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