Happyme_small
Reputation: 1166
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How can I help my overweight cat lose weight?

I have a six year old orange tabby that weighs 20 lbs. I feel him a 1/2 cup of IAMS indoor cat food in the morning and another 1/2 c. at night. That's the recommended serving for a cat of his size on the package (if the goal is to lose weight). But it doesn't seem to be working. What can I do differently to get the chubby kitty down to a healthier weight?

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8 Answers

  • Swansonstvdinner_small
    Reputation: 352

    You know, my normally svelte, six-year-old kitty packed on a lot of weight when I had her on Iams. I switched her over to Natural Balance and she took it right off. I don't think Iams is as good as its marketing is.

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  • Wacomnikki_small
    Reputation: 665

    Good-quality wet food is a good first step. Dry food is starchy/carby and not good for weight loss. If you can, feed her something with healthy fats. As a plus, wet food will help her hydrate as well. (My kitty loves Avoderm-- they have it at Mud Bay and Whole Foods.)

    Exercise is helpful too, of course. Find something she loves to play with, like a feather or ball, and play with her at every opportunity! I found this really cool heavy solid-catnip ball at Mud Bay, and my cat rolls it all over our wood floors. It's the only thing that keeps her busy without my involvement.

    Good luck!

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  • Skull_pumpkin_small
    Reputation: 1610

    Play with him if you don't already. A bit of chasing balls, jumping after feather lures on a rod, or boinging around the room after a laser light pointer would be great for him if he spends most of his time snoozing.

    He's not a kitten, but my cat is a lot older than him and still plays with her toys. It's just a matter of finding the right toy.

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  • 2008_0522stuff0016_small
    Reputation: 2031

    Cat food, even diet cat food, is tested by feeding it to cats and making sure that the animals don't lose weight over a lengthy period of time.

    First, prepare for your kitty to whine about it and don't give in. Take him to the vet to make sure that he's healthy and you'll get tips there, too.

    Cut the kibble in half. He will whine, but he should lose weight. You want to be feeding him about 150 calories a day, which you should be able to calculate from the food bag or the website of the company. For my cats (who each get 138 kCal), this is 1/3 can indoor adult light Science Diet cat food and 1 tsp. Purina DM kibbles twice a day.

    Try moving your kitty to wet food. Because of the moisture content, the same calories of food will have more bulk than equivalent kibble. You can feed fewer calories and kitty won't get as hungry.

    However, kitties really hate losing weight. Childproof your cabinets and put away all your food (bread, cookies, etc.) or your cat will amaze you with his ability to snag snacks while you're away.

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  • Hair_hipstamatic_small
    Reputation: 1711

    My cat has lost weight eating wet food. Cats are naturally carnivores, not omnivores, and wet cat foods tend to have more meat/protein and less carbs/filler. It's basically like putting your cat on Atkins, only an all-protein diet is actually healthy for cats. Also, cats on exclusively dry food tend to be dehydrated - cats don't get thirsty the way we do, and therefore are less likely to drink water. In the wild, cats get most of their water from eating raw meat. Wet cat food will help your cat to stay hydrated.

    Of course, not all wet foods are created equal. Look for one with mostly meat ingredients. Avoid feeding your cat anything with corn or gluten. If you go to a good pet store, like Mud Bay, they can help you find a food that's suitable for your cat. Or you can do Fancy Feast (the little cans you can get at the grocery store). As far as I know, Fancy Feast is the only brand at the grocery store that isn't full of carbs/filler. I feed my cat Fancy Feast  because it's so much more affordable than the pet store brands. Just keep in mind that only some flavors of Fancy Feast are all protein - mostly the "classic" flavors. You can tell pretty easily by reading the ingredients. If you see gluten on the ingredients list, put it back. Here's a list of Fancy Feast flavors that don't have gluten, but I don't know how up to date it is. 

    If you really don't want to deal with the hassle of wet food, I think there are a few dry foods available that are mostly protein. You won't find them in the grocery store, and they won't be cheap. Again, I'd recommend going to Mud Bay or somewhere similar and asking the clerk for an all-protein dry cat food.

    Good luck!

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  • Prince_superbowl_small
    Reputation: 270

    The package instructions always suggest drastically overfeeding. He should be eating half that much. As other people have said, feeding wet food can be helpful too.

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  • Quincy2_small
    Reputation: 129

    I have same problem with my 22 lb orange tabby (!) & feed him same amount as you, so unfortunately I don't have any success stories to share.

    However if you *do* decide to try a different food, make sure to introduce it *gradually* not all at once. A few years ago my cat got very sick, lethargic, stopped eating, & wound up in the ER when I switched him to a new low-cal food. The vet later told me that an abrupt change in diet can mess with the bacteria in kitty digestive system, & that diet changes should only be made gradually, mixing the old + new foods together over course of several days. He quickly rebounded to his jolly belly-swinging-to-and-fro self, but it was a very scary (& totally avoidable) experience.

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  • Southwest_039_small
    Reputation: 7

    Be really careful about your cat not losing weight too fast. They can develop fatty liver disease which makes them very sick and can kill them. I've recently learned that a lot of dry food is surprisingly high carb - not the best food for an obligate carnivore.

    My cats have done really well on Wellness Core (high protein/low carb) along with wet food. A friend's cat who was built like a watermelon with a head slimmed down when she switched to a high protein food. It ain't cheap, but it makes their coats beautiful and they shed less too.

    You can google for comparison charts or look here: http://binkyspage.tripod.com/dryfood.html

    Good luck!

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