OK, need some help with my fat cat.

[pee-cleaner]

I have a 3.5 year old "former feral" named Felix. He's always had a great appetite and has been somewhat stocky, even when I trapped him as a 6 month old and had him neutered. However, things are getting bad---very bad.

In the fall of 2006, he weighted a respectable 11 pounds. That was the point at which he became "my forever cat" and moved into the house. In January of 2007, he was at the vet's for treatment following a fall from the cat tree. He weighed 13 pounds and I immediately put him on "lite" food (Chicken Soup). At Christmas of last year, he was up to 16 pounds, even on the 1/2-2/3 cup of dry lite food. I made a switch to Nutro Natural Lite in December. I weighed him this afternoon--17.4 pounds.

I must say, the cat is lazy. Even when I try to entice him to play with Da Bird he'll just lie on his back and swat at it a few times. The laser is good for him running about 20 feet at which time he sits and watches it. The acquisition of 2 other kitty playmates has produced occasional "bursts of play" but really no sustained activity at all. I think diet will be the only option for reducing this boy's weight.

What would you do? I've heard talk of wet food to bring down weight. Any preferred brands? I don't free feed as all my pets are good eaters and eat up their food within 5 min and I have dogs in the house who'd move heaven and earth to eat catfood if I free fed. I do feed twice a day, though. Any other suggestions? BTW, my other two cats are nice normal weights.

Thanks in advance.

Cally

 

[sharky]

Cats are obligate carnivores... ie their bodies are designed for protein and fat NOT carbs ... Try a adult food with a good fat level

 

[naia]

I thought wet food actually packs in more calories than dry food.

I've a lazy cat as well. The only thing that gets him moving around is a 2.5-inch pipe cleaner. We fold the ends in so it's not sharp. Perhaps finding the right toy will help him to move around more. Cats will befriend the weirdest things. My cats' favorite toys are: a pipe cleaner, q-tip, and shoe string.

Good luck on Felix's diet.

 

[pee-cleaner]

Sharky--So the regular Nutro Natural Choice would be better??? Cally

 

[sharky]

yes

wet food oz for oz is FAR less calories ...

ie
common 5-6oz can yeilds 200-300 calories

1 cup of dry = about 4 oz s yeilds 400-500

 

[glitch]

My BooBoo was up to 14lbs, then I switched his food to Nutro Natural Choice for kittens, (I have two kittens aswell) and I was prepared to see a marked weight gain, however he has lost over a pound!! I was really suprised but he seems to have more energy and stuff now too! I would switch to whatever sharky says... She's helped me several times with cat food! She knows whats up! I have to worry about BooBoo's UTI (which he hasn't had since he got his food switched either) So now the boys are Nuetered and we're going for The adult Nutro! I hope you can find a good food to help lose some poundage!! Its always a good idea to try to find something they really like to play with too! I get these toy mice from walmart, the cats love them and they play with them all NIGHT long! They have to be the rabbit fur ones though!! Good luck!

 

[pee-cleaner]

Thanks all,

My other kitten/cat are on the regular Nutro natural choice, so I'll switch Felix as well. I have never been a wet food feeder so will give this a go for a while before going that route. I do give raw meat treats on occasion--chicken wing tips, ground meat--all organic. However, Felix is quite picky where my wirehairs go nuts for any type of meat.

As for toys, we've tried them all. The only thing he consistently goes for is the Yeow Banana and then he will simply hold it and rabbit kick it. We have 1/4 acre of cat fenced yard for him to play in but that usually consists of climbing into his favorite tree and taking a nap. With warmer weather coming soon, I'll definitely make the effort to make him move more because I feel like if he can move easier, he might move more.

Hee hee--I just heard dh downstairs about to feed the crew. I called down to him just in the nick of time and told him to change the diet!

Cally

 

[artgecko]

I have a fat cat too, and tried the nutro weight management food... It helped somewhat but not nearly enough, so I switched to EVO a high protien/fat, very low carb dry... restricted the amount he got, and he still managed to gain weight... And now has allergies so that limits my options for feeding right now...

What I can suggest that helped Toby a good bit, was to feed him using a "treat ball".. Basically it's a ball that seperates and has a hole in one side. You fill with appropriate amount of food, close, and let the cat "work" to get it out.

Fed this way, it took Toby about 5x longer to consume the same amount of food and he'd often stop eating before he consumed it all, because it had taken him longer to eat and his tummy recognized that he was "full" before chowing down... Same with people, where you eat very fast and only realize you're stuffed after you're done, where as if you eat slower you give your body time to "know" when you are full. I have recently restarted feeding him this way, while on his allergy diet, so we'll see. I am also feeding him some wet food each day, even though it's not his favorite.

The only reason that I had stopped feeding him with the treat ball, was that we now have two kittens who would LOVE to get their paws on the ball and bat it around like a pinata, resulting in kibble everywhere...SO, I'm now seperating him into a bedroom with the treat ball at night for about 30 minutes. What he doesn't finish in that time is taken up and he has to wait to get more.

Here's a link to the treat balls I use: http://www.arcatapet.com/item.cfm?cat=6835
HTH,
Art