Help! My cat is obese.

[crg]

Our 5-year-old, Stewie, is a hefty cat, and it has me worried. We lost a cat a few years ago to pancreatitis, and know that an overweight cat has a much higher likelihood of so many health issues.

His first few years we free-fed him, but when he started to gain too much weight we started feeding him set amounts at set intervals. We feed him 1/2 to 3/4 cup of Science Diet Sensitive Skin (since moving to the desert with its dry air, he has gotten pretty bad dandruff) dry food each evening. I use a measuring cup to portion his food, and we NEVER give him human food. He is an indoor-only cat, and the only thing he eats besides his Science Diet is the occasional fly or moth that he chases down.

A little over a month ago, we brought home a new Siamese kitten, and she and Stewie have become good friends. We had hoped that with the extra exercise that a little sister would bring, Stewie would lose a little weight, but that hasn't happened. In fact, he has GAINED weight. His little sister does chase him around and wrestle with him, so he should be getting more exercise, but he still has gained quite a bit of weight. He is now well over 20 pounds.

Does anyone have any ideas for helping an obese cat lose weight in a healthy way?

Sincerely,
CRG

[krazyaboutkatz]

Hi and welcome to PT. Since you've already stopped free feeding him, I would suggest trying a different kind of cat food. Many of them have a lot of carbs in them and very little protein which is what cats need.

I currently feed all of my cats Innova Evo which is a grain free cat food and you can buy dry and canned food in this brand. I don't free feed either and 5 of my 6 cats have lost weight while eating this food because it's a very high protein diet. It has a lot of calories too so they don't need to eat as much of it as regular cat foods. My 6th cat is on prednisolone which has caused him to gain weight due to drinking a lot of water. You can buy this brand at most independent pet stores.

Another great way to help your cat get more excercise is to buy him a laser light. You just sit on the couch and let him chase the laser all around the room. Most cats love it. Good luck.

[crg]

Do the cats like the taste of the Innova? Stewie is pretty picky about his food (odd for a fat cat, I know) and has utterly refused to eat the weight loss formula foods we've bought him (Iams and Science Diet to name a few).

For a while he wouldn't play all that much as he had gotten pretty lazy, but with a pesky little sister making him more active I'll try a laser. I could see him enjoying that.

Thank you so much for your time and concern!!

CRG

P.S. Stewie looks a little like Storm and the new kitten (lynx-point Siamese) resembles your Pearl. Beautiful cats they all are. And what incredible eyes Ziggy has!!

[krazyaboutkatz]

Yes, all of my cats love the Innova Evo. I think that most pets stores now have a return policy that if your cats don't like the food then you can return it for a full refund. I've done this before.

Thanks for the nice comments about my cats. Storm is almost 13 years old, Sunny is 8, Sky is 6, Starr and Pearl are 3, and Ziggy Stardust is 2. There's never a dull moment in my household. They keep me busy.

[crg]

Thanks! I will try the Innova. We are out in the boonies and only have one pet store within 60 miles of here, but if they don't have it, they can probably get it (or I can order it online). They have very good service, so I would guess that you're right - they will probably take it back if the 'kids' don't like it.

[Karen]

You could also try getting him used to walking on a leash - some cats will easily adapt, other do a great "fur-covered anchor" impression, but if you can get him used to that, you can enforce some exercise - and probably make new friends around the neighborhood. Exercise will always help. I am glad you are trying to curb his weight, for his health's sake!