(yeah! score another one for the cat side!)

Welcome to Pet Talk, by the way, and you will find that kitties are easy to love and generally easy to care for, too. I've never had a long-haired kitty, so I can't advise on the care of the fur, but I agree that dry food is best for the kitties. Since the one I have now got started on both, I still give him a small can of wet food every day, but he has a bowl full of kibble always out. He doesn't always finish his canned portion, either. My last kitty, who lived to be 15, ate nothing but Science Diet dry all her life - and after 15 years, she still got excited whenever I brought home a bag of it! She would tip it over and gnaw on the end of the bag trying to get it open!

I'm using Iams dry and canned for my kitty now though, since the ingredient list seems to have more actual meat in it, but I don't think he's too crazy about the dry Iams (I use the hairball formula too). I may switch back to the Science Diet Hairball, which he was on originally. He LOVES the canned Iams; especially all the fishy flavors! My vet, too, suggested that I try to put some weight on him, but hey - you can't force feed them, right? He's just a naturally slender guy (lucky) I guess. I offer him just about anything good that we're eating, but he's very picky .