Hi everyone, it's been a while since I posted! Can't believe it but in 19 days daisy will be a year old!

Classing her as a 'kitten' I haven't restricted her food per-say. She's fed 4 times a day (wet food) she never used to eat dry food but has taken to it lately! She's turned in to little miss piggy and could eat all day long.

Underneath her belly by her back legs she's accumulated some areas of fat (what Lilly got when she was on steroids and she's since lost them) my conclusion: daisy has become a bit overweight and also inactive!

Now she's reaching a year old I want to start reducing her food intake, also to help her shift some of the weight she's gained. She gets two pouches in the morning. One when I get home around 5:30/6 and again around 9/10.

Does it sound cruel to cut her down from 4 to 2 straight away? She has free access to biscuits and I know she's eating them. Cruel to be kind? Or do I go from 4 to 3 for a few weeks and then to 2??

Opinions greatly appreciated.

What do you feed them? Raw any chance?
I would continue 5 times a day but smaller portions if you certain she is overweight.
She is still a kitten though and still growing up to yhe age of 14-16 months old.

No not raw. I can't cause one has quite bad allergies to pretty much everything.

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The little monsters 3

I can't restrict the dry food! It's the only thing Lilly will eat and she picks at it throughout the day.

I'm taking daisy to the vets tomorrow to get her weighed and to get his input. She's always hungry. I've cut a pouch of food out (yes it's complete) and whilst her poos are no longer as smelly as they where she's eating even more dry food. They have their active moments believe me! Few hours in the morning and in the evening and I'm pretty sure during the night but as daisy seems to be putting on weight she's getting lazier! Although in the next breath since cutting out a pouch she seems to be more active.

Well some cats are grazers some are piggies...just how it is. You have to think a cat is essentially like any other animal and the name of the game out in nature is to pig out in case the hard times come.

I would switch to a "reduced calorie" food. Slowly migrate to it then just split the eating sessions down to twice a day...your cat will adjust. Stop the treats, and increase the exercise.

If you cant migrate off a dry diet...which is why they call dry food addictive for cats...switch to a high protein low carb food. Nowadays the pet stores are filled with no grain, no soy foods...new in hip thing to do is pamper our cats.

They now have dry cat foods that approach the 50% protein mark. 10 years ago 20-25% was the norm..now 30% seems it but you can go higher. Higher protein diets lead to higher muscle mass vice fatty mass. A living organism has a hard time turning protein into fat...why the Atkins diet sheds so many pounds so rapidly.

I took her to the vets, and what I thought was confirmed.

Lilly who's 14 and a half months old weighs 4.74kg daisy who's 1 on the 23rd Jan, and is quite a bit smaller in size than Lilly weighs 4.42kg, she's put on 300g in just under a month and the vet agree's, her food intake needs to be weaned down to 2 wet pouches and free access to biscuits as taking them away due to Lilly is not an option. Other than that, she's fine! :)

You have a professional opinion on it then, thats good.
How much exercise do they get?
(I dunno if you have enclosure or leashed walks ect)

Increasing exercise will obviously effect body condition for the better.
Personally Id want to try increasing calories burned before reducing food intake and the nutrients that come from the food.
Its a worry (for me) when food manufacturers insist on a minimum daily amounts to deliver balanced diet.
Im always struggling to get Cleo to eat as much as food companies say she should.

The food she's on is 2-3 pouches a day and she's been on 4 for the simple reason it's not kitten food but bland enough for when she had that campylobacter think back then she was eating 5-6 pouches as it was literally going straight through her. She wasn't putting on weight and body was using muscle. She has only recently started on the rather rapid weight gain which as my vets says - is a sign she's now in good health.

I've increased play time with them but Lilly's not interested and is only interested in attention seeking ( misbehaving lol) daisy on the other hand is loving it