# Overweight cat, dsperately need advice



## Leanne (Jan 24, 2004)

This may sound really silly but i really need some advice on how to put a cat on a diet.

My cat charlie is 3 years old and has always been quite large. Lately i have noticed he is having trouble cleaning himself which is not very hygienic when you have two babies. I decided to take him along to the vets for some advice. Basically i paid £27 to be to he is obese (erm, i think i noticed that!) I was asked how much he eats (probably 2 pouches a day and a few biscuits) and told to half his food intake and cut out the biscuits. I was then told to bring him back if he hadnt lost any weight in 2 weeks so he could go to weightwatchers!!!!!! I thought the vet was joking but no, apparently they hold a weightwatchers session every two weeks and talk about diet and sell you special slimming food   Now, i am sorry but i am not taking charlie back and paying another £27 to be told the same thing. As for the weightwatchers, he is so heavy to carry there it would be like a workout for myself.

The vet weighed him and said his breed (he is a shorthaired tabby) should weigh roughly 8-10lbs. Charlie weighs 21 lbs   Apparently he has put on 8lb since having the snip.

He is quite lazy, goes out to do his business then comes straight in again. I have also noticed he seems to be uncomfortable when doing his business but the vet didnt seem to be worried about this.

Does anyone have any ideas how i can get him to lose some weight? What  foods are the most fattening for cats? I cant bear to cut his food down much more than i have as he starts going through the bin and it breaks my heart!

Any ideas much appreciated.

L xx


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## Mish3434 (Dec 14, 2004)

Hi Leanne, Don't know how much use I can be,  I know you can buy lite biscuits for cats, but i'm not sure about tinned meat varieties, you could try emailing different brands, whiskers etc to find out the calorie content or even going to a large pet place ie pets at home and seeking their advice.  Re exercise my mum now walks her lazy and overweight cat on a lead a couple of times a day, I know this isn't so easy when you have twins but even once a day may help.  Mum's cat is slowly losing weight by eating lite biccies and going for walks.  Did your vet test for thyroid probs etc? Good luck

Shelley x


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## Leanne (Jan 24, 2004)

Thanks Shelley,

We dont have many larger pet stores locally but i will hunt around for some lite biscuits. Not sure how he would find going for a walk!! No, the vet didnt test him for anything. He said that if it was something serious he would be losing weight  May get a second opinion if his diet doesnt help as i am worried being so overweight will cause him lots of problems. Apart from big vets bills i really dont want to lose him  

L xx


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## Mish3434 (Dec 14, 2004)

Leanne,

Just remembered the biscuits mum has Lucy on they are Eams (think thats how it's spelt) its a complete meal.  As you have the 2 cats you will have to watch he doesn't steal the others food though  

Shelley x


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## clairelh1 (Sep 8, 2004)

Hi Leanne

I too have a bit of a porker for a cat.  I think it's in his genetics to be a bit 'tubby' as he has a protein sensitivity - which basically means that any shop bought food made him sick.  He can't have any treats at all but still piles on the pounds..  He was already on prescription food for this condition, but the vet changed it to the special slimming food and it did work!  It really isn't a con of any sort, it's simply a specially designed food with a lot less fat content.

It's part of the Hills presciption range, so you will need to go back to the vet and get it prescribed (or maybe if you rang them up they may be willing to get it ordered for you as some form of compromise?). It costs about £30 for a 5 kilo bag (it's dry food), which lasts forever (or more like about 6 weeks on 2 feeds a day) and does actually work out to be cheaper than shop bought food.  There was never any need to attend a special weight watchers thing, he was just weighed at his 6mthly check up/booster appointments.  Hills do produce an off the shelf Maintenance Light cat food which is also intended for cats who are 'prone' to put on weight and you might want to change to that first if you're not wanting to go back to the vets just yet, although I can't say whether that actually works or not.  

I felt a bit guilty at first as this is all my cat can have - so I worried that he'd get a bit bored (and he also was fed on 'wet' food and worried about the transition to dry food), but he loves it and spends the most of his day sitting by his bowl asking for more..  

Give it a go..

Good luck

Claire
x


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## AlmaMay (Oct 15, 2004)

Leanne,

I had the same problem with my Sophia.  I fed her Hills Science Diet Lite (dry food no wet food) but the trick is to measure the food.  It was difficult because I had Sophia and her brother Felix so I had to feed them in seperate dishes and pay attention to who was eating what.  It paid off in the end and she lost the weight (I was surprised at how easy and quickly it came off) and didn't seem to mind one bit.  I never walked Sophia but I did make more of an effort to play with them with cat toys.  She loved to play fetch with a squishy ball.  

Cats eat because they are bored.  In general they won't over eat, it's the influence of us humans that encourages them to over eat.

Sadly, Sophia died 4 1/2 years ago but Felix is still going strong.  He's now 16 1/2 years old and is in rude health.  I've got him on the Hills Science Diet Senior now.  I don't have to measure it anymore.

Hope your kitty gets looses the weight.  

x,
Almamay


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## Mummytoone (Mar 23, 2002)

Hi Leanne

Just quickly as on my way out. As you know I have worked in the veterinay world for 12 years so have seen a few fat cats in my time.

The weight watchers clinic should be free of charge and they are well worth going to. We use Royal Canin Obesity and the weight will just fall off fairly easily.

Most vets hold free nurses clincs for advice on things such as this, if your vets doesnt phone around and you will find one that does.

Allowing your cat to be overweight can put him at risk of so many (expensive) problems so well worth getting a few pounds off him! Bladder problems are extremley common in overweight neutered males so tell him he has a new years resolution!

Lots of love and hugs to you and those very gorgous boys of yours

Lou xxxx


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## Mummytoone (Mar 23, 2002)

Hey Leanne

If you IM me your address I can send you a free sample bag of the Obesity food that your vets propably do. 

Most of the foods you can buy in the petshop or the lite versions are not low calorie enough for weight loss but more for maintaing the weight after the diet if that makes sense!

xxx


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## Nicky1 ☺ ☺ (Jul 9, 2004)

Hiya Leanne, 

We were told last time I took the cat to the vets to put her on a diet too as she is getting `fat`!
We've had her for 4 years now (we got her from someone else when she was 7) and she has always been this size! It was a different vet we saw this time and she is the only one who has said anything about her weight!!

She told us to cut her down to 1 pouch   She can only just managee on 2 pouches and some biscuits!And boy do we get to know about it if we are late putting her food out   She doesn't eat treats, Not sure why she's just not interested in any type I have bought    

Anyway getting to the point the vets should have a free weighing service, My mum's dogs on a diet and once a fortnight she takes him down and has him weighed for free! She doesn't make an appointment, just walks in...

Toys on strings are a really good way of excersicing the cats too, make them chase it and jump for it etc, You can get the ones that stick to the wall with suckers, so you don't need to stand and hold it. My cat doesn't bother with many toys now and gives you a dirty look if you throw a toy at her 

Hope you manage to get some of Charlies weight off him Hun

Love to you and the boys 
Nicky x x x


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## Leanne (Jan 24, 2004)

Thank you all so much for your advice and tips. I will definately look into the weightwatchers thing (especially if its free!)  Lou - thank you for your kind offer of the free sample, i will im you my address  

L xx


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## kooks1 (Aug 24, 2006)

hi leanne, my sister has a very overweight cat, and one which is quite skinny! her vet said to her she may be comfort eating and to try putting a litter tray inside so she does't have to go out. we thought it was a silly idea, but gave it a try! anyway amasingly cotton (the fat cat) does seem to be loosing weight! my sister puts a little dry food down, takes it away as soon as bobbin (skinny cat) has finished eating, and they both have the option of going outside. bobbin does, but cotton chooses not to. it seems that because of her weight she cant run fast so the neighbourhood cats were taking advantage of this and scaring her, so she just kept on eating. now she stays in she is much more chilled and has been loosing weight. the litter tray may seem a little unhygenic but my sister found a 'covered' one which seems a little better, perhaps you can find a place to put it which is away from your kids? anyway - might be a completely different problem your cat has but maybe worth a try? X


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