My cat weighs 17 pounds and is 3 years old. Is he too fat?

Question

The vet put him on some "weight management" cat food and he's supposed to get 2/3 of a cup of this stuff a day, no more. But he isn't losing any weight. Should I buy a treadmill for the cat?

Well, the treadmill thing is a jok! But how can I help him lose weight? The answers so far are excellent. Thanks for the advice!

Answer 1

It really depends on the cat. Some breeds of domestic cats are bigger and they average 20 lbs, some are smaller and average 6-8 lbs. Some breeds, like my flame-point Siamese should only be 8 lbs but she stores her fat and is 12l bs, it's genetic in that breed.

If your vet feels your cat needs to loose some weight then use the Nuetro Pro weight management food. It's the best food out there. Also, buy toys for your cat and encourage it to play at least 15 minutes each day. They need to exercise, just like we do.

If you do all that and your cat still doesn't loose weight then there could be something wrong with it's digestive system, and you might have your vet re-evaluate the situation.

Good luck!

Answer 2

Be patient. It is a bad idea for cats to lose weight too fast. If the vet wants him on the diet cat food, he must be too fat.
I've never seen a cat use a treadmill, not even if it comes with a training mouse.
Try splitting Kitty's meal in to two or three portions and hide them around the house. Cat will have to look for his food and get some exercise. He will be less bored.
I think some cats eat out of boredom. Get him some new toys and play with him too.

Answer 3

You know, after growing up with pets, and all my family member having pets, I've decided to no longer listen to the vets about the cats being overweight. Last year a vet told us to change my cats diet b/c he was overweight. This year our cat is losing weight rapidly b/c of an undiagnosed condition. I am so thankful he started out heavy! My mom recently had 2 cats pass away, both also lost a lot of weight at the end of their lives (long happy lives, I'll add). I've decided that it's much easier to die from losing too much weight than from gaining weight. So, keep him chunky is my advice.

BTW, I've read that humans die of heart failure (hence weight being an issue), but cats die of kidney failure.

I'm not a vet, but that's my 2 cents...

Answer 4

Yes! But no need for a treadmill lol. Try taking about 15-30 minutes per day and play with him to give him some exercise. Sometimes the problem is that they are just lazy lol. I got a laser light and my cat cannot get enough of it!

Answer 5

Yes he's too fat, unless he's an unusually large-boned cat. If the vet is putting him on weight management food, then he/she thinks the cat's too fat as well.

It is very very hard for a cat to lose weight - my vet told me that. I had a very overweight cat - unfortunately overfed while I boarded her during my honeymoon for two weeks, and could never get the weight off her. She went on special low-fat foods; we lived in a two storey home - full flight of stair up to her bed and another full flight down for her litterbox so she got lots of exercise - and I think she only managed to lose 2 pounds in one year.

I have never heard of a treadmill for an animal. I highly doubt he'd use it. But play with him and make him run around.

Even tho' it's so hard to slim down a cat, it is important not to allow the cat to gain anymore weight...

good luck!

Answer 6

Well My cat was 15 lbs . The West Hill Vet (Great Vet) Nicked named her "fastso Kitty" She lived to be 16yrs. I found that once she was fixed she gained. The problem she had was that her legs and head were smaller than normal so she couldn't clean herself. I nicked named her Smelly Cat or Stinky. She was very happy. She died last year of a Cardiac Arrest followed by a stroke then all her organs shut down. It was very devistating. I would suggest buying a harness and take him out doors each day for awhile. It might freak him out being on a lead but they get used to it.

Answer 7

what has the vet said about this? I wouldn't say get him a treadmill, I'm not sure how a cat would react to that. just play with him more get him moving. get a string toy and have him chase after that or a laser light and have him chase that around. hide some of his food around different places and make him hunt for his food. they have these balls that you can put treats (or food) in and the cat will bat it around and treats (or food) will come out so he is getting some excercize while getting food.

Answer 8

It does sound a bit high, and your vet obviously thinks so.

But here's the thing - most vets are NOT the authority when it comes to cat nutrition. Few of them know the first thing about what's best to feed. I know that's hard to believe but it's true.

I'm guessing that he or she sold you a bag of expensive dry food.

The problem with dry food is that it's very high in carbs, and for some reason, the "diet" cat food is even higher! So in effect you're fattening your cat.

You just can't get a cat to lose weight by feeding kibble. Unless you cut the amounts down to a dangerous low which puts them at risk for hepatic lipidosis.

The best thing you can do is convert your baby to a good quality canned food diet. Canned food provides adequate moisture, contains actual meat which carnivores are meant to eat, and are low in grains or contain none at all.

I'm talking about the brands that you can only find in pet stores, not at the average supermarket (unless you shop organic).

Below are my usual cluster of links about cat nutrition, with specific articles about the best canned foods to get and how to deal with obesity (a problem I'm working on myself!)

Answer 9

My cat is the same age and he is 20 lbs. We just put him on Science Diet Light Adult and he lost a pound (he was 21 lbs.). Try to play with your cat a lot. We have a little fishing pole with a toy tied to the end of the string and we "cat fish" off the couch! Also, we have one of those laser pointers and we can sit on the couch and move the laser dot around and the cat goes nuts. :) Exercise can be fun! :)

Answer 10

let your kitty eat my cat Dingles weighed 25lbs, she came from a home where she was starved and beaten so when I took her she gobbled up her food like there was no tomorrow and never took food away from her, she also ate foods that i would share with her like popcorn, ice cream, sandwhiches, crackers and she lived to be 18.