Obese Cat, Need Help!

[valou999]

Hello everyone, I need your help! 6-7 years ago I rescued a sad, emaciated, tick-ridden kitten that had been heartlessly abandoned in the streets in a cold December. My parents ended up adopting her, which I couldn't have been happier with, however over the years, she has taken far too much weight and I fear this will eventually lead her to serious health issues. She currently weights 18 lb, and remembering her younger frame, my guess is she should be around 8 lb normally... Now, my mother is the person that mostly take care of her, so I had a chat with her try to work out a plan to have the kitty lose some weight. I advised she bought better quality food (she previously fed the cat with supermarket brands like Friskies kibbles and wet food), ideally grain free, and that she should reduce significantly the portions she gives out. I also advised she tries using a feeding ball and that she plays with her more to get the kitty more active.

This was a couple of months ago, and to my chagrin, nothing has improved. The kitty is still the same weight and my mom has essentially given up any effort to do anything (and even reverted back to subpar brands of food). The thing is, the cat can get very nagging, asking for food day and night, and my mother - nearing her 70s - has little patience and energy left. She bends to the cat's every whims which is the crux of the problem. Every time I visit home I scold her (how ironic, the role have reversed) to little effect. I'm at my wits end. I don't know what recommendations I can give her so the cat stops bothering her. I could take the cat in my care, she certainly would lose weight seeing as I am very strict when it comes to feeding my cats, but if it's to return her to the same environment she was being overfed in before, I'm convinced she would simply regain the extra pounds. And 3 cats in my apartment would be a tad hellish...

Any clue as to what I should do...?

 

[Rini]

If you can cut out dry food that would help with the level of carbs.

There must be weight control wet foods right? So even if she is constantly begging for food, at least it is better food.

 

[LadyLondonderry]

You have my sympathy! It's a hard situation. Giving your mom more recommendations doesn't seem to be the answer -- you've already advised her on the steps she should take, and, as you said, the crux of the problem is that she won't take them.

Taking the cat in to live with you at least temporarily might help. I know you're afraid that things would go back to the status quo when the cat returned to your mom's home, but at least the kitty would be used to a healthier diet and feeding schedule, which you could tell your mom she must stick to. It would be easier for your mom not to overfeed, because the kitty would presumably not be constantly begging for food anymore.

 

[KarenKat]

It is definitely hard when you don't have full agency to do the best options. Our kitty Trin lost about 3 lbs over 3 years (from 17.5 lbs, he has a big frame so we don't want to go lower). We did this simply from changing what kibble we free-fed. If your mom won't change the schedule of food, can you convince her to feed kibble with meat as the first few ingredients? It's more expensive, but if the kitty eats less in the end she has to buy less food. Wet food of course is ideal, but poor quality kibble definitely is a huge culprit for weight gain.

Good luck!

 

[valou999]

If you can cut out dry food that would help with the level of carbs.

There must be weight control wet foods right? So even if she is constantly begging for food, at least it is better food.

I would have to look at wet foods that are available in my area that are weight control. I don't how she'd feel about giving up kibbles however...

 

[valou999]

Taking the cat in to live with you at least temporarily might help.

I'm definitely considering it at this point. I have to figure out the logistic of having 3 cats and setting up a home base for her first though.

 

[Columbine]

Dealing with obese cats isn't easy, but it IS possible. It's that much harder, though, when you don't have full control over the diet. Maybe have your parents take this girl for a vet check and to discuss weight. They may take it more seriously if the hear it from a vet rather than just you.

Generally, a high protein/low carb wet or raw diet works best, as they're higher volume and more satiating than kibble. It's always a good idea to work with your vet when dealing with obese kitties, as dropping intake too much or losing weight too fast can have other health implications.

mschauer has experience in slimming down an obese kitty. This is her thread about his weight loss - Mickey, my 27 lbs foster and his journey back to a healthy weight

Maybe have your parents read it, or part of it, too. Once they fully understand the health implications, they may be more open to having this girl on a controlled, weight reducing plan.
Is Your Cat Overweight?
Transitioning Free-fed Kibble Kitties To Timed Meals
Transitioning Your Cat From Kibble To A New Type Of Food (canned, Raw, Or Homemade)

 

[valou999]

It is definitely hard when you don't have full agency to do the best options. Our kitty Trin lost about 3 lbs over 3 years (from 17.5 lbs, he has a big frame so we don't want to go lower). We did this simply from changing what kibble we free-fed. If your mom won't change the schedule of food, can you convince her to feed kibble with meat as the first few ingredients? It's more expensive, but if the kitty eats less in the end she has to buy less food. Wet food of course is ideal, but poor quality kibble definitely is a huge culprit for weight gain.

Good luck!

I think she tried a few varieties of kibbles, but the issue is that the cat is a finicky one and doesn't like them. She's been fed fast-food kibbles for years so it's hard to get her off them, and you definitely shouldn't let a cat go without food for too long either. I think she tried what I give one of my cats which is Acana (the original Canadian version of it) which has lots of meat in it and is grain free but the kitty won't eat it at all. She was mainly feeding her this: Weight control food for adult cat

As for wet foods, I recently found this one I really like and now feed my youngest kitty with (my older one has CKD and is therefore on a therapeutic diet). The name is Romeo: Cat wet food, duck a l'orange
Lots of meat in the first couple of ingredients, grain free and it's made in my region to boot. I recommended it to my mom, so hopefully she tries it.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. Did your mom go back to the 'sub-par' food because it is less expensive, the cat prefers it, both, or other reasons as well?? If cost is an issue with your mom, buy the food for her. If it is because the cat prefers the 'regular' food, have your mom mix what you buy with what the cat prefers. Odds are, the cat will eat both when combined. If she doesn't initially, maybe what's left over of the 'new stuff' will help your mom not feel so compelled to give her more of the original stuff until the new stuff is gone too.

If the cat is truly hungry after eating her preferred food, she will ultimately eat the new food too. Over time, your mom should be able to reduce the amount of the old stuff and increase the healthier food. It's worth a shot.

 

[MissMolly08]

There is nothing wrong with Friskies wet food if she feeds the pate. I agree their dry is full of carbs and stuff cats do not need though.

When I first joined this board a year ago, my cat was overweight at about 17lbs. She is now a healthy 11.5lbs! My first step was to switch her carb-heavy dry food (Purina Cat chow indoor) to something a little healthier (Tractor Supply 4health and then Purina Beyond). Once she adjusted to the new dry, I also added in wet food (decrease the dry as you add in wet so it's still the same amount of calories overall!). She had dry food to munch on all day and wet food at set "meals". From there I started decreasing the dry so she had less between meals and increasing the wet. Eventually this got her down to only 2 wet meals a day (She eats the Friskies pates!). A schedule she's been on for quite a while now.
She definitely meowed for food a lot in the beginning because it's new. Just like a person dieting, it takes some adjustment! I don't regret getting her in shape one bit though!

 

[mschauer]

There is nothing wrong with Friskies wet food if she feeds the pate. I agree their dry is full of carbs and stuff cats do not need though.

I completely agree! When a cat is overweight it isn't because the food being fed is low quality, pet food in Canada is required to be nutritional complete, it is because of being fed too much. Dry food is a big culprit because people don't realize what a concentrated food source it is. It takes far less dry food to satisfy the nutritional needs of a cat than it takes of wet food.

When I first joined this board a year ago, my cat was overweight at about 17lbs. She is now a healthy 11.5lbs! My first step was to switch her carb-heavy dry food (Purina Cat chow indoor) to something a little healthier (Tractor Supply 4health and then Purina Beyond). Once she adjusted to the new dry, I also added in wet food (decrease the dry as you add in wet so it's still the same amount of calories overall!). She had dry food to munch on all day and wet food at set "meals". From there I started decreasing the dry so she had less between meals and increasing the wet. Eventually this got her down to only 2 wet meals a day (She eats the Friskies pates!). A schedule she's been on for quite a while now.

I think that is a wonderful plan! I would think gradually reducing the food should be easier on the cat. With my obese foster I really wanted to fast track his weight loss so I could get him into his forever home as quickly as possible.

She definitely meowed for food a lot in the beginning because it's new. Just like a person dieting, it takes some adjustment! I don't regret getting her in shape one bit though!

I'm in frequent contact with Mickey's (my obese former foster) adopters and to this day he is always wanting food.They have found that feeding him (they fed canned only) 4 times a day is best at keeping him happy.

valou999 : If you look at my thread that was linked to above and also in my signature below, you'll find that I relied heavily on calorie counting with Mickey. I was told from the start to reduce his daily calorie intake to what he would get if he was at his ideal weight. Even if you want to try the gradual reduction method of M MissMolly08 , you might find it helpful to monitor how many calories she is getting just to have an idea if she is getting too much or too little. She will have to consume fewer calories than she is getting now if she is going to lose weight. So a good start would be to determine how many calories she is currently getting.

There also is no need to use weight control foods per se. Some regular foods will be lower in calories than others though generally because they are lower in fat. I don't know if you want a very low fat (and so very low calorie) food though. With humans at least fat has been shown to have a greater hunger satiety affect.

 

[maggie101]

I would take care of her. She needs someone to have her jumping and running with a wand toy. Or laser light. Anywhere she can jump up high. Dry food will help a cat gain weight. Trixie puzzles are good to hide food and make it hard to get

CatFoodDB - Cat Food Reviews to help you find the best cat food for your cat

 

[1 bruce 1]

I second ditching the idea of weight control food.
Feline Obesity: An Epidemic of Fat Cats
Memorize ( kidding) read this and print it out and have your mother read it too.
FAST weight loss is bad. Slow and steady is good. The person who wrote this and did the work is a vet, too!

 

[jen]

Tell her the cat is going to end up diabetic in which she will have to purchase very expensive insulin and give the cat a shot 2 times a day (typically). Then ditch the dry. Deal with the nagging until she mellows out and gets used to the diet. She will quickly learn what time of day her wet food bowl will be filled

 

[ailish]

Maybe your mother just isn't sure what to do and doesn't have the energy to figure it out. If it were me I might figure out how many calories the cat should get a day, divide that by maybe three meals (or more or less depending on how many times the cat now gets fed) and then figure out by weight how much a variety of foods should be fed at each meal to equal that many calories. Then make a chart for her of how much to feed a given food per meal to meet the calorie goal. A simple kitchen scale is all that would be required.

I have actually done this with the foods I feed my cat. That way, if I'm giving her Meow Luau for dinner and a meal should be 40 calories, I have my chart that tells me how much Meow Luau equals 40 calories. It's initially a bit of work, but once it's done it's done. Putting the dish on the scale and then doling out the food is no more work than just sitting the dish in the counter. My family thinks this is ridiculously obsessive, but my cat is not overweight, she doesn't pester me for food when it isn't mealtime, and if she does need a weight adjustment I will know how much I am already feeding her. It also takes into consideration the different calorie content of each food. It stops the pestering because when they start with the "I'm a starving cat" routine you KNOW they were fed enough and aren't tempted to give in.

 

[Willowy]

They have found that feeding him (they fed canned only) 4 times a day is best at keeping him happy.

Yep, I was going to recommend this. Get her some canned Friskies pate flavors and have her divide the can into 4 parts and pick 4 evenly-spaced meals a day. Or she could free-feed wet food (I do), and just put half a can down in the morning and half a can in the evening and let her eat when she feels like it.

This can also be done with Fancy Feast using 1/2 a can per meal instead of 1/4 can of Friskies.

That might be slightly too many calories for her if her ideal weight is 8 pounds, but you can reevaluate the amount after she's lost some of the weight.

Free-feeding wet food has worked for a lot of my cats to get to a healthy weight. I think because wet food has so much water, they don't eat as much of it even if they have free access.

If your mom really wants to give her treats, you could count out 5 or 10 kibbles and that's all for the day. Once she's on all canned food she'll think kibbles are treats, lol.

 

[jen]

I free feed wet cat food for mine. She likes water added to it so its easy to refresh it after its been out for a few hours. She loves it.

 

[mschauer]

Yep, I was going to recommend this. Get her some canned Friskies pate flavors and have her divide the can into 4 parts and pick 4 evenly-spaced meals a day. Or she could free-feed wet food (I do), and just put half a can down in the morning and half a can in the evening and let her eat when she feels like it.

I think your notion of what free feeding is is different from mine. I think when people say free feeding they mean having food available at all times so the cat can eat as much as she wants to whenever she wants to. That is what a lot of people do with dry food and is how a lot of cats get fat.

Putting down a can of wet food and just leaving it so the cat can take as long as she likes to eat it isn't what I think most people would call free feeding. It is feeding a measured amount and when that amount is gone there isn't more until next meal time. It is controlling how much the cat has to eat as opposed to letting her eat as much as she wants.

If your mom really wants to give her treats, you could count out 5 or 10 kibbles and that's all for the day. Once she's on all canned food she'll think kibbles are treats, lol.

Yup, that's what Mickey's adopters do. They only use kibble they know the calorie density of and they do actually count how many pieces they give him so they know it isn't adding too much to his daily calorie intake.

 

[Willowy]

I think when people say free feeding they mean having food available at all times so the cat can eat as much as she wants to whenever she wants to.

That is basically what I do with wet food. I plop it on the plate and everyone can eat it when they want. There's usually a little left over when it's time for new food, enough to make the dogs happy with a bite or two of cat food. Granted, I have a lot more cats than most people . For one cat, yeah, I guess that is not exactly free-feeding.

 

[mschauer]

That is basically what I do with wet food. I plop it on the plate and everyone can eat it when they want. There's usually a little left over when it's time for new food, enough to make the dogs happy with a bite or two of cat food. Granted, I have a lot more cats than most people . For one cat, yeah, I guess that is not exactly free-feeding.

And you have to consider that, since there is food left over at next meal time, you apparently don't have a problem with a cat that eats more than it needs. If Mickey were one of your cats, for instance, I guarantee there would never be food left on the plate at next meal time and if you were actually free feeding you would add more food to the plate every time he polished it clean resulting in him overeating.

I do what you do, put food (wet, raw actually) down and leave it down until they finish. But, I have one Hoover kitty (Coco) who sucks up all her food in about 90 seconds while the other (Zara) can take hours to finish hers. But if I don't keep them separated until Zara finishes, Coco will happily finish it for her. So, I cannot free feed Coco. She would be big as a house if I did. In fact, the way I found out that Zara had started eating so slowly was that Coco was getting fat while Zara was losing weight. At first I thought Zara wasn't eating because of her IBD. I finally realized that she would finish all her food if I could just keep Coco away from it.

BTW, I'm not meaning to belabor the point, I just think it is important that people trying to get their cats to lose weight aren't confused about what "free feeding" is because it is important they not do it.