Can cats lose weight without prescription food?

[Beth922]

I read a couple websites yesterday that insist that all weight control cat foods available in the store are for maintenance, and the only option for weight loss is a prescription food. However, I just bought the Royal Canin Weight (non prescription), and it's lower in calories than most prescription foods. Am I missing something here? I'm not talking about if there's an underlying health issue, and I'm not really trying to get an answer specific to my cat. I just know about human weight loss, but I don't know if it's more than calories in/out for cats. I know that weight control/loss foods are usually higher fiber to make cats feel full, but that looks like it's true for prescription and non prescription foods. This might be a stupid question, but I'm already stressed about getting my other cat to eat and my brain is pretty fried. I feel like my previous experience is that cats can lose weight on non prescription food, but I was never really weighing my cats back then and just going by appearance and feel. I'm questioning my own memory, and I probably just should stay off the internet for a while.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Cats can lose weight on non-prescription food. It is really all a matter of determining if your cat is really overweight first, and then reducing your cat's calories, in a very slow methodical manner. Scale weight is fine, but comparing your cat to a body condition chart can sometimes even be better than basing their weight on a scale. I am including a body condition chart below for you.

Most wet foods are higher in protein and have less carbs/fats than many of the dry foods. So, that is one consideration. But, there are whole host of other things to consider. See how your cat compares to this chart and then we can go from there. How old is your cat?

 

[Beth922]

Cats can lose weight on non-prescription food. It is really all a matter of determining if your cat is really overweight first, and then reducing your cat's calories, in a very slow methodical manner. Scale weight is fine, but comparing your cat to a body condition chart can sometimes even be better than basing their weight on a scale. I am including a body condition chart below for you.

Most wet foods are higher in protein and have less carbs/fats than many of the dry foods. So, that is one consideration. But, there are whole host of other things to consider. See how your cat compares to this chart and then we can go from there. How old is your cat?

She is 8 years old, and body condition would be 7-8. My other cat is 13 and body condition would be 4. I used to just feed them at the same time (separate bowls), and they would eat from each other's bowls. She started shoving the older cat out of the way to get his food. I'm working on separation/supervision, and they're on different foods (Older cat is on an rx urinary food). I'm trying my best to get older cat to eat more, and now I'm trying to figure out how to get her to exercise. It shouldn't be overwhelming, but it is.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Yeah, unfortunately, feeding them separately may help a lot. Maybe that is all your cat needs, not to be able to eat your other cat's food.

For the overweight cat, see/measure how much she eats, and the reduce it by no more than 5-10% at one time. Now, is when weighing can help. Weigh her before starting the reduction, and then weigh her every 2 weeks or so to see if she is losing any weight. If she is, then just keep doing that, if not reduce the amount again by no more than that 5-10%.

Weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint. The point to reducing the intake amount slowly is to allow your cat to adapt to a lesser amount of food, both physically and mentally, over time.
Good luck!

 

[Antonio65]

I don't know if I have understood your request correctly.
You are asking if it's possible for a cat to lose some weight by keeping to eat the same favorite (dry) food?

This is what I did with my cat since August. I had her lose some weight even if I have been feeding her the usual dry food (and wet food too), by simply reducing the amount of kibbles in her dish. I reduced her portions of kibbles by 10%. The other cat had the usual portion.
I don't leave food out during the day, my cats eat at defined times, this way it's easier to control the food intake.

Lately I have switched to a lower calories dry food (non prescription food), so I can give my cat an amount of food that makes her feel full.

In the last 10 or so weeks, my cat lost 280 grams, which is nearly half of the weight I would like her to lose.

 

[Norachan]

I`ve found that the easiest way to help them lose weight or maintain a healthy body weight is to feed them only wet food, no dry. It`s not just the calories. Dry food tends to be higher in carbs and wet food tends to make them feel satisfied for longer.

If your older cat is getting bullied away from his food try feeding him up on a table or counter top and the younger one on the floor. Something about being in a higher position helps the less dominant cats feel more secure while they eat.

 

[catloverfromwayback]

Wish I could feed Daisy on wet food. I've tried and she just doesn't like it enough to eat a decent meal. She wanders off and then Phoebe pinches it, and she has to stick to her prescription food (she has IBD). I can't be here to stand guard all the time. Daisy's been on limited intake as prescribed by her vet for probably a year now, and hasn't lost any weight at all.

 

[Beth922]

I don't know if I have understood your request correctly.
You are asking if it's possible for a cat to lose some weight by keeping to eat the same favorite (dry) food?

Lately I have switched to a lower calories dry food (non prescription food), so I can give my cat an amount of food that makes her feel full.

In the last 10 or so weeks, my cat lost 280 grams, which is nearly half of the weight I would like her to lose.

Thank you. Sorry, I know I wasn't very clear. I am switching my cat to a lower calorie food (non prescription), but I read somewhere that only prescription food works for weight loss. I'm glad you've had success with low calorie dry food because that's what I'm trying. Honestly, almost any food is my cat's favorite food, and she is thankfully good with food changes.

 

[Beth922]

I`ve found that the easiest way to help them lose weight or maintain a healthy body weight is to feed them only wet food, no dry. It`s not just the calories. Dry food tends to be higher in carbs and wet food tends to make them feel satisfied for longer.

If your older cat is getting bullied away from his food try feeding him up on a table or counter top and the younger one on the floor. Something about being in a higher position helps the less dominant cats feel more secure while they eat.

I actually have started feeding the older cat on my bed or the cat tree because it's easier to notice if the younger one goes for his food. On the floor, I swear if I even blink she will be at his bowl when I open my eyes. She's not usually bold enough to jump on the bed when I am sitting by his bowl. I am considering adding more wet food, but I'm mainly trying to get them to eat their own food at this point.