I'm trying to make my Taffy lose weight.

[Taffygirl62]

When I took my Taffy to the vet last year he says that she was overweight and started me on one of his feeds to lower it. The cost was too much for me to buy it so I decided to start her on the Purina cat chow "Light". I have kept her on it and after I got my other cat Misty in January and she's not overweight I saw a new product from Purina called "Weight Management". I have them both on that and I give Taffy who is the one I want to lose some weight on about 1/8 of a cup in the morning and a 1/4 cup at night. No treats at all or anything else to eat.

She goes outside on her own and walks between the neighbours property and ours. Am I doing the right thing? Misty gets the same amount but she's a small eating anyways. Most of my thoughts come up with the diabetes problem that overweight cats get these days. Should I be concerned or should I just feed them what's on the bag.


The last time I weighed Taffy she was 10 pounds. Is that normal for a 2 and a half year old calico cat. I really don't know.

I hope someone can give me some advise on this.

[Catty1]

What did she weigh at the vet's? Best to give them a fast call and ask about her weight.

Also - if she goes wandering - better put a note on her collar for the neighbours that she is on a DIET! Wouldn't surprise me if she nibbled through the neighbourhood!

Catty1

[~Ginny~]

Oh, ha ha my friend's hamster is named Taffy and her old puppy (he died... Sadly...) was named Toffe lol.

[Taffygirl62]

She weighed the same last year when I took her to the vet....10 pounds and she does have a collar with her name and phone number. I can't call every neighbour up to tell them that Taffy is on a diet and not to feed her and she doesn't go into or near any homes as she's not the type of cat to go up to strangers. She even walks away from me when I try and get her outside to come in. I think I'll just stick with what I"m doing at the amount she is on and weigh her every week and see if she has lost weight or not. She has always been 10 pounds since last June when she saw the vet so at least she hasn't gained any.

She weighs the same as the other male cat I used to have and his name was Max and he was an outdoor/indoor cat too. So maybe I shouldn't worry too much. Thanks anyways.

[Scooby4]

I would suggest going down to only ONE feeding a day. Cats tend to eat on their "own" time. It is okay to feed animals once a day in alot of cases. I know many would be shocked at that statement. When the dogs or cats are puppies or kittens they should be fed atleast twice to three times a day, then after 6 months to a year, cut down to ONCE a day.
It may take some adjusting, but I would put the food out either in the morning or in the evening. Whichever one they seem to eat the most. My dogs are nighttime eaters and the cat morning. Just leave the food out and let them eat at their own pace.
Don't let them eat for a set time and take the food up. This will encourage overeating at each feeding. That could be a cause for the overweightness. Metabolism works better when fed at a slow pace than eating all at once and stopping.
Avoid any can foods. They are the highest in calories. The type of cat you have may be prone to overweightness. I've seen cats that tend to be more obese than others for no apparent reason. Maybe the cat is also a mouse eater and gaining weight that way.
I would also try to include more things for the cat to exercise on. Put in a scratching post or give them some kind of toy that requires exercise. This may also help. I am already surprised the other cat hasn't helped in that area as well. Keeping a buddy around sometimes helps an animal lose weight. Hope this helps. Us "fat" cat owner's have got to stick together!

[carole]

My kitties are both tubby bubbies too, one is on dry food only and eats only a small cup per day, however i think the biscuits must be high in fat, as she has gained on these, I also read cats that are on dry food only tend to gain more weight,not sure exactly why, i tried the low cal variety of her biscuits and she would not eat them, so it is difficult, the weight management purina ones only keep their weight at bay , won't help them loose any, perhaps some advice from the vet might be in order, I too want both my cats to loose a few pounds. Good Luck.