Weight Loss Diet For Cat

vince

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I have a porker, who's on a diet. He's doing well, perhaps too well. I'm afraid he may been losing too fast. He was about 6 kg. I haven't weighed him lately, but he seems to have lost a considerable portion of his belly quite fast.

How much weight should a cat lose in a period of time, say, monthly?
 

stacydc83

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I don't have an answer, but I'm curious to what your doing to get the weight loss? I'm trying to get my Lily to lose weight, and so far we are not getting anywhere. Shes a very stubborn picky cat, who's not big on exercise either.
 
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vince

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I am a sucker for begging, so he gets more people food than he should (he came from the shelter with lots of bad habits). I just feed him 1/4 cup of weight management adult cat food, spread over two meals, and 1/2 of a 5.5 oz. can of wet food daily. The others get the same, and I have to watch that the two boys don't push the little girl out out of her dish and eat her food. I do still give all of them a bit of my food when I eat, although I try to not give them as much as I used to. I never have been able to free-feed as the two boys will "scarf-n-barf."
 
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vince

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If it's supposed to be 1-2% a week, I think he might be losing too fast. I'll weigh him and see how much he's lost and report back. That weight for him was at the last vet appointment, and he had put on some more weight since then. He's been on a diet for the last month or so.
 

sweet jane flash

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vince keep up the good work. Glad you are checking in with vet to make sure weight does not come off too fast, as I read this can cause liver problems. It is difficult not to give cat table treats when she begs but I call this tough love. Fat cats do not have the longevity we all hope for. Fat cats are beautiful, but then grooming becomes an issue because they get frustrated if the can't reach the area they want to clean. Then it is not much fun to have to clean cats bottom for her if she becomes ill for some reason (say perhaps evil clostridium!). But it sounds like you are getting that weight off sensibly. Hope springs eternal!
 

riley1

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I have a little porker as well! She eats raw meat and the vet told me that no gains weight eating raw meat! Tough love is much harder on me than her! When I got her she was unbelievably obnoxious. She would follow me around like a shark and bite/bunny kick my legs and feet. During my dinner she would jump from the floor right into my plate. In addition, even an hour of play was not enough to calm her down. For a cat she was up all the time, not sleeping! I worked at the humane society where I got her and would you believe, considered returning her! Later found out the source of the problems! First, she was only about 1 yo not the 2 that the shelter thought & still needed a lot of kitten stimulation. Second, she was found starving to death and brought to a humane society up north, then transferred to us. Everyone I talked to said to just feed her more but try to keep her under 10 lbs. That was 4 1/2 years ago and she is at about 11 1/2 pounds; she was only 7 lbs when I got her. Every time I try to cut her food by just a little bit she starts the bunny kicking & does everything she can to get my attention. Of course, this is in addition to the most pathetic begging you can imagine. So, I guess I feel for people with fat cats! When given what she considers a barely adequate amount of food she is a happy, loving, little creature. Take a little away & she becomes the devil!
 

sweet jane flash

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riley1 you are so funny! I think you're right about tough love being tougher on the guardian. Your loving little creature is still testing you, but I think that because she did not get enough adequate food in the past she is still scared of "starving to death". Stick with it, your girl will eventually realize you are not going to leave her or starve her and her devilish behavior, while it sounds very funny, will soon be something you can look back at and see the humor in it also!
 
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vince

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Checked his weight again. He's lost about 400 grams (a pound or so) since I put him on the diet. From my calculations, he's doing well. I shouldn't try to guess by appearance, I think.

I don't have a suitable scale for direct weight. I use the "weigh us both-subtract my weight alone" method using the bathroom scale, which isn't so accurate when figuring to a pound or less, but that's all I have. It'll have to do.
 

riley1

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Checked his weight again. He's lost about 400 grams (a pound or so) since I put him on the diet. From my calculations, he's doing well. I shouldn't try to guess by appearance, I think.

I don't have a suitable scale for direct weight. I use the "weigh us both-subtract my weight alone" method using the bathroom scale, which isn't so accurate when figuring to a pound or less, but that's all I have. It'll have to do.
I think you are doing great! I, too, only have the weigh us both method. I have a small kitchen scale to weigh foster kittens but I think a scale for a full grown cat might take up too much room. Never checked them out however. Keep us the good work! I wish I could make some progress with my girl.
 
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