ideas on putting my cat on a diet!

missindecisive

any help plse appreciated. my neutered 3 yr old female cat is growing larger and larger around her girth!
she has go cat biscuits in the morning and 1/4 of a tin of cat meat around tea time.(usually tesco's own or whiskas/felix)
she likes to be asleep 90% of her time so I am trying to put her outside as much as possible when weather dry. last time I visited vets she said she was a little overweight (this was last winter) but her weight came off as soon as spring came and she was outside a Lot more. Now its winter again and we have the same problem.
The other thing is, when she is outside, she is a very big hunter and will catch anything that moves in the garden and then eats it, thus she is eating even more ! have considered stopping feeding her altogether......:rotfl:

kittycat1977

Hi I can't answer your question but just wanted to let you know that I have one like that as well.

One of my cats was a stray when she was younger and even though she has lived with us for 2 years and is used to having regular meals she still starts eating everything in sight when it gets to winter (we have even found her licking the kitchen floor). As normal this year she has put on so much weight she can only just get in and out of the catflap but as soon as it warms up the weight will drop off her. Like yours she is a big hunter and will eat anything she catches.

I have just accepted that this is the way she is and as most of the year she is a normal weight try not to worry too much about it.

D34N

You can buy food from places like pets at home and your vets ect specifically for weight reduction, Its probably more costly then your normal supermarket brand though. I wouldn't worry about it too much 1 of my cats is rather large and is not greedy some cats are just alot larger then others.

KxMx

`It depends how much you mean by a little overweight. My cat is the same, puts on weight over winter and loses it in the spring once she is more active. We try to have 2 or 3 energetic play sessions lasting 10 mins a day to help her trim down a little over winter, also when we got her a long play tunnel a few years ago she went from Large to Medium cat on the worm drops and has stayed there! She has lots of toys, ping-pong and bell filled balls, rattly mice, a racing track with a ball inside, and I change them round so she doesn't get bored (current favourite is one of the fluffy, bell mice, she has fads just like a toddler despite being 6 1/2!).

It is usual IMO for cat to put on a little weight over winter, maybe offer to the Vet to bring her back in the spring/summer for another weigh-in so they can make a better, more rounded judgement?

But from your post I don't think you have much to worry about. If she didn't lose the weight over spring or just kept getting bigger, then I would worry.

lostinrates

Have you tried playing with her over winter? Toys to chase etc?

pinkcandyflossprincess

tbh the food she is on may be causing it, try replacing with a higher protein food.
there is one called purely at pets at home..its slightly more costly but because of the protein your cat wont actually need to eat as much so shouldnt work out much different and hopefully if you follow the daily recoomended feed of dry and wet then she should be more satisfied.

if you are worried then i know my vets runs a free clinic for weight issues with free weigh ins and advice etc.

my boy (less than age one) was getting huge, i was feeding him aldi wet and he couldnt eat enough of it, he was literally begging for more:eek:

someone told me to try purely or similar and hes improved a lot:T

McKneff

Sorry, dont mean to be rude, but are you actually weighing your cat, I only ask because our Tinker always looks twice as big in winter as she does in spring and summer because of her winter coat.

zzzLazyDaisy

Royal Canin Feline do a variety of dry foods for neutered cats. My cat can't get enough of it and although neutered his weight never varies summer or winter.

Pet supermarket has 25% off in their January Sale at the moment.

UKTigerlily

I don't believe in these weight reduction diets, after all if the cat eats less/exercises more it will in most cases lose weight. Mine gets 1x 100g pouch in the morning & 20g dry in the evening in a fatcat ball & maintains a good weight. Could you put her dry in a ball or hide it around the house so she has to work for it? Have you ruled illness out?

rainybird

Be careful with your fat cats, they may be fat & happy now but they are heading for trouble in their later years....My big fat happy cat is now, at the age of 10 suffering with chronic constipation brought on by being over weight, the extra weight they carry puts more strain on the bowel causing it to go saggy & loose muscle tone....He's now on a obesity diet, monited by my vet, high fibre & high protein to try to loose weight & regain muscle tone in his colon.....so far he is losing weight very well but he is in constant pain when he needs a poo.....even had to go to the emergency vet for an enema costing £200 for the call out (Thankfully he is insured). If his toilet problems don't improve, he's heading for a life threatening operation to remove his colon......My poor boy, and to think it's all my fault that he's going through all this right now.....If only I had listened earlier....If only I'd know then what I know now......

rainybird

UKTigerlily wrote: »

I don't believe in these weight reduction diets, after all if the cat eats less/exercises more it will in most cases lose weight. Mine gets 1x 100g pouch in the morning & 20g dry in the evening in a fatcat ball & maintains a good weight. Could you put her dry in a ball or hide it around the house so she has to work for it? Have you ruled illness out?

Loving this Idea...where did you get your fatcat ball from, I've really got to get one one of these,

Thank you!!