kitty diets?

Question

my male cat, 3 y/o, is quite pudgy and on the heavy side. being concerned for his well-being, how can i slim him down safely? what kinds of cat foods should he be eating?

catnutrition.org = great advice....thanks for the link!

Answer 1

Hi there...generally if you would like to consider a weight loss regimen it should be done under the supervision of a vet as cats can suffer from hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver disease) which can be fatal in cats who's diet is suddenly abrupt in change. Any vet can confirm this fact. Anyhow, here's a website that talks about solutions to help understand proper nutrition in order to help achieve healthy weight loss:
http://www.thepetcenter.com/imtop/catweight.html

Getting an obese cat to lose weight needs to be done gradually… no crash diets allowed! Cats have a unique metabolic response to fasting and whenever a feline’s food intake is rapidly and markedly depressed, a serious and potentially fatal disorder can occur called Hepatic Lipidosis.

One of the reasons for the success of a high protein diet for feline weight reduction is the importance of an amino acid called Carnitine. Carnitine is present in good quantities in muscle tissues, but found in miniscule amounts in vegetable matter. This amino acid plays an essential role in the uptake of stored fat reserves and conversion of fat by the liver back to into glucose. The ability to mobilize fat tissue to be used as glucose for energy (and for subsequent weight loss to be accomplished) requires Carnitine in the process. Supplementing a cat’s diet with L-Carnitine in amounts approximating 250 to 500 mg per cat per day will aid in mobilizing fat into glucose and will improve the health of a cat that is on a weight loss program.


The Plan
First, your veterinarian needs to do a thorough physical exam, blood chemistry profile including Thyroid hormone evaluation, and record an accurate weight for the cat. Then you should gradually… over a period of three to four weeks… add greater and greater proportions of the suggested feline weight-loss diet. Mix the new diet with the old, slowly decreasing the percentage of the old diet and increasing the percentage of the new one. Pay close attention to how much the cat is eating every day. When the cat acclimates to the improved, high protein diet (fed in small amounts frequently during the day), reweigh the cat at four-week intervals. If there is no weight loss at all, or even some weight gain, the amount of food you are allowing is simply too much. You may be thinking in human-sized portions, not feline. Remember the mouse. Every three to four weeks reweigh your cat on the same scale each time so that accurate weight measurements are done. A fifteen-pound cat should not lose more than half a pound in four weeks. (Remember the Hepatic Lipidosis problem!)

Always be observant and report to your veterinarian any time a cat stops eating for two or more days. (That’s one of the subtle problems with the “free choice” method of feeding. We often do not notice that the cat’s food dish is still full until the cat is well into a fasting mode. When cats are sick the first clinical sign is often a loss of appetite; so a non-interactive, free choice feeding protocol provides less information to us than an interactive portion controlled feeding method.) Any cat that hasn’t eaten in three days is in trouble! Seven days of fasting actually impacts the cat’s immune system.

Once you have established a feeding plan that induces gradual weight loss over a period of months the cat will reach a point where weight maintenance occurs. At this optimal weight the cat should not “look fat” nor “look skinny”. You’d be surprised how much more active and alert the cat will be at an optimum weight. You have successfully avoided the probability of Diabetes, arthritis and Hepatic Lipidosis. Your cat will probably live a few extra years and have a much better quality of life… and that will make you happy, too!

SUMMARY

To get a cat to lose weight, do the following after consulting with your veterinarian:
1.) Have a thorough physical exam, lab tests, and accurate weigh recorded. Be sure to rule out hypothyroidism or other metabolic disorders.
2.) Feed less food than you have been
3.) Feed foods high in protein and fat and low in carbohydrate
4.) Feed small portions at intervals (2x to 4x per day) rather than continuous free access/ free choice
5.) Increase the cat’s activity/exercise by enriching the cat’s environment
6.) Reweigh the cat at three to four week intervals to assess your weight loss diet’s progress
7.) Reconsider the total daily amount fed if weight gain or no weight loss is noted
8.) Once the cat is at an idea weight, adjust the total amount fed so that the cat’s body weight remains stable.

Answer 2

Cut his food down instead of buying "diet" foods that have been overly processed. Give him 3/4 the amount he was eating before and DO NOT let him eat all day. Feel him only 2-3 times a day and each time only leave the food out for around 15 minutes.

Exercise is also important. Get a feather on a rope or a bottle cap or something your cat likes to play with. Make him do this for at least 20 minutes a day.
The weight should come off on its own and naturally.

Answer 3

Seattle says it best! Diet should begin with a vet eval and food decreased by 1/4 of the current total portion over time until the recommended serving on the bag of the bag is reached for a healthy weight cat which your vet can determine what would be best for your kitty. Overweight cats suffer ailments such as diabetes, back problems, bowel disorders as well as many other problems. It's great that you are concerned and ready to help your kitty. Check out the website Seattle also gave--it really is quite informative and helpful too.

Answer 4

I bet you only feed him dry cat food right? Well even though many think this is proper its actually wrong to feed a cat this. As dry foods are wheat and grain based and cats are not designed to digest such products. In turn they bulk up with weight.

You should only feed your cat canned food. Normal size can food, 1/4 of the can in the morning, 1/4 can at night. During the day leave a small bowl with no more than 1 cup of dry food in it for snacking only. Since he is already heavy I would make this 1/2 cup maximum till he slims down.

First few days he'll meow and want more food but he'll get use to the change.

Best bet is to buy the cans in the large cases of 12 or 24 for best prices. Get a handful of the can lid covers as you have to store it in the fridge once opened. I get a box of plastic forks to deal with the food as its not all that healthy to use the same silverware or china that animals eat off of. Also get a handful of small bowls of some sort. I myself found single cup cake glass holders that are perfect for the cats. Get a few as you will want to use a clean one at each feeding.

Answer 5

I think that cat should be monitored by a vet, only they know whats over weight and what kinda of food would be good for your kitty.. Also depends on how attive he is too..

Answer 6

I have a male cat that is a year and a half and he is kinda fat. I dont know how much your cat weighs but mine is 20 pounds and i just think he is so cute because he is so fat. But anyways you should go to a vet and get him checked to see if he is healthy and then ask the vet what kind of food to feed him.

Answer 7

I'm not trying to scare you but you should check this site of feline
diabetes, http://www.catnutrition.org/diabetes.html

Good Luck with kitty!

Answer 8

Go to your vet and they will give u a list of good diet foods. My cat is having the same problem.. Also exericse him...

Answer 9

I read that cats who are fat should be monitored by a vet. Apparently, cats are more sensitive and changing their diet can upset their digestive tract.

Answer 10

turn dinner into a healthy lunch the next day by wrapping your lean leftovers in a whole wheat wrap add a little dijon mustard or curry powder for added flavor