My cat weighs 18 pounds, is 13 year old, a house cat, neutered, eats hill science(light) dry food, drinks lots of water because he eats dry food. He has problems with uninary tract. He eats 40 grams of food twice a day. We have tried to reduce this amount but he drives us up the wall. He is a big cat. We play with him, chase him around the house but he does not lose any weight. Are there any other suggestions as to how we can help him?
2007-08-18 23:26:11 · 33 answers · asked by SHEILA R 3 in Pets ➔ Cats
18lbs is too much for a cat, 6-9lbs is normal (3-4kg) with up to 4.5kg being a max unless it is a larger breed (main coon etc..). I prefer to assess based on clinical examination of the animal, you should be able to feel the ribs without having to press into fat and you should be able to see a 'waist'. There should not be anything hanging down from its belly, this 'udder' as some people call it is not normal!!
Losing weight is really important to reduce the risk of other health issues particularly arthritis which is increasingly recognised in cats, in addition diabetes in cats is also increasing.
It would be best to take him to a vet and discuss your concerns, the best way of losing weight is using a prescription diet food (Hills make a good one) rather than a light food as light foods are good at keeping a weight stable but no good at losing weight. Also, they tend to scavenge more if you just reduce the amount you feed them and the weight loss diet reduces this scavenging as they feel full. Also, if he has urinary tract problems a wet diet may be more appropriate if he will eat it and the weight loss diet is available as a wet or dry food.
In short, prescription weight loss diet in addition to playing and exercise is the best way to go and you should discuss this with your vet.
Also, hypothyroidism doesn't occur in cats (except in extremely rare cases), hyperthyroidism is however a common disorder which usually causes a ravenous appetite with combination with weight loss, amongst other symptoms.
Edit: 13yrs isn't bad for a cat but 15-16 is probably average and some can live to 20yrs or even more.
2007-08-22 05:28:15 · answer #1 · answered by Mark F 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I went though the same thing. I got Pirate as an adult, but he'd been a street cat before then, and happily ate as much as he could for years until he trusted he wouldn't ever be hungry again. He got big.
It's going to be hard, but put him on a senior food diet and let him complain. I tried, but it was too late, he got feline diabetes. Very hard to treat. Once he got it, I took him to the vet twice a week, gave him insulin injections twice a day, and fed him canned food he hated. He also lost all strength; he tried to jump into my lap and failed, and then cried. He never tried again; I picked him up and petted him, but he knew he had lost something. One day I came home to find him collapsed and moaning in my bathroom. I broke a lot of traffic laws to get him to the vet ASAP, but he died.
Please, control his food and you won't have to relive my mistake. Because part of the pain is knowing your pet has given up. Pirate fought me tooth and nail towards a vet visit before; the end he didn't care.
To get a healthy diet, try mixing diet or senior cat food with his favorites. 1/4 favorite to the rest diet / senior.
2007-08-18 23:47:35 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sounds like you're doing the right thing, my cats eat 40g of cat biscuits once a day & a pouch of wet cat food, maybe cut down the food a little. Exercise is a good thing. Maybe get him check out for hypothyroidism. I know dogs can get it so maybe your cat is suffering.
2007-08-18 23:33:53 · answer #3 · answered by Ĕrotic Ńightmare 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yeah u got any neighbours with a big dog, let him have an hour a day with big doggy and he'll loose it, or maybe an outdoor pool that your cat can't climb out, toss him in, let him have a swim then haul him out when he looks tired.
Last option get a kitten or a puppy, they'll never leave fatty cat alone long enough to store fat.
2007-08-18 23:35:44 · answer #4 · answered by Bex D 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Perhaps he is bloating with water,my cat had a similar problem ,his bladder was swollen the vet operated but the cat died If your cat can lie down comfortably and is eating and not in obvious distress i would,nt worry about it Would you loose weight if somebody chased you around the house
2007-08-18 23:39:37 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't know if you would like to take him in to see a vet. There might be some other issues if he's an active cat.
2007-08-18 23:52:41 · answer #6 · answered by Jules 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Some thyroid disorders can be cured, but many require lifetime treatment. Learn here https://tr.im/t77nD
For example, sometimes early stage thyroid cancer can be cured by surgery to remove the thyroid gland, but you will need to take thyroid hormone medication afterwards for the rest of your life. Goiters can also be surgically removed and do not always recur after surgery. In most cases, thyroid disorders need treatment over a lifetime. However, with treatment most people with thyroid disorders can live normal, healthy lives.
2016-02-08 18:52:37 · answer #7 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
my cat is also overweight and i cant really limit her food because she just wails till she gets more, it's driving me crazy. I dont know what to do either.
2007-08-18 23:39:10 · answer #8 · answered by Jess 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
walk backward in the park for 43 minutes
2016-04-01 07:15:18 · answer #9 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Stand up and walk atleast 5 mins after evry 2 hours while working
2016-02-04 01:08:01 · answer #10 · answered by Angel 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋