Fat Cat

[forcryinoutloud]

So my youngest cat, a stray that we took in a couple of years ago after having caught her and her kittens (found a home for all three kittens, and had mama kitty spayed), has a bit of a weight problem. I say a bit, but she's a little fatty. The thing is, she gets a measured amount of food every day. She doesn't get table scraps. There's no way she can actually get into the food container that is in a cupboard about four feet off the floor, with doors. I don't know why, but it seems like she is just getting fatter. Obviously, I am thinking it must be the food she is on (when Daniel was still alive, I had him and three of my four others on Royal Canin Calm at the suggestion of the vet because of Daniel's crystal issues - when he would get stressed out, he'd stop peeing and crystals would begin forming). I am trying to transition all of them to a grain free diet but am now thinking what I have my grain free kitty, Jack on, might not be the best for her because of her weight.

So my question is this - is there a good grain free food, preferably made in Canada as that is where I am, that allows for weight control?

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

I"m not familiar with what foods are available in Canada, but what is Jack on? Why don't you think it would be good for the other cats? Is it prescription? Anything low carb would be best for ALL of your cats, because it should be higher in protein, and that would make them feel more full, and of course, since cats are obligate carnivores, they don't need grains anyway.

Could it be that little Miss Pudge is gaining weight because she's getting into the other cats' food at feeding time? (just a supposition...I have no idea whether or not this is possible )

Perhaps there is something in this article that you will find helpful: How to choose the best dry cat food?

 

[IndyJones]

If this is sudden have you had her thyroid tested?

 

[lalagimp]

I may have just glossed this, but did you say if you're feeding them wet or dry and how much food she's getting? I've dealt with fatty boombalatty before. Tommy had to lose 8 lbs. Like a whole nother cat. On prescription kibble he was getting 65 grams per day. On non prescription, higher quality low calorie kibble he was getting 60 grams of food per day. Tommy is a 13 lb cat. He gets around 230-250 calories per day. We are on a raw diet now and he gets 5 oz. When I need him to lose he gets 4.5 oz.
I have another cat who was almost up to 17 and he needed to be 12. He's been on all the same formulas as Tom but at 60 grams, 55 grams, and 4.5 oz for maintenance or 4 oz when he needs to lose.

Tommy took 3 years. Stewart took 1.5 years.

 

[forcryinoutloud]

Right now they're on a mix between the remainder of the Calm food from the vet, and Holistic Blend Turkey and Chicken (this change is only within the last few days so it isn't the food change that has caused weight gain), whereas before it was solely Royal Canin Calm and the bag suggestion was that she get 3/8 cup of the dry kibble a day for her weight at the time. She's getting the same with the mix at the moment (according to the bag, because she is heavier she should technically be getting more than that, but she's already overweight).

The cat food Jack is on is Petcurean Go! Fit and Free, which I read wasn't that great for less active cats (Jack is my most active, even though he is the oldest whereas my two females are the least active, Purrsnickitty one of them).

The weight gain wasn't sudden, it's definitely been gradual since her spaying a couple years ago. She doesn't have any of the symptoms of thyroid issues, beyond weight gain and inactivity (though it's not inactivity due to being lethargic, she will happily play with the others if they're willing to play with her).

 

[IndyJones]

When you measure food the weight on the bag is the ideal weight you measure for the cats ideal weight.

so assuming her ideal weight was 10lbs and currently she was 13lbs (overweight) you would still measure for 10 lbs.
Hope this makes sense.

 

[IndyJones]

Do you have a scale at home? A postage scale or baby scale works well for cats. This will be your best ally here.

 

[forcryinoutloud]

Yes, it does and that's what I was going by - the ideal weight amount. I do have a scale yeah and have been measuring out the amount she's supposed to have. I just think maybe that it's the food itself - not exactly a good food. I'm going to look at the available foods in town tomorrow, since my Jack was diagnosed with a heart murmur and I need to look at whether there is a senior cat grain free option available since he needs a low sodium, low phosphorus diet.

 

[orange&white]

Right now they're on a mix between the remainder of the Calm food from the vet, and Holistic Blend Turkey and Chicken (this change is only within the last few days so it isn't the food change that has caused weight gain), whereas before it was solely Royal Canin Calm and the bag suggestion was that she get 3/8 cup of the dry kibble a day for her weight at the time. She's getting the same with the mix at the moment (according to the bag, because she is heavier she should technically be getting more than that, but she's already overweight).

The cat food Jack is on is Petcurean Go! Fit and Free, which I read wasn't that great for less active cats (Jack is my most active, even though he is the oldest whereas my two females are the least active, Purrsnickitty one of them).

The weight gain wasn't sudden, it's definitely been gradual since her spaying a couple years ago. She doesn't have any of the symptoms of thyroid issues, beyond weight gain and inactivity (though it's not inactivity due to being lethargic, she will happily play with the others if they're willing to play with her).

The RC Calm is 330 calories per cup and the Holistic Blend is 500 calories per cup, so if you've been mixing more of the Holistic Blend, she is eating more calories with the same amount of food.

Whichever food you choose, you want to look at not only measuring cups, but also calories per cup.

Once you decide on the food you plan to feed, get her weight at the beginning of the month. Feed her the same amount of food for 30 days. Start with 20-25 calories per pound of her ideal body weight. Weigh her after 30days. If she has not lost weight or has gained weight, cut the calories by 10%. Rinse and repeat until she gets the excess weight off.

Don't try to put her on a "crash diet"; it's dangerous. Slow, steady weight loss is better. I've read that 1 pound a month is safe, but I'm personally more comfortable with 1/2 pound weight loss per month. You don't want to take any risk with hepatic lipidosis.

 

[forcryinoutloud]

Thank you! I will have to start doing some dreaded math. lol I'd like to have them on a mix of wet and dry since the wet I've been looking at is just too expensive to feed exclusively, so will have to try and figure out how much of each she should have. Once they're all on grain free, and a higher protein, they will hopefully feel full longer. Kitty will follow us around the house meowing in her little high pitched meow - "feed me!" "can't you see I'm starving?" I've finally trained my parents not to give in.

 

[orange&white]

The theory is that some cats overeat carbohydrate-laden kibble because their bodies are screaming out for meat protein, meat fat, and bones (calcium) from animal sources. Even on high-protein carbs, their little brains don't know when to shut off the "I'm starving" signals.

I'm in the camp of "Low-carb cheap canned is healthier than high-priced kibble", but if you track her weight and calories she should be able to get to a healthy weight on any diet.

 

[forcryinoutloud]

The canned food around here is all basically little more than by-product and flavoring with some carbs thrown in (and are the teeny tiny cans, which the store here is charging a dollar for and they'd have to eat 2-4 of the cans each, which makes it more expensive than the grain free I was using). I'm hoping the new pet place that opened about 40 mins away from me will have better options. It's not that I want them on a really high priced premium food so much as I need grain free for Jack, and I'd rather not feed them by-product. I'll even check at walmart - the last time I was there I think I saw that they had started carrying grain free wet, but at the time I didn't check what the ingredients were.

 

[orange&white]

Check the labels, even at WalMart. More and more, people are starting to demand better quality pet food at affordable prices. Most stores, including WalMart, have started carrying healthier foods (at least in my area). As demand rises the price drops.

 

[orange&white]

Pure Balance Canned Cat Food Cups Value Pack, 12-Pack ($9.36 USD) at WalMart.

I was trying to remember what grain-free canned some other member here had suggested, and looked it up.

WalMart's website tells you what is in stock at each store, so you can shop before driving out.

 

[forcryinoutloud]

Thanks! I'll definitely check them out.