My Fat Cat...help please?

Question

I could really use some advice and helpful hints... My cat, Shadow, is now extremelly large, when not over a year ago he was a slim, very active cat.

I know that it hasn't helped that we have had to move 2 times in the past year and half. Nor does it help that he is now terrified of going outside without me (since last time he was in a bad fight that resulted in him having to make an emergency visit to the vet). I guess, also, that it doesn't help that I leave their food out for them 24/7...as I'm afraid that I'll forget to feed them.

I need to know what I can do to help him loss some of this weight (he looks like a pregnant cat about to have kittens)...any advice would be great. Tips would be wonderful. Help me help him lose some of this weight.

Thanks

I don't give my cats treats or human food. My older cat won't eat anything human...well except for cheese, which he isn't allowed to have. And Shadow won't even eat the wet food I give them once a week...and they only get half a can...if that. Shadow just tries to bury it...kinda odd behavior for a cat if you ask me...

oh...and as for the treats...I did say they don't get them...not because I'm mean and don't think they deserve them...but they never really liked them...and I just couldn't get them to eat them...

also, any tips on a diet for two cats...where one isn't as fat as the other. Misha, my other cat isn't half as fat as Shadow.

if my oldest cat (Misha) is smaller (weight-wise) them my younger cat (Shadow)...could there then be something (medically) wrong with Shadow? Misha hardly touches the dry food I leave for them....I've switched from the cheap stuff to a brand name (still from wal-mart...as I'm broke)...and feasts on the wet food they get (once a week)...while Shadow won't touch the wet food and is always eatting the dry food. I don't understand why he does this...and its a fairly new thing...as he's only recently started doing this. I don't want anything bad to happen to him...and other then this issue he is a happy cat who loves to play hide-n-seek with me....while he hides under this rug he's claimed. He loves to chase Misha around for hours on end....and they don't play nicely...Could that also have something to do with it...they don't hurt each other...and they do know when they've gone to far...but could this rough housing also be the cause of his weight gain?

Misha, male, neutered, 4 years old; Shadow, male, neutered, 2 years old. I don't leave out wet food for them. They have once chance at it..which last 5 hours...long time..but Misha likes to nibble and leave...nibble and leave...but its all gone by then. I leave out dry food. I don't have a medical issue (that I know of) but I have a busy life...and I know they will remind me....if the wet food remind isn't enough of a clue.. But I feel that if I don't leave them with food, that its a form of abuse on myside.

Answer 1

This is what I did to whittle my "fat" cat from 16 lbs to 12 lbs:

1. Switch to a HIGH QUALITY food. Not commercial junk like Iams or Science Diet, but a quality food with no corn, no toxic preservatives, and no byproducts (beaks, feet, intestines, etc.). My cats eat Felidae dry and a variety of wet foods, including Innova, Felidae, Natural Balance and Nutro Natural Choice. Other good foods include Solid Gold, Natural Balance (both available at Petco), Innova, and California Natural. I feed Felidae because it has low ash and magnesium, since my cat is prone to bladder blockages (FLUTD).

2. Eliminate free-feeding. Cats DO remind you when to feed them... feed once in the morning and once in the evening, and always leave PLENTY of fresh water out. Trust me on this... cats are VERY pushy when it comes to their meals.

3. Feed about 2/3 of the "recommended" feeding guidelines on the package. NO MORE. Between both of my cats, they eat about 1 1/2 cups of dry a day, or half of that and half wet.

4. NO TREATS of any kind. No scraps either.

5. If you can, get him a playmate (another cat). It will encourage him to exercise more. :)

Hope that helps! My poor "chubs" won the battle of the bulge finally and is very healthy now. Not to mention, his hair doesn't fall out like it did on the more expensive but shoddy food.

Answer 2

You haven't mentioned the age of your cat its gender, whether its been spayed, or neutered. It doesn't really matter if you leave dry food out for your cat to snack on during the day as long as it is changed fairly often (within a week if they don't eat it all - it can get rancid), but you must beware of giving it table scraps, fattening treats, and tons of canned cat food. Dry food won't put weight on them and they won't starve if you don't feed them all the time, 24/7. You can even feed them for a week on dry food and not even be there, if you go away. I don't recommend that. They don't overeat like dogs do in one gulp. First, you should have a set mealtime so your cat knows it has a routine. Second, you should only leave out about a quarter of a cup of dry food for snacks. Dry food has its own issues with other health problems if you don't chose the right one, like urinary and kidney problems for male cats. Too much magnesium and/or ash in the food is the culprit. Third, you should make sure it is getting enough exercise. If the cat isn't getting enough exercise, you can do it yourself with cat toys, paper balls, (any balls, for that matter), flashlights, paper bags, anything that turns it on and makes it want to play, and gives it lots of love and attention from you. It needs to be active. Cats don't need to go outside. Its safer to keep them indoors and they live longer. Also, if you have been doing all that and have a close association with a vet, that person should be able to answer your questions. The vet could check to see if your cat has a thyroid or glandular problem. The vet can help you put it on a proper diet, if need be. I don't understand how you could just leave food out all the time because you are afraid you might forget to feed it. I hope it isn't canned food. It spoils very quickly. Do you have a certain medical problem that involves your memory? I love my cat as if it were one of my dearest friends and NEVER forget to feed it. I always refresh its water, check its food and am in close contact with my vet. I would have no business having one, if I didn't do those things. I check with the vet about her diet and give her what he says she needs. She is 19 years old, has always been an indoor cat by her own choice, and still ticking.

Answer 3

Slowly reduce the amount that you feed the cat to the recommended amount (read the container) suggested. Do not leave food out all day long. Have specific feeding times during the day. Don't worry about forgetting to feed the cat. It _will_ remind you ;-)

Make the change to the amount of food that the cat gets over the period of a couple of months. If you make the cat lose weight too quickly, you risk giving it a condition called "hepatic lipidosis" (fatty liver) that will make the cat very sick.

Hepatic lipidosis is usually only seen in cats.

Answer 4

Well, the first thing that comes to mind would be a thyroid disorder or diabetes. Your vet can take a blood test to find out. I have to disagree with you on fat = leaving food 24/7. I've done that for 20 years and only had one fat cat (and he had a thyroid problem we found out). Young Master Shadow may have some mental issues but unfortunately it's very hard to ask him about them as cats are rather reticent on answering personal questions. Check with your vet, dearheart. That should be your first line of defense

Answer 5

your cat might be stressed from all the moving and the fight that he was in. Cats are very sensitive to stress and you'd be amazed at what can cause it. Who knows the cat may be stressed which caused depression which in turn caused him to eat more food. If you cat is seriouslly over weight..talk it over with your vet and set up a new diet and excersise plan.

Answer 6

Feed him indoor cat food. Put him on a time diet. Feed him only 3 times a day a couple of ounces of food... Start letting him go outside. He can die from this condition!!!

Answer 7

OK my cat is also fat, but we are trying a new diet cat food that can be found at most places pet food is available. Were also feeding him less human food, which he loves

Answer 8

diet cat food, feed only a certain amount a day and when it's gone t's gone... Also try to put the food up higher so he has to work to get to it

Answer 9

If he likes mice buy him a electric one that runs on batteries and make sure to get extra batteries and he will chase it and lose weight or get a ball and roll it on the ground to play with hope it helps

Answer 10

Less treats and switch to science diet. Also give him half of the food you were giving him.