going from free feeding to scheduled meals?

Yes, take the food away after 20 mins max. Make sure each cat has a seperate dish and feeding area, it will help make sure all the cats are getting the right amount of food, as one will need more and the over weight cats will need less. Don't be surprised if the first few days they don't eat all their food, they will have to get used to it.

Well if you leave it out won't the piggy ones eat all the food intended for the underweight one? I think what you should do is put it down, let them eat (a half hour would be enough for them to decide they've had enough) then if you're home a few hours later put the underweight one in a bathroom with some more food. That way she can eat more if she wishes but the others won't overeat.

What brand are you feeding? I free feed Blue Buffalo Wilderness and even my Exotic Shorthair - who's prone to chunkiness slimmed down once we started feeding that. And yeah "weight loss" foods are BS. If it's a quality food a cat won't get fat on it so there's no reason to make a "weight loss" version of it.

That's weird about their reaction to canned food. Have you tried the Wilderness canned? It's pate style so easy to eat and my guys love it. No poop issues, either.

We feed our ten cats grain-free canned food (Merrick's Before Grain and Nature's Variety Instincts are our brands of choice but we occasionally give them EVO, Evanger's Whole Mackerel, or Wellness) mixed with raw meat twice a day. The food is left down for no more than 30 minutes and then whatever is not eaten is taken up again. Luckily they are pretty hungry at mealtimes and gobble it all up. On the rare occasion when one of them doesn't eat much (it's usually Hector who is very picky), I don't worry about it because I know he will eat plenty at the next feeding.

Regarding the kitty with the bowel problems--is it IBS? I ask because a friend of mine has a kitty with pretty severe IBS and she feeds him a venison-based diet with pretty good results. Just thought I'd throw that out there in case you haven't tried it.

always fed my cats on schedule..the problem here is that you have so many, & with different dietary requirements...you're really gonna have to separate the dishes & them @ least for a few wks...if not, when they start getting wind of the idea that the food will not be out all day, they will start eating ea others' food, even when put down, taken away...good luck...my last set gave me some relief..when the younger was a kitten, the older was overweight, but we shortly found out that the younger preferred the meats, while the older preferred the seafood..got lucky here...good luck, but their gonna be a little upset about the third day...

In the morning let them eat till they all stop,pick it up.Of course leave the water,cause i had a similar problem my girl was over 22lbs.Stopping her drastically could cause serious illness possible death due to her age and eating habits.Water will fake fill them believe it or not to an extent.Then at night,maybe 8hrs since 1st feeding,let them go again.Pick it up.That's a 8:00am scedual though so just adjust it to your scedual.So then their second would be at around 4:00pm then at when you go to bed let them eat again.Then after you do that for a few days,cut 3 feedings down to 2 feedings,just readjust the hrly scedual.

Cats are meant to be fed twice a day, this works if you're trying to slim down your cat or just feed it properly. Feed them one pouch at around 11am, then another at 6pm. If the cat doesn't finish it off (which it most likely will) then put the food in a cupboard for when he/she next gets hungry. Good luck, hope I helped! :)