My cat is fat, my cats are not fat ?!?

Question

I have 3 cats. The 3 year old one is overweight (the mother), her 2 babies (1+year): one of them is ok, the other one is starting to look a little chubby...well she is more towards fat than not fat...

I tried separating them in different rooms to feed them with different kinds of food and different proportions...but they always end up eating each others food...

I tried a lazer pointer toy but the cat that is suposed to run after it...isnt...and the ones that dont need to, run after it....

does anyone have more than one cat and one/some of them were overweight...but managed to help their cat go back to normal weight without changing the diet of the cats that werent overweight?

Answer 1

We moved the food and litter box into the basement so they were forced to get off their butts and move down a couple flights of stairs. I am assuming they are indoor cats like ours and don't do alot of moving around. We also bought a "cat tree" which is a tall carpeted treehouse type thing that they can climb on and placed it upstairs as far from the food as possible. It is about 6 feet tall and they are forced to jump and climb to get on top of it. They absolutely love it and it gives them excersise. I make it their safe haven and will not bother them or remove them from it so if they get in trouble that is where they go. Our cats are a little chubby, one is 15 pounds and the other is 13. They do run after the laser pointer for about ten minutes and then the novelty will wear off. They are big cats and reach up to the kitchen counter while standing on their hind legs. I tried the fancy fourty dollar a bag food and found they just eat more of it and howl all day until their bowl is refilled. I am just using whiskas now and they will only eat about a cup per day max. Indoor cats seem to always be a little chubby and will not move unless absolutely necessary to find food or another comfortable spot in the sun.

Answer 2

I hate when people ask questions like this. No offense to you though. Cats eat several small meals a day. They are not supposed to get fed like a dog which is either once or twice a day. Each cat is different in handling there own weight no matter how much you fed them, just like people. Cats tend to stay lean until they hit about two and go thru physical changes. This is the time that you will see them start to change weight if they are going too. Your cat is going to be fat no matter how much you feed unless you don't feed them at all.

Answer 3

I have an 11 year old Sealpoint Siamese that is a chubbo. Fancy was three when I got her and she had been mistreated and was sooooo thin. When she discovered that the dogs weren't allowed to eat her food, she was one happy cat. I have a 2 year old Tortoiseshell cat who grew a lot after I got her last year but Shadow is long and lanky. She was a clown in a former life. A few years ago I had a BEAUTIFUL long haired Persian and Brutus weighed in at 22 pounds but was not fat. He was just BIG!

Answer 4

I feed my cats twice a day with 2/3 cup of ScienceDiet. Get them catnip and they will run around. But a fat cat is a happy cat (says my cats ) ;)

Answer 5

You shouldn't have to go through the rigmarole of separate feedings or starving the fat cat with reduced quantities. It all depends on WHAT you are feeding the cats.

All the grocery store foods are 2/3 corn to say nothing of the by-product meat they contain. Science Diet ($2.40 per lb) is the same stuff and very high priced. Corn is used to fatten slaughter animals, herbivores at that. Cats are obligate carnivores and need high quality meat protein in their diet.

If you must feed dry food only you have many excellent choices - Eagle Pack, Felidae ($2.10 per lb)., Natural Balance ($1.66 per lb), Solid Gold ($1.50 per lb), Nature's Logic( $2.60 per lb), CA Natural ($2.40 per lb.) These foods all use human-grade meat protein and use fillers such as brown rice, oats, millet which are not fattening like corn. When you cut the corn out of the diet the fat cat will stop GAINING and so you are ahead right there. Slender cats won't lose weight with these foods and the fat cat will lose weight over time (the only way to lose weight successfully).

So give that approach a try. Don't use just one of these foods. Give a bag of the more expensive duck (Nature's Logic) every two to three months, then use the Natural Balance and the Solid Gold which are not as expensive. Then the cats will have some duck and turkey and salmon in their diet and not just chicken all the time.

To switch from one dry food to another click on my name at the icon and follow the "recipe" for success.

Answer 6

Check with your vet on getting low-fat cat food. He or she can suggest a food that meets your cat's needs, but won't cause weight gain.

Answer 7

If you go to a vet, they can give you specialized food for obese cats(your 3 yr old one).
For a benefit your mamma's cat babies, buy a couple of special cat collars(-DO NOT BUY DOG'S COLLARS!! Dog collars are too easy to slip out of for a cat-) so you and your cats can take walks together. Its fun, and you can help save the world because you'll be walking, not driving, and your cats can have more freedom, more places to be, and most importantly- lose weight! (Have Fun!)

Answer 8

Lots of cat food, and low exercise. The same as humans.

Answer 9

two of my five cats are overweight, but the two are happy and in good health, cats come in all sizes.

Answer 10

Seems like you have it down pat. How about that. You can rhyme in seconds flat.