Cat is overweight

[shaker]

I recently got a kitten at the age of 2 months. I've had her about another month and a half and she has shot up in size really quickly. I'm not a cat expert but it's pretty clear she's getting overweight judging by the size of her tummy. It's also concerning she's so big at such a young age. I only feed her a bowl of food everyday but she is still growing. Is this a health issue or should I be concerned?

[krazyaboutkatz]

Hi and welcome to PT. What kind of food are you feeding her? When you say that you're feeding her a bowl of food a day, do you mean that you just fill up the bowl each day? If so then I'd say that you're feeding her too much food. I know she's still a growing kitten but depending on many calories and carbs there are in the food that you're feeding her, she will gain too much weight if you let this continue.

I have two 6 month old kittens and they were on a high carb diet before but are now on a grain free high protein diet. They've been on Wellness Core for a few months now and they get about 3/4 of a cup each per day. I don't free feed them but measure out the food into 4 small feedings. I feed all 6 of my cats 2 small feedings in the morning and 2 in the evening. I've found that this helps them digest the food better and helps control their weight too. I'm glad that you're recognizing that she may have a weight problem before it gets out of control. I would start measuring out her food and it would probably be best to feed her half in the morning and half in the evening so she doesn't eat it all in one sitting. Good luck.

[Karen]

Has she had a vet check?

[krazyaboutkatz]

Has she had a vet check?

Yes, if she hasn't been checked out by a vet then I'd get her checked out. She could have worms. Has she been spayed yet?

[Catlady711]

You really need to be measuring out the food so you know exactly how much she eats. One persons 'bowl' might be another persons 'handfull'.

Has she been vet checked for intestinal parasites or other health problems that might be contributing to the large tummy? If not then that needs to be the first order of business. No point in cutting the food back only to find out you have a medical problem and a hungry kitten.