My cat is very overweight! HELP!

Question

My cat is about 2 years old and is a female. She is larger than any of my friends cats. She is extremely overweight and I'm afraid it will affect her health. Everyone is always complaining about how big she is. We feed her weight control food, and give her only what she needs, no more. I try playing with her, and keeping her running, but it is hard because even though we have a good size house, she is not allowed outside because we live next to a forest that have coyotes in it. We let her walk around, but she is not allowed out of the backyard, and is VERY afraid of the outdoors, so if we carry her outside she will run back in. Does anyone have any ideas on how to help her loose wight before this becomes a major health issue?!

Answer 1

Get her checked by a vet.  He/She can tell you how much food to give your fat cat....just make sure there is water always available.  You need to explain to your gramma that she needs to respect your wishes and not give the cat tuna or treats because she IS on a diet, and she could be shortening the life of YOUR pet.  When she is visiting, hide all the treats (why do you have them anyway if the cat is on a diet?) and don't buy any tuna - this will make it more difficult for her to break the rules.  Also, cats do not need to go outside, they will be less likely to get fleas or ticks if left inside, not to mention live longer and healthier.  As long as she has a CLEAN litterbox, fresh water and whatever amount the vet suggest for food - she will be just as happy inside.  Also, as for the weight, it depends on the breed whether your cat is overweight or not.  Maine Coons can be really big (males can weigh up to 22 pounds!)  whereas Himmies can weigh 7-9 pounds and be just as healthy.

Answer 2

I had a similar problem with my cats.  It seems like if they eat their regular diet and nothing more they still put on weight.  Here's what I did.  Make sure they don't continuously eat all day long by either giving it to them or monitoring their meals.  And absolutely no human treats.  If your cats must have treats give them cat grass.  My cats love to play "laser" tag.  My cat Meghan will chase the red laser light up and down the hallway and it really helps her maintain her weight.  Another thing I do is hide their food.  It's a fun way to get them active and it makes them feel like they are hunting.  Set aside (3) 10 minute play times for your cat where you play only with your cat using string, laser tag, or anything else they find interesting.  It will help them lose a bit of weight.  Also, if your cat still continues to put on weight you might want to bring your cat in to a vet to have it checked for hypothyroidism.  It's a condition where the cat's thyroid does not work properly and causes them to put on excess weight.  It is treatable and easily diagnosed.  My oldest cat had hyperthyroidism which cause the opposite effect of losing weight.  She is doing good with treatment.  Hope this helps...and I'm sure you kitty will start losing weight.  Don't give up!

About bringing your cat outdoors.  Be patient.  I taught my caught to walk with a leash.  Start slow and let the cat smell.  If your cat is scared just continue to reassure her everything is ok.  Don't leave her especially if coyotes are around.  If you take her out and show her it is safe, after awhile she will start to look forward to her outings.  Cats will show you things you never even noticed outside.  It's wonderful bringing a cat outside and they are so appreciative.  Your cat will thank you for showing her what she has been missing.

Answer 3

I agree the cat should be seen by a vet re thyroid or other diseases like diabetes. Also the vet could show you the exact amount of food to be given as we know even low-calory food in high quantities can be fattening. And most have a diet clinic to help you along

Answer 4

Some people who answered obviously did not read your question well enough since you said you feed her weight control food and only feed as much as she needs.

Get her toys that she can chase around the house to get her exercising in the home. Get a laser pointer for her to chase, it is pretty cute to watch also. have a friend bring over one of their cats and if they get along they can chase each other and play. I have two cats that run after one another and they enjoy it. If her activity increases and she is still looking heavy then bring her to the vet for a check up to see if they can find a reason why she is overweight (such as a thyroid condition)

Answer 5

ok i admit alot of cats are fat is she lazey cause if she is she"ll have to get on a less food things like dont feed her much

Answer 6

From my blog:

Why do cats get fat? It can be a combination of issues, or just one. First the obvious - overfeeding. This may happen either because you're giving in to the begging or because you're free-feeding (keeping food available all day) and your cat is not self-regulated. The second reason is feeding inappropriate, low-quality food (most dry foods). The third would be medical reasons I'm not qualified to discuss, but they're rare. Most cats are fat simply because they're fed the wrong food and are fed too much.

Is it bad for cats to be overweight? Of course! It's very bad. It often leads to diabetes, not to mention that fat cats probably don't feel very cat-like. Who would when dragging around extra pounds?

Why is dry food bad? With very few exceptions, dry food is not appropriate food for cats. It's chock full of carbs/sugar, doesn't provide enough meat-based protein, and is often loaded with grains such as wheat or corn (which provide those carbs/sugars). Wheat, corn and soy are known allergens and in many cats will cause digestive upsets. Not to mention most also contain "meal" and "byproducts." Cats are obligate carnivores who need to eat a diet high in protein (from meat) and fat and very low in carbs. The mouse is the perfect cat food - meat, organs and bones, with perhaps a tiny bit of grains that may exist in the mouse's stomach. In addition, dry food leaves cats dehydrated. They do not instinctively drink enough water because they're designed to get it IN their food. This results in concentrated urine which can lead to all sorts of problems. And it DOES NOT CLEAN THE TEETH! Really - think about - does dry food clean OUR teeth? If it did wouldn't dentists prescribe cookies instead of brushing?

What should cats eat? Cats should eat a species appropriate diet which very much resembles Atkins (Catkins). A raw diet is the very best, so long as it's properly supplemented to meet a cat's nutritional needs. There are many raw feeding forums available through Yahoo Groups that one can join to learn more. The next best choice is a good quality canned food (or even a commercially prepared raw diet such as Nature's Variety). These foods will have meat listed as the first ingredient, will not contain corn, wheat or soy, may include organ meats, and will not list "meal" or "byproducts." See the What to feed link for suggestions. Additionally, the brand By Nature Organics is a very good food, and at 150 calories per 6oz can, is a very good choice for weight loss.

What about supplements for weight loss? The addition of L-Carnitine to a cat's diet may assist with weight loss. 250-500 mg per day can be added to assist with weight loss. It is probably best to start with a lower dosage until you see how your cat reacts.

How much should my cat lose?  If possible, have your vet set a target weight for you.  But if your cat is obviously obese you don't need to do that before getting started.  In fact, if you're feeding dry food currently it's also a good idea to make the switch as soon as possible, even if only a few pounds need to be lost.  You can also consult this chart to get an idea of how overweight kitty might be:  http://www.placervillevet.com/feline%20b...  

How soon will I see results? Cats need to lose weight slowly, at the rate of no more than 1 pound per month, and often less. This is because rapid weight loss may cause hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver) which can be fatal.

Why is this info different from what my vet told me?  Many vets haven't been properly trained in feline nutrition.  They may attend basic small animal classes, but the only cat-specific training they receive is sponsored by Hills.  Not surprisingly, they are taught to reach for a bag of Hills __/d when a cat presents with a particular problem (k for kidney, d for diabetes, etc.).  I am not a nutritionist but I've gathered this information from people who DO know what they're talking about.  (See links below).

So what should I do?  The solution is to switch the fat cat (and any others in the household as well) to a good quality grainless canned food (or research raw feeding). 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 my cat 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.

How will I know it's working?  Because this takes time you probably won't "see" any results for quite a while.  You may not even be able to feel them.  If dragging kitty off to a clinic to be weighed once a month is not an option, then you might want to consider buying a baby scale.  The best scale will also list ounces in addition to pounds, so you can really see what's happening.  But if that's not an option, just jump on the human scale yourself and note your weight.  Add cat and repeat.  Then do the math.

That's all there is to it!  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: Sophie lost 2 pounds in a year following this plan.  She was already at a healthy weight but the new diet fine tuned her.  Poppy lost 5 pounds the first year which wasn't bad.  The following year when I switched her from canned to raw she gained back a few pounds but that was due to a number of different factors - all of them user error on my part!  But she's almost back down to where she was, and THEN it's only 4 pounds to go!

Answer 7

Feeding weight control food for cats is like feeding lite potato chips. it doesn't work. The answer is simple. Stop feeding kitty crack (dry food) and feed appropriate food for the species





Nutrition since there are so many bad things out there is very important to your cat’s health

Contrary to what you may have heard; dry foods are not a great thing to feed a cat.

Please read the label on what you are feeding? What are the ingredients? Do you know what they mean? Is the first ingrdiant a muscle meat like chicken or meal or other things?

http://www.catinfo.org/#Learn_How_To_Rea...

http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/Spring04...

Dry foods are the number 1 cause of diabetes in cats as well as being a huge contributing factor to kidney disease, obesity, crystals, u.t.i’s and a host of other problems. Food allergies are very common when feeding dry foods. Rashes, scabs behind the tail and on the chin are all symptoms

The problems associated with Dry food is that they are loaded with grains and carbohydrates which many cats (carnivores) cannot process.  Also, Most of the moisture a cat needs is suppose to be in the food but in

Dry, 95% of it is zapped out of dry foods in the processing. Another thing, most use horrible ingredients and don't use a muscle meat as the primary ingredient and use vegetable based protein versus animal. Not good for an animal that has to eat meat to survive.

http://www.catinfo.org/#My_Cat_is_Doing_...

You want to pick a canned food w/o gravy (gravy=carbs) that uses a muscle meat as the first ingredient and doesn't have corn at least in the first 3 ingredients if at all.    The best food for cats does not contain any grains at all.

Fancy feast is a middle grade food with 9lives, friskies  whiskas lower grade canned and wellness and merrick upper grade human quality foods. I would rather feed a middle grade canned food then the top of the line dry food.

Also, dry food is not proven to be better for teeth. Does a hard pretzel clean your teeth or do pieces of it get stuck? http://www.felinefuture.com/nutrition/bp...

Please read about cat nutrition.

                               http://www.newdestiny.us/nutritionbasics...

                               http://www.catinfo.org/feline_obesity.ht...

      http://maxshouse.com/feline_nutrition.ht...

Vetinarian diets  The reason your vet thinks so highly of the pet food they sell probably has more to do with money than nutrition. In vet school, the only classes offered on nutrition usually last a few weeks, and are taught by representatives from the pet food companies. Vet students may also receive free food for their own dogs and cats at home. They could get an Iams notebook, a Purina purse and some free pizza.  http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/Spring04...

Answer 8

Some cats are fat. You are doing all that you can. Only thing that I can suggest is to ration her food and give her less. Other than that you are on the right track.  

Answer 9

I would get her to a vet just in case there is an underlying medical problem there like an underactive thyroid.  

Answer 10

Have you had a vet check her out to make sure that there isn't a medical reason?  Hypothyroidism can cause an animal to be overweight even if they are eating a normal diet for example.  They may have some suggestions for diet too.

Keep measuring the food and no treats.

Answer 11

If you are limiting her food and she is getting exercise then I don't think that there isn't much more you can do. Did you take her to the vet for a check up? If the cat is healthy I wouldn't worry too much about it.

Answer 12

put her on the treadmill with a cookie tied to it and turn the treadmill on and zooooooooooooooooooooooommmm   there you have it a nice strong in shape cat!