Help! My cat is obese.

[LionHart]

We encourage the other cats to 'play chase' Munchie, and he loves it! They rip snort around, take a flying leap to one of the cat trees and down again. He's moving and that's what counts.

[kittykatharine]

Do you know what breed your baby may be? I was told by my vet that different breeds are allowed to weigh more - due to the larger frame (i.e. cats with Maine Coon in their genes). Also, the Innovo is a great food for your kitty (if he will eat it). My cats loved it a great deal. Let us know if he looses any weight!

[crg]

Thanks everyone for your ideas and comments!

I am not sure what breed Stewie is, other than Heinz 57. His coat has some characteristics of a Russian Blue (that thick shimmery silver coat), but his brother was solid black and sleek. Both he and his brother are big guys - tall, with large heads and paws. But he is definitely overweight, even for a large cat.

With the new kitten, he is getting more exercise. We discovered, though, that he has been sneaking her (much more calorie-dense) kitten food. So we've put her food up high so that he will be less likely to eat it (and if he does eat it, at least he'll have to jump up to get onto the ledge where it is). I'm hoping that will help. Of course, I suspect that she is sneaking his food, too, so we've got to get the food sorted out so everyone's eating their own.

As soon as I get a chance to go to the pet store, I am going to see about getting the Innova and a leash. If we switch to the Innova, do you think there is a problem with feeding Stewie and the kitten the same variety? She is about 12 weeks old. He is about 5 years.

I'll keep you updated. And thanks again for all of your interest and help!!

[krazyaboutkatz]

If you buy the Innova Evo it's for kittens and adult cats so that won't be a problem. They also sell other Innova formulas which do contain grains and they have them for kittens, adult cats, and senior cats. Here's a link to their website: http://www.naturapet.com/brands/evo.asp. I have it on the Evo section. Just scroll down towards the bottom to see the cat foods that are available. You can also click on the Innova link to see more cat foods that are available. Good luck.

[kittykatharine]

If you have some problems with the leash, I have always had much luck with a harness. The leash attached to the harness is less "threatening" and they tend to be more accepting of the whole thing. Let us know if it works!

[Emeraldgreen]

Hi, welcome to Pet Talk. Your cats are beautiful. I have a 'largie' as well. Actually I have two of them. It is hard and they sure LOVE to eat. I read in one of your posts that Stewie is occasionally getting into the kitten food. One thing you could try is to put the kitten's food in a box and cut a hole in the side that is only big enough for the kitten to get into to prevent Stewie from 'stealing'.