Sammy was doing very well on her diet until we took in three extra families.
That caused my other cats so much stress they went off their feed and they
were losing way too much weight way too fast.  I have to encourage them to
eat, and in doing so Sammy ends up with extra portions too (poor baby is a
stress eater I guess, I can relate!  ;>).

Hugs,

CatNipped

I would like to encourage you to try timed feeding schedules.  Isn't there
some way that you and Nancy *combined* could come up with a system?  If you
could feed your cats twice a day, and try to stick to premium canned food, I
think you would find an enormous improvement in overall health.  It does
take some time and patience on your part while your cats are adjusting.
When I changed from free-feeding dry food to scheduled canned food, I had
tremendous guilt pangs because my twosome obviously did *not* want this
change in feeding.  I also did it gradually -- not just a "cold turkey"
change.  The result in both cats (but especially Duffy, who had been in a
shelter for several months before I adopted him) was remarkable.

MaryL

No, after all these years on broadband, DH finally dropped the netcom
account.  My email addy is lcrews (at) houston (dot) rr (dot) com.

I haven't gotten any new piccies of Demi lately because she spends all day
under my bed as long as we have houseguests.  She only comes out at night
when I go to bed - then she shows up for her nightly brushing.  She will
venture out briefly for morning feedings also, but as soon as she sees
anyone she'll dash back under the bed.

It's really a dilemma.  I know Gypsy has to be inside because she's very old
(for a d*g), and has spent her entire life indoors (and she's really good,
she wouldn't dream of harming the cats - in fact Jessie beats her up
regularly, the little bully).

But she will eat any food left in a dish (as will any d*g).  And when she
sees Demi, and Demi runs away (as Demi does from anyone), she will chase
Demi (I don't know if she just wants to play, or if it's a chase reflex that
all d*gs have, especially retrievers).  So I have to keep a baby gate across
my bedroom door to protect the cats' food and provide a d*g-free haven.

That means Bandit has to stay in there because she can't / is too lazy to
jump the gate (I also have to keep two litter boxes in my bedroom).  Demi
and Sammy are too afraid of the d*ggy monster to come out of there.  With
Sammy, I can carry her into my office to spend the day with me, but Demi
would totally panic if I tried that with her and Bandit hates being carried
anywhere and would exact severe retribution upon my body if I dared try.

Jessie, of course, still roams the house at will (and, as mentioned, seems
to take pleasure in regularly beating up the d*g).  So she'll use the two
litter boxes in the garage and eat the food in my office (along with Sammy
when I carry Sammy into my office).  In fact I keep the litter boxes in the
garage and the food in my office just for Jessie since she doesn't like
being in my bedroom because of Bandit.

The kids and the dogs will be here for the next year or so, that means the g
ate will stay up for the next year or so, and *that* means that Bandit and
Demi are confined to just that one room of my house (and Sammy as well
unless I carry her out) for the next year or so.  [I'm hoping Sammy will get
used to Gypsy and will feel comfortable around her after a while, but it's
been weeks already and she's still afraid of her.]  They can't even look
outside because I have to keep the drapes covering the French doors in my
bedroom so that the sight of Digger in the backyard doesn't upset them too
much (for a while everyone except Sammy was losing weight because they
wouldn't eat with a Rottweiller watching them).

I'm not happy about the situation at all, but I don't know what else to do
except put up with it (as I'm putting up with the mess the kids make, the
loss of peace and calm in my life, and the ruination of every kid-unfriendly
knick-knack, carpet, or piece furniture I have/had).

Hugs,

CatNipped