My cat Pixie is overweight. She's currently 13 lbs and ideally should be 9-10 lbs. A couple of years ago I switched her to an all wet diet and she ate Wellness CORE turkey/duck pate and Merrick's chicken pate (both grain free). No weight loss. Last year I switched her to Tiki Cat Puka Puka Luau (shredded chicken). She eats one 6 oz can per day, divided into two meals. Each meal is doled out in small portions over a couple of hours because if I don't do that, she wolfs down what I set out for her, then sneaks into the other cats' bowls and steals their food. She's pretty sure that if another cat is eating, she should be eating too. And still no weight loss.
Pixie just went to the vet this week and had a complete blood work up and got good results for kidney, liver, thyroid, etc. She's playful and alert. Her heart is good (recently had an ultrasound), reflexes all good. Other than being very overweight, she appears to be in good health.
I know that feline physiology is different from humans, but I wonder if the zero carb food is stalling weight loss. The Tiki Cat is all protein and fat (more P than F), and no carbs. The Wellness and Merrick's are both higher fat than protein, with a small amount of non grain carbs (per Dr. Lisa Pierson's charts). I know in humans that balance is necessary for the metabolism to work properly; I just don't know if the same holds true for cats.
Any ideas as to whether adding back some carbs would help get Pixie's weight down some? Would a little bit of carbs make her feel fuller so she doesn't eat so much? Calorie count for a full can of each food is similar: 182 for the Tiki Cat (6 oz can), 185 for Merrick and 188 for Wellness (5.5 oz cans).
BTW, when I asked for the vet's assistance with weight loss for Pixie, all they could do is recommend one of the prescription diets (for diabetic cats, I believe). I'm not willing to go there...that's awful stuff.
Pixie just went to the vet this week and had a complete blood work up and got good results for kidney, liver, thyroid, etc. She's playful and alert. Her heart is good (recently had an ultrasound), reflexes all good. Other than being very overweight, she appears to be in good health.
I know that feline physiology is different from humans, but I wonder if the zero carb food is stalling weight loss. The Tiki Cat is all protein and fat (more P than F), and no carbs. The Wellness and Merrick's are both higher fat than protein, with a small amount of non grain carbs (per Dr. Lisa Pierson's charts). I know in humans that balance is necessary for the metabolism to work properly; I just don't know if the same holds true for cats.
Any ideas as to whether adding back some carbs would help get Pixie's weight down some? Would a little bit of carbs make her feel fuller so she doesn't eat so much? Calorie count for a full can of each food is similar: 182 for the Tiki Cat (6 oz can), 185 for Merrick and 188 for Wellness (5.5 oz cans).
BTW, when I asked for the vet's assistance with weight loss for Pixie, all they could do is recommend one of the prescription diets (for diabetic cats, I believe). I'm not willing to go there...that's awful stuff.