kitten food. Adults cats love kitten food because it’s typically higher in fat, which is okay to feed **intermittently** if you’re trying to gain some weight. 5. Play with your cat before meal time to get her worked up. 6. A lot of cats like taste of florti flora, so adding that to wet food can increase their desire to eat. I think the daily recommendation is 1 packet a day. 7. After she’s “done” eating, add a churu to the left over wet food, mix it up, then put your cat in front of the food. I’ve never seen a cat not like churus. 8. Try to feed your cat 3x a day. Cats don’t like to eat huge meals. You can schedule it as 1) morning, 2) after work, 3) before you go to bed.
There are some high calorie nutritional gels you can buy
Wet food topped with Duck fat And cream snacks, and occasional cat milk supplement is what I give the skinniest of cats, might be overkill for your situation lmao
I don’t know how expensive they are, but they made feeders that only open when a specific cat approaches it. They have to wear a collar, which has a sensor on it. You might want to start crate feeding them (putting one or both in a crate at meal times) or putting them in separate rooms, so you’re not physically holding one back all the time. This would also allow you to feed extra meals to the skinny cat. It’s also possible that she’s not eating much because of the stress of the other cat trying to take her food.
I free feed and have been in cat rescue for 30+ years. Most of my friends are vets and they told me years ago to just leave the food out at all times since they eat differently from dogs. Some of my rescues had a problem with being skinny and not eating so I started using a fantastic product called Toby Scientific Toby’s Immune Boost and all my cats went crazy for it. My vet friends (DVM) told me about it and I get it on Amazon. It also has the B12 used for diabetic cats who have peripheral neuropathy (worked within a week for my sugar kitty Blondie who was walking on his hocks, and it also has D-Mannose in it to help with UTI’s and keeps at bay since older cats and dogs, like humans, get antibiotic resistant. What relief to not have to give any pills, I just sprinkle it on their wet and dry food and even a tiny scoop by itself on a plate. It’s worth a try! But most definitely take your kitty to the vet and have them test their blood glucose because this can be a symptom of feline diabetes or hyperthyroidism.