2007-01-26 04:14:14 · 9 answers · asked by Happy Bunny to the rescue! 4 in Pets ➔ Cats
Exercise. Even as little as 15 minutes of exercise a day can really make a difference for your cat.
Also, no people food. People food is too rich for cats. It will make them fat.
2007-01-26 04:31:44 · answer #1 · answered by Unknown_Usr 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Look on the package the cat food comes in. Find the weight your cat should be i.e. 10-12 lbs. There is listed a range of portion sizes for that weight. Feed the lower sized portion.
Right now my cat weighs 13 pounds, but she should weigh 12. At her vet last year she weighed 14. I have been feeding her 3/4 cup of her food per day and she has lost 1 lb this year. Cats should not be made to lose weight fast.
2007-01-26 12:24:22 · answer #2 · answered by eilishaa 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am with Bess again on this. A diet high in quality meat protein will keep a cat trim. That's what cats are meant to eat - not fillers such as corn which is used to fatten slaughter animals.
I had two cats pushing 16 lbs. when I started a raw meat diet seven years ago. Both cats went down to a trim, muscular 12 lbs within a year.
Felines in zoos are fed a raw meat diet with a minimum of any kind of filler. They do not exercise any more for their size than your housecat. They of course don't have ANY hairballs and their bodies are trim and muscular.
So if you don't want to go the raw meat route (many consider it the supreme diet for cats) a quality canned meat is the way to go. The "major" food companies producing diet cat food have it "***-backward" as they increase the CARBOYHYDRATE in their foods when it is the meat protein that should be increased.
Natural Balance, Wellness, Lick Your Chops make quality canned foods. I rotate among them for a variety in protein source such as lamb, turkey, some fish (sparingly) and the three male cats also eat the raw meat mixture made from chicken and turkey.
2007-01-26 12:43:23 · answer #3 · answered by old cat lady 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Depending on the kitties # of pounds overweight it will be different tactics. If you have a cat that is 10 lbs or less overweight, removing any free feeding food stations and limiting him to two feedings of day of the exact food amount needed for his goal weight. (AKA if he weighs 30 lbs and you want him to weight 20, feed him @ the 20 lb feeding amount but split it into two feedings).
Also try to exercise him more during any diet, play with him with toys like lasers, or cat dangers.
If he is heavily overweight, 15+ lbs then you need to invest in a diet food, which you can get at petsmart, or from a vet, and feed him limitedly again @ his target weight, and continue to exercise him. Try to stay away from canned foods during any diet for any pet.
Also don't expect dramatic changes overnight, we rescued a 20lb overweight tabby and it took 4 weeks to get him to his target weight. And kitty will swear he is starving, do not give in to him. He is not starving.
2007-01-26 12:26:46 · answer #4 · answered by Cryz 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Add some high quality canned food to his diet. It made a huge difference for my formerly fat cat. If you can, try to switch him over to eating just canned food.
See these links for information:
http://www.catinfo.org/
http://www.catnutrition.org/obesity.html
http://www.catinfo.org/zorans_article.pdf
Also, incorporate exercise into the cat's routine - find an interactive toy that inspires kitty to play (Da Bird is a good one: http://www.thecatconnection.com/Da-Bird-Cat-Teaser.html, or a laser if the cat will play with it), and play with your cat whenever you have a free moment.
http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?action=library&act=show&item=playtherapyforcats
2007-01-26 12:27:27 · answer #5 · answered by Bess2002 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
have you tried a kitty diet? Basically instead of feeding him 3 or more times a day, reduce it to 2 servings (according to the servings size on the bag/can) and in about 2 weeks to one serving. That's what we had to do with my cat. He got HUGE when i left for college!!! Good Luck
2007-01-26 12:23:23 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
At pet stores they sell cat diet food, instead of reg. cat food. He probably just needs to have his food intake lowered a bit than usual, and more excercise. It worked for my cat...
2007-01-26 12:27:48 · answer #7 · answered by monkeysgirl04 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are special foods that can help accomplish this or you can limit his intake.
2007-01-26 12:33:19 · answer #8 · answered by KathyS 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
play with him more often. and make him chase something. it works best.
2007-01-26 12:51:32 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋