Fat cat!

[furrmomma3313]

What is the best way to help your cat loose a couple of pounds? We play with him a lot already but he jumps around and runs for a couple of minutes and then just flops down! We have taken him off of wet food because he seems to no longer like it and I try my best to make sure we do not over feed him!

 

[pinkdagger]

Wet food is a good and easy method to keep him on a diet - it's lower carb and higher protein, so unlike dry kibbles that tend to require more carbs to hold the pieces together, the cat isn't getting these extra carbs, and the high amount of protein helps them feel fuller. Dry food is pretty calorie heavy by comparison. They're also getting more water which helps flush out their systems and keep them hydrated. You can try different brands or recipes of wet food if he's not interested in the current kind you're feeding. If you're looking to manage his food better, try counting calories.

My first suggestion would be to get a vet visit for him. The vet can provide a better assessment of your cat's current body condition and weight, and you can ask what his ideal weight should be. According to Dr. Pierson (will link later in the post to her site), overweight pets who need to lose weight can use this general guideline for calories:

13 * (pet's ideal body weight in lbs) + 70 = total number of calories per day

You can find the calorie counts of some common wet foods here: http://www.catinfo.org/docs/SortableCatFoodChartCatinfo.org2-22-13.htm

If the foods you have available aren't listed, you can enter the information on the packaging to this website to find calories per oz or 100g: http://fnae.org/carbcalorie.html

Remember to make the changes slowly - if he's considerably overweight, be a bit more generous with his ideal body weight by adding a pound or two. This way, his body won't be shocked or go too hungry as you decrease the amount of food he's receiving.

Cats will often flop down after a few minutes of play, but with the right toy and some enticement, you can get them up and running again. It depends on what kind of player your cat is. Some like to spend a lot of time stalking, some like chasing, jumping, or batting. Even if you can get him batting while he's lying on his back, tease him by getting him to roll around to get a toy - it's better than nothing!

Here's a page pet obesity and how a vet dealt with it: http://www.catinfo.org/?link=felineobesity

 

[southern belle]

A fat, neighborhood cat has slowly adopted us over the last 9-10 months.  We took him to the vet for an exam and vaccines since we wanted to let him inside to interact with our indoor only kitten. He weighed 14 lbs. and his belly was so big that he couldn't reach his bottom to clean properly (red and raw).  He would play but only for about a minute or two before he had to rest and he's only about 2 years old.  Whoever had been feeding him only gave him dry food because he was clueless that wet food was edible. Slowly, I have transitioned him to high protein/low carb, grain/veggie/soy free wet food. The dry food I use it Nature's Variety Instincts Healthy Weight but now he only gets a small handful as an overnight treat. There are all kinds of toppers to add on top of wet food to entice the smell. I tried FortiFlora, baby food (meat flavors), canned tuna and sardines, bonita fish flakes, etc. But, his favorite is crushed Temptations treats. (I put a couple hand fulls in a freezer bag, squeeze out the air, and pound on concrete floor with smooth meat tenderizer/pounder until it's a fine powder. Then, I fill a small jar/salt shaker and sprinkle on top of his wet food.) I never left dry food out 24/7 (so bad for digestion!) but I do feed him wet food whenever he wants and as much as he wants. Since all my wet food is low in carbs, I don't have to worry about calories or overfeeding.

Fast forward to today:  He's lost down to 11 lbs. (an appropriate weight for his frame) and it's hard to believe he's the same cat!  He can now hunt and chase a string toy longer than I can continue to hold the stick!  Plus, he and the kitten will have at least 3 wrestling and chasing play sessions a day of at least a half an hour each. Honestly, I'm amazed. His coat and body shape looks so much healthier and his energy level has skyrocketed!

So, if you can transition him back to a species appropriate, high protein/low carb wet food and eliminate or severely reduce the dehydrating, high calorie dry food, his weight will decrease and at the same time, his energy level will increase.

Good luck!