Fat Cats!

[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............