# 2 different kittens, 2 different appetittes **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 30, 2007, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-different-kittens-2-different-appetittes/390095 "2007-01-30T09:03:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BACI](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ce73a5/32.png) [@BACI](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BACI)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-different-kittens-2-different-appetittes/390095/1 "2007-01-30T09:03:36Z")
We have 2 adorable kittens, Cato (Burmese boy, 20 weeks old), and Umi (Ocicat girl, 18 weeks old). Both have been de-sexed. We got Cato 2 weeks before we got Umi. The night Umi arrived Cato managed to break his leg – poor baby. Anyway, now Cato has finally been released from his confinement cage after 6 weeks. While he was in there we noticed that where food is concerned he is somewhat of a vacuum cleaner. We’d put his food in the cage and he would barely stop to breathe before it was all gone, irrespective of the type of food (wet, dry or human). Umi on the other hand, is a very delicate eater. She eats about half her portion very slowly and daintily and then leaves the rest and comes back later. Tonight is Cato’s first night out of the cage. We got home from the vet, then gave them a serve each of wet food. Cato guzzled down his, and then proceeded to gobble down Umi’s as well. Does anybody have any tips about how we can either slow Cato down, or speed Umi up? ---
**Author:** ![Punoqllads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-different-kittens-2-different-appetittes/390095/2 "2007-01-30T11:23:09Z")
The way my friends deal with two of their cats who are on the opposite ends of the chow-hound spectrum is to feed both cats at the same time, but pick up Olivia’s (the slower cat) food and put it high up in a cupboard once she moves away. When she later wants to eat some more, she makes her intentions clear to them, and they bring it back out for her to finish up. ---
**Author:** ![FRDE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e68b1a/32.png) [@FRDE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FRDE)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-different-kittens-2-different-appetittes/390095/3 "2007-01-30T13:35:56Z")
Umi is a lady Cato is a slob My/our solution was to give them an unlimited supply of science diet, anything else was a ‘treat’, supplied under supervision and in small quantities. ---
**Author:** ![rocksolid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@rocksolid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocksolid)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-different-kittens-2-different-appetittes/390095/4 "2007-01-30T17:59:02Z")
Agree with **FRDE**. We had 12 cats at one point in time. They seemed to self-regulate food consumption quite well\* and we never had a problem with any getting overweight. \*only if food is constantly available though, if it isn’t then there will be the potential to overeat on the not knowing when it’ll next be there basis. ---
**Author:** ![SnakesCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@SnakesCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakesCatLady)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-different-kittens-2-different-appetittes/390095/5 "2007-01-30T18:30:30Z")
I agree with the above. Some cats have the “I must eat it all now 'cause I don’t know when I’ll get more” mentality. You can try free-feeding a quality kitten food (nothing cheaper than Purina Kitten Chow) and reserving canned food for occasional treats. Keep an eye on their weight; some cats will overeat and get fat when you free-feed them. I have nine cats, which I free-feed Iams Indoor Cat Formula. One of them is overweight, one is rather plumptious and the other seven are about the correct weight for their age and size. I have found the key feeding cats is to give them a steady diet. Changes in food can cause diarrhea, and may result in overeating if the cat likes the “new” food better than the previous food at the moment. Changing food can also cause a cat to turn into a picky eater. Oh, by the way - you know the rule! Where are the pics? I want to see the Ocibaby! ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-different-kittens-2-different-appetittes/390095/6 "2007-01-30T19:17:47Z")
[QUOTE=SnakesCatLady] Changing food can also cause a cat to turn into a picky eater. [/QUOTE] I’ll note that some folks claim just the opposite. That one should rotate foods every several months ( gradually of course, to minimize dietary upset ) so as to prevent pickiness. Or claims like this: _More recently, some veterinarians specializing in feline medicine have stated that inflammatory bowel syndromes may develop, in part, because of food sensitivities caused by feeding one diet for over a year or two at a time._ I make no claim for the absolute accuracy of the above, by the way. Just presenting one of those conflicting opinions I’ve been reading about :). - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![BACI](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ce73a5/32.png) [@BACI](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BACI)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-different-kittens-2-different-appetittes/390095/7 "2007-01-30T19:40:09Z")
And here are the pictures! [http://homepage.mac.com/mrowe1/PhotoAlbum8.html](http://homepage.mac.com/mrowe1/PhotoAlbum8.html) ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-different-kittens-2-different-appetittes/390095/8 "2007-01-30T20:59:23Z")
Baci, that picture of Cato made my day! He looks very patient, for being so tied up. ---
**Author:** ![BACI](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ce73a5/32.png) [@BACI](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BACI)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2007, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-different-kittens-2-different-appetittes/390095/9 "2007-01-31T05:45:00Z")
Why thank you! He’s a LOT happier now he’s not stuck in a cage. If a cat could giggle he’d be doing lots of it right now! M ---
**Author:** ![FRDE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e68b1a/32.png) [@FRDE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FRDE)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2007, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-different-kittens-2-different-appetittes/390095/10 "2007-01-31T09:45:22Z")
Another things that cats like is running water, Burmese are supposed to go nuts about it. I used to leave the bath tap dribbling - a bit wasteful, but they loved it. ---
**Author:** ![KlondikeGeoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@KlondikeGeoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KlondikeGeoff)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2007, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-different-kittens-2-different-appetittes/390095/11 "2007-01-31T16:03:50Z")
> [@](#): > > Another things that cats like is running water, Burmese are supposed to go nuts about it. Yeah, Bengals do also. > [@](#): > > I used to leave the bath tap dribbling - a bit wasteful, but they loved it. Or, you can get one of the water dishes with built-in recirculating pump, so the stream runs all the time. ---
**Author:** ![SnakesCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@SnakesCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakesCatLady)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2007, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-different-kittens-2-different-appetittes/390095/12 "2007-01-31T16:43:51Z")
[QUOTE=KlondikeGeoff] Yeah, Bengals do also. Or, you can get one of the water dishes with built-in recirculating pump, so the stream runs all the time. [/QUOTE] I have one of those in the cat suite and the fuzzbutts love it. A couple of mine don’t like to drink still water. Those are some awesomely beautiful kittens!