How can I help my cat loose weight? How much do I give her to eat per day?

Question

I asked the vet and he just told me to feed her less I'm still not sure if he was being sarcastic or if he just wasn't worried. She's 8 years old and weighs 14 lbs. I just want her to loose weight so she lives longer. I use to keep her bowl full all the time 'cause I didn't want her to feel like she was starving. Now, I give her like 4 small hand fulls of food through out the day but she whines all the time now for more food and sits by me looking pitiful when I eat (I use to give her a little of what I ate sometimes). She's also tried getting into the garbage which she managed to do once. Also, how much longer will she live if I can get her to loose weight?

Answer 1

Lol my cats try to get in the garbage too. That's not really a food thing, it's a lets-see-how-much-of-a-mess-we-can-make thing. Put out a small plate of food maybe 2 or 3 times a day. For goodness sake, don't starve her. Losing weight takes a lot of time, in humans AND cats.

She'll probably live 3-5 years longer.

Answer 2

In addition to the answer provided above you should feed your cat based on what it's supposed to weigh, not what it does weigh now. My favorite food is Feline R/D by Hills, it's a prescription diet thats available through your veterinarian. Hills also has other diets that can be found in pet stores which are also very good.

Kelly, RVT

Answer 3

I don't think you are getting good advice here.  Go to: http://www.littlebigcat.com and read Dr. Jean Hovfe's article titled "The Right Weight Loss Program for Cats" and her many other articles on cat nutrition.

Your cat's nutritional needs are not being met - feeding less of inappropriate food only makes her unhappy and can be detrimental to her health.

If you follow Dr. Hovfe's advice (information about meat diets is also excellent at: http://www.catinfo.org

When I rescued a 16 yr old cat a year ago I thought I would never fill him up with meat.  For three or four months he ate twice as much as my other cats - like he had been starved his whole life for good feline nutrition.  Then he tapered off and started to eat "normally".  He never gained weight during his period of voracious eating, just got overall healthier and had better energy.

Answer 4

Hi Pink Sky,

Is your Cat a House Cat or does she go outdoors?

If she stays in the house all the time she probably needs more exercise rather than a diet so why not try getting some toys and setting aside some time to play with her?

If you cat goes outside then she has lots of other ways of getting more food if you cut down on what you are giving her.  My own vet describes my handsome lad as obese but says it is pointless trying to put him on a diet as he will just go and scrounge from someone else!

We have two beautiful cats, they are 11 years old and come in and out as it suits them.  They are fed tinned food at night and always have water and dry food available.

They have a good bowl full each of the tinned food and there will be food left over in the morning which we put outside for the other neighbourhood cats - we have a descrete queue most days.

Now for the important thing, our cats come from the same litter and are fed from neighbouring bowls. There is sufficient food for both cats, it is not brother beating sister to the bowl...   The boy is big framed and his sister is small - their mother was a British Tri-Colour and she was a very stocky cat so our boy, the largest in his litter, was no surprise to us.  At 11 years old the very healthy boy currently weighs 21lbs and his sister just 9lbs.

The little girl is currently down at the Vets every other month for medication and a check up following a kidney infection - the boy just needs to go in August when their annual boosters are due.  He may be a little overweight but he can run when he feels the necessity - and look so cute running with that bit of flab typical of neutered males flapping from side to side.  

Cat lives, just like those of humans are dependent upon many more conditions than weight.  With luck their lives can be very long - bear in mind though that cats do not age at the same pace as humans. My cats at 11 are the equivalent of 60 year old humans.

Your 8 year old cat would be 48-51 depending upon how long ago her birthday was.  A useful chart can be found at http://cats.about.com/cs/healthissues/a/...

Some old neighbours of ours had a cat inherited from her mother, they calculated her age at 26 based on the fact that she was about 18 months older than their then 24 year old son.  They were lucky as cruel humans, badly trained dogs, motor vehicles and illnesses bring the average cat life down much lower.  

From my many years of cat-owning experience I can see my boy lasting for many more years, I am much more worried about his sfelt sister.  I shall not be putting my cat on a diet as I prefer him to have a long and happy life rather than a miserable one which feels (to him) very very long..  

We advise you to try prawns as a tasty and low-fat treat and to stop worrying about your cat's figure - after all if you look at humans most have a tendancy to put on weight at her equivalent age and then shrink as they get older..

Please note that it is also very important for cats to have access to grass and that they are very fond of the herb catmint (although will eat a whole one in one sitting if not watched!).

Good Luck to both of you..

Answer 5

she's live longer if she loses weight, for sure

you should buy some of that weight loss special cat food and give it to her

don't give her small handfuls. give her what's directed on the package

here's more info

http://www.2ndchance.info/catfood.htm

Answer 6

Yes, your cat will live longer if she goes on a diet and looses weight.

First, what you are doing sounds okay. Feeding four small handfuls of food throughout the day is the practical way to diet your cat, but for godness sake DO NOT STARVE YOUR CAT. Going to your local pet store and getting a weight-management formula will also help. Be sure to check the ingredients to see that it is grain-free and there are no animal by-products or animal digest.

Also, see to it that your cat is getting enough physical activity. For about thirty to sixty minutes a day play with your cat. You can buy interactive toys at your local pet store so you can play with your cat. Ribbon also works if you swing it around, just make sure your cat doesn't swallow the ribbon.

As for the garbage, put a sturdy metal or plastic lid on top so your cat can't get into it. If you see your cat trying to get into the garbage, punish your cat by spraying him or her with a spray bottle or scaring him or her away with loud noises.

So your cat doesn't feel like he or she is on this diet just to be mean, give him or her a lot of attention and remember not to feed him or her table scraps.

In the long run, this diet will help your cat slim down, get active, and live a longer and healthier life.

Good luck!