Overweight kitty!

[kittygal82]

My orange tabby,Ginger, is overweight. She is three years old and very lazy. As an indoor cat, she does not get much exercise when we are not at home(which is most of the time). What are some things I could do to lower her bulk?

[EileenKay]

A good start would be to stop thinking of her as 'lazy'. A more accurate description would be bored, lonely, understimulated, and overweight. All of which are in your control, as you aptly pointed out when indicating she rarely has any companionship.

I understand what Spencer was trying to say however I don't believe it was really accurate. Often the calorie content is considered proprietary information by the pet food companies, we don't really know what that is. Each manufacturer can make their 'Senior' formula however they wish to make it. It may have less fat than their 'Adult' formula, but that doesn't mean it has less fat than any other manufacturers 'Kitten', 'Adult', OR 'Senior' formulas. Nor is it true that canned is more fattening than dry. Most cats in the U.S. eat dry cat food only and there is a serious obesity problem already. A 50/50 mix of dry and canned food is best for overall kidney and bladder health. It isn't always possible to do this, but best when it can be done.

If your lifestyle is such that Ginger can reasonably expect little time with her owner(s) for years to come it might be best if you considered finding her a home where she will get the attention that all domestic pets need to thrive.

If you are not willing to do that then it is likely to be best to get her a companion cat and commit the time needed to select a good match for her, introduce them properly, and provide enough supervision to ensure all is well with the two cats before resuming your regular lifestyle. Since she needs to be more active a somewhat younger cat, around 2 years old, female, fixed (as I presume she is), friendly and of even temperament would be a good choice. A no-kill shelter or rescue organization is generally the best place to find a adult cat of known temperament - they have volunteers and foster parents who keep track of the activies and temperaments of the cats in their care.

Cats are not supposed to lose weight too quickly, they can get liver damage and other illnesses. For feeding it is best to feed a high-quality cat food and slowly (a tablespoon at a time once or twice per week) adjust the daily allotment such that slow, gradual weight loss takes place. This means you need to monitor the weight loss. And be home often enough to properly feed the cats, you cannot leave out big bowls of dry food and expect to control their weight.

Since she's overweight I hope she has thorough yearly vet exams (at a minimum) to watch for diabetes, liver, skin, and coat problems common to overweight cats.

Here are two excellent discussion threads on helping your cat lose weight: http://pub6.ezboard.com/fcatchatatcatstuffcathealthissues.showMessage?topi cID=163.topic http://pub6.ezboard.com/fcatchatatcatstuffcathealthissues.showMessage?topi cID=166.topic

Here is an article on cat food categories: http://www.paws.org/shelter/resources/library/1_copy(37).htm

Here are some articles on weight issues: http://www.news.cornell.edu/releases/March97/fatcats.hrs.html http://www.petsource.com/OBESITY1.HTM http://www.altvetmed.com/diet.html http://www.allpets.com/petcyclopedia/default.asp?url=petcyclopedia/cats/petcare/nutrition/feedme/fatcat.htm

[EileenKay]

Yup, you're right Spencer. Overweight cats are at much higher risk for diabetes and, like the trend with people in the U.S., our pets are fatter than they used to be.

[Laura]

Just a quick note - a companion worked wonderfully for my first kitty. Bushes (3 years old) and Bouja (5 years old)keep each other company and entertain each other (and me)constantly. I'm very impressed at how well they've taken to each other. Bouja has lost weight since Bushes arrived and is much happier in general. So although I spend a large amount of my free time at home with them, they enjoy my time away as well.

[cxg31s]

I have have an overweight kitty named Mookie. He is 4 years old and male--he weighs about 16 lbs. I agree with EileenKay--it is VERY important to take your cat into the vet once a year for bloodwork to make sure she doesn't have diabetes or any other complications. I have found that the 50/50 dry/wet cat food mix is the best and make sure it's high quality food with no by-products--yuck! There aren't as many regulations for pet food as there are for human food, so if their food has by-products, goodness knows what you're feeding your pet! I also agree that a companion is a great solution. Another dog or cat would be ideal since they can actually play together and get some exercise. I had Mookie for 1 year before I got my Sheltie, Ashkii, who is now 2. They play and wrestle and tear around the house--Ashkii keeps Mookie on his toes! *Note: they're both boys* Mookie is still slightly overweight but the vet says he's fine--we keep a close eye on his bloodwork. At least he gets exercise now and he's not lonely while I'm at work!

[RottieLover]

we had a cat you had feline lukimia (i didn't spell that right, I know I didn't sound it out lol), she was over weight (I say was because we gave her to a good home)...... the vet gave us a diet cat food that she only got one messering cup a day...


My kittens are getting a bit flabby, they haven't ben working out like they useto.
so I've started giveing them one messering cup of a regular mateince cat food. I don't know how this will help but it's what I did & what I'm doing.. good luck ~~