Weight gain!!

[klunick]

Vet said my Boone needed to lose 2 lbs. He was 14 lbs and she wants him at 12 lbs. I cut out his bedtime meal (which was only 1.5 oz of wet food. just enough to make him feel like he was being fed ). Not much else I can do as my two only get fed twice a day as it is and only 3oz at each feeding. Oldest kid and I were talking last weekend and he swore that Boone must weigh a lot more than 14 lbs so I weighed him. He was 13.8 lbs so he lost a tiny tiny bit but I call it a win because he hasn't gained anymore since his visit the first week in August and I didn't really cut out his bedtime snack until a few weeks ago when I was trying to figure out why Gracie was having random morning squirts 1-2 times a week for a few weeks.

Elvisrocks What I'm saying is I feel your pain in trying to get a cat to lose weight.

 

[Elvisrocks]

Vet said my Boone needed to lose 2 lbs. He was 14 lbs and she wants him at 12 lbs. I cut out his bedtime meal (which was only 1.5 oz of wet food. just enough to make him feel like he was being fed ). Not much else I can do as my two only get fed twice a day as it is and only 3oz at each feeding. Oldest kid and I were talking last weekend and he swore that Boone must weigh a lot more than 14 lbs so I weighed him. He was 13.8 lbs so he lost a tiny tiny bit but I call it a win because he hasn't gained anymore since his visit the first week in August and I didn't really cut out his bedtime snack until a few weeks ago when I was trying to figure out why Gracie was having random morning squirts 1-2 times a week for a few weeks.

Elvisrocks What I'm saying is I feel your pain in trying to get a cat to lose weight.

Yes it's terrible. Been at this for a few months and posting weekly with another member who is trying to get her fur baby to lose as well. She is having more luck than I am. Helps to have a weight loss buddy It's just tough when they look at you with their big eyes like they are starving! I just have to keep at it I guess. Thanks for the support!!

 

[klunick]

Yes it's terrible. Been at this for a few months and posting weekly with another member who is trying to get her fur baby to lose as well. She is having more luck than I am. Helps to have a weight loss buddy It's just tough when they look at you with their big eyes like they are starving! I just have to keep at it I guess. Thanks for the support!!

I was lucky. The guilt trip only lasted a day or two. Then they just realized that there wasn't going to be a bedtime snack. With Boone on a diet, that meant Gracie didn't get a snack either. She didn't really seem to care luckily. Personally, I think Boone is just a "big boy" and that he really isn't a fatty. But if getting those 2 lbs off of him helps with something later down the road, that will be great.

 

[Elvisrocks]

I was lucky. The guilt trip only lasted a day or two. Then they just realized that there wasn't going to be a bedtime snack. With Boone on a diet, that meant Gracie didn't get a snack either. She didn't really seem to care luckily. Personally, I think Boone is just a "big boy" and that he really isn't a fatty. But if getting those 2 lbs off of him helps with something later down the road, that will be great.

That's what I keep thinking too. Hard on the joints etc. I think Presley is a bigger cat too, she's longer than most but the vet says 13 pounds would be healthier and she's at 15.8 so thus the diet!

 

[klunick]

That's what I keep thinking too. Hard on the joints etc. I think Presley is a bigger cat too, she's longer than most but the vet says 13 pounds would be healthier and she's at 15.8 so thus the diet!

Never had a female cat that size before but I did have a male cat that was over 20 lbs and was perfectly healthy and active. He ended up with thyroid problems and was only 9 lbs when he passed.

 

[Elvisrocks]

Never had a female cat that size before but I did have a male cat that was over 20 lbs and was perfectly healthy and active. He ended up with thyroid problems and was only 9 lbs when he passed.

Here is a couple pics of Presley. I know she is a little pudgy but I don't think it's terrible. I know she could stand to lose a couple pounds but I do think she might be longer than most shorthair cats.

 

[Elvisrocks]

Never had a female cat that size before but I did have a male cat that was over 20 lbs and was perfectly healthy and active. He ended up with thyroid problems and was only 9 lbs when he passed.

 

[klunick]

Maybe the 2nd picture she look big but it's hard to tell when they lay like that unless they are really slim. Kind of like how certain ways people hold their heads, they look like they have a double chin.

 

[Elvisrocks]

Maybe the 2nd picture she look big but it's hard to tell when they lay like that unless they are really slim. Kind of like how certain ways people hold their heads, they look like they have a double chin.

Yeah and do you think she would walk so I could get a picture above...nope! Ha

 

[klunick]

The only time I feel bad about stopping the bedtime snack is Friday nights. They eat their dinner at 1500 when I get home and then won't eat again until 0800. They end up eating the dry food which is really the only time they eat enough to notice a dent in the amount.

 

[Elvisrocks]

The only time I feel bad about stopping the bedtime snack is Friday nights. They eat their dinner at 1500 when I get home and then won't eat again until 0800. They end up eating the dry food which is really the only time they eat enough to notice a dent in the amount.

Yeah I just have to realize I'm not starving her no matter the looks that she gives me may say!

 

[Twylasmom]

Twyla is holding steady at 13.2 lbs so it seems we are at a bit of a plateau. I would like to see her get down to 12 pounds but don’t want to reduce her food intake just yet. The weather finally turned cooler here so it is their instinct to want to eat more. Sorry kitties! It took a few weeks for Twyla to start losing once we got the calories right so be patient with Presley. The big change for Twyla came when I cut her dry food down and substituted wet food for those calories instead.

The only time I feel bad about stopping the bedtime snack is Friday nights. They eat their dinner at 1500 when I get home and then won't eat again until 0800. They end up eating the dry food which is really the only time they eat enough to notice a dent in the amount.

klunick, if you are giving wet morning and night and free feeding dry during the day it is difficult to know how much each cat is eating. Also, the dry is really high in calories. When we started Twyla’s diet she had been eating one Sheba pate, half a 3 oz can of wet food a day and just over a third of a cup of dry food. Now she is getting about 200 calories a day, about 150 calories is wet food (one and a half cans) and between 40 and 45 calories of dry (which is only 2 tablespoons). She gets freeze dried chicken treats which make up 5-10 calories. The primary issue was she was getting too many calories overall and the dry food is very high in carbs, which The vet said she needed to cut back on as she was prediabetic at her last vet visit. I was free feeding dry but now the cats only eat 3 times a day.

 

[klunick]

Twyla is holding steady at 13.2 lbs so it seems we are at a bit of a plateau. I would like to see her get down to 12 pounds but don’t want to reduce her food intake just yet. The weather finally turned cooler here so it is their instinct to want to eat more. Sorry kitties! It took a few weeks for Twyla to start losing once we got the calories right so be patient with Presley. The big change for Twyla came when I cut her dry food down and substituted wet food for those calories instead.



klunick, if you are giving wet morning and night and free feeding dry during the day it is difficult to know how much each cat is eating. Also, the dry is really high in calories. When we started Twyla’s diet she had been eating one Sheba pate, half a 3 oz can of wet food a day and just over a third of a cup of dry food. Now she is getting about 200 calories a day, about 150 calories is wet food (one and a half cans) and between 40 and 45 calories of dry (which is only 2 tablespoons). She gets freeze dried chicken treats which make up 5-10 calories. The primary issue was she was getting too many calories overall and the dry food is very high in carbs, which The vet said she needed to cut back on as she was prediabetic at her last vet visit. I was free feeding dry but now the cats only eat 3 times a day.

I agree about not knowing how much each cat eats. I feed 1/2 of dry food and don't refill until it is almost completely gone which takes a few days. That leads me to believe that they aren't eating a bunch of the dry at any given time.

Honestly I don't really care if Boone loses the two pounds. I don't think he is overweight but just a big boy. I cut out the bedtime snack so that at his next vet appointment in a year, I can say I cut down on his food like she suggested. If he loses weight, great. If he stays the same, great.

Don't get me wrong... I don't want him to gain weight and get unhealthy. My point is that like humans, there is no one perfect weight. Some are healthy at a larger weight and some are unhealthy at a smaller weight.

 

[Elvisrocks]

Twyla is holding steady at 13.2 lbs so it seems we are at a bit of a plateau. I would like to see her get down to 12 pounds but don’t want to reduce her food intake just yet. The weather finally turned cooler here so it is their instinct to want to eat more. Sorry kitties! It took a few weeks for Twyla to start losing once we got the calories right so be patient with Presley. The big change for Twyla came when I cut her dry food down and substituted wet food for those calories instead.



klunick, if you are giving wet morning and night and free feeding dry during the day it is difficult to know how much each cat is eating. Also, the dry is really high in calories. When we started Twyla’s diet she had been eating one Sheba pate, half a 3 oz can of wet food a day and just over a third of a cup of dry food. Now she is getting about 200 calories a day, about 150 calories is wet food (one and a half cans) and between 40 and 45 calories of dry (which is only 2 tablespoons). She gets freeze dried chicken treats which make up 5-10 calories. The primary issue was she was getting too many calories overall and the dry food is very high in carbs, which The vet said she needed to cut back on as she was prediabetic at her last vet visit. I was free feeding dry but now the cats only eat 3 times a day.

Sounds like you and twyla are doing well. Presley has figured out she gets dry at night and follows me around until she gets it at 8:00. Also hasn't been eating her wet food as well. I've been having to put a few pieces of kibble on top to get her to eat it. Cats are way too smart!! I just purchased an automatic feeder so I'm hoping I can do her evening dry food , overnight meal, and morning meal in that so she doesn't wake me up so early. I'm just trying to figure out how to introduce it to her as it makes noise when it rotates. I received it today and so far I just have it setting out on her mat without the batteries in. We will be weighing in on Sunday so I hope we see progress since I cut out 22 calories from her dry food. Fingers crossed!!

 

[Elvisrocks]

Twyla is holding steady at 13.2 lbs so it seems we are at a bit of a plateau. I would like to see her get down to 12 pounds but don’t want to reduce her food intake just yet. The weather finally turned cooler here so it is their instinct to want to eat more. Sorry kitties! It took a few weeks for Twyla to start losing once we got the calories right so be patient with Presley. The big change for Twyla came when I cut her dry food down and substituted wet food for those calories instead.



klunick, if you are giving wet morning and night and free feeding dry during the day it is difficult to know how much each cat is eating. Also, the dry is really high in calories. When we started Twyla’s diet she had been eating one Sheba pate, half a 3 oz can of wet food a day and just over a third of a cup of dry food. Now she is getting about 200 calories a day, about 150 calories is wet food (one and a half cans) and between 40 and 45 calories of dry (which is only 2 tablespoons). She gets freeze dried chicken treats which make up 5-10 calories. The primary issue was she was getting too many calories overall and the dry food is very high in carbs, which The vet said she needed to cut back on as she was prediabetic at her last vet visit. I was free feeding dry but now the cats only eat 3 times a day.

Hi!
Well weighed Presley. She is 15.6 today down .2 from last week. I hope it's actual weight loss and not just scale fluctuation. I've tried to stand as still as possible when weighing myself and then with Presley but she doesn't tolerate being held for very long. So I guess I will keep her calories the same as last week 220 daily. When do you know if you need to decrease again? If they don't continue to lose every week? Hope you and twyla are doing well! Do you have a picture of her?

 

[Twylasmom]

Hi!
Well weighed Presley. She is 15.6 today down .2 from last week. I hope it's actual weight loss and not just scale fluctuation. I've tried to stand as still as possible when weighing myself and then with Presley but she doesn't tolerate being held for very long. So I guess I will keep her calories the same as last week 220 daily. When do you know if you need to decrease again? If they don't continue to lose every week? Hope you and twyla are doing well! Do you have a picture of her?

Sounds like you may be on the right track! The only way I have really been able to track progress is over the long term since the weekly changes are so small. I know Twyla has lost about a pound from where we started but has never lost more than .2 in a week and we seem to be in a holding pattern at the moment. I didn’t weigh today but will next Sunday. Here is a picture of her - she is a sweetheart.

 

[Elvisrocks]

Sounds like you may be on the right track! The only way I have really been able to track progress is over the long term since the weekly changes are so small. I know Twyla has lost about a pound from where we started but has never lost more than .2 in a week and we seem to be in a holding pattern at the moment. I didn’t weigh today but will next Sunday. Here is a picture of her - she is a sweetheart.
View attachment 399638

She's a beautiful cat!

 

[Elvisrocks]

She's a beautiful cat!

So I weighed Presley. She is 15.3 so a loss of .3. Is that too much in one week? Do I keep her calories the same or bump up by 10 calories? It's great she is finally losing but I don't want to do it too fast or do any harm.

 

[Twylasmom]

I think .3 is fine in one week. If she loses that much in consecutive weeks you may want to increase the calories a little bit.
Glad that you are seeing progress!

 

[Twylasmom]

I think .3 is fine in one week. If she loses that much in consecutive weeks you may want to increase the calories a little bit.
Glad that you are seeing progress!

Twyla is stuck at 13.2 pounds. Not sure what to reduce. I may have started being a little generous when measuring out her 2 tablespoons of dry. I would really like to get her under 13 pounds.