Fat cats, and people who feed them....

fitniknik

My cat is Obese... I am Obese.... Coincidence?

I have no idea!

I eat (or used to eat) everything and anything. I can understand why I get fat.
She could eat nothing but cat food forever and ever and never get bored with it, crave chocolate, deed doughnuts, or the like.
I can cut back on the food she gets, but I know EXACTLY how she feels....
In fact, If I do that, I am the one who suffers with a winy cat outside my bedroom door all night!

The point here is....
If I cant get my cat to lose weight (who remember, eats only crunchy, stinky, unappetizing food), HOW in the world can I get myself to lose weight!?
I control what I eat and what she eats! NO wonder cats are often couch potatoes if their owners are.

Im glad Im here. I wish they had one for my cat...

Does anyone have overweight animals as well?
Any Ideas anyone?

Can use all the help I can get!

LuckyLeprechaun

Don't free feed. IDK if you are, but your animals should have meals, just like you, and if there is constantly food available, they will definitely get obese!

I used to overfeed my cats, thinking I was "treating" them. Now I have adjusted my thinking. It isn't kind to allow them to harm their health, and shorten their lives. My cats eat very little, a few tablespoons for breakfast and again for dinner. That's it. They are a healthy weight now.

Good luck!

ickybella

When I moved in with my husband, then my fiance, our cat was overweight. Now, only one of us feeds her (me, of course :grumble: ) and only one bowl of food twice a day. She's really persistent. She will meow at you all day, and come up, get up on her hind legs, and pat you on the arm, then run into the kitchen and stare at her food bowl until you feed her. I figure she'll quit eventually, right? It's only been six months....

By the way, she's much smaller now. God knows what and how often they were feeding her.

TheNewJessieMae

My cat is 23lbs. WOW He is SOOOOOO fat, but I have another one who is full grown but only about 7lbs and she eats way more than he does. I think just like with humans, some of the animals issues are genectis/DNA/Decided chromosomes. Who knows.

catcrazy

I had a lovely slim ginger tom, I then had him neutered and it seemed like he became depressed. He used to sit for hours in one spot in the middle of the garden, barely moving. He was nearly 2 stone at his heaviest, cutting back his food just saw him sitting in the same spot in the grass eating bugs slugs and worms that came his way. His mood does finally seem to be lifting, hes even begun purring again and the weight is slowly going. Kind of feel guilty for getting him done but I know it was the most sensible thing to do...he just seemed to suffer adversely

mommyhof3

I have 4 cats. They all get fed the same and 2 are fat and 2 are normal. They are free fed (have food all day long) so I can't help you. I figure if they are happy and healthy leave them be

fitniknik

Additional Info....
I have a pet feeder that feeds her less than a half a cup of food every 12 hours... :huh:

HerBravado

:[ My cat is overweight ! Loo used to be a slender cat that liked to play about often,
now he mostly lays around (like me!) & eats whenever he can.
I attributed it to the fact that I feed him literally every time he meows, & I'll give him the wet cat food instead of the dry all the time. For some reason, I feel like it's more fattening...
...then again, it's probably my fault, feeding him so much !
So for now I give him one can per day...(along with dry food meals, of course) & I try to ignore him when he begs; though it's so hard.
But you know.
I never actually thought of the correlation between my pet's weight & my own.
Interesting.

Edestiny7

Our female cat has always had a weight issue. We feed her on a timed schedule twice a day, a measured amount. We have an automatic feeding unit that measures it out at the appropriate times. We have been feeding her Wellness CORE because she was having bathroom issues in the house and we were trying to get her on a more protein diet.

AndriaLL

I have a big fat orange cat, Pumpkin, who literally eats 1/4 C. of food a day. That's it. He's still obese. Thyroid and all that are normal. Our other cat, Stella, weighs just under 4 lbs., is skinny as can be (no health issues), and we leave food out for her all day long and she definitely eats more than Pumpkin does. She lives upstairs, Pumpkin lives downstairs and she usually wins the fight when he tries to come up and raid her food (because he's relatively slow) so I don't think he gets away with much. Seems mostly genetic to me.

sing1998

i was just out feeding my 8 horses and barn cat and pondering why my animals are always thin. i was thin into my 30's. i've put weight on over the years (i'm in my 50's) and am not used to being hefty. i only have about 10 more lbs to lose to get to a really slim weight. for animals, i'm very strict. i don't feel a bit bad if my cat vocalizes or my dogs look at me with big brown eyes. they get their kibble and a few treats each day but that's it. they all stay healthy and i feel good about that. don't assume your cat is meowing for food. try ignoring and after a week or so she may give up. increase her activity with toys. there's so many great interactive toys and it's fun to watch, too.

NoAdditives

Like others have said, don't free feed. But, some cats need that. If my two cats can't eat throughout the day and night they will vomit when they do get to eat. You can also try playing with your cat more. Get some fun new toys, maybe a play structure or even a friend!

alwardt

Play with your cat. Throw a ball down the hall. Let the cat chase. Most cats won't fetch (however, I have one that will), so now is your opportunity to run down the hall to retrieve the ball and throw again! Both of you will exercise and sleep better.

FoamyRiver

I have one cat who is at a healthy weight, around 10 pounds. I put about 1/4 cup of food in her dish every evening and it lasts her until the next evening. It works for her.
Now, I know this is about cats but my problem is with one of my dogs. This past spring we adopted a Jack Russel (Leroy) from a rescue group. The lady we got him from not only fed him kibble but gave him all kinds of table scraps too. He was fat and had no "waist" at all. I took him to the vet who said Leroy needed to lose about 3lbs; he weighed 17lbs. We started measuring his food (Iams Weight Control), only feeding him in the morning, and we eliminated all people food. When I took him back a month later he weighed 16lbs. Yeah! We were on the right track.
In July I went on vacation with my mother and aunt and Leroy stayed home with my husband. Everyday my DH would come home to find something else Leroy had gotten into and eaten. At first I thought he was acting out because I was gone since I was his primary care giver. But now I can't leave anything on the table or on my countertops.
He has eaten everything from a whole loaf of bread to a bag of chips to a package of tortillas. The Friday before Halloween we had a snack day at work and I brought my husband home 4 donuts and 6 pieces of (his favorite) strawberry cake with cream cheese icing. Everything was in the donut box and I sat it on my countertop thinking it would be okay. We went out to dinner, but returned home to find the box on the floor empty! We were only gone a few hours!
I'm being more diligent about making sure everything is in the cabinets or pantry and am taking Leroy with me when I go walking at the local park but his weight just doesn't seem to be coming off.
Maybe some of the suggestions for cats will work for Leroy too. :happy:

elainegsd

I'm overweight (much less so than I was a year ago, but still...). I currently have my 5th German Shepherd Dog living with me. None of them have ever been overweight by more than a couple of pounds for a short period of time. Several of my foster dogs have either been significantly overweight or significantly underweight. All of them left my home closer to their ideal weight.

Bottom line: It is MUCH easier controlling the weight of my dogs than it is controlling my own weight. If I put less in their bowls, they lose weight. If I taper back gradually, they don't really even notice it.

If you feel guilty doing this, keep reminding yourself that you are doing this so that they can be a part of your life for a VERY LONG TIME. Tell them that you are here on MFP so that you can be a part of their life for a VERY LONG TIME.

daryls

I'm thin - my cat is not!!!! I even have her on an automatic cat feeder; she gets about 1/3 of a cup twice a day. My husband gives her treats at night. She is just big boned and I love her!!!!!

LuckyLeprechaun

I have 4 cats and they're all different in terms of weight, it does vary just like with people

catcrazy

Like others have said, don't free feed. But, some cats need that. If my two cats can't eat throughout the day and night they will vomit when they do get to eat. You can also try playing with your cat more. Get some fun new toys, maybe a play structure or even a friend!

All 5 of mine are sick if not free fed. if I come down in the morning and the food bowls are empty I get the kitchen roll, anti bac spray and a couple of plastic trays ready to try and catch the inevitable. Fun fun fun with 5 of them! I have1 fat cat, I solid muscle cat, 2 normal weight and a skinny minnie who I feed kitten food to because she only picks so need higher calorie food. Strangely my household is made up of me being fat, one child being slightly heavy (but within normal range) 2 normal weight and a skinny...I do think its just a coincidence tho as its a normal weight and the skinny minnie cats that are my babies (sleep with me, cry at the door if they can't follow me etc)

BoresEasily

Like humans cats need enough calories to survive and they probably store fat in a similar way. I have a morbidly obese cat and a smaller cat. The bag suggests I feed my gigantor 1 and 1/3 cups a day... Up till recently he was probably getting way more than that. My other cat is free fed and his bowl is put up out of my other cat's reach. I'm going to see about cutting him down to 1/4 cup 4 times a day. I wouldn't dare feed him less than a cup a day at his current weight.

princessorchid

My cat used to be overweight, and I was confuzzled as I never fed her overly much - enough, but not heaps! Well, the little bugger is a semi-outdoor cat, and I discovered she was getting fed at more than 3 other houses!

I moved house about 5 years ago and she's been steadily losing the pounds since then. I guess my current neighbours aren't cat people ;-)!

catcrazy

My cat used to be overweight, and I was confuzzled as I never fed her overly much - enough, but not heaps! Well, the little bugger is a semi-outdoor cat, and I discovered she was getting fed at more than 3 other houses!

I moved house about 5 years ago and she's been steadily losing the pounds since then. I guess my current neighbours aren't cat people ;-)!

Yep, you can put your cat on a diet but if they go out you ultimately have no control. My "dieting" fat cat wasn't going to neighbours he was eating insects and and slugs in the grass. The vet said I'm better off upping his food again as slugs would cause a major problem if they had eaten slug pellets

flossicle

My mum put my cat on a diet. I was horrified. But it turns out i was wayyy over feeding him and a lot of it was thru guilt @ me being out the house @ work or away so much. He had constant access to biscuits.. in 2 rooms none the less.. some in the kitchen and some in my bedroom where he slept, so if he woke up peckish in the night he didn't have to wander all the way down stairs to have a snack?!? He also had @ least 4 pouches of wet cat food a day plus a bit of whatever i was having, i'd deliberately buy him tins of tuna or chicken fillets. Sounds mental doesn't it.... Well anyway, he's a big boned cat but he was extremely over weight, the vet weighed him 1 time and i don't know who was more mortified, me or Lorenzo.. He was 7kgs!!

I moved house and was unable to take him with me (the hardest decision of my life) and he's now happily settled living with my mum (his grandma) and she's since cut his biscuits down and he has warmed up butternut squash mixed in with his food every day.. this seems to have worked cos he's now lost a lot of weight (he can happily walk thru the garden without the grass tickling his belly) and he's healthier and it seems happier for being a bit trimmer..and hopefully has a lot more years left in him happily being spoit rotten by his grandma and me when i get chance to go home!

Maybe i should've posted this on a cat site and not a weight loss site..but i got carried away talking about my boy and couldn't stop..sorry! :happy:

elainegsd

My mum put my cat on a diet. I was horrified. But it turns out i was wayyy over feeding him and a lot of it was thru guilt @ me being out the house @ work or away so much. He had constant access to biscuits.. in 2 rooms none the less.. some in the kitchen and some in my bedroom where he slept, so if he woke up peckish in the night he didn't have to wander all the way down stairs to have a snack?!? He also had @ least 4 pouches of wet cat food a day plus a bit of whatever i was having, i'd deliberately buy him tins of tuna or chicken fillets. Sounds mental doesn't it.... Well anyway, he's a big boned cat but he was extremely over weight, the vet weighed him 1 time and i don't know who was more mortified, me or Lorenzo.. He was 7kgs!!

I moved house and was unable to take him with me (the hardest decision of my life) and he's now happily settled living with my mum (his grandma) and she's since cut his biscuits down and he has warmed up butternut squash mixed in with his food every day.. this seems to have worked cos he's now lost a lot of weight (he can happily walk thru the garden without the grass tickling his belly) and he's healthier and it seems happier for being a bit trimmer..and hopefully has a lot more years left in him happily being spoit rotten by his grandma and me when i get chance to go home!

Maybe i should've posted this on a cat site and not a weight loss site..but i got carried away talking about my boy and couldn't stop..sorry! :happy:

Totally weight loss related. My only question is whether this belongs under "Success Stories"?

Oranda

-Find out how much of your cat's food it should be getting per day (there should be a feeding guide on the bag and each food is different in it's caloric density)
-You will probably need to feed less than what the feeding guide suggests in order for your cat to lose weight and not just maintain.
-Look into different kinds of food. Talk to the people at the veterinary clinic you go to. In Canada we have many diets for weight loss in pets that are sold in clinics - some of them work to satiate appetite so your pet feels full even though they are on a restricted diet. These diets go through a lot of testing and are formulated with fibre etc.
-Actually measure the food with a measuring cup and decrease the amount if you are also feeding treats and/ or wet food
- Yes, there can be genetic factors to weight for cats too, but the biggest impact you can make is with how much you are feeding
-Play with your cat. They need exercise just like the rest of us. Laser pointers and the toys that are like sticks with a string or toy on them work great - you may need to try a few different things to find out what your cat likes
- Unfortunately when cats are young their owners assume that when they cry at them or try to get their attention, that they are hungry. This is not always the case. Although the cat may just be bored or wanting attention, many owners assume they need to be fed and it then becomes habit for the cat as well as the person to eat/feed. (Not saying this is what you did but it's good to keep in mind)
-I don't know where you live but one of the big food companies in Canada (Medi-Cal) has a program (kinda like MFP) for pets. Your veterinary clinic may have this on their computer - ask. You have weigh ins and can regulate their food intake through the computer at the clinic to keep track of what is working for your pet. The program is called Slimfit.
-Good luck with your cat!

Mindful_Trent

My cat was really fat - about 17 lbs on a not-super-large frame. I had been living with someone who also had cats, so it was hard to restrict his food intake when we left the food out for all the cats to graze off of all day. I moved into my own place, and started limiting his food. I switched him to a wet diet, due to some health problems he was having, and gave him the amount recommended by the vet (a can and a half, so a little over 8 oz. of wet food a day) . He no longer had dry food out all day for him to eat whenever he wanted. I rarely fed him scraps and only gave him treats once a day (at most). He dropped to a much healthier 12.5ish pounds. I've moved again and am living with some other people who love feeding him dinner scraps... plus he's getting more treats. I haven't increased his meal-time food, but he's definitely gaining weight again. :grumble:

I highly recommend people get their cat's weight under control if at all possible - a cat my mom had developed diabetes (it's not just in humans!!) and that was NO fun.

elainegsd

-Find out how much of your cat's food it should be getting per day (there should be a feeding guide on the bag and each food is different in it's caloric density)
-You will probably need to feed less than what the feeding guide suggests in order for your cat to lose weight and not just maintain.

I don't know if it is the same for cats as it is for dogs, but the feeding guidelines on the dog food bags have WAY too much food for the average dog. As my vet explained, the companies are there to sell as much food as possible...

You may need to feed your cat some quantity of food that is less than (even significantly less than) what the bag recommends.

alantin

My cat has always had food available all the time. Still, she is slim.. :huh:

elainegsd

My cat has always had food available all the time. Still, she is slim.. :huh:

LOL. Some people are lucky like that too!

alantin

My cat has always had food available all the time. Still, she is slim.. :huh:

LOL. Some people are lucky like that too!

LoL
She has brains enough to only eat when she needs to. :laugh:

Some people aren't fortunate like that.. :blushing:

jhedeen

Nikki get one of those laser lites, they go bizzerk.

Valtishia

I have 2 male rats that seem to try to steal all the food. Sometimes I will give them a treat, like a grape, banana, popcorn, etc. I give them each one, rather than eating thier own they go and steal the other ones treat when they have stopped eating it and hide it. They will steal it from eachother for hours lol but then again, they are both chunky buggers.

I had 2 female rats before these 2 and I had to make sure to give the big one her treat first or she would steal the treat right out of the slim ones mouth. I got them at the same size but the big one was almost twice the size once full grown.

Even though we can control what we give them, we don't always control how much they eat lol