Concern About Weight Increase In My Calico

Hi,

My cat weighed in at 12 lbs back in May, whereas today she is over 14. Going back further, she was 11.2 last July, 11 last April, and 10.2 last January. Even farther back, however, she was 11.2 in April 2015. She was 10 lbs. when I got her in 2011. She is now a bit over 7 years old. The last time she had a check-up the vet thought she looked fine (at 12 lbs.) I'm not even sure that 12 is a healthy weight, but I'm thinking 14 surely isn't. There has been no change in her food or feeding schedule. Should I take her back down to the vet or just reduce her feeding amount? She eats both wet and dry - about 1/4 cup of kibble once a day, and then about 2-3 spoons of wet food twice a day. One can of food lasts about 2 days. I guess the most concerning thing is the approximately 2-lb. increase since May.

Thanks for any suggestions...
Keith

Look at the chart about and ask yourself where on it she falls. If you say a 4 or 5 then yes, cut back the food a small amount. Cats should be eating right around 20 calories per pound so it isn't a major cutback to move their weight down on the scale.

That's the age my cat started to gain - her activity level slowed down but her eating hadnt (plus she was eating a pretty high cal kibble). The extra weight caused her to be less comfortable scampering around or jumping, so that resulted in even less activity. Any chance that is the case with your cat?

Is it a really high calorie kibble? Because that doesn't sound like very much food.

Wet food is easier to deal with for weight loss because it's lower in carbs. I would cut out the dry and pick a wet food that is high in protein, moderate in fat, low in carb.

Cats move into the area of "Middle Age" at about 7-9 years old, and many slow down in their activity levels. If they keep the same intake of calories, that lesser amount of activity will probably result in weight gain. Did your cat visit the vet in May, was that the last vet visit?

As cats age, things can change fairly quickly with their health, and I always thought it a good idea to do more frequent "wellness check" vet visits, just to make sure that all is going well with their aging and health. Sometimes a weight gain can signal a growth, like cancer... and it doesn't hurt to check them out for lumps to rule that out! I think it is more likely that your cat may have slowed down her activity level, which could be the reason for her weight gain - although, in my view, gaining 2 lbs in six months is a lot of weight.

pipperoo said:

That's the age my cat started to gain - her activity level slowed down but her eating hadnt (plus she was eating a pretty high cal kibble). The extra weight caused her to be less comfortable scampering around or jumping, so that resulted in even less activity. Any chance that is the case with your cat?

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She is still fairly active, though not as much as before. Plus, changes in behavior (and also probably level of activity) can be so gradual as to be almost not noticeable over the short term.

PushPurrCatPaws said:

Cats move into the area of "Middle Age" at about 7-9 years old, and many slow down in their activity levels. If they keep the same intake of calories, that lesser amount of activity will probably result in weight gain. Did your cat visit the vet in May, was that the last vet visit?

As cats age, things can change fairly quickly with their health, and I always thought it a good idea to do more frequent "wellness check" vet visits, just to make sure that all is going well with their aging and health. Sometimes a weight gain can signal a growth, like cancer... and it doesn't hurt to check them out for lumps to rule that out! I think it is more likely that your cat may have slowed down her activity level, which could be the reason for her weight gain - although, in my view, gaining 2 lbs in six months is a lot of weight.

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May was the last vet visit...I'm thinking I will make an appointment. I get paranoid about any sort of changes being that I went through hyperthyroidism with my last cat...it was a rough time as it progressed. Of course, that whole situation involves losing weight. And yet I've read that hypo is rather rare in cats.

Kieka said:

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• Kieka
• Feb 1, 2017
• 3

Look at the chart about and ask yourself where on it she falls. If you say a 4 or 5 then yes, cut back the food a small amount. Cats should be eating right around 20 calories per pound so it isn't a major cutback to move their weight down on the scale.

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Hmmm...probably more around the 4 on the chart...I would not say 5. I DO know that the vet had indicated they really don't want to see her get much heavier than 12 lbs. So I suspect they won't be real happy.

three4rd said:

She is still fairly active, but of course the changes in behavior (and also most likely level of activity) can be so gradual as to be almost not noticeable over the short term.

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Sorry...not sure how I wound up quoting myself and posting a new message!!

maggiedemi said:

Is it a really high calorie kibble? Because that doesn't sound like very much food.

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I don't have caloric info on the food bag, but the crude min. fat percentage is 11.

Thanks to all who replied. I think 2 things are in order - cutting back on some of the food, and a vet visit. Our daughter is visiting with us right now - has not been here since August - and she has remarked several times about how much heavier the cat looks. Again, when you live with these pets every day, you just don't notice the gradual changes.