is my cat healthy???

Question

my cat weighs about 20 pounds. is this normal? hes a gray tabby. i and if its not normal wat can i do to make him lose weight?????

o yea, his father was very big. bigger than my cat. but they say it was muscle not fat. so idk?

o and hes also 4 yrs old (if that helps)

be specific. how do i make him do exercise?? cuz rite now we're stayin in the basement bc of construction and there not much room.

i cnt switch my cat's food to wet food instead of dry food bc first, he doesnt like it and second it gives him diarreah and he gets sick....

Answer 1

Swbiblio has given you a way to gage if your cat is overweight (I would suspect he is) Male tabbies are at a good weight around 12-14 lbs.

She mentioned www.ThePetCenter.com. There is an excellent article there on feline obesity and the proper diet for cats (high protein, low carbohydrate) Felines in zoos don't get more exercise by size than does your house cat. They eat a raw meat diet very high in protein, and are always lean and well-muscled.

So you need to look for a higher protein food without any corn and it will mean a more expensive food. Your cat will not eat as much of it eventually and you will save money in his good health in the end.

Answer 2

Since I can't see your cat and the fact that it's a gray tabby tells me nothing (tabby is not a breed, it's a color pattern), I recommend you check with your vet. 20 lbs. sounds a bit heavy for an average cat but there are some breeds that can get that big, such as Maine Coons.
The best way to help your cat lose weight, is to cut back on the amount you're feeding him. Don't keep the food bowl full all the time. An average cat (10 Lbs.) should get about a cup of food a day. It's best to break this up into 2-3 feedings, so a half a cup in the morning and a half a cup in the evening. Also, you can try placing the food bowl in different places each time you feed. This makes the cat do a little work to find his food, sort of like hunting in the wild.
Of course, the amount of food you give also depends on how much exercise your cat gets. My cat is about 10 Lbs. and I only feed her about a half a cup a day (1/4 cup in the morning and 1/4 cup in the evening) and she's still on the chubby side.

Anyway, before you do anything, take your cat to the vet and ask if he needs to lose weight; if so, how much weight, and how much should you be feeding. That's the best thing to do.
You do not want to have to deal with the health problems that can result from obesity in cats (diabetes, liver disease, etc.).

Answer 3

It depends on the breed and the bone structure. If it's a big boned large breed, it might be okay. You should ask a vet to be sure, but you can try these tests:
1. Does he have a "waist" - can you see an indentation between the bottom of the ribs and the back legs?
2. Can you feel his ribs by pressing or rubbing gently? If you have to push to feel the ribs, he's probably overweight.

It's important that you help you cat to maintain a healthy weight, because they can develop diseases just like humans, including respiratory problems, heart disease, arthritis and diabetes. I had a cat who was diabetic, so for six years I gave him shots twice a day, tested his blood, and fed him a special - very restricted - diet.

If you cat is overweight, put it on a diet and help it to exercise more. The diet is actually harder than the exercise. Get special calorie control food and read the instructions. It will tell you how much you should be feeding the cat based on the goal weight. Put an old measuring cup in the container and measure off the full amount each morning. Put half in the dish in the morning, and the other half at night. If you have to give him a treat, just give him a few pieces of the food. He will whine, and beg, but you have to be the responsible one.

As for exercising, get a Cat Dancer. It's a cheap ($4) toy that consists of a piece of wire with a couple of twists of cardboard on each end. The wire is coiled, so when you uncoil it and hold one end, the other end bounces and swoops. Ever cat I've ever had goes nuts over it. You can also get a long dowel from your local hardware store and tie a 4 foot string to one end. Tie a toy mouse by the tail to the other end. My cats love the "Mouse on a Stick." Play with him for half an hour every day.

Answer 4

He needs to be seen by a vet to determine if he's healthy. The overall size will determine a healthy weight. I have one cat that 20 lbs. would okay and one that it wouldn't be. No one can really answer your question without seeing the cat.

Answer 5

My cat Tiger lived for 21 years and Fergie the one before her for about 16. I love tabby cats so I have got a rescue tabby cat now called Rosie who was already 13 years old and seems to have been very spoilt, she loves fresh fish, chicken and especially boiled ham and she would spend all day being carried about if I would let her. The thing I like best is to wake up with her purring in my ear, who needs an alarm clock! A cat though will only reflect the care you give to it so treat her gently give her a lovely name and she will be kind to you.

Answer 6

You are right to be concerned over the weight of your chubby bubby (mine is also on the chubby side but I got his weight down from 16 pounds to 14 now - took 6 months!). I am trying to get my chubby-bubby's wieght down to 12 lbs which is what my vet recommended. Believe me, I feel for each cat owner who has to put their pet on a diet! First off, let me warn you: it will involve DEDICATION, PATIENCE and FIRMNESS on your part.
1) reduce the amont of food you give him just a tad - DO NOT CRASH DIET or starve the cat becuase this will damage his liver.
2) consider switching to wet canned food because dry kibble contains a lot more calories than wet - beside, feeding your cat dry kibble only will increase his chances of contracting urinary tract disease or kidey disease later on in his life (I know this from experience with 2 cats I lost in this way)
3) divide his food portions which you can offer him at different times of the day to give the cat the illusion that he is feeding a lot.
4) do not leave food out in his bowl which he can nibble at at will throughout the day
5) encourage your chubby bubby to play, walk, run. in other words exercise!
6) SLOWLY but SURELY are the key words

Answer 7

Can't give a for sure answer but ask your vet to be sure. It sounds a little heavy but not for sure. Vets have really good reduced diet formulas that will help your cat lose weight.

Answer 8

ask your vet hat a healthy weight is. If he IS overweight, ask your vet what he/she reccomends you do to help him lose the weight. It may mean a special type of cat food, more exercise or just less food.

Answer 9

He's fine. Cats are suppose to be a little bit chubby in case they fall out of a second story window like my chubby cat who came back skinny and not the same.

Answer 10

hes fine. my cats also 20 lb. but if u give ur cat a diet, it'll just go and gain for pounds. he/she could be naturally a fat cat.