i have a snowshoe siamese cat who is 8 and over weight
he’s like 16 pounds and has a lot of excess fat
i only give him one can of wet cat food which he shares with a slightly larger american shorthair and then has a dry cat food dispenser that he can access when we’re not home and has plenty of water
he’s an indoor and outdoor cat with access to the house but plenty of backyard to roam and walls to climb and chairs and stuff and shadows and such to lay in but he likes to stay in my room
anyway im looking for ways to slim him down a bit because im afraid of health issues and diabetes
can you please give me tips because i really love him he’s like the animal equivalent of a best friend (like old yeller but a lot less active)
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October 28th, 2009 at 12:20 am
I don’t know where you live but in the UK there is a diet food called Hills Science Plan r/D which one of my cats is on. If you can’t get that I’m sure your vet can reccommend an alternative.
Also here in the UK many vets run free weight clinics for cats with free weigh-ins and weight loss advise so it may be an idea to get signed up to one of those if you can.
Also personally I wouldn’t leave out dried biscuits all day. I would give them both set meals a day, in three small portions if you can. I also agree with whoever said dont go by what the lable says. This is there so you will buy more cat food, its not in the best interests of your cat. Most cats get two meals a day but if your cats are greedy, three smaller ones should help.
Lots of play time may also help a bit, get them both chasing toys and things round your garden.
Your best bet though is to find a weight clinic near you and devise a diet plan for your cats, this way you may be able to stick to it easier.
October 28th, 2009 at 2:56 am
Make sure your cat gets plenty of exercise and playtime.
As far as foods go, NEVER feed your cat table scraps. Stay away from supermarket brands, as they are loaded with artificial preservatives, colors and flavors. Premium brands are best. Some good examples of healthy brads to promote weight loss are: Science Diet Feline Maintenance Light, Pro Plan Light and Iams Less Active.
Good luck!
October 28th, 2009 at 5:05 am
I am going threw this problem right now with one of mine. His vet told me to feed him sepret from the others and put 4 golf balls or tin. balls in his bowl depending on the size of the bowl. It also helps to put the bowl up to where he has to reach to get his food it will slow his eating down and he will get full faster because his food has time to settle in his stomac.
October 28th, 2009 at 11:38 am
there is some weight control dry food out there that is safe for cats of weight and over weight…you might want to look into that…and a vet could probably suggest some things as well ^_^
October 28th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
Try weight control food and playing. Take it slow with the cat. Rapid weight loss is very dangerous for cats.
October 28th, 2009 at 6:02 pm
LAZER TOY! In the evenings get him moving. I understand that during the day you are at work and it is hard to stimulate a kitty when you arent there. So, in the evening, get him moving.
Also, look at the food that kitty is eating. If the first ingredient isnt meat, its time to ween him off it and onto something healthier. Keep in mind that changing a cats food takes time. You have to mix a little new with a little old and gradually mix more new and less old until it becomes all new. It should take about a week to fully change over. Cats are notorious nibblers so I dont recommend taking their food up and rationing the food. When you start to ration the food their bodies will slow their metabolism and this can undo everything you are trying to do.
So, check what they have and see if the main ingredient is meat. You can also check into one that is meant to reduce overweight cats and maintain normal weight cats (cant remember the name of it but a pet food store will surely know). Get the lazer toy and get him moving. You will feel better too because it is too funny watching them chase a little red dot. Oh, and get extra batteries- you will need them.
October 28th, 2009 at 8:41 pm
I know what you mean! Your cat is really overweight so this can take a while for your cat to get to a healthy weight. Give your cat less food. Give your cat two treats a day. Feed your cat twice a day. I feed my cat at around 10 in the morning and then at 6 at night. And at around 9 to 10 I give him the two treats. I feed my cat Naturals by Purina. The vet told me that it was a good brand. There is a weight control food by Purina that is veterinarian recommended but that one has by-products so thats bad. Plus it is really expensive. Mostly all weight control foods are expensive. It is a great not too expensive healthy food for my cat. And here is a tip: Don’t feed your cat what the food instructions say on those food bags. It is always a lot more than what a cat really should be eating! Be smart and creative for your cat to lose weight. When I give my cat the two treats I put the treats on the ladder. So my cat actually works to get his treat. So I would put one treat on the second step of the ladder and the other treat on the third step. I tryed hiding the treats which you can try with your cat also. Try hiding it in places were your cat needs to jump. Start out in putting the treats in easy places and if your cat has a hard time help him/her out. Then work your way up. I have a harness for my cat also. I just walk him once or twice around the backyard were it is queit daily. If you have stairs try walking your cat up and down the stairs with the harness. My cat has lost a little bit of weight. I don’t know what he weighs now but he weighed 11 pounds last christmas then since then I been doing everything I can for my cat to lose weight. Try playing with your cat as long as you can. I have a feather toy that my cat loves. I also have a string and a ball. I don’t know how much you feed your cat but I used to feed my cat half a cup two times a day and now I feed my cat one third of a cup twice a day. So it takes a lot of changes to get your cat to lose weight. Plus it is a lot harder when your cat is lazy. Thats my cat! Well, I hope I helped! Good luck on your looooooooooong journey!
October 29th, 2009 at 2:55 am
It’s the dry food that’s doing him in. If you take that out of the picture he’ll lose weight. It’s not healthy food for cats anyway so you’ll be doing him more than one favor.
At the very least, get rid of the dispenser and give him only set amounts of dry food. Free access to it is a bad idea.
In a nutshell, most cats are fat because they’ve been fed too much (free-feeding or indulging them) and because they’re fed dry food which is NOT appropriate food for them due to the grain/carb/sugar content. Cats are obligate carnivores who need to eat a high meat-based protein diet, which is also high in fats and low in carbs.
Many vets, who are sadly ignorant on the topic of proper cat nutrition, will recommend prescription diet foods (usually dry). Cats are expected to lose weight on a starvation diet of 1/4 or 1/3 cup of food per day. Everyone is miserable in these situations.
The solution is to switch the fat cat (and any others in the household as well) to a good quality canned food. Because these foods are species appropriate, the cat will lose weight at a safe, slow pace (no more than 1 pound per month). Switching foods needs to occur slowly, and if you’re trying to get a kibble junkie to eat canned food, that will happen naturally.
How much should cats eat?
This varies. Average cats may eat between 20-30 calories per pound per day. But note that that is IDEAL pounds. Using 25 calories per day for example, an 8 pound cat could eat 200 calories per day. By the same token, a cat who weighs 20 pounds but should weigh 10 could eat 250 calories per day. You multiply the ideal weight by the calories to arrive at that figure. When working toward weight loss, it’s perhaps best to start at the lower end of the scale (20).
How do I find out how many calories are in cat food? See the link “Values in canned food.” If it’s not listed there, you’d need to contact the manufacturer…..I believe that link provides some help there as well.
That’s it. Easy as pie. Not only will fat cats lose weight, but it and any others in the home will reap many benefits of eating a speciies appropriate diet.
See the links below for detailed information on this topic.
UPDATE: Poppy lost 5 pounds and Sophie lost 2 following this plan (from October to October). Each cat gets one can (5.5oz) of Nature’s Variety Instincts per day. No one is starving or miserable. My vet is happy with her progress and so am I. Only 4 pounds to go!