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!