QUESTION: I would like to adopt a kitten in the near future but am wondering what to do about the feeding situation. I presently have two adult cats who are eating a special low-calorie food, and I know kittens need a kitten chow which is high in proteins (and calories!). How do I prevent my adult cats from getting into the kitten’s food? The vet has already told me that my cats are overweight, and I am concerned that they might put on even more unhealthy pounds once the kitten is here. Any tips on how to manage the food setup so all the kitties reach and maintain a healthy weight? I notice most of the cats at your shelter seem to be so slim and trim.

ANSWER: Thanks for the compliment! We shelter kitties have to maintain our gorgeous figures for a very important reason – we want to get adopted! And the truth is, overweight cats are often passed over at adoption time in favor of cats that present a younger, healthier appearance. That motivates us to cooperate with the feeding system followed here at the shelter. Our friends, the volunteers, are really MORE concerned with our health and well-being than anything else, and they know that overweight kitties experience a lot of problems: illnesses like diabetes and fatty liver disease, a reluctance to jump and play and get proper exercise, and also the embarrassing problem of difficulty cleaning the “backside area” the way a normal cat can. This results in unsightly matted hair and “stinky stuff” clinging to our fur. And when we cats can’t keep ourselves immaculately clean, THIS ANNOYS US!

So here’s the feeding system followed for all of us C.A.N. cats: First, and most importantly, we are fed a MEASURED amount of a high quality dry food: a quarter cup, twice a day. NO FREE FEEDING! NO SELF FEEDERS! Cats were never meant to be grazers. In the wild we catch a mouse, and then our body fasts until we catch again. Grazing on food all day long is not natural or healthy for predators like cats and is the NUMBER ONE reason cats become overweight or obese.

Secondly, our cat carriers are left out at all times with cozy mats in them. At feeding time they are used to insure that each kitty gets the food that is best for his or her individual needs and that no “Greedy Gus” steals someone else’s portion. When the volunteer comes into the room with the tray of plates, she calls out, “Suppertime!” and, believe it or not, each of us runs to our very own carrier to eat! Visitors are amazed, since many think it’s impossible to train a cat to voluntarily go into a carrier. NOT SO -- we LOVE our carriers and never run and hide when we see one like so many other kitties who only see their carriers when they have to go to the vet’s office. This is the way you would be able to feed your adult cats their special food while allowing the kitten to have her high protein/high calorie kitten chow. Kittens under 10 months old can be fed more than twice a day. Three or four feedings a day will help to meet your kitten’s high nutritional needs because of her rapid growth and high energy output. She should be weaned down to two meals a day between 10 and 12 months of age unless your vet feels she is a skinny Minnie.

The cats who come to the shelter already overweight are very gradually tapered down to the quarter cup portion. It is EXTREMELY dangerous to drastically reduce an obese cat’s food intake too quickly! We kitties can develop a potentially fatal condition known as fatty liver disease so SLOW is the way to GO!

I’m so glad your vet gave you a “Head’s Up” alert about your adult cats’ weight issues. A normal female cat weighs eight to ten pounds and a male should weigh ten to twelve pounds. So often people don’t acknowledge that their beloved kitty is overweight, preferring to describe him as “big-boned” or “fluffy.” If your kitty does not have a visible waist when viewed from above or his belly hangs close to the floor, making his legs look short, you’ve got a FAT CAT! And, as Dr. Fel(ine) McPaw always says, “You can’t fix what you don’t acknowledge!”

Reducing a special pet’s food and treats can be very difficult for an owner that equates food with love. BUT FOOD IS NOT THE ONLY WAY TO SHOW LOVE TO US KITTIES! How about spending 10 extra minutes playing with your cats every night? If you haven’t treated your kitties to a Laser Light or interactive dangly toy like the CAT DANCER, you’re all missing a lot of fun and laughs! If a kitty doesn’t show an immediate interest in toys, keep at it! Some of us who are “out of shape” can take a while to be tempted out of the recliner! Brushing and kitty massages are additional ways to say “I love you.” A bird or squirrel feeder placed near a favorite window perch can be another way to add spark to our lives without adding pounds. And, of course, you’ve already figured out the best way to get sedate adult cats to run and chase and play like youngsters again -- ADD A NEW KITTEN!