I probably already know the answer to this, but I want to know what can I do to keep my cat living longer?
He is about 3 years old or so, and is an indoor cat. And he is massive, probably one of the bigger domestic cats you'll see. We have another cat that is just a tad over weight according to the vet, but not much. They do play with eachother and chase eachother so there is some exercise there, and we have tried to cut their food down but I havent seen much of a difference. I'm just wondering is there more we can do.
Also, our fat cat had an infected urinary problem so he has to eat special food, and our other cat has a super sensitive stomach, so she also needs special food. =P
Any advice would be great!
2007-11-30 08:27:41 · 15 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Cats
not necessarily....I had what you would consider an obese cat and he lived to the ripe old age of 23 years old.....none of my skinny ones have even come close and was in great health until about 6 months prior to getting him put down due to a cancerous growth on his head.
2007-11-30 08:33:59 · answer #1 · answered by jasmine d 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's not just being overweight that's a problem, it's WHY it's overweight that is a problem, normally that indicates an inappropriate diet..
Whenever I foster a fat cat, I put them right on canned food only..
I feed Innova Evo, and find most seem to lose weight on it without any kind of special measuring.. About 5 ounces of it a day is ideal.. It works great too for my cat that has had urinary crystals in the past.. He hasn't had a flare-up since being on it..
Of course, that will depend on what kind of crystal problems your cat had.. You'll want to contact your vet about it.
I had a 17 lb'er that weighs only 13 now and looks great.. He's a massive tom cat though.. I have another cat who's so small boned her weight is ideal at about 8 lbs..
You may want to read through this site for more info..
The problem with dry food is the high carbohydrate levels.. They wreak havoc on cats..
http://www.catinfo.org/#Common_Feline_Health_Problems_and_Their_Ties_to_Diet_
2007-11-30 08:47:21 · answer #2 · answered by Unknown.... 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
When I was a kid we had a fat cat and an average cat. The vet was always telling us to put the fat cat on a diet, but we couldn't because the normal cat would starve. Anyway, the average cat passed away last year at 18 years old and the fat cat is still alive and healthy (now 19 years old). I don't know if that's normal, but it's my only experience with fat vs. non-fat cats.
2007-11-30 08:46:07 · answer #3 · answered by Rachael 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is very hard to get a cat to loose weight, unfortunately fat cats do have a shorter life span, just try and play with it a bit more, get some new toys and see what happens.
2007-11-30 08:32:47 · answer #4 · answered by farmgirl 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Anything fat lives a shorter life
2007-11-30 08:30:43 · answer #5 · answered by J18 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
fat cats live shorter lives
2016-02-03 05:42:16 · answer #6 · answered by Agretha 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Awww poor cat! Well that's actually not always true :) It depends how well you are up to date with the vets and how much care it gets x As long as it lives a happy and playful life it doesn't matter :-) I'm not being harsh but cats should enjoy their life! x You could try feeding it just dry food mixed with water and then if it gets hungry give it cat milk! Then buy them lots of catnip toys and little balls. I think that that's a very healthy lifestyle with lots of fun! Just give your cat the best life you can :-D
Hope i helped
Love to your little kitties!
Zarin
2007-12-01 07:54:11 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are breads of cats that are larger than others. My roommate and I got kittens at the same time and her cat is definitely bigger. I had a teacher once who had a 50lb cat!! not sure how long it lived but I don't think it was overweight compared to its bone structure.
If the vet says its overweight, then you should probably be cautious
2007-11-30 08:40:03 · answer #8 · answered by Lydia 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes. An overweight cat is likely to have only four and a half lives versus the usual nine. Get that cat on a diet!
2007-11-30 08:32:02 · answer #9 · answered by Jack of All Trades 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes. Fat cats are prone to diabetes (like humans!). kidney problems, and bladder/urinary tract infections.
I lost a wonderful cat who was only four years old when he had to be put down. The vet said his urinary tract infection was due to his overweight condition.
He was eighteen pounds, but should have been only fifteen or sixteen pounds.
His infection turned into cystitis which turned into a blockage which turned into kidney failure. We didn't have a chance to put him on a diet or anything. We knew he was big, but not obese.
2007-11-30 08:32:23 · answer #10 · answered by WhatAmI? 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋