Feeding two cats with different calorie needs

Feeding two cats with different calorie needs in the same household is one of the trickier situations to get right — a chunky 5-year-old Ragdoll and an active 2-year-old Tabby are at genuinely different life stages metabolically. Cats are obligate carnivores with specific nutritional needs many commercial foods don't fully meet, and wet food is almost always the better choice because hydration is critical for long-term kidney health. To point you in the right direction: are either of them neutered, and do you have any sense of whether the Ragdoll is gaining weight or the Tabby is staying lean? And what are you currently feeding them — same food, same portions?

That's a really common setup and it's exactly where the problem starts — Monty's size means he likely wins the speed race and eats more than he should, while Pip probably does fine regardless. The fix isn't a different food for each cat, it's controlled portion feeding where each cat eats in a separate space and you pick up the bowls after 20 minutes. Once you do that, you can adjust Monty's portions downward without Pip going short. What are they currently eating? That'll tell me whether the food itself is part of the issue.

Felix is fine for palatability but it's fairly low in protein and leans heavily on gravy and cereals as fillers — not ideal for a Ragdoll who needs to lose a little weight, because the carbohydrates don't help. For a two-cat household like yours, I'd switch both cats to Animonda Carny Adult wet food. It's a high-meat, grain-free pâté — typically 70–80% named meat — which means more protein, fewer empty calories, and better satiety per gram. For Monty, you reduce the portion slightly and he'll still feel satisfied because the food is more nutritionally dense. Pip gets the same food at a normal portion and stays trim. It comes in multipacks on Amazon UK at a reasonable price per pouch, it's genuinely well-regarded among cat owners who've moved away from supermarket brands, and both cats are very likely to take to it without a fuss given the high meat content.

Transition gradually — mix about 25% new food with 75% old for the first couple of days, then 50/50, then 75/25, then full switch over about a week. Cats can be sensitive to sudden changes and you don't want either of them going off food mid-switch. For Monty's portions: a standard Animonda Carny pouch is 85g. For a neutered adult Ragdoll who needs to lose a little weight, start at around 150–160g per day total across two meals, which is roughly one and three-quarter pouches. Pip as an active 2-year-old Tabby can have two full pouches — 170g — daily. Weigh Monty every two to three weeks; you want slow, steady loss of around 1–2% of body weight per month. If he's not shifting after a month, drop by another 10g per day.

It's the single most effective change you can make and it becomes habit quickly. Once they know the routine — separate spots, bowls go down, bowls come up — most cats adapt within a week. Monty will likely grumble for a few days but he'll settle. Give it a month on the new food with controlled portions and you should see a noticeable difference in his condition. Good luck with both of them.