My cat gaining weight?

Question

My cat is about 1 and a half. She eats maybe a tablespoon of Fancy Feast a day (probabley a little less). And she eats about a quater to a third of a cup of dry food-Iams original formula I think.(I live at college, so I don't know the brand of that for sure). She plays a lot, chasing my other cat and my dog, playing with stuffed toys, she is very active. But she seems to be gaining too much weight. What should I do to help her lose some weight and not gain it back?

Answer 1

First verify that she truly is gaining too much. If you can feel her ribs and when looking down at her if she has a noticeable waistline, she's probably fine. Or have the vet check her out.

In the meantime, cut out the kibble (dry food). If you're keeping her bowl filled for her so she can snack throughout the day, stop doing that. It's best to settle on a daily amount, and feed that in 2 or more meals throughout the day. Even with a college schedule, you should be able to fit in two feedings per day.

Start feeding her only canned food. Fancy Feast is not great, but it's better than kibble. If you can manage it, switch her to a good quality canned food. It's true that you can only get them in pet food stores (or order them online) which is inconvenient for you, and they may be slightly more expensive, but I've heard that the price difference is really not that much.

The reason you should stop free-feeding and stop feeding kibble is that dry food contains next to no meat and mostly consists of carbs. Cats are carnivores who need to eat meat (protein). It's no wonder many get fat!

Think Atkins (or Catkins!)

Here are some links that will clue you in on cat nutrition.

Answer 2

Iams used to be a good brand, but is now filled with by product and grains. These cause your cat to gain weight (it's like eating junk food all the time). Try switching to a quality brand, such as neutro and royal canin. If they don't have a weight loss formula, the senior cat formulas are the same.

Also keep in mind, some cats are just built for larger frames. Take your cat for a checkup to make sure it is actually gaining to much weight

Answer 3

Some cats are more prone than others to weight gain. There are cat foods that help reduce weight gain. Talk with your veterinarian to see what they suggest. The vet can also tell you if it could be due to some sort of health problem. Hope this helps!

Answer 4

she is eating too much food. either give her the fancy feast or give her the dry cat food. It is not good for her to be eating so much. My cat is pretty fat too, she is six and a half and she has lost a lot of weight. What I did was I used to give her a half a cup of dry cat food each day, (Indoor cat formula) but now i give her a quarter cup of food a day, she still complains, but I've realised that is just because she likes me to stand there and pet her while she eats. I also use the weight control formula instead of indoor cat formula. Also, is your cat spayed??? if she has somehow escaped out of the house, or gotten contact with a non-neutered male cat, she might be pregnant. I hope this helps : )

Answer 5

I really don't see how she is gaining weight. She is active, and from what you describe does not overeat.

Is she spayed? If not, she could be pregnant.

If she's not pregnant, take her to the vet. I'm really not sure what else to think of.

Good luck!

Answer 6

Your cat doesnt need the WET food all of the time, Dry food will do her fine. That could be why she is gaining. She eats well and normally, no need for wet food.

Often you will hear of nursing mothers cats/dogs gettin wet and dry mixed, so they will have a lot of ,milk for babies.
Your cat is fine and healthy , no need to give wet food, She is ok :).

Answer 7

i hate to break it to you but iams is now a very crappy product. they've changed ALL their formulas and now they all have by-products and fillers in their. byproducts are any unspecified leftover from any unspecified animal. theirs no nutritional benefits to it and can cause your cat to gain weight. fillers are pretty much corn, soy, wheat, fat...etc. none of this is good for your cat. ESPECIALLY fancy feast. switch them to a line of cat food that offers both the canned and dry food. the ONLY products i recommend are Eagle Pack, Wellness, And Natural Choice. Eagle Pack being my #1 pick, no fillers, no by-products, no soy ( which can cause arteries to harden) no wheat( this is a big allergenic) usda certified organic meat...no antibiotics, no hormones....its really good stuff~

Answer 8

eat more protein

Answer 9

I don't want to assume that she has been spaded, so is it possible she is pregnant? That would also explain a weight gain.

Answer 10

if you can afford to, i would take her to the vet and find out what's going on. some animals are allergic to certain foods. for instance, wheat products. is she licking her paws all the time? that may be a sign of an allergic reaction. switch the type of food she's eating and see if that helps.