Overweight cat?

[CJ1980]

Hi all! I have an 8 month old tuxedo cat who I adopted a few months ago. He is getting to be a big boy- about 10 lbs now! He’s very long and solid. Anyone who meets him is shocked he’s under a year old.

My question is, is he too big? I feed him a 3oz can of Fancy Feast twice per day and leave out a small bowl of dry food (Wellness) which he grazes on. Never finishes it in a day. I don’t want him to be at an unhealthy weight, but I also don’t think I’m over feeding him. He’s very energetic and I play with him all the time. His litterbox habits are fine. Should I be changing anything or do you think he’s just naturally a big guy?

 

[stephanietx]

If you're concerned, eliminate the dry food and stick to only wet food.

 

[LTS3]

What does your vet say? If the vet says your cat is at a healthy weight, there's your answer Like people, cats have different weights. One 8 month old cat might weigh 10 lbs while other may weigh only 7 lbs. The most important thing is that your cat is healthy.

You should consider switching the diet over the next few months as he gets closer to adult hood at 1 year. No dry food and only canned food is best. Fancy Feast pates are fine with the occasional gravy variety but those little 3 oz can add up in cost over time. You may want to look into a brand that has 5.5 oz cans available and just split the can up for meals. No point in feeding dry food if the cat doesn't eat it.

 

[di and bob]

You can't really overfeed a cat under a year old. I would worry about it then and go by how he looks. When you stand over him can you see a 'waist'? When you firmly feel along his sides, can you feel his ribs by pressing in? if you can do both of those, he is fine, he just may be a big cat. They have many grain-free and mostly grain-free weight management dry food out too now. I give my cats Purina Pro and Blue Buffalo. We have to, because we never get to vacation, but leave overnight at times.