How to put a cat on a diet?

Question

I'm hoping for a little help from experienced cat owners. I have three cats one of which is over weight. Currently I have food out for them 24/7. I would like to try and feed them a specific amount every day so the over weight cat will stop over eating. My problem is that I have one cat who is very shy and is on the bottom of the pecking order and I'm not sure if he'll take to a feeding schedule. How do I start my cats on a feeding schedule when they have always been used to eating at will. Especially when one cat can be picky about when he eats. Help me please. Thank you all in advance!

Answer 1

buy diet cat food first of all. then feed them once in the morining before you go to work/school and once when you get beck from work/school and once before you go to bed.

Answer 2

Cats need excersize to stay fit and trim just as much as people do.  In addition to changing the cat's diet, you should stimulate him to play more often.  If you get on the floor with him for each play session, it will also help you to bond with your cat.  

Here's another tip that I read once in Cat Fancy Magazine.  If you have a multi-story house, try putting his food on the top floor and the litter box on the bottom floor, or visa versa.  This will force your cat to walk up and down the stairs a few times a day in order to protect these two key points of his territory.  This extra work will help him to lose unwanted pounds.

Answer 3

I know, it's difficult to diet a cat in a multi-cat household!  But it can be done.

First, I highly recommend getting them off the dry food.  That will be work for you, but how much depends on your cats.  Some take to new foods/textures easily, some do not.  It personally took me two weeks to get my girls off the "kitty crack."  When feeding wet, you are of necessity feeding on a schedule.  Your cats will adjust over time.  Mine did.

You may have to make an effort to be sure that #3 is getting its fair share.  I know that might be difficult too, but trust me - the results will be worth it!

From my blog:

In a nutshell, most cats are fat because they've been fed too much (free-feeding or indulging them) and because they're fed dry food which is NOT appropriate food for them due to the grain/carb/sugar content. Cats are obligate carnivores who need to eat a high meat-based protein diet, which is also high in fats and low in carbs.

Many vets, who are sadly ignorant on the topic of proper cat nutrition, will recommend prescription diet foods (usually dry). Cats are expected to lose weight on a starvation diet of 1/4 or 1/3 cup of food per day. Everyone is miserable in these situations.

The solution is to switch the fat cat (and any others in the household as well) to a good quality canned food. Because these foods are species appropriate, the cat will lose weight at a safe, slow pace (no more than 1 pound per month). Switching foods needs to occur slowly, and if you're trying to get a kibble junkie to eat canned food, that will happen naturally.

How much should cats eat?

This varies. Average cats may eat between 20-30 calories per pound per day. But note that that is IDEAL pounds. Using 25 calories per day for example, an 8 pound cat could eat 200 calories per day. By the same token, a cat who weighs 20 pounds but should weigh 10 could eat 250 calories per day. You multiply the ideal weight by the calories to arrive at that figure. When working toward weight loss, it's perhaps best to start at the lower end of the scale (20).

How do I find out how many calories are in cat food? See the link "Values in canned food." If it's not listed there, you'd need to contact the manufacturer.....I believe that link provides some help there as well.

That's it. Easy as pie. Not only will fat cats lose weight, but it and any others in the home will reap many benefits of eating a speciies appropriate diet.

See the links below for detailed information on this topic.

UPDATE: Poppy lost 5 pounds and Sophie lost 2 following this plan (from October to October). Each cat gets one can (5.5oz) of Nature's Variety Instincts per day. No one is starving or miserable. My vet is happy with her progress and so am I. Only 4 pounds to go!

Answer 4

I'm actually facing the same problem! i have 4 cats, 2 over weight, 1 still skinny, and a kitten. we have been trying this new food from Iams called MULTICAT. It helps fat cats get lean and skinny cats gain muscle! its been 3 weeks now and one of the big kitties has lost 7 and 1/2 pounds! =)

Answer 5

I have 2 cats, one has a tendency to be overweight and the other is very skinny (but eats all the time).

I was told by the vet to buy EVO, it is a brand of high protein cat food.  Cats need more protein than filler like wheat or rice.  I have been told and read that wet is better for them, but my fat cat hates wet, so that is what I feed the skinny one becuase then I know he is eating what he should be.

You cannot say how much a cat should get per se because it is often based on the size the cat currently is and you down size from there.  However, I currently feed my cats dry food once a day.  They each get 1/4 of a cup of dry.  My fat cat cries for more, but DON'T GIVE IN!  My skinny cat gets a small can of Wellness wet food.  He totally loves it and the fat cat does not touch it.

Good luck!!!

Answer 6

Canned cat food will help your cat lose weight better than dry food.

And if you can get a higher protein, no grain cat food, even better.

I would feed the overweight cat in another room.  

He will complain the first day or two about the feeding schedule but will adjust - don't give in.  I feed my cats twice a day and they are healthy and happy.  

Often diet foods have a lot of things in them that will cause the cat to either stay at their weight or gain even more.  You want to get closer to what they would naturally eat.  

EDIT :: !!! Michele W - a cat losing 7.5 lbs in 3 weeks is losing way too fast - chances are they are losing muscle - cats that lose weight that fast can develop serious health problems or even die as a result!  please see your vet immediately!!!

Answer 7

What are you feeding the cats? I would try a canned food diet 2-3 times per day. You can feed the shy cat separately (in the bathroom, for example) so that she can eat her food without being bullied. Dry foods are usually too low in meat protein and too high in carbs, which can lead to obesity and other health problems.You can offer a meat-based dry food as a snack. Examples include Wellness, Innova, and B.G. (Before Grain). Avoid grocery store dry foods that do not contain meat such as chicken as the main ingredient. Most dry cat foods contain "poultry by-products" and corn. Look for foods that contain "chicken" as the first ingredient on the label.