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...?
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...?