how can i help my 13 year old cat lose weight?

Question

my cat used to be an outdoor indoor cat so she used to get a lot of exercise. Since we have moved she doesn't like to go outside because of the neighbors dogs. She's getting FAT. We have put her on diet dry food but it doesn't look like it's working. We feed her once a day and the cutting back hasn't helped either, any ideas?

Answer 1

I HAVE A DOG THAT IS OVERWEIGHT AND WE CANNOT GET HER TO LOSE WEIGHT.IT IS SO HARD.THE VET TOLD ME THAT IT COULD TAKE HER 6 MONTHS TO LOSE 5 LBS
IF WE MADE SURE SHE GOT DAILY EXERCISE AND PUT HER ON LOW CALORIE DOG FOOD.IT JUST TAKES SO LONG FOR ANIMALS. I SYMPATHIZE WITH YOU. GOOD LUCK!

Answer 2

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Answer 3

It takes a while to see actual weight loss. You are going the right direction by putting her on diet food and cutting her daily servings. Since she is an indoor cat now, you an encourage her to exercise by getting some interractive cat toys ike "Da Bird." Feather teasers are also attractive to cats. Lure her to walk more around the house with anything she finds alluring (her food bowl, favorite toy, etc.). Ideally, a fat kitty should lose only around 1/2 lb per month in order not to risk Lipidosis ( a fatal liver disease). That's why it is never never a good idea to withhold food from a cat for more than 24 or 36 hours.

I recently put my own overweight kitty on a diet to lose weight. I chose Iams Weight Control canned food becuase even the "Light" or weigh management dry cat food still has way too many calories. I give my cat one 6oz. can per day divided into four servings during the day. Every servng is mixed with 2-3 tsp of water - this is to give him the impression that he is getting a lot of food (my cat is a food addict). I also walk him around the back yard on a leash if the weather is good and play with him 10 mins a day when he is not being lazy. t has been a month and he has indeed lost 1/2 lb. He was 15 lbs and my target according to my vet is 13 to 12 lbs. So if the cat loses 1/2 lb a month, it wi take 4 to 6 months to get him in ideal shape.

Answer 4

Get her toys that have catnip in it... she'll go nuts!! I had moved the cat box into my bathroom and used a gate so my kids wouldnt go near it so the cats had to jump over the gate to use the bathroom and eat (since that was where i put the food too) It worked for my 4 year old 15 pound cat and he lost 3 pounds in a month... Im not sure if your kitty will want to jump over a baby gate to get to her litter box since she is 13 years old... but its worth a try,... try making an obsticle course for her to get to her food or something =) I hope this was helpful, best of luck for you and your kitty! How much does your kitty weigh anyways? did the vet say that they want her to lose weight? I know it will help prolong her life if she has an ideal weight... the diet food that your kitty is on does take a while to show any difference I think like up to 6 weeks maybe longer... So be patient and get that kitty moving!! =)

Answer 5

The funny thing about diet cat food is that they're actually HIGHER in carbs! So in essence they're actually worse than regular cat food.

You'll have a hell of a time trying to get a cat to lose weight on dry cat food. You'd have to cut them back to next to nothing, and that's no good.

As for diet, you want to get them on a species-appropriate diet. Cats, who are carnivores, need meat. Not grains, veggies, or fruits.

I'm dealing with a fat cat myself, and I switched her to eating canned food only - a good quality one of course (Natural Balance Venison & Green Pea). It wasn't easy - it took about 2 weeks and I wasted a bit of food and money - but it was worth it.

Because this food is lower in carbs than dry food, I'm able to feed her nearly a full can (5.5 oz) per day. She isn't starving AND she's losing weight.

The problem with cats is that they need to lose slowly. If they go more than 24-36 hours without eating, or if they're just losing weight too quickly for any reason, they're subject to something called hepatic lipidosis - fatty liver. It's quite dangerous so you need to be sure that your cat gets enough to eat. You can't starve them into trying new foods.

Here are some very useful links on cat nutrition in general and obesity in particular.

Answer 6

My vet told me to feed my cat more often when he heard I only feed her once a day. They have to be smaller portions and more often just like humans to lose weight. I also switched to a low residue cat food Eukanuba. Exercise would be good too.

Answer 7

Warning: Some get kidney problems which make 'em fat, and this could kill 'em. Check with vet first.

Other wise, you have to find ways to play with kittly more. Using strings to entice her to play more; throwing balls; or moving food so she has to walk further.

Also, you might cut down on the portions. Do this slowly so she won't notice, over 2-3 months.

Answer 8

Is she playful? Toy mouse on a string. My cat loves it.

I've also heard of putting cat treats in balls that they have to fight to get into. Or rolling cat treats on the floor and getting the cat to chase them.

Catnip is great! Cover the toys in catnip and the cat should experience an energy boost!

Answer 9

at a restaurant split your meal and eat only half meal and take the rest home if the quality is more

Answer 10

wait until your stomach rumbles before you reach for food

Answer 11

savory umami ingredients such as mushrooms low sodium soy asparagus and olives can help you feel full and add an earthy home y quality to your healthy dishes