Aiding weight loss

[Mutation]

One of my cats is obese, and only gaining weight still. I monitor how much he eats, and its not a lot at all. He only eats 1 can of wet food a day, at the most. Sometimes he doesn't eat that much even. He doesn't play a lot and isn't very active, and i don't really know how to help that. He has multiple toys and a laser pointer that he likes, but he isn't willing to chase it anymore like when he was younger. He's only 8 years old, and he doesn't have any health issues causing him to be unable to play. He's just lazy. Catnip doesn't get him moving enough, it just makes him scent mark everything. We have 2 kittens that have been getting him moving a little bit, but still not nearly what he needs to get down to a healthy weight. Is there anything more I can do for him? The food he has isnt the healthiest, but its the best we can afford.

I just lost a cat yesterday morning who eventually got diabetes due to her weight. We think her kidneys shut down because of her diabetes (and age). I dont want that for Gizmo. The cat we lost was in very poor condition, no muscle mass, no weight, and her back legs were weak due to diabetes. I cant see that happen again.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. I am so sorry for the loss of your cat. When was Gizmo last seen by a vet? He is on the verge of being a senior, so routine check ups, including full scale bloodwork, start being an absolute necessity at his age.

When you say he eats 1 can of food a day, at most - how many calories are in that can?

While some cats are prone to being overweight genetically, there are so many other reasons that could be the cause of Gizmo's condition. If money for a check up is an issue, can you ask your vet about a payment plan for a senior check up?

 

[Mutation]

Sometime last year I think? I want to take him in again though anyways because he has a lump on his skin that got bigger recently.

He eats friskies wet food, which is apparently 184 kcal a can. Im unsure how many calories he should be consuming. Now that only one cat is eating wet food we may be able to offer him a slightly higher quality food. We've tried fancy feast before and he wasn't having any of it.

We feed our elder cat (turning 16 oh boy) grain free (i think) friskies dry food since he refuses wet food. Would that be better for Gizmo or should we stick with the cans? He seems just as content with the grain free food.

I could talk to my mother about it (since covid I cant get a job and can't pay his vet bills myself unfortunately). How much would a blood panel be for him? A rough estimate would be great. <3

I dont think its genetics that caused him to become overweight. His mother is/was a very nice weight and a very healthy cat. I dont know who his father was, but his mother was a barn cat in a pretty rural area, so I assume he would've been healthy too to be able to survive. Im pretty sure its just laziness, but it would be nice to rule out any other potential concerns.

 

[FeebysOwner]

As a general rule of thumb (and, that is all it is), 184 calories a day could sustain a 9ish pound cat. This is using a guide that most cats require somewhere between 20 and 25 calories per pound of body weight (9.0 x 20 = 180). Factors such as protein and carbohydrate content in the food can affect that, to a degree. Older, more sedentary cats, might require a bit less per pound. I wouldn't necessarily recommend going from canned food to dry because dry is almost always higher in carbs - and therefore can cause a cat to gain weight more easily.

Genetics doesn't have to specifically follow generation after generation of cats - besides, you don't know who the father was anyway. So, assuming anything from that perspective is pretty worthless.

I don't know where you are located, but from where I am, a full geriatric check up and blood work (my cat is 16+) that I just recently paid was about $187.00. The full blood work was $130 - the rest was for the physical check up. There may be deviations in what would be tested for once you explain to your vet what Gizmo's food intake is compared to what the vet sees as his weight now vs. his 'ideal' weight.

 

[Mutation]

Hes about 13 or 14 pounds last time I checked, and I believe he's supposed to way around 10 if I remember correctly. I'll keep him on wet food then. I will try to see if theres a better brand with more protein and less carbs for about the same price/a bit more that he likes.

We can probably afford that for him soon then. I was concerned it would be more around 300 or so.

In the meantime, is there any way to get him active and moving? A completely sedentary life style is definitely not helping him at all, not just his weight but his overall wellbeing.

 

[FeebysOwner]

That seems to be a low amount of calories for a cat that weighs that much. More reason to check out with a vet what might be behind that. No one feeding him 'treats' on the side????

I can't help with food brands, as Feeby is currently eating Fancy Feast pates and she loves them. Maybe mix some with his current food just to see if that might help him expand his repertoire? Other members can advise on some other possibilities for you.

And, I can't help with the activity level either. Feeby (16+ yo) is very sedentary, and has no particular interest in playing with any toys - she never really has all her life. The best she does is lay on her back and play for a minute or two with a simple shoe string being dangled before her. In your case, I would be enticing him to interact play with the kittens at your instigation. Cat trees and perches with a window view could help invigorate him. Even videos of birds and squirrels might trigger some extra motivation in him. There are also a ton of interactive toys on the internet that you could buy for him to help with his interest level. Again, I hope other members chime in with their ideas - I am sure there are plenty of thoughts on what you might be able to do to get him moving a bit more.

 

[Mutation]

Yeah, that concerns me a bit that he's still gaining with how few calories he eats. I feed him a couple of treats about once a week, but it's only a couple so it shouldn't be adding too much weight to him. He doesn't leave my room so he's definitely not getting any kind of table scraps.

Our 16 year old cat is also very sedentary but a very healthy weight, so putting that into perspective kind of makes me wonder more about if it's genetics/something up with him actually. I'm trying to get him to play with the kittens, but theyre kind of scared of him. He'll chase them around a bit but not a lot. I will see if I could get him one of those skirt toy things, he might like that. I've tried birds and squirrels and stuff and he's not a fan. He doesn't care for videos, and he just stares at the birds outside. They don't really excite him past something fun to look at. He used to have a cat tree that he would sleep in, but that's about it. He didn't play in it or around it, just slept in it. He has a shelf on my window that he loves to sleep in now.

 

[stephanietx]

What are you feeding him (brand and wet or dry)? Going to an exclusively wet food diet, all protein with no fillers is the best way to get a kitty to lose weight, but you want it to be a gradual loss, not too fast. If you feed dry, make it snacks only or use as treats and cut out the high calorie treats.