I don't know what to do... :(

[Samantha Puppy]

Kirin and Sushi are fed in a double-sided dish. Sushi likes to eat a couple bites and then take a break and go back at his leisure. Kirin gobbles his food up in about 2 minutes (no joke). And when he's done with his side, he polishes off Sushi's after he walks away.

I don't know what to do. You can tell Kirin's getting pudgy since he's basically getting 2 cans of food a day (they each get half a can for breakfast, half a can for dinner). Sushi is thin - not unhealthy thin - just thin. But I don't know how to fix this. Sushi likes to pick at his food over a few hours. I can't pen each of them in to eat - that'd be fine for Kirin - but for it wouldn't work for Sushi. And since they're both kittens and have access to the same areas, I can't very well just put Sushi's food somewhere else because Kirin could get to it too.

Sushi has an appetite. If Kirin eats his food, he goes out and chows down on the crunchies I have out for them... so I'm not worried that he's not eating or getting nutrients. I just feel bad for the little guy. He's so laidback and Kirin is so overbearing. Does anyone have *any* advice for me so that Sushi will be able to eat his food?

[rg_girlca]

Here is what I do when I feed my little Poppy.

I close him in a room and put just enough food in his bowl that I know he will eat it all in one sitting. I have learnt this through trial and error. At first when he didn't finish it all, I would put it up high somewhere so the bigger guys wouldn't get it. Then later I would bring Poppy back into the room and feed him a little bit again. He gets about 4 feedings a day like this. Morning, afternoon, around supper time and then again at night before bed.

Maybe you can try feeding little Sushi like this for the time being.

[Kfamr]

I know sometimes Simba doesn't finish his food all of the way, and Nala tries to get it (looking at them you'd probably think it's the other way around)

Maybe you can put the food up (of course in a cupboard or something) and then give it to Sushi later?

[sirrahbed]

We are having the same problem with Lizzie. What we do is similar to what Lorraine suggested. Several times throughout the day - she gets to go into the bathroom with her own food...and time to nibble.
This is easier for us I suppose since we only use dry food but maybe you can try something similar?? Would Sushi perhaps eat some dry kibble at different times during the day??

[Samantha Puppy]

Thanks for the advice.

They both have dry food available to them all day and night. Sushi does eat on that, so I'm not worried that he's not eating at all - he is. I just feel bad that Kirin eats all his wet food before he can finish it.

I may try giving him just a little at a time but since I work, it'd have to be morning, dinner, and bedtime. I don't live close enough to drive home from work in the middle of the day.

[catmandu]

You,may have to feed them seperatley,I solve that problem,at The Fond Cat Hotel,by having 7 feeding stations,with diffferent food,in each,as some,do like different formulas.

[smokey the elder]

Some cats just plain don't like wet food. Maybe yours is one of those.

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

We had the same problem with Maya and Inka, as Maya is on a diet!! We did it like this then: 1)I gave Inka her food first. Only when I saw she was busy eating, I put out Maya's dish.
2) Maya's "feeding spot" is in a corner of the kitchen, about 1 m up (on the counter). As Inka cannot jump very well, Maya's food is safe up there!

[jenluckenbach]

Consider the fact that Sushi may not care to eat the wet food. But in order to prevent Kirin from eatng BOTH (and getting fat) feed them separate. Give Sushi a certain amount of time to eat and simply pick up what her doesn't and put away for later. It is NOT imperative that he eats canned food as the dry food is better for him any way.

[Samantha Puppy]

Thanks for the advice, everyone.

Do cats' tastes change? He used to be totally into the wet stuff. It's just been lately that I've noticed that it's not Sushi that's cleaning his side but Kirin. He still follows me into the kitchen and wraps around my legs and meows while I'm preparing it. But when I put it down, Kirin goes to town on his side and Sushi only sniffs his and walks away. It's getting frustrating... I know that he's still eating dry food, but he doesn't eat a lot of it. He's like a polar opposite of Kirin. I thought growing kittens were all about food.

I don't know... I'm just a worrier. I've never had kittens before so I don't know if their preferences can change or how much they should eat or anything...