17 lb cat... details?

Question

OK!!!! NOW!!!! We have a cat and he has been overweight since he was like a year old. He's 15 now and I'm wondering what would cause a cat to be that big? He is perfectly healthy. Alot of people tell me it's genetics and some cats are meant to be that big. Anyone ever heard of that? We feed him half a cup a day and it's been like that for years but he doesn't lose weight. We have a big pool area and he plays out there and chases things around but he doesn't lose weight. But he's HEALTHY. I don't get it.

oh yeah. and we have 2 other cats and we had another who died and they've all been normal weight.

heck yeah lulu! fat cats DO rule! he's so sweet! he lays flat against me in bed.

lol catlady thanks for the copy and pasted website answer but you fail to miss the point of the question

crazycat whatever, he plays plenty. read the question. He plays out at the pool all the time. It's a huge area. He has toys but doesn't care for them. He goes to the vet every year. You can't trust everything you get off the internet. People who answered from EXPERIENCE gave a good answer. It's genetics..

Answer 1

there is actually a cat diet food out there. My vet thinks I should consider putting my 1 year old cat that now weights about 14 pounds ( when we got her she only weighted 1 pound) on the diet food. It takes a long time for cats to lose weight, and that is a okay. She said that it could take up to a year or something for a cat to lose weight( the healthy way) . ask your vet about a diet food for your kitty. i got a sample of it, and both cats loved it. you have to be concerned with heart disease too with a cat that is over weight.

Answer 2

Cats come in all different sizes.I have two 20 pounders(they aren't terribly fat,just big).I don't know why they are so much bigger than the other cats as they all eat the same food.One is marked like a blue bi color Ragdoll,and my brother has his litter mates,who are all different.One is a tiny ,black and white Persian - looking female,another is a small orange and white male.Then there's a huge tabby and white male,and finally,a normal sized calico .All from the same litter,and they look nothing alike and are all different sizes. My other large male ,Moby,is a longhaired bluecream tabby,and his brother,Monty,is a dark brown mackeral tabby with white,and he weighs about 15 lbs.So,I think that genetics DO play a large part in determining an animal's size,and diet does as well.If the cat has lived for 15 years and is still playful and healthy,then that's all that matters ~ I know how hard it is to get weight off of a dog or cat,believe me!

Answer 3

We have 2 cats that just turned 8 and both are getting kind of "chunky monkey" as my daughter calls it. We switched them to a senior/lite diet gradually and in about a month they are slimming down and have energy like they did when they were kittens!

BUT - if he's been 17 pounds since he was a year old - some of it might have to do with genetics. One of our cats is part Maine Coon and his "healthy" weight according to the vet is 18 pounds. But our tabby is just a "mutt mix" and her "healthy" weight is about 13 pounds. Maybe check it out with the vet?

Oh - and we "free feed" in a large feeder, so it might not be that the 1/2 a cup is too much food, perhaps it's just the TYPE of food he's getting that's "catching up with him." Like people - if you eat fast food cheese burgers every day it will start to show... if you switch to a more balanced diet, things will start going back to "normal."

Answer 4

I've had 2 overweight cats. One was 23lbs and the other was approx. 17 lbs. Your cat may be healthy now but most likely will develop arthritis and it will be very painful to walk or jump up. My old cat now was born with deformities and although she has lost some weight the extra lbs did not help her.
I'd suggest that you feed your cat the same amount of food but get a diet food like Purina One for weight loss. Mix it with his regular food at first and then gradually only the diet.
Overweight cats are more prone to diabetes and thyroid disease. Unfortunately thyroid pills make cats vomit so the only cure is to remove the gland.
I know you love your cat and he is probably beautiful but at this age he will benefit if he slims down. He's probably a bigger cat, bone structure anyway so he won't need to lose much weight. Maybe 3 or 4 lbs.

Answer 5

If you are feeding your cat dry kibble, that is probably why he is overweight.

Cats are carnivores. That means their main source of food should be animal protein - not carbohydrates! Dry food does not contain the proper amount of animal protein that cats need genetically.

Get rid of the dry kibble, and feed your cat canned food. Avoid canned food that contains grains. Most cats are allergic to grains, such as corn, wheat, rice, wheat gluten, etc. And also avoid foods with cheese.

Check out these brands of canned food:
Wellness, Natural balance, Merrick's, Evanger's. There are more brands, but these are the ones I feed my 3 cats.

Good luck.

Answer 6

What kind of cat is it? Many breeds get to be that big. Also, half a cup isn't that much food for a full day.

Answer 7

It probalby is genetics! Our older cat weighs 18Lbs, and it's because of her breed, she's a Siberian. Do some research on his breed to find out what he should be at. Fat cats rule!

Answer 8

Sounds to me like he's just a big cat.

Does he seem fat to you or just large?

One of my cats is about 14 lbs and his body is proportioned really well.

I bet your cat is probably from a large breed.

Answer 9

if he eats a cup a day try feeding him a half of a cup. i have 2... 40 pound cats and they don't lose weight either.

Answer 10

big kitty, i'd name him orson after orson wells who was a rather rotund gentleman....