Fat Cats!

[Giselle]

Hi cat lovers, I'm a dog person at heart so it's a little adventure for me to venture over here.

I recently started an internship at a clinic and there seems to be a trend of morbidly obese kitties. These cats are like bowling balls or, in the words of one tech, "huge ticks", LOL. Their weights ranged from 20-25+ pounds and it just astounds me. What is it that makes some cats so fat? Is it because they live indoors? Or is it because some owners leave food out 24/7? Even so, I though cats were regulated self-feeders, aren't they? Sorry for the seemingly stupid questions, but I've never owned cats so I don't know the exercise requirements (if they have any) and whatnot. Thanks for any answers!

[Taz_Zoee]

I actually just read another thread where someone was asking how much they should be feeding their cats. And as someone else said.....all cats are different. I free fed Taz for a few years and he began to gain weight. Even when I began to regulate and put him on weight control food he still reached 21.5 lbs. Others who posted on that thread do free feed their cats and do not have a weight problem. Taz was never so fat he couldn't get around. He was always able to jump up in the window or on a table. But it's still not very healthy for them. Taz has trimmed down some in the past few months, unfortunatley due to having been sick for about a month.
But you are right...I am seeing many fat cats lately. My boyfriends moms cat is HUGE. He has to weigh in between 25 and 30 lbs. And he is an indoor/outdoor cat.
So it probably just has to do with the cat and what kind of food it is being fed.

[kb2yjx]

The Clan Cats are fed in the morning and in the evening. NO FOOD IS LEFT OUT!!! There is water. If you read the " New Natural Cat" by Anitra Frazier, this is what she suggests. None of all the cats we ever had ever weighed over 12 pounds. They are healthy and happy that they are not weighed down by the extra poundage which is not healthy for them. Once while at the vet, people lugged in their 44(!!!)pound cat!! The cat was in a big dog carrier. It could not move!!! Just awful!!!!

[kittycats_delight]

My cats have always been free fed and I have never had a problem with weight. The heaviest any of them were was 12 lbs. Vixen and Phoenix are both that weight now. They neither lose nor gain. They are active and happy and healthy. They are exclusively indoor cats.

My husband's cat here in Italy was 22lbs and she was on scheduled feedings. And very little food. She was also exclusively indoor. Unfortunately we know why she became overweight. She started becoming overweight at 2 years old. We discovered that my husband's father was feeding her whenever she cried. He was not only feeding her but he was feeding her pasta, rice, deli meats, milk, cheese and whatever else he was eating. When I arrived from Canada I took over her feedings and caught him several times giving Micia rice and pasta. I got very upset with him as he was causing her so many problems. His response was "she was hungry and crying". She never cried to anyone else only him as she knew he would give her whatever he had. So the father-in-law was her problem. unfortunately with years of this overfeeding by him it cause her sever health problems. I wish people would think about the problems their actions could cause over the long run.

[GreyhoundGirl]

I knew plenty of cats were huge and overweight. But 25 lbs!?!?! wow, I can't imagine something so "small" to be the same wieght as Jenny. 0.0 wow.

[Freedom]

Some cats become overeaters because they are taken away from their moms at too young an age.

Some cats become overeaters because they have spent some time as a stray, out on the streets, fending for themselves, and they just can't believe that food will always be there now that they have homes.

Some cats become overweight because their humans overfeed them, give them treats which are high in fat content.

Some cats become overweight because of the commercial foods they are fed, which are low on nutrients (like human fast foods).

Some cats become overweight because they get bored, being indoors with no toys, no other cat, no exercise. Left alone for long periods of time while the humans are out at work, the gym, etc.

Some cats become overweight because they are predisposed to, like humans.

Just like people, there are lots of reasons for cats to be overweight. I have a friend whose cat looks like she swallowed a basketball. I kept trying to convince this woman to cut back what she was feeding the cat. She insisted the cat was not getting too much food. She moved, got a new vet, and he laid down the law. Feed the cat this much of this type of food, and NO MORE. No matter WHAT antics the cat comes up with to bribe you. In 6 months, that kitty has lost 5.5 pounds. She still needs to lose 8 or 9 more. I don't know why this vet, at this time, got through to this friend of mine; but her cat is definitely doing MUCH better.

As for exercise, that is more difficult with cats than with dogs. Depending on age, cats sleep 15 to 18 hours out of 24. Taking the cat out for a walk or run - even if the cat is harness trained - is not really an option. They need 3 to 10 minutes playtimes with owner, morning and evening. I try to do this with a toy which they can't have unless they are supervised. Like feathers on a stick. They can't have this alone, as they might eat the feathers, and that is NOT good.) Other times, I have cat climbers, perches, and lots of toys lying about. The place sometimes looks like a playschool, ha ha.

If you look in pet stores and department stores, you will see "new kitty" packages, which contain a small litter box, maybe a liner, maybe a small bag of litter, litter scoop, water and food bowl. NO TOYS!!! Certainly NO CLIMBING tree! People who don't know think they have ALL they need with the starter kit.

As I now have 7 cats ranging from 1 to 15 years, everyone seems to get plenty of exercise. One year olds tend to get everyone moving, where they want to or not!

I hope this gives you a bit of info you were looking for.
Sandra

[Giselle]

Thanks for the possible answers guys. It just really disturbed me to see these obese kitties and have nobody give me a clear answer as to why they're so FAT! It's a pain for everybody really. We ended up drawing blood from the arm of the 25 lb cat like a dog after poking around her leathery neck

Freedom, you raised an interesting point about cat exercise. How do other cat owners exercise their cats, if at all? I come from dogs where the basic weight loss regimen is less food, more exercise. It doesn't seem like a simple task for cats, however, so I'm just interested what is the usual routine for cats.

One last question, what's the normal weight for most cats? We have a lot of underweight and overweight cats, but none that are right on the money :P I'm going to infer from the previous posts that around 12 lbs is about right for a normal kitty (think normal as in a classic DSH). Thanks again!

[GreyhoundGirl]

Tripod is 8 lbs He's quite small though. And missing a leg. lol gotta calculate that in...

[krazyaboutkatz]

Normal weight depends on how large the cat is and I curently have 3 large male cats and 3 small cats. Storm is my largest and longest cat and weighs about 14lbs, Sky has a stockier build and is a Norwegian Forest Cat/Siamese Mix and weighs about 13-14lbs, Sunny is an Aby mix and is very long, lean, and muscular and weighs about 11-12lbs, Pearl is a Lynx Point Siamese Mix and weighs about 8-9lbs, Ziggy Stardust is only 6 months old and is still growing and also probably weighs about 8-9lbs but will be getting bigger, and Starr is my smallest cat and is a Flame Point Siamese Mix and probably weighs about 7-8lbs. He used to weigh almost 10lbs but he hasn't been eating very well lately so he's lost some weight and 10lbs is a little too heavy for his small frame any way. All of my cats are at a good weight except that Starr could probably stand to gain about 1lb.

Maine Coons are very large cats and the males can get to be about 20-25lbs and this is a normal weight for them and the females can get to 14-16lbs or so and this is also a normal weight for them. It takes about 4 years before they become mature. I've also read that male Ragdoll cats can get to be about 25lbs and this is also normal. So it all depends on their breed and body type. I think that 10lbs is considered to be the average size of most cats.

[Catsnclay]

I think weight is just like with humans - it depends on the cat/person.


My very first kitty was a whopping 20 lbs, and VERY agile and happy.

Fluffy who is currently 18 Years of age was 22 lbs at his heyday. He is now down to 16, but he is also in renial failure

Lucky, who is 10 years of age is 18 lbs, but was up to 22 lbs - he is just a B-I-G cat!!!!

Yoshi is the baby, and I think he will be the lightest of all..........he has been 13 lbs for a while now.

People use to think I "grew" big cats............

[mrspunkysmom]

My mother had a Maine Coon that weighed 25 pounds on a normal day. He wasn't overweight. Add to that his long fluffly fur and extra jowl hair and you get an awesome looking cat. Picling him up could surprise you if you weren't ready for it.

Most visitors to the home would stop in their tracks when he appeared, and exclaim, "My, what a large cat."

None of my other cats have ever been overweight. I do treat, but with home-cooked meats. I also play with them and encourage them to run around the house.

I had one cat, Rosie, that looked underfed, but always weighed in at 12 pounds until kidney disease took her at the end. She had a very slender frame, small head, and feet.

Since America is overweight, it shouldn't surprise us that our animals are overweight.

[jennielynn1970]

I also free feed my cats. I have two that were strays, and if that bowl ever gets empty, oh my goodness, it's like the world ended!! My one girl, Sophie, gets very stressed and will gorge on the food once it would be refilled. I think it's just residual from having been a stray for a long time. I've had her for about 4yrs, and she has gotten a little better, but she's still the most skittish. My parents have never seen her unless she's run from the room they were in, or if they actually went through the house looking for her (which of course freaked her out even more... parents, they never listen to what you tell them, lol).

My father had a maine coon that weighed in at about 25lbs, and we tried to tell him it wasn't healthy, he also had a heart problem and died of congestive heart failure (I'm sure weight attributed to this). He actually got him from his father when he passed away. My grandfather fed them ON the table (they had their own seats ), and Tiny (ironic name) loved all people food. Cold cuts were bought weekly for the kitties, and my grandpa also fed and named all the strays. When he passed, we took away about 250 cans of food, 50+bags of food, and about 20 boxes of tender vittles. It was just overwhelming. And he only had 2 indoor cats at that time, but fed about 15 outdoor strays or wandering cats.

A lot of our cats in the shelter are very heavy. I think that is because they do not get a lot of exercise and just lay around and sleep. I think that is a big problem at shelters where the cats stay for a lengthy amount of time before being adopted.

[Breeze530]

My daughter found a huge Maine Coon who had originally had an owner, but had been homeless for some time. My DD didn't understand that he shouldn't be allowed to eat all he wanted besides the fact that he was a hunter & moocher in the apt. complex where she lived. He got up to 28 lbs!
I ended up with him & the vet said that even though he was so long & big, with a huge head, he should ideally weigh between 17-18 lbs. I put him on senior food & monitored him, but the least I ever got him down to was 18. Then he rapidly went back up to 20 & stayed there. He is gone now, but was the best cat I ever had. His personality was much more like a dog than a cat & he was friendly with everyone. Unfortunately, he got really bad arthritis & was in so much pain I finally had to put him down, but he was old by then. We didn't know his age, but the vet estimated at least 18 yrs.

I now have a regular housecat (Phyllis) that I've had since Halloween & she's gone from perfect 9.9 lbs to 11.8 since I've had her! She was previously an outdoor kitty with her old owner & I know it's the lack of exercise. I'm going to have to stop the free feeding and try to get her moving more....