Is dry food healthy for my lean cats, or should I worry about obesity?

The amount of food they eat depends on how many calories are in that food. Pets should eat enough to maintain a normal body condition. You should be able to feel their ribs like your fingers on the back of your hand. They should have a waist from above and 'Tuck' from below. Adding regular dry food to the canned will only increase the calories they are getting and make them gain more weight. If pets are gaining weight, there are pet foods that are formulated for weight loss and to maintain an ideal body condition that are available from your veterinarian. Ask about weight loss foods and see what they suggest. Unfortunately, housecats are prone to becoming overweight as a lack of exercise and read access to food make a perfect situation to pack on the weight.

if your cat is of normal weight and gets enough exercise, you can leave it at that. If you prefer to feed individual meals (2-3 times a day) you should slowly transition to wet/canned food and slowly reduce the dry food. Wet food overall is better for your cat, especially when a cat gets older. It contains less carbohydrates (cats are obligatory carnivores, so mainly need protein, not carbs), lessens the chance of your cat becoming a diabetic, and ensures that your cat gets more moisture with its food rather than having to drink more. If you feed canned food, stick with pate-type food, as cats tend to only lick off the gravy in chunky type foods. They prefer the ground mouse approach :D

It is probably best to maintain Ginger on just dry food rather than switching it up a couple times a week. Unless she is supposed to be much smaller, 4.5kg is usually a normal cat weight. Measure out her food and only give her as much as she needs to maintain her weight. If you find that she is gaining weight on her current food and amount, then you may have to decrease what you are feeding her just a little.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Dry is fine for cats. Some feel that canned cat food is more ideal due to the extra moisture content and because cats are more carnivorous than dogs. Canned food is best for cats with underlying urinary issues. With that being said if Noushmc prefers dry then that is what you should offer her. I wouldn't be concerned. Have a good day!

As long as Julie does not have any health concerns that require a special diet, this food should be fine for her, you just may need to monitor her that she doesn't lose weight if she is currently at a good weight. You may need to give her a little extra food that your overweight cat does not get if she does begin to lose weight.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Hill's G/D diet is a great diet to feed older cats. It may have slightly less protein than is needed for younger cats. Unfortunately, Fancy Feast has a higher amount of fat and salt in it, so it does cause cats to gain weight. I recommend feeding your other cats a dry kibble, there are light or diet options from Hill's available as well. Being overweight can cause diabetes and other medical conditions in cats, so it is definitely a good idea to have them lose their extra weight. I hope this helps and am happy to answer any other questions you may have!

If both of your cats are 6 months old it may be that they simply don’t need as many calories and are eating less dry food for that reason. It’s pretty rare for cats to be too thin but you could check with your vet to make sure their body condition is good if you’re concerned about underfeeding. If you don’t want them to eat as much wet food then offer less. If they are maintaining their weight and are not vomiting or having diarrhea I wouldn’t be concerned that they’re eating a little less food.