Mickey, my 27 lbs foster and his journey back to a healthy weight

[MeganLLB]

MeganLLB Little Kitty must be truly little to be 8 lbs as a healthy weight. Luciano is about 13.5 lbs & he is skinny. I guess he's a large size cat, 39 inches from front paw to back paw when stretched out.

Yes, she is a small cat. My other cat Luna is 10lbs and she is thin, but a good weight, while Little kitty is 11.5 pounds and she looks huge. She has a very small frame, very short tail, short legs, short body, overall just small. Luna is taller, long. They almost weigh the same now and Luna looks like a healthy weight while Kitty is still overweight. So you can definitely tell that one cat is big and one is small.

If she would let me handle her, I would like to get her measurements and compare the two cats.

 

[ileen]

If she would let me handle her, I would like to get her measurements and compare the two cats.

Have a tape measure handy & the next time she's stretching, get an approximate length. Luciano usually stretches for a couple of seconds so there's time to get to him.

 

[MeganLLB]

ileen Yes I'll have to do that and just to it quick.
Here is a pic when she was 13.5lb

She lost two lbs and looks a lot better. I think maybe even 9.5 lbs might be a good weight to maintain for her. She still is just a little bit too heavy.
Here is 11.5 from the top


And then Luna is 10 lbs and she is bigger than her but thinner.

 

[mschauer]

This is a great thread. What an awesome story. I recently took in my mom's cat who is a little too heavy. She was in denial that she weighed too much and just said that she had extra skin that sagged after being spayed, but she wasn't fat. Well that is true and all but she is also fat. She started out at 13.5 lbs, she now weights 11.5lbs and I would like to get her down to around 8lb.

All I did was stop free feeding dry food and giving her handfuls of treats every day and she dropped two pounds. If and when my mom is able to take her back, she will have a whole new kitty! She's already starting to become more active, and playing a lot more.

This is an inspirational story, so I know Little Kitty can do it too!

Congratulations on your success with Little Kitty! From the pictures it does look like she do do with a bit more downsizing!

Good luck!

 

[thehistorian]

This thread is amazing! I have a 17 pound boy who the vet wants at about 13-14 pounds. It does not sound like a lot, but of course for a cat it is a lot! Unfortunately, he is very partial towards dry food because his little lady companion (my girl Twyla) has always pushed him away from his wet food after she finishes her can. *sigh*

I tried to feed them separately, but they got stressed out and would refuse to eat. So, for the time being I sadly have to keep dry food in their diet. I am very slowly decreasing the amount of dry food they get and thus the amount of dry food Ramsey (my boy) gets. He is learning more and more to stand his own at the wet food bowl. They only get 1/4th a cup of dry food split between them a day now. As soon as I finish this batch of dry food up, we will be dropping to 1/8th a cup of a small bag. So at least we are making progress in terms of weaning him off the dry food and keeping Twyla from bullying him out of his wet food.

 

[xlpooper]

This is a great thread, what a saga.
I also feed Fancy Feast, my Brucie eats about 8-1/2 oz a day but isn't really fat I don't think, maybe I should feed him less. Hmmm, I wonder.
You have done really good mschauer, it must have taken much patience.

 

[doomsdave]

Lordy, I have a fatty, and at least one other sorta-fatty.

Baron von Komfy, above, and Big Boy, below. Collectively, Fat Boys . . . .

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• doomsdave
• Dec 2, 2016

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• doomsdave
• Apr 1, 2017

 

[lavishsqualor]

Fat but cute.

 

[doomsdave]

Much more flattering poses . . . .

Baron von Komfy

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• doomsdave
• Mar 21, 2017
• 2

And Big Boy

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• doomsdave
• Dec 8, 2016

 

[doomsdave]

Thanks mschauer for starting this thread.

Der Baron has lost about 4 pounds from his max of 18. He's still a bit fatter than perfect, like me, but neither of us are anywhere near morbid obesity either, thankfully.

I fed him low-cal indoor cat food, along with the rest of the cats, and that, along with the activities of running around with the other cats, seems to have gotten his weight down. He no longer feels like a giant water balloon when you pick him up.

 

[tarasgirl06]

I share the opinion of those who are charmed by big prosPURRous cats, but who know that felines are built to be lean and lithe. As for Der Baron and Big Boy, all together now! "It's mostly FUR"

 

[tarasgirl06]

Nicolas T. Cat in the Mojave. In his prime, he weighed 22 lbs.! I would refer to him as "Twenty-two pounds of yellow cat." He loved pouring himself into small boxes. His voice was very high-pitched, a possible consequence of early neutering. When he first showed up in our yard, he loved to eat orange butterflies. I used to say he was hoping to orange up. Of course, it didn't work; and when he showed up with motor oil on his back, that was the last straw and whether my ex liked it or not, I was bringing him in.
He was a kingly cat. We miss him terribly.

 

[doomsdave]

Alas, Der Baron von Komfy has gotten fatter, and it appears the exercise isn't helping like it used to. I suspect age has something to do with it. Still lovable as ever, though.

 

[tarasgirl06]

Alas, Der Baron von Komfy has gotten fatter, and it appears the exercise isn't helping like it used to. I suspect age has something to do with it. Still lovable as ever, though.

Yes, like some people, some cats do get girthier.

 

[Mia6]

My Lena was overweight by 5 pounds, my fault. My vet who has a special degree in the field of feline
health said a cat should never lose more than 1/4 pound per month or they could contract a nasty liver
disease.I did what she said and Lena lost the 5 pounds!!.

 

[Babypaws]

That’s great.. can I ask you what food you were giving him? I have two cats that are really huge…can’t get them on a scale but know they are over 20 lbs

 

[Mia6]

That’s great.. can I ask you what food you were giving him? I have two cats that are really huge…can’t get them on a scale but know they are over 20 lbs

Fancy feast and Purina for my Lena. doc said to stick with what she knows. Golly, it took sooo long
but she did it. Good Luck!!

 

[tarasgirl06]

Fancy feast and Purina for my Lena. doc said to stick with what she knows. Golly, it took sooo long
but she did it. Good Luck!!

Just FYI:
July 2021
Cause: Could potentially contain plastic pieces. Announcement: Company statement dated July 14, 2021 (archived here). What was recalled: Purina Pro Plan Complete Essentials Tuna Entrée In Sauce Wet Cat Food, UPC #38100-11197 — only 3 oz. cans with Lot Production Code #11621160 and best by date of June 2023

Hoping these aren't in your stock! Purina and Fancy Feast seem to have pretty good track records when it comes to low recall, however.

 

[Babypaws]

I feed some of my cats Friskies wet and Purina dry. The others I feed both Friskies and fancy feast wet. Thanks for the update on some recalls.

 

[Mia6]

My Cal, (Calico/Maine Coon), weighed 15 pounds 2 years ago. I had a flea infestation after my Vincie girl went
to the Bridge. They were both deflead but not with Advantage or any of the good ones. She now wears a collar
can't think of the name of it that lasts 8 months. She stayed at the vet while my place was being bombed This is
the funny part. My helper took her to the vet and they had asked her how much she thought Cal weighed. Hannah
said "Oh, at least 30 pounds!!" She actually weighed 15, ha!!! I do think she weighs more now. She is eleven now
so I may change her food. I ran out of dry food and Cal, strays, and ferals went on a hunger strike because I got
some dry food from Nicole. It must've tasted nasty, hee, hee