I don't want him to be obese and vulnerable to heart, diabetes or thyroid problems. I would certainly welcome some insight and suggestions.

-- B.A.T., Reston, Va.

Dear B.A.T.: Your letter is important for many cat owners who face a similar problem. Cats who are constantly hungry (often because the weight-reduction diet they have been placed on is deficient in essential nutrients) are at risk from a variety of serious health problems. The high cereal content of her present diet is absurd.

My home-prepared cat-food recipe would be a good first step to transition your cat from what she is being fed now to the kind of raw food diet advocated by feline specialist Elizabeth Hodgkins in her book "Your Cat" (Thomas Dunne Books, 2007).

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