How have you successfully fed one grazer cat a special diet, and another grazer cat a regular food?

[Renn_aissance]

I have two cats. Alfie eats anything that’s not nailed down. Bartholomew prefers whatever’s in his dish, unless it’s covered in Old Bay, in which case he wants the Old Bay. Both cats are grazers. They come down for breakfast and eat, and then visit the dishes throughout the day. This works especially well for Alfie, who was put on a grazing schedule to teach him he didn’t have to bolt his food (which he would do… and then puke.) Alfie is pushy about food and will take Barth’s dish if he feels it more interesting; Barth usually just rolls his eyes and shifts bowls, but of course right now they’re both the same.

Alfie is now starting a kidney diet. Barth does not need a kidney diet. I cannot figure out how to make this work without totally disrupting the way that both cats prefer to eat.

I’ve thought about the following, all subject to veterinary approval for both cats.

• Feeding the cats twice a day at mealtimes in separate rooms, so everyone gets his own food; then taking up the dish with Barth’s food and leaving kidney diet for grazing.
• Doing a variation on the above but with a low-protein, low-phosphorus, non-RX food like NowFresh Mature being the grazing dish. At least it’s cheaper than the therapeutic diet.
• Getting each cat his own microchip feeder. Probably the best solution, though this does not stop Alfie from bellying up to Barth’s once it’s already been loaded.
• Two microchip feeders. Two different rooms. Figure out something to do with the dog.

What other ideas do you have for me?

[Simkie]

Are you home during the day, or do you need a solution that you don’t have to touch?

When I had a hospice cat that needed to graze, we’d keep her food in her crate, and she’d just periodically ask to eat whenever. We’d open the crate, lock her in, and then let her out when she was done.

If you need a solution you don’t have to physically manage, microchip cat doors into different rooms (or into two larger crates) could work better than the microchip feeders. No sneaking bites when the other cat is eating!

[Fiesta01]

I would vote for your first option as #1, and your second option as #2.

Years (well, decades) ago, I had two cats, one of whom needed to be on urinary tract formula. This started when they were two years old. I put them both on that food. They adapted well to it and were on it for the rest of their lives. (ages 16 and 17 when I lost them).

Good luck. Special feeding can be so frustrating.

[OzarksRider]

I’m following this thread with interest because I have the same problem–3 cats, all used to grazing, 1 recently diagnosed with early stage kidney disease. The kidney cat is not a picky eater. He will eat anything you put in front of him except, of course, his prescription kidney diet.

I’m currently experimenting with switching over to a low-protein, low-phosphorous nonprescription kibble for the grazing dish and combining the wet kidney food with some low-phosphorous nonprescription food. I’ve tried doctoring the wet food with various gravies and toppers but he’s not fooled. The prescription food is way too expensive to buy if only the dog will eat it.

@Renn_aissance, what brand prescription food are you using? Does your cat like it?

[Renn_aissance]

So far this is working better than I would have expected. My vet has said that he doesn’t believe Bartholomew would be harmed by a low protein diet. We are going to monitor both cats’ bloodwork and condition to make sure this works out, but right now everyone is transitioning from their current Orijen to Hill’s Kidney Diet. A wee bit of change up there in both the ingredients and nutritional profile so I’m doing a slow transition but so far they’re both eating well. I don’t usually have a problem getting Alfie to eat… the problem is getting him to stop eating the dog food, the plants, and whatever’s on the counter. Barth is more selective.

@OzarksRider What kind of non-RX low protein, low phosphorus food have you tried for yours? I want to keep that option in the back of my head.

[OzarksRider]

@Renn_aissance

What kind of non-RX low protein, low phosphorus food have you tried for yours?

I’m still experimenting, but last week I bought a small bag of Hills Adult Urinary Hairball Control kibble. I haven’t opened the bag yet, so can’t say how it will go over. They all liked the canned version of the Urinary Hairball Control.

For canned food, I bought a case of Hill’s Adult 7+ Savory Chicken Entree, and all three cats like it. They also like the Hill’s Chicken and Rice Medley, but that only comes in 2.5 oz. cans and costs almost as much as the 5 oz. cans.

I bought Purina NF Kidney food (canned and dry) for my kidney cat, and he absolutely refuses to eat it. At first I thought he would eat it if I mixed it with some of the non-prescription food but nope, not gonna eat that s#$%. I’d like to try the Hill’s KD prescription food, but I’m balking at buying an entire case that I might have to end up feeding to the dog. Vet didn’t have any in stock for me to try just one can.

My cat is in early stage kidney disease, so he’s not refusing the food because of the disease. He will eat anything else you put in front of him, including human leftovers and food the other cats turn down. The Purina NF just tastes bad, and no gravy or topper will disguise that.

Trying to find healthy food that all cats will eat is very frustrating, and one of my pet peeves is that you can’t buy just one or two cans from online retailers to see if the cat will eat it. And you have to go through the hassle of getting a new prescription every time you want to try something new.

[skydy]

Could you contact the company that makes the food and explain the issue to them? Sometimes corporate headquarters will help out, in the interest of public relations.

[roccoddd]

Feeding the cats twice a day at mealtimes in separate rooms, so everyone gets his own food sounds for me the best idea

[Renn_aissance]

Since the thread was bumped, this is currently working out much better than expected.

Alfie is my cat on kidney food. He quite likes his kidney food. He preferred it to the Orijen and ate it happily as soon as I swapped him over. Barth had no interest after the first day.

Barth is now on a urinary health food. Alfie normally eats anything not nailed down but does not wish to eat Barth’s food. Barth likes it fine.

So I put everyone’s food down, they go to their bowls, they eat out of their bowls, and it’s fine.

I don’t know how long this is going to last.