How can I get my cat to lose weight?
I have two cats. The cat that is overweight just showed up at my house one day, so we decided to keep it since it won’t leave anyways. I have tried feeding it less, but then it will just start meowing and wanting food again. It also doesn’t like playing, it just likes to sit in your lap and be rubbed. How can I help it lose some weight? I think it might be old by the sound of his meow.
October 31st, 2010 at 10:11 pm
It probably is an old cat…, taking it to the vet is not a bad idea.
October 31st, 2010 at 11:04 pm
dont give him more food when he meows. and get him on a deit food
October 31st, 2010 at 11:15 pm
EXACTLY WHAT YOU SAID-FEED IT LESS
YOU’RE IN CONTROL NOT THE CAT
October 31st, 2010 at 11:24 pm
Stop giving in to his food demands. That’s probably how he got overweight in the first place; someone just kept on feeding him whenever he asked for it. 2-3 meals of high quality food a day is enough. And don’t give him much. If it’s soft food, half a can is sufficient. I don’t know the recommended amount of dry food, hopefully someone will be able to help with that. I don’t regularly feed my cats dry food, anyway since soft is better for them.
And try to find a high quality food. Check the ingredients list, and if you see the words “by-product”, “corn”, and “meal” a lot, try to avoid that food. The first ingredient listed should be some kind of meat (usually chicken). If you give a cat a more nutritious food, they don’t need as much of it. Corn is a filler with absolutely no nutritional value. So it has the same effect on cats as it does on humans; fattens us up without giving us anything nutritional.
Some cats aren’t very active….you may have to buy quite a few toys before you find one he’ll enjoy playing with.
And since you don’t know his age range, I’m guessing he’s never been to a vet? You need to see one….and soon. Especially since he’s now been around your other cat. He needs to be tested for FIV and Feline Leukemia.
November 1st, 2010 at 12:14 am
Try taking to the vet for a checkup to make sure there are no parasites. Then if all systems are a go, see if they will recommend a diet food or something for the cat. Usually they recommend Hills Science Diet. It’s pretty expensive, but good. Otherwise, there are many out there that you can buy at your local store for weight maintenance. My cat is over 17 pounds and lazy. I’m still working on the diet with him!!!
November 1st, 2010 at 12:17 am
cut the tail
November 1st, 2010 at 12:26 am
The overweight one may be expecting!!!! Is it a female? Usually older cats are thin. You may want to take the cat to the vet….it needs to be checked out and have updates on shots!
November 1st, 2010 at 12:39 am
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5Fg6KFcOsU
that is how..and perhaps the only way lol
November 1st, 2010 at 12:41 am
Moderate its food and take it on walks let it get exercise.
November 1st, 2010 at 1:39 am
Have him walk on a tredmill, believe me if you put some cat food at the end of it he will run. Put him on a diet, give him diet cat food.
If he’s old don’t worry about it, cats can become over weight once they reach an elderly age.
November 1st, 2010 at 2:15 am
Feed it less, don’t feed it scraps, ignore the meowing. If is was overweight when it arrived at your place then it probably wasn’t very feral, and might actually have another home somewhere else, where they are feeding it too!
November 1st, 2010 at 2:21 am
Whenever you take a new cat under your wing the cat needs to be examined by a vet, testing for FIV or leukemia, a blood panel to see if kidneys are functioning well, or if there is any anemia.
You can address the overweight problem with the vet. The other medical issues need to be eliminated before you worry about her weight.
November 1st, 2010 at 2:41 am
i guess thats why its owners kicked it out, its the kind of cat that wants to eat and sleep, just kicked it out of your home, you’re gonna save much food… 🙂
November 1st, 2010 at 2:45 am
be very careful. cats can not burn fat the way we do. I have an overweight animal. The vet said that if food is restricted too much, their kidneys can start to shut down and that can be fatal. talk to your vet for further information. They are special foods available. No human food, more play…but go slowly after getting vet instruction.
November 1st, 2010 at 3:16 am
From what I’ve read:
1. Feed her canned food or home-prepared raw meat food (check http://www.catnutrition.org for some info, including the story of an extremely overweight cat, Molly).
2. Get good-quality food, with lots of muscle meat and very, very little carbohydrates.
3. Feed her slightly (but not as little as half) the daily recommended value as shown on the can / stated in the home preparation recipe.
I would also suggest you experiment with toys and catnip a bit to draw her out to some play… my cat cannot resist a string (like a shoelace) beging dragged accross the floor, even if he’s been playing for a while and is visually fagged (even panting). (No, I am not doing it, that would be nasty to the cat; I just noticed that it is so).
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