fat cat help?

Question

i have a cat that is extremely overweight. what cat food would help her lose the weight and any tips that would help as well? we also have two normal weight cats that i don't want to lose weight because i have already had to get them to gain a healthy weight because they were to skinny.

ive already been to the pet store to see what they suggested im just looking to see if anyone has some insight and experience. i know felidae is a good brand but i have to drive so far out to the only pet store i know carries it.

we feed them all separately and its the small ones that eat all the food.

ok the story is that i moved in with my boyfriend with my two cats and he had his one she was already fat when we came here and i love her just as much as i love my own and i know what will happen to her if she stays this weight and i don't want her to go through that pain she is not an old cat and there is still time for her to lose the weight. she eats once a day one cup of food and eats that through out the day when she is hungry she doesn't gorge herself she eats and sleeps and wont play with anyone my cats chase her around to help her and she is losing weight from that but the food she was being fed wasnt the best it was store brand of what my boyfriends family could afford. smokey was abused and our family took her in from harm with what they had she was larger when he got her and has lost weight but is still very large. shes already gone through so much pain i dont want to see her suffer again.

Answer 1

Hi Christine...generally, it's first recommended to discuss an appropriate weight loss guideline with your vet. Sudden changes in dietary requirements can be distressing to a cat and could contribute to other health problems. Cats who have dramatic caloric intake can suffer from something called fatty liver disease (hepatic lipidosis) http://www.peteducation.com:80/article.cfm?cls=1&cat=1327&articleid=217 . which shuts the liver down and is fatal. Therefore, before beginning any weight loss plan, please be sure to get approval from the vet to make sure this will not cause any other un-necessary health problems for your cat. Some cats can be overweight as a result of thyroid problems so this should be checked as well.

In the wild, animals will naturally eat what they need and no more. The task of searching for food and other basic necessities involves lots of exercise and so wild animals remain naturally fit and healthy.

The food available to them in their natural habitat is perfectly designed to meet their needs in an environment that has not been tampered with.

Domestic animals are provided with food which they do not have to hunt for and which is not always suited for their bodies. Cats who are free fed as well as given table scraps are more noted to have obesity problems because they eat out of boredom. In addition, they are often exposed to a lifestyle which contributes to sluggish metabolism, underactive thyroids and livers which are not able to remove toxins or eliminate unwanted fat from their bodies.

Most commercial grade cat foods contain corn, corn meal which are fillers (carbohydrates) that bind the dry food together as a way of keeping foods lasting longer. Try finding cat food products which are devoid of these ingedients. The first ingredients should show chicken, chicken meal, etc. Most show the first ingredients as corn on the ingredient labels. IAMs, Science Diet, Purina, Whiskas, Friskies ...all have corn listed as the main ingredient. Cats who eat these tend to always feel hungry because the carbs don't metabolize fast enough and cats are obligate carnivores so they need a diet devoid of these types of carbs. Products such as Innova EVO, Nature's Variety Prairie, Wellness, are premium brands. Most cats who eat these find that they do not eat to eat as much because their appetite is better satiated.

Additionally, it's important to schedule feed a cat so you can monitor servings taken in during the day. http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/news/feed.htm . Each product lists the recommended servings based on a age and weight. For an overweight cat you would be reducing the intake gradually by 10% each week that the vet recommends is an appropriate caloric intake. Cats who are switched from a free-fed diet shoudl be fed multiple times a day (if permittable) such as once in the morning, mid-day, and then evening before your bedtime.

When switching to a new brand of cat food it is also important to note that sudden changes can cause sever bowel distress. Cats have very sensitive digestive systems so the quick change will cause bouts of diarrhoea and vomiting. Any vet can confirm this fact. Cat food should be changed gradually by mixing the current brand with the new brand over the course of several weeks. For example you would take 3/4 servings of the old cat food to 1/4 servings with the new for one week...then the next week 1/2 to 1/2...then following 1/4 of the old to 3/4 of the new in the third week before completing the switch in the final week. http://www.peteducation.com:80/article.cfm?cls=1&cat=1399&articleid=1155

Furthermore, some cats can take off the weight faster by feeding a canned food diet. For some reason the hydration in the canned products helps metabolize food better and are also completely devoid of carbohydrates, which is more optimal for the feline's body. When cats eat raw meat in the wild they get hydration from the fresh meat juices as well as some roughage from the animals who are natural herbivores. We are have been exposed to so many commercial ads regarding dry food for cats, but in reality it's the manufacturer's who benefit rather than the cats. Cats are not naturally designed to eat dry--the products were designed for convenience for the owner.

Here's an article about commercial cat food; dry vs. canned, proper nutritional needs, etc: http://www.consumersearch.com/www/family/cat-food/index.html

Finally, most cats become bored with toys quickly. It's important to rotate them by hiding them and then bringing them back out again so the appear to be like new toys. Interactive toys are the best ones to use to get a cat moving such as a laser light. Most cats love chasing the light. The goal is to get the cat to move back and forth at least for 5 minutes to begin as some tire more easily than others especially if they are overweight. You can increase play time more if they enjoy it. Some cats love chasing feather teasers tied on a string too. Experiment to what gets your cat moving. Just please remember most overweight cats tire easily so keep the sessions short and fun. Interactive toys are the best ways to get your cat to exercise rather than leaving toys for them to play with. They only bat at those and really don't move enough. Not only does the interactive toys work better, but it's a bonding experience for both of you as well.

Answer 2

You will need to feed the normal weight cats separately. There is not food that really helps them lose weight - they are too much like us! So give the fat cat just 1/2cup of food a day, feed the others in another room beforehand. You can make things easier by giving the normal cats something they like to eat quickly, like a soft food or can food, so this reduces the time to supervise the separation.
It will be hard because that cat is going to get vocal, but you need to be firm and you cannot let the cat near the bag of food or out where it can find other food to eat.

Answer 3

I'd take her to a vet and have her checked out for worms or anything else. Worms can actually make them appear larger than they are. Once a mo. I give my 2 cats wormer. Also every 6 mo. I give them a good wormer for those nasty things. They can get them from mice or other vermin. As for food try using one of the indoor ones. I myself use friskies indoor dry food. My old man was quite fat until I changed to this type of food. It has something to do with the greens they need in their diet. After he started losing weight he became much more playful. And he's 13 yrs. old. This food happens to agree with him very much and my little girl who has always been skinny has put on a little weight, so it seems it all averages out with this food. I also give them each a 1/4 can of you guessed it friskies (that's all they like) 2 x a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. They're both very healthy and happy cats now. Just make sure if one cat doesn't eat all their food to pick it up so the others don't get it or it defeats the purpose of losing the weight or from getting obese.

Answer 4

hehe...what you have there is one jealous demanding and overpowering cat which the other two cats are deferring to.

The one cat is eating their food. You need to feed them (teach them to eat) all twice a day (morning and night) and when you do that, be sure the fat cat is in a room by itsels so the other two can eat.

Several years ago I had two cats like that. At some point they were both fat, and then although they "looked" the same in weight I held one and noticed that she was a lot lighter. Eventually the younger cat kept the older cat from eating altogether, the older cat got super cold feet and kept coming to me with her cold feet and I didn't know what was wrong. Yep, the younger one was starving the older cat. I separated them to eat but it was too late and eventually the older one died. So separate your cats, or give the fat one to a relative.so the other two can recuperate. Perhaps the fat one is vying for your attention.

Answer 5

You're going to have to stop free feeding all your cats from now on. During feeding time stay and make sure Tubby isn't raiding the other cats food bowls.

Keep Tubby on a special diet recommend by your veterinarian. Some animals can't be free fed as they tend to gorge themselves like there's no tomorrow.

Above all be patient cats have to loose weight gradually, putting a cat on a crash diet is asking for serious health issues down line.

Answer 6

Its not necessarily the food, I think you free feed meaning that you leave food down all day, try feeding everyone twice daily leaving the food down for 30 minutes. That would go along way to helping, also abruptly changing a cat's food can put them off eating and with an overweight cat that be deadly because they can develope fatty liver disease and die. If you want to change you cat's diet slowly add new with old until it is entirely replaced.

Answer 7

It's not what food it's how much. Obviously the fat cat is eating all of the food and the two skinny cats aren't getting any of it. You have to put the food dishes in separate rooms and close the doors during feeding. Then you also have to put away the food dishes when it's not feeding time. Trust me they'll adapt after about a week if not sooner.

Answer 8

You might consider taking her to a vet because she could have a thyroid condition. Also, they have prescription diet foods that are helpful with weight loss. You will probably have to feed your cats separately, and not leave food out free choice....hard to do with cats. You could also maybe increase her exercise by having her chase a toy on a string or a laser light.

Answer 9

well the fat cat is got short life if you dont' do something. just 1/2 cup a day of cat food. nothing else and give him water. then you need to get a good cat food for older cats i assume this cat is old. and the ones that are skinny feed them different place and same with the otehr one. take care.

Answer 10

Unless your vet advised you that your cat is overweight, you shouldn't worry.
I have 4 cats and 4 kittens...
Spunky is 7 yrs old. He weighs 13-16 lbs.
Spaz is 5. He weighs 20 lbs.
Orange Kitty is 5-6 yrs old (vet guess, he was a feral rescue) and he weighs 16 lbs.
BK is 2. She is 7 1/2 lbs. She is the mother to the kittens
My kittens were born 8/19/07
Bully, he weighs almost 5 lbs
Bear, he weighs 4 1/2 lbs.
Little Boy weighs 3 3/4 lbs
Little Girl is a little over 2 lbs.
The vet said that they are all healthy. They all eat the same food, I try to only let the kittens eat kitten food, but the sneak the adult food. And the adults eat the kitten food too...

Answer 11

Only buy special weight control food for your overweight cat, thats what i do. And my other two cats just eat ruglar cat food. I use Iams weight control and i gives you a chart on the back for how much they weigh and how much to feed them etc. If all else fails chase your cat around the house cause thats the only way they he/she is going to lose weight. Well thats what i do.
Hope it helps!