We adopted a big street cat a year ago. He is super fat. He eats my dog's food when I am not looking. He demands food all day, all the time. I give him a small can of wet divided into two meals and a few handfuls of dry, each day. In winter, he gets less exercise but warmer days, he runs around the deck. I try and play daily but he's super fat. Recommendations welcomed.
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Fat Cat
- Thread starter phelana
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A small can of food split into two meals plus some dry isn't enough food for a cat. You need to feed more, at least for now. Former stray cats are often have food insecurities and will eat a lot. It takes time for them to learn that they will always have food available.
For weight loss, you need to feed the appropriate amount of calories for the cat's current weight and then reduce it slowly over time until your cat reaches the ideal body weight. Reducing the calorie intake too fast can result in fatty liver disease. It may take a few months or more for a cat to lose the extra pounds but that's ok. 20 to 25 calories per pound of body weight is often recommended but you could feed a little higher just to err on the side of caution.
You may find these helpful:
Mickey, my 27 lbs foster and his journey back to a healthy weight
Feline Obesity: An Epidemic of Fat Cats
For weight loss, you need to feed the appropriate amount of calories for the cat's current weight and then reduce it slowly over time until your cat reaches the ideal body weight. Reducing the calorie intake too fast can result in fatty liver disease. It may take a few months or more for a cat to lose the extra pounds but that's ok. 20 to 25 calories per pound of body weight is often recommended but you could feed a little higher just to err on the side of caution.
You may find these helpful:
Mickey, my 27 lbs foster and his journey back to a healthy weight
Feline Obesity: An Epidemic of Fat Cats
Hi - is there a possibility that you could obtain a food dish for the dog, where the dish has a chip that opens a little door when a corresponding chip on a tag on the dog collar activates it as he approaches.? That would help keep your big boy out of the dog food.
Also, has the big fella been in to see a vet?
Also, has the big fella been in to see a vet?
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I agree with the others. if he has not had a vet visit recently, he needs one. Do you know how much he weighs? If he needs to loose much weight it needs to be done slow, and preferably under a vets supervision, or he can get very sick, and even die from to much weight loss to quick.
If you are feeding a high carb food he will eat more, trying to get the protein he needs. What foods are you feeding and we might can give advice on how to change it up a bit. Normally the more wet you can feed the better for the cat. Maybe two cans of food a day, and less dry?
If you are feeding a high carb food he will eat more, trying to get the protein he needs. What foods are you feeding and we might can give advice on how to change it up a bit. Normally the more wet you can feed the better for the cat. Maybe two cans of food a day, and less dry?
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In addition to what LTS3 said, my suggestion is to feed the dog separately. Unless they have a health problem, dogs don't graze, so just measure out the dog's food, whatever s/he doesn't eat in 10 minutes, take it off the floor. Then let the cat back. It helps to get the cat into a room with someone to give the cat attention while the dog eats.
Also, my vet says that it even with a 20% reduction in calories, some cats won't lose weight. Unfortunately, a former stray may always have food insecurity. Our former stray has been with us for over 11 years, and she still eats like it will be her last meal.
Also, my vet says that it even with a 20% reduction in calories, some cats won't lose weight. Unfortunately, a former stray may always have food insecurity. Our former stray has been with us for over 11 years, and she still eats like it will be her last meal.
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He gets about a cup of IAMs dry food (spread out into 3 meals) and a small can of wet food (Sheba). The wet is split into two meals. He was a big boy to begin with. I have had him a year and he has had two regular vet visits. He snores at times which I feel is related to his weight. I'd say he is 22 pounds, more or less. That is what he was last vet visit.
Can you feed less or no dry food and increase the canned food? Dry food is super high in calories. Even a measured cup of food can contain upwards of 600 calories. No cat needs that many calories. See if the Iams dry food is listed on this calorie chart: http://www.franklinanimalclinic.vet/sites/site-2382/documents/Cat_Dry_Food1.pdf Iams seems to have 300 to over 400 calories per cup depending on the formula.
Do you know if your cat has any Main Coon or larger breed in the genetics? Large breeds are pretty heavy and chunky looking for their size.
Do you know if your cat has any Main Coon or larger breed in the genetics? Large breeds are pretty heavy and chunky looking for their size.
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FWIW, Iams Mature Cat with Hairball is the same thing as Indoor Hairball care (365 calories/cup). Seems to be marketed 2 different ways.
In terms of food insecurity, is there anywhere you could feed him where he won't feel that he has to compete for food? One of mine was food-aggressive and very very greedy and a little overweight when I first got him, feeding him in a different room away from my other cats for a while made him feel much more secure about his food availability, and he now doesn't gobble everyone else's food.
My sister had a cat that was just wired to be a little overweight. She was a rescue from the street. Started gaining after her babies were weaned and she was spayed. She wasn't a blimp, but definitely could stand to lose a few. Was VERY food insecure. My sister cut her back, didn't lose, cut her back some more, didn't lose... Finally got her to the point where she was a little less round but still somewhat overweight, but basically the cat was miserable, clambering for food all the time. I suggested that maybe overweight in this case was better than less overweight but unhappy. Ironically, the cat at about 8 years stopped eating out of the blue and lost weight. When she went to the vet it turned out that she had cancer in her stomach and elsewhere and was starving. Sadly, she had to be put to sleep or starve to death. That was a fierce cat. Didn't have a scared bone in her body. She was a female orange tabby. You could take her anywhere and she would march around and make it her own.
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None of us know how long we have, be it humans or our pets. this is one reason i do not let my cats go hungry. I dont want them to stress or be unhappy. I dont want them to be fat and unhealthy either..
so i feed mainly low calorie, low carb wet foods, and now only one dry food that is very low carb. I let them eat when they want. so far this plan has worked for us, the cats are happy and a good weight. We know for people diets don't often work, healthy foods, and more exercise is better, in my opinion. and no one has to be hangry 
I take them for their yearly vet visits, and watch them to see that they are doing well the rest of the year. Not everyone can be a size 2, but everyone can try to be healthy.
