Need help feeding 4 Non-Diabetic cats

[pixiesmom]

Right now I feed 90% friskies pate canned. (Poultry, chicken, liver, turkey) I end up putting out about 4 cans per day for them to all share. Sometimes it's finished, sometimes not.
One of my cats had urinary crystals about 1 year ago.
I have also put out about 1 cup of Purina One Urinary tract food per day.
It seems if I try to take away dry all together the anxiety level between the cats escalate.
Doesn't help with a new puppy in the house too.
My smallest cat weighs about 12lbs and my largest 18 (he's a long, big boy)
I do feel like they are getting a bit too overweight and need some feeding suggestions.
I would love to continue feeding them all together since I've had them all as kittens and this is how we've always done it, but I know maybe not ideal.
Cost is also an issue....the friskies is affordable.

Thanks for any advice.....

 

[Becky Smith]

Even though dry food isn't ideal for the cats, it sounds to be like you are doing everything right....they are non-diabetic, and happy.....we also have an 18 lb cat, and one that's probably about 10 lbs.....the 18 lb cat is diabetic, the other one is not....we feed the same thing every day to both......no dry though...just Fancy Feast Classic, and freeze dried chicken......

 

[Squeaky and KT (GA)]

I feed all our non-diabetics either Friskies or Walmart's Special Kitty canned in the 13oz cans. We don't do dry even for our 'crystal' kitties - just lots of extra water in food to keep anything from 'clumping' and creating stones. We have 3 BIG boys (15-18 lbs) and 7 'normal' size boys/girls.

 

[Kris & Teasel]

Not sure if this will help but I'll share my experiences:

My diabetic cat, Teasel, was on Urinary S/O wet food for a very long time because of his frequent attacks of cystitis. He's been off it since the diabetes diagnosis this past January 2016 and eats eats a mix of prescription Purina DM wet food and Fancy Feast or Friskies pates. I always add a fair bit of warm water to his wet food. He's had no urinary issues .

Teasels' brother is a large, muscular non-diabetic cat who needed to lose weight (was almost 17 lbs). About 3 + months ago I switched him to the same prescription wet food that Teaser gets because it's high protein and low carb. He's lost almost 1.5 lb so far on ONE 5.5 oz can a day.

I have a third kitty, their sister, and she does well on one can of prescription hypoallergenic food a day.

The three have been trained to eat in separate rooms and get 3 meals a day with no free feeding and absolutely no kibble. Works for me but I think it could be made to work in a more flexible regimen. I think I could sub in all Friskies or Fancy Feast low carb wet food for the prescription stuff (except for little miss who needs the hypoallergenic $$$ stuff!) and the two boys would be fine.