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Cats. *sigh*
May. 6th, 2011 09:52 amSo Nefer has a tendency to barf - sometimes hairballs, other times due to gorging and throwing it back up because she's eaten too much.*
We'd been free-feeding them dry cat food (Blue Buffalo, which seems to sit the best on Nefer's tender stomach), but as they're both overweight have been slowly cutting back to see how much they eat per day, eventually so we can feed them juuust slightly less, so they slim down a wee bit. They both eat about half a cup per day, so they've been getting that. They also eat from UFO-shaped feeders, which require them to reach in and paw the kibbles out, so it slows their eating and, previously, Nefer's gorging.
Now, of course, with the reduced food, Nefer's starting to gorge again. The past three mornings, she's thrown up on the mat right next to the feeder she eats from. We think that, although there's still a few kibbles left in the morning, she's going "Food! Lots of food! Must eat as much as possible bfore it all VANISHES!" which makes her, of course, throw it back up.**
Any ideas? I thought about starting to feed them some wet food in the mornings and leaving some dry for them to nosh on during the day although I have no idea if it'll solve the problem. Also, Nefer tends to turn her nose up at wet food, although I suspect she'll start eating it if there's nothing else in the morning.
There is also, I suppose, the option of purchasing a fancy feeder that releases a bit of food periodically throughout the day and night but (a) they're expensive and (b) we'd have to get 2 as Nefer starts stressing out and chewing on her foreleg if she has to share a bowl/feeder with Sora.
* Sora, not so much. He will happily eat the food that Nefer barfs up, but never barfs himself. I have caught him twice almost throwing up, but each time (rot-13'd because it makes me want to puke, honestly I gagged just writing it) fhpxvat vg onpx hc naq fjnyybjvat vg. Thank providence that he doesn't have thick fur and doesn't seem prone to hairballs getting stuck.
** I got her from a shelter when she was a year old. I have no idea about her past history.
We'd been free-feeding them dry cat food (Blue Buffalo, which seems to sit the best on Nefer's tender stomach), but as they're both overweight have been slowly cutting back to see how much they eat per day, eventually so we can feed them juuust slightly less, so they slim down a wee bit. They both eat about half a cup per day, so they've been getting that. They also eat from UFO-shaped feeders, which require them to reach in and paw the kibbles out, so it slows their eating and, previously, Nefer's gorging.
Now, of course, with the reduced food, Nefer's starting to gorge again. The past three mornings, she's thrown up on the mat right next to the feeder she eats from. We think that, although there's still a few kibbles left in the morning, she's going "Food! Lots of food! Must eat as much as possible bfore it all VANISHES!" which makes her, of course, throw it back up.**
Any ideas? I thought about starting to feed them some wet food in the mornings and leaving some dry for them to nosh on during the day although I have no idea if it'll solve the problem. Also, Nefer tends to turn her nose up at wet food, although I suspect she'll start eating it if there's nothing else in the morning.
There is also, I suppose, the option of purchasing a fancy feeder that releases a bit of food periodically throughout the day and night but (a) they're expensive and (b) we'd have to get 2 as Nefer starts stressing out and chewing on her foreleg if she has to share a bowl/feeder with Sora.
* Sora, not so much. He will happily eat the food that Nefer barfs up, but never barfs himself. I have caught him twice almost throwing up, but each time (rot-13'd because it makes me want to puke, honestly I gagged just writing it) fhpxvat vg onpx hc naq fjnyybjvat vg. Thank providence that he doesn't have thick fur and doesn't seem prone to hairballs getting stuck.
** I got her from a shelter when she was a year old. I have no idea about her past history.
