My Grandma's cat's weight problem.?

Question

I think my grandma's cat has a thyroid problem, because the cat weighs 13 pounds even, and in spite of having her on weight loss food for several months and a drastically reduced diet, she has not lost an ounce. I'm very worried about her. Her measurments are as follows, she is 24 inches long from her nose to the base of her tail, her circumference is 17 and 1/2 inches, and she's a medium sized cat. However please do not answer something like "Don't feed her at all that'll do it!" Because i do not find that funny, nor do i find helpful. Adult mature opinons would be most apperciated.

Answer 1

The problem with diet cat food is that it's actually higher in carbs than regular food.

As you've seen, trying to get a cat to lose weight on a dry food diet is next to impossible. You'd have to cut their portions down too much and perhaps subject them to fatty liver - not to mention they'd be always hungry.

Your best bet is to get it converted to eating a good quality canned food. Because it's lower in carbs, an overweight cat can eat a good amount (5.5 oz per day, which is about 1 can) and still lose weight.

This is what I'm doing and I'm having very good results.

Please check out the following links. Some are about obesity and getting cats to lose weight safely; the others are about cat nutrition in general.

There are also tips on how to get a dry food eater converted to canned. It can sometimes take a bit of patience!

Answer 2

I really don't know how much you're feeding her, so I won't say anything about feeding or not feeding. However...

When I was at the vet's, the vet mentioned that one of our kitties (the more sedate one) has a weight problem. One suggestion he made for getting her to exercise was to get a toy that we could put hard food into, and let her chase that around and eat the hard kibbles as they pop out. Perhaps something like that will help your grandma's kitty.

If it doesn't, then yes take her to the vet for bloodwork.

Good luck!

Answer 3

A vet can best tell you whether she's overweight or not and can test the thyroid, which can cause the problem. 13 lbs does not sound excessively overweight to me, but if she is a rather small cat, it's possible. My last cat who died at age 19 last year had a normal weight of 9 lbs. and I now have adopted another that weighs 17 lbs and is on a diet to get to about 15 lbs. - so it varies a lot.

The best advice is have the vet look at her. Also, no free-feeding - leaving food out all day or people food. Feed twice a day using the amount specified on the food package and then adjust as needed depending on whether the cat leaves food behind or is immediately clammoring for more.

Answer 4

Talk to your vet about this. If approriate, the vet can recommend a lower-calorie or lower-fat kibble for the cat that will help reduce the calorie intake.

In addition, your grandmother may have to exercise some control over when the food bowl is available. But normally, this isn't a problem, as most cats don't overeat. I think reducing the calories is the better way to go.

Again, ask the vet.
Good luck!

Answer 5

It's best if she eat quality canned food. Carbohyrate in dry food will make a cat fat. Felines in zoos are fed raw meat and they are trim and well-muscled. Not all cats on dry food get fat and many don't do well on it and gain excess weight.

Quality canned foods include: Wellness, Innova, Eagle Pack, Natural Balance, Lick Your Chops, Avoderm. If available you can feed them all to the cat as I do to mine. Wellness and Natural Balance have the 3 oz cans and many different combinations so your grandmother can try a few out on your cat.

Reducing calories is a way to take off weight and the cat should be able to eat a 6 oz can of meat a day and get to a trim, healthy weight. And the cat will not feel deprived in the process.

Answer 6

Tips for cat weight-watchers

James R. Richards, D.V.M.

Director, Feline Health Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University

-- Schedule regular weigh-ins at your veterinarian's office. Veterinarians have scales that are sensitive enough to pick up slight changes in weight in an 8- to 15-pound animal, changes that are very important when we're trying to see if our attempts to get weight off the kitty are effective. Just like going to Weight Watchers meetings for humans, there is a motivational factor in regular weigh-ins.

-- Make sure the cat is eating what he's supposed to eat and nothing but. Avoid those calorie-rich snacks.

-- Ask your veterinarian if a special weight-reduction diet is appropriate for your cat.

-- Don't go overboard. Too rapid a loss in weight can have detrimental health effects for the cat. Any weight-control program should be undertaken under the direction of a veterinarian.

-- Cats probably won't jog with you, but interactive exercise is the most effective thing we can do for overweight animals. Find a toy you can both play with -- something that dangles on the end of a line, for example -- and get that cat off the couch a couple times a day.

In addition to this, I would suggest that you feed your overweight kitty several small meals during the day as this would tend to increase kitty's metabolic rate and thus inducing weight loss. For example, if you are now feeding the cat one 6oz can of wet food per day, divide this into 3 or 4 servings with each serving mixed with 2 tsp of water. If you are feeding her dry cat food only, you need to reconsider becuase all dry cat food always contain more calories than wet canned cat food (even the "light" or weight management ones). A good weight control program should target 1/2lb of weight loss per month to ensure against Lipidosis.

My overweight kitty is on Iams weight management canned food. I give him 1 6oz can a day divided into 4 servings given at diff. times during the day. Every 2 days or so, I give him a tad (half a handful) of dry kibble (Nutro weight control) for his teeth. I get him to play and walk in the yard with me too for exercise (20 mins a day - if he is not feeling lazy). After 1 month of this regimen, my cat indeed lost the target 1/2 pound for the month. He needs to lose 2 or 3 pounds according to my vet so we are in for the ong haul.

Answer 7

Its good that the cat is still eating. there may still be a problem but eaiting and drinking are the main things you want to see. The fadct that she is losing weight is not that good. Its time to go see the vet.take the cat in a cat box good luck.

Answer 8

oh my, my cat is 27 lbs and on diet food and hasnt' lost an ounce. she's actually gained it. lol! good luck. i think your cat is a healthy weight.

Answer 9

I would recommend that you take the cat to the vet and have its thyroid tested, it is just a simple blood test. Good Luck.

Answer 10

restrict your food intake drastically will slow down your metabolism