My cat is too fat! What do I do?

Question

She is 10 years old at 17 pounds - WAY to large. She can't move very fast because she has stubby legs and a big body.

I feed her once a day, and leave the bowl down for half an hour. During that time she licks the bowl clean.

She turns her nose up at diet foods. She is always so hungry, and I want to help her, not starve her. What should I do?

Answer 1

First, I would give her smaller portions 2 times a day. Are you giving her a full can? IF its one of the larger cans like friskes, try giving her 1/4 of a can at breakfast and 1/4 at dinner. Then exercise her. Limit her time laying and sleeping. That should help get the weight off. Cats normally feed 2-3 times a week depending on how much they catch in the wild. So her body is trying to keep everything she is getting.

Now, 2 questions and please don't be insulted.

1) is she Vet diagnosed as too fat?

2) what breed is the kitty. Sometimes you can research a breed to determine eating and play characteristics that can help you determine what your cat might be enticed by.

Also, you said she has stubby legs, so a lack of exercise and thick fur can make a cat with that body type look fatter than they are.

I have a Bombay/ Domestic mix, 15 months, 15 pounds. Fat right? Nope, cat is 22" tall and 22" long. Not Fat, BIG!!!! Muscled and even a touch under weight. Maine Coons will get to over 20 pounds depending on the cat. So like I said, double check that its not a perception of excessive weight. My Midnight is one massive cat and I swear he doesn't eat enough!!!

Answer 2

A Weight Loss Program for Cats

  

Cats are at risk for health problems if they are overweight. In addition to liver disease and diabetes mellitus, overweight cats are prone to arthritis, skin problems, heart failure and kidney disease. Older cats are often fat to obese. As a result, they have a 2.7% greater death rate than trim cats. You can tell if your cat is overweight if you can run your hand along his flank and not feel his ribs.

Before you begin any weight loss program for your cat, first consult your veterinarian. Certain medical conditions, such as diabetes, can cause obesity, and only your Vet can determine this. He/she will help you establish a weight reduction program for your cat. A typical diet plan begins by reducing caloric intake by 30% and decreasing by 10% increments every 2-3 weeks until a 1% weight loss per week is achieved. Rapid weight loss is not recommended because the weight, as human dieters will tell you, usually comes back after the weight reduction diet has ended. Some cats can suffer severe liver disease and even liver failure due to hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver disease) if the weight loss is too rapid.

If your Vet does not recommend a change in diet, you should continue feeding your cat his/her regular food, if it is low in fat and carbohydrates. Instead of leaving the cat’s dish full for him/her to nibble on during the day, feed him/her 2-4 small meals throughout the day. Make sure that everyone in the household buys into your cat’s diet. No table scraps! Treats should make up no more than 10% of the cat’s total calories. Even if your cat begs for them, avoid giving him/her extra treats. Overweight cats are generally not as agile as trim, fit cats, so try feeding the overweight cat on the floor. If you have more than one cat, don’t allow the dieter to eat their food. After 3-4 weeks, your cat should be examined by your Vet and any adjustments necessary be made to the diet.

If your Vet wants to change your cat’s diet, talk to him/her about switching from dry to wet food. Dry food dehydrates cats and contributes to bladder and kidney problems. The best cat foods contain vitamin-rich fish oils, low fat, reduced calories, high fiber content and a high ratio of protein to calories. Why does this work? A low fat diet helps to control a cat’s calorie intake. Fiber helps the cat feel full, but be aware that it often results in large frequent stools.

Sounds simple enough, doesn’t it? Some of you are no doubt saying “that won’t work with my cat. He’s too fussy.” It’s true. Many cat owners have tried unsuccessfully to switch their cats to a better diet. Cats have a tendency to turn their noses up at any new food and simply walk away. They often require a gradual switch over two to three weeks. Once you change from one food to another, plan ahead and stock an adequate supply. Don't run completely out of the new food and expect the cat to eat his old food or a different new food. He might or might not avoid it, but the sudden switch can upset his stomach. A word of caution. When you change the cat’s diet, he/she may suffer from diarrhea, change in stool, runny eyes or itchiness. This is common and usually passes within a week. If it does not, go back to the old food and consult your Vet right away. Your cat may be allergic to the new food.  (read more about human food allergies).

  

A cat that is eating less food is getting fewer nutrients. Your Vet may recommend a vitamin/mineral supplement to help your cat stay healthy, alert, and active. A fatty acid supplement will keep your cat's skin and coat healthy. Dehydroepiandrosterone helps cats lose weight faster and lowers cholesterol levels. L. carnitine affects the utilization of fat by the cat’s body and helps reduce weight. Pyruvate alters the metabolism. Chromium picolinate promotes the activity of insulin. Coenzyme Q10 aids energy production at the cellular level.

Cats gain weight when they don’t exercise as much as they should. Cats, like their human masters, require regular exercise to stay healthy. Exercising a cat, however, is not as easy as exercising a dog. Cats exercise when they want to. Many are extremely resistant to walking on a leash. You may have to resort to buying new toys or catnip to make your cat more active. CatChannel.Com suggests using toys and household items that will get your cat to leap and stretch, run up and down stairs, and climb. In addition, you might create an obstacle course of boxes, bags and soft-sided tunnels.

Because cats are exercise resistant, the solution to their weight problem is often found in a revised diet. As mentioned above, this may be difficult to do. Consult your Vet and follow his/her advice. Be patient and let things happen over time. Your cat will thank you for helping him lose weight, improve his health, and live longer.

Answer 3

just keep the cat active As such my aunts cat is on its way out at 54 lbs because she didnt take care of it keep the cat active and limit its food supply

Answer 4

I am having the exact problem as you. Except my cats fatness isn't  as bad!

If you cannot do the diet food then switch the foods and buy something that is not DIET but something that your cat will like and that is healthier than what you have right now.

And--- You can play with your cat. You can buy a red laser which the cat might want to chase or you can buy fake mice, balls that have bells in them, or a stick with a long string that the cat might find amusing.

She probably will run at it slow at first, but then when she gets off some wait she will go faster to it. However, you have to understand that she *is an old cat and so she may just want to rest for the last years of her life.

I understand why you don't want to have an overweight cat who cannot run very fast. It's not that fun for you. Because you want to play with her.

But either way, Good luck with your cat!

:)

Answer 5

Your cat won't stave itself to death, you need to limit the amount of food she eats. She will eat the diet food when she is hungry enough.

How did she get that fat?

Answer 6

Is Your Cat Too Fat?

From the Editors of Cat Facts

If your favorite feline looks more like a potato than a panther, you've got one fat cat. Here's how to tell if kitty is overweight.

How to Check:

    * You should be able to easily feel your cat’s ribs, but not see them sticking out. This indicates that your cat is at a desirable weight.

    * Look at your cat from above. Some indentation between the rib cage and the hips (that classic hourglass figure) indicates that your cat is at a desirable weight.

    * Check your cat’s belly. If the belly protrudes, the cat may be overweight. (A protruding belly on a cat is called an apron.)

    * Feel your cat’s hips. Anything more than light fleshiness indicates that your cat is above normal weight.

    * Always consult a veterinarian before putting a cat on a diet. Your veterinarian can recommend the right diet for your cat, and can examine your pet to rule out the possibility that a serious medical condition is causing the obesity.

What to Do:

    * Regular exercise helps your cat lose weight.

    * A cat’s weight at one year of age often reflects the animal’s optimal body weight, although this is not true of cats who are already obese at one year. A veterinarian can provide weight guidelines.

Warnings:

    * Visible ribs or excessive thinness could be a sign of hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) in cats, especially in those over 12 years of age. Consult a veterinarian if your pet is chronically underweight.

    * It's crucial not to let your cat become overweight. Obesity can lead to hepatic lipidosis (a fatty liver), diabetes, arthritis and other serious medical problems.

    * It's also crucial to work with your veterinarian on a weight-reduction program, because a cat who loses weight too quickly can suffer from life-threatening complications.

BESITY IN CATS... and What To Do About An Overweight Cat

Ever wonder what to do about your overweight cat?  Obesity in cats is very common and can predispose the cat to diabetes, Hepatic Lipidosis and arthritis.  Overweight and actually obese cats outnumber cats of normal weigh and are being seen more and more commonly by veterinarians for various disorders.  Weight loss plans in cats needs to be approached very carefully.  This page will help you determine what to do about overweight cats so that your kitty won't have to be encumbered by obesity.

There are more cats than dogs in the USA at this time.  And 40 percent of those cats are considered to be obese!  Only 5 to 10 percent of all cats can be classified as only slightly overweight.  In recent years Feline Diabetes Mellitus (diabetes) has become almost a daily diagnosis in animal hospitals all across America.  Our cats are at risk for a number of obesity related disorders.  Documented research indicates obese cats are far more prone than cats of normal body weight to Diabetes, arthritis and a A typical obese cat... 28 pounds! very serious disorder called Hepatic Lipidosis.  And the 40 percent obesity figure seems to be growing.

So what is happening that predisposes our domestic felines to a life of sedentary obesity?  The answer is multifactorial but to simplify, just remember this… any individual mammal (dog, cat, horse, human, etc.) will gain body weight if it consumes more calories than it burns as fuel for energy.  That’s pretty simple, but true.  In Nature, food acquisition has never been a sure thing for any creature… not for canines, felines or humans.  So food acquisition has always been accompanied by physical exertion to capture (or cultivate) and consume the food. It is only in recent times that the unnatural situation of food excess, readily acquired and consumed with little accompanying physical exertion, has become a way of life.  We humans have figured how not to have to do all that work of capturing and cultivating to build up stores of food.   Through agricultural expertise we have learned how to grow food and raise livestock and to have those food sources readily available and in abundance… just in case we get hungry!  We learned how to refrigerate, dry, preserve and store foods in large quantities that assured us we would not have to endure long and unsuccessful hunting forays nor suffer through famines.  We have created the very same food acquisition assurances for our domestic dogs and cats.  They, as we, no longer have to hunt to survive.  Indeed, we no longer even have to live outdoors.

It’s interesting that our pets have mirrored our own tendency to have trouble with weight control.  The major difference, though, is that we humans have complete control over what our pets eat and how much they eat.  Unless your dog or cat is sneaking into the fridge and making ham and cheese sandwiches late at night when no one is around, the only way they get to eat is when YOU place the food in front of them.

Every veterinarian has repeatedly heard a serious minded dog or cat owner state “I know you think she’s overweight, Doctor, but it isn’t from the food!  She hardly eats a thing.”  Well… is the pet overweight from high calorie air?   Maybe it’s the water… or from laying on that couch all the time.  That’s it!  The couch is making the kitty fat, not the food.   Seriously, far too many pet owners truly believe that food intake has nothing at all to do with their pet’s weight and no amount of counseling will convince them otherwise.  If that describes your position, read no further because the rest of this article is all about how to feed the proper food and in the correct quantity so that the cat will loose weight safely or maintain an optimum weight.  There will be nothing in this article about the effect of high calorie air, water or comfortable furniture on the cat’s weight problem.

Any cat that is overweight should have a physical exam performed, exact weight measured and blood and urine tests run.  It is vital that normal thyroid hormone levels are present and that the cat has no physical or metabolic dysfunction.  If the cat is physically normal, other than the abnormal body weight from fat deposition, then a gradual and careful weight loss program can be instituted.  First, let’s look at what the causes of obesity are and what we can do to correct OUR mistakes:

FREE CHOICE FEEDING

THE main reason for feline obesity (as well as obesity in other mammals) is the consumption of too much food.   Deny it all you want but it is a fact.

What we do…

Many cats are fed “free choice”, which means there is food available all the time and the cat eats whenever it wants.  (Pretty unnatural for a true carnivore that evolved as a hunting machine!)  Free choice feeding has probably been the biggest single factor contributing to feline obesity.

What we should do…

Feed two to four small portions daily and control the amounts fed so that over a period of time the cat does not gain weight.  Many pet owners must downsize what theyClick to browse the pet food and supply store in a new window! ENJOY! think is a “normal” portion.  A meal for a 175-pound human might weigh 16 to 24 ounces.  A seven-pound cat weighs 1/25 of the 175-pound human.  So a cat’s meal should proportionally be about 1/25 of a human meal.  That comes out to between 0.6 and 1.0 ounce of food per meal for a seven-pound cat… about the same weight as a mouse.  Cat owners must stop thinking in terms of “cups of food” and start thinking in terms of ounces of food.

CARBOHYDRATE

Cats, unlike most mammals, have no carbohydrate-digesting enzyme called Amylase in their saliva.  Humans and dogs do and actually begin the digestion ofDry food kibble... be sure to check the protein and fat levels! carbohydrate in the mouth.  In the intestine, amylase secreted from the pancreas breaks down large carbohydrate molecules into absorbable smaller units of glucose.  Cats have measurably less amylase activity than humans or dogs.   Nature did not intend the kitty to be a carbohydrate consumer.

What we do…

We purchase convenient, attractively packaged and preserved dry foods mainly because we can pour it in the bowl and forget it.  Dry pet food must have higher levels of flour and sugar than canned foods so that the kibble will stay uniform and not fall apart.  Spoiling doesn’t readily occur because of the preservatives so the kitty can eat whenever it wants and we don’t have to prepare cat meals very often.  Unfortunately, especially with dry diets, because of the metabolic biochemistry that converts the high carbohydrate content in almost all of today’s commercial cat foods into stored fat, the cat is really at risk for weight gain.

What we should do…

Feed a diet consistent with the nature of a true carnivore… a meat based diet.  An ideal feline diet will have a high protein level in the 35 to 45 percent range on a dry matter basis (meaning the percent in the diet when the water has been removed) and moderate fat content with a low percentage of carbohydrate (grains).  A multitude of research reports have proven that diets high in protein and fat are most beneficial for carnivores.  Cats cannot handle large carbohydrate loads efficiently.  After a meal rich in carbohydrate the feline’s blood level of glucose tends to stay higher than normal for long periods of time.  They become persistently hyperglycemic and this long term stimulus on the beta cells in the pancreas… the cells that produce insulin… renders those cells less sensitive to the blood glucose.  As a result less insulin is secreted to bring down the blood sugar level.  Nutritionists call this “down regulating’ of the beta cells; the insensitivity of the insulin secreting beta cells leads to what is termed “insulin resistance”.    This scenario is a prelude to diabetes.

PROTEIN

We all know how cats crave mice and birds as a food source.  A natural sou

Answer 7

On the side of the food bag there is a chart for the recommended amount of food to feed a cat for a certain weight. Feed your cat in meals, not all at once (I feed my two once in the morning and once at night). Also when you think you're starving(dont worry cause you're not) you cat just think of how much stress is being put on her skeletal frame. One pound is like 45 to a cat.