Fat cat needs to lose weight..

[SnyperKat]

Well, we brought Graffiti to the vet recently, because we noticed this patch of skin on her stomach that was rather exposed. The vet said that she was simply just overweight (14 and a half pounds.. that's 2 more since October! D: ) and lying down too much wore down the fur. We noticed that she had gotten pudgier, but not by how much!

So, we're feeding her much more controlled amounts (it's hard for us to keep track of how much each cat eats because they are fed downstairs, away from the dog) and we're going to buy a laser pointer to get her motivated to do some exercise. She used to be quite an outdoor cat, and while the other two are happily roaming outside again, she's staying inside.

Anyway, the vet said to aim for 12 - 12 1/2 pounds by this coming October.. any suggestions, tips, or success stories to encourage me? I have a fat cat! :(

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v642/SnyperKat/Graflookingup.jpg

^
Fat.

[MissDolittle]

Aaaaw, she's adorable. It's funny, cuz I wrote an article on cat diet yesterday, but I can't post it here, it's copyrighted to the client. I'll PM it to you, maybe you'll get something out of it!

[SnyperKat]

Yeah, she's a cutie, but she's still pudgy.. I really don't want her to end up like my friend's 21 pound cat.. I know some breeds are meant to weigh that much, but he isn't, he's like a big ball, and almost became diabetic because of it.

Thank you for the article, I'll read it right away!

[WingedCat]

I don't know if this will help Snypercat but try not free feeding. All of my cats are neutered or spayed and I have found out if I just let them eat when they want they will put on lots and lots of weight. I started feeding them controlled amounts in the morning and at night, this has helped keep them from becoming little butterballs.

[SnyperKat]

Yeah that's what we're doing now.. we used to be a bit more liberal about the amount of food my cats got because it was hard to keep a rigid schedule.. but I'd much rather keep a schedule than let my cat die of obesity. =( Anyway, already all three of them are showing up at meal times to get food, heh.. and Graffiti has been showing interest in going outside again. :D

[WingedCat]

Graffiti has been showing interest in going outside again.

Very good news indeed!!

[SnyperKat]

Well, Graffiti hasn't been losing as much weight as she should be, and I found out why.. my step dad has been pity feeding the cats!!! @*$^# My brother and mom actually gave him a lecture about that, so I think he'll stop. But when he gets ideas in his head they are hard to get rid of. >:(

[Paul79UF]

The vet I used to work for would prescribe Science Diet R/D (for obese cats).

http://www.hillspet.com/media/images/Products/feline/pd/small/en/PD_FL_D_d_rd_n_orig_150_en.jpg

"r/d® Feline
For the Nutritional Management of Overweight Cats

A weight problem can cause your cat discomfort, reduce energy levels and even decrease his or her life expectancy. This problem is typically caused by too many calories, too much fat and not enough exercise. Prescription Diet® r/d® Feline cat food was created especially for the management of cats that are overweight or obese which can lead to heart disease, arthritis, and diabetes. Prescription Diet® r/d® is a low calorie, high fiber nutritional therapy with the highest levels of L-carnitine to effectively reduce weight and increase lean muscle mass while helping cats feel full. The nutritional formulation of Prescription Diet® r/d® may also be useful for pets with a variety of conditions. "

Here's the company's website - http://www.hillspet.com/

Good luck! :)