Fat Cat

lindens

I have a rescued naughty tortie female cat who is about 4 years old(neutered). She was rescued when about 9months old with day-old kittens.
Since she's been with us she has always been more than ready for her food (or anybody elses - we have 2 other cats:rotfl:) and really wolfed it down , and then sat on the shoulder of the older cat who sometimes leaves his, so she can finish his off.

The older cat is on renal biscuits so i dont really want her eating them.

So last July we took her to the vet when we noticed she really was fat, to make sure there was no medical reason. He declared her fighting fit and 7.3kg:o:o:mad:
She is now on Purina OM biscuits, but her behaviour hasn't changed and neither has her weight. I really feel like putting her on a lead and taking her for a walk every day!!! I try and play with her and she will play with the kitten a bit but she's so fat and lazy that doesn't last long. Her fur used to be sooo soft but now has gone really dry and coarse, probably because she can't groom herself on her back properly.
Help!

betti911

Poor cat! My two cats are over weight (one now 5.3kg origionally 5.9kg and the other 4.6kg origionally 5.2kg although they are loooong cats). I've had them on a diet since we got them (various types) and have been playing with them every day with their favourite toys and using cat nip. I also brush them (as much as they'll let me!) with the furminator to keep their coats soft.

One vet advised me to chase the cats about to help them be more active but the two girls were petrified when my fiance tried this!

morg_monster

oh bless! 7.2kg! Blimey! I think it's probably little and often on the exercise. Yes she will get out of breath but if you do it a little every day, eventually her stamina will improve. Try and do it a couple of times a day as well I guess so it's little and often.
Have you tried Da Bird toy? it's a fishing rod toy but really big and the "bird" on the end looks very natural, we improvised and made our own with bamboo rod, elastic thread and craft feathers gluegunned together. One of our cats goes MAD for it, jumping all over the place til she is panting and snorting with a bright red nose... the other doesn't play much but does love it sometimes! It seems pretty irresistible for most cats so might be worth a try to get her up and about. Another thing to try is a laser pointer, again for some cats they are irresistible. You can buy them on ebay for a few pounds.
If she goes outside, you might find as the summer comes on she naturally drops a bit of weight, as she's going out more. That might be the time to try and change her habits a bit, get her outside more, and find some games she likes to play outside.

lindens

Yes they have 2 sticks like you described which she does join in with but she mainly grabs the toy on the end and then just lays there not letting go! Also the laser pen but she doesn't go for that one. we do try and brush her fur but she's quite shorthaired and doesn't really like it much. we have one of those rubber brushes for her, she will tolerate it for a bit and then walk off.
i think exercise twice a day, afternoon and evening before food is the answer.

h007

one of my cats got rather overweight and i changed his food from mostly dry with a little wet to mostly wet with a little dry.

he isnt slim or anything but he isnt as fat as he was!!

juliebunny

Yes I agree with the above comment - when I was little and we just fed our pets on tinned cat food we never had fat cats. I feed mine mainly dry bics (for my convenience if I'm honest) and now have a house full of fat cats.....I'm trying to get them back into wet food too (until summer and flies uyk.)
Even the diet bics make no difference whatsover.
Also, I think our cats are more homely these days. My childhood pets were hunters, out and about all hours. Due to worries about the road, I keep mine in at night now. I'm sure they eat out of boredom. I have read loads of advise on dieting my cats - the main thing seems to be just sticking to 2 meals a day, and hide the food inbetween. With multiple cats it's even harder :cool:

tosker

I'm another who thinks a diet of mainly dry food is the likeliest culprit in causing cats to be overweight

certainly my two 'dry' eaters are both fatties, whilst my mostly 'wet' and fresh food eater is lean, even though he seems to eat the most

so I have just started to gradually reduce the dry and replace with mostly wet, and am already suprised at how readily the two fatties will eat what is there

Pixiechic

Hi,

My cat isn't overweight but I do take him out on his harness for walks. Thats because we have a busyish road and I'm too scared to let him out alone. He loves going for his walks and it is great exercise. That would def help walk it off a bit and being outside in the fresh air is good for them. It can be a bit boring for you tho . I feed mainly wet food too and some biscuits. Good luck!

paddypaws101

Another vote here for ditching the dry in favour of a good quality wet food. I have a diabetic cat....formerly overweight and fed dry food all his life:o

missindecisive

reading this thread with interest... our 2 yr old girly was declared overweight by the vet at 4.2kg. I feed her biscuits in the morning and and she has half a pouch of meat at tea time, usually followed by a few more biscuits. she used to just have her bowl filled up and was allowed to eat whenever she liked.....how silly of me I now realise!
I reduced the meat to half a pouch (she was having a full one per day) and the biscuits i now give her will fit in the palm of my hand as opposed to just a load poured into the bowl. its been months now since she was weighed and I can tell she just looks exactly the same..not a huge cat but not slim either- a bit like me a good size 14 !:rotfl:so I'l give it a go I think and get her on even less bikkys and maybe a bit more meat. Im getting tougher with her aswell, ignoring her pleas tonight to come back inside in the warm as she had only been out 5 minutes ! off to bed now and im expecting her to be at my bedroom window around 11.30pm-thing is how many mice has she EATEN whilst going out to play? im sure that bad habit will play havoc with the diet!

tankgirl1

Sorry I haven't read the whole thread, but I feel I must say that just as with humans, obesity can lead to all sorts of problems with cats! I shan't listthem - I shall just say that you obv know your kitty is fat, else you wouldn't have posted

I would advise feeding at the top of the stairs or cat tree, vary it so she has to work for her grub!

A weight reducing or light diet, coupled with making her having to do excecise to get to her food.....

Also - do not give in!
Do not cave!

She will eat when hungry - if that means she has to sulk for 2 days then finally eat what you give her - then so be it!

Its best for her!