Is my cat fat?

indykitty · May 16, 2007

I have a huge cat. he's big and tall. I took him to buy a harness for going outside and walking. He had to go to the doggy section and use a small dog harness. Indy got weighed and was 18.1 pounds. I don't know what to do or if he's actually fat. when he does lay on his back he doesn't roll to one side. I cut the food back to 1/2 cup a day though and he doesn't get people food or cat treats.

Any advice, I had another cat who died from being fat.

Indy's mommy Jennifer,

mybabyphx · May 16, 2007

Jennifer-

Some cats are naturally bigger... it just depends upon the breed. What kind of food are you feeding your cat? Sometimes it just depends on the type of food, how much they eat, and breed of cat. If you are worried about the weight I would definetly speak with a vet before changing diets. I'm sure someone will come along with better advice

beandip · May 16, 2007

Some 18lb cats are just big cats, some are fat...and some are truly obese. It just depends on the frame / body type of your cat. I would visit the vet for an exam and see what they advise on an ideal weight for Indy.

As far as the amount of food goes, like mybabyphx said, it depends on the food.

I have had good success slimming a couple of my cats down by putting them on a totally canned food diet. Dry foods are heavy on the carbs, which tend to put weight on cats. "Diet" or "Lite" or "weight management" foods tend to be even higher in carbs, which is counterproductive. Cats utitlize protein and fat much more efficiently. A high protein, low carb diet is a good weight loss tool.

As far as a specific food goes, there are a number of choices...some of the issues lately limit those choices. After trying a lot of different canned foods, my cats and I are most happy with Wellness (www.omhpet.com/wellness) and EVO (www.naturapet.com).

emmylou · May 16, 2007

If your cat is big and tall, and you don't see any fat on him, I don't think it's a good idea to cut back on his food. Growing up we had a cat that was 20 pounds; when he put his front paws on the kitchen counter, he stood about three and a half feet tall. My mother once complained to the vet about how much he ate, and the vet said that a large cat like that needs to eat more food than a small one.

Definitely a good idea to consult a vet before putting the cat on a diet.

zissou'smom · May 16, 2007

It depends on what food you're feeding, but drastically cutting down can kill your cat much quicker than being fat. Please feed him normally until you've consulted a vet. They are not people, they can get fatty liver disease from a very short time of eating too little. Feed the recommended amount on the packaging until you have it figured out.

Are you feeding a wet food? If not, that's probably the best thing to start!

indykitty · May 16, 2007

I am feeding the purina inside cat formula because i couldn't afford my cats usual food. I used to have 2 cats and now have three so i put out 1/2 cup servings in three different places.

so is that wrong to do? I don't want to hurt my cats. although the worst side effect seems to be that indy is more affectionate and cuddley?

Indy's mommy

nausicaa · May 16, 2007

Ditto to the above posts. If your cat's musculature is naturally stocky and large, and if he's active, then 1/2 cup of kibble per day is too little. Best thing to do would be to check with a vet.

beandip · May 16, 2007

Originally Posted by Indykitty

so is that wrong to do? I don't want to hurt my cats. although the worst side effect seems to be that indy is more affectionate and cuddley?

Well it just really depends on whether 18lbs is a good weight for Indy or not.

It's not good for them to be overweight, but at the same time...weight loss has to be undertaken safely. For instance, as a rule cats shouldn't lose more than 1% of their body weight per week. Fat cats can get liver disease from a drastic caloric restriction.

I would advise you to ask the vet what a good weight would be for Indy.

batgirl2good · May 16, 2007

Thanks to all of you. I worry about my cats, but I think they are bigger cats, naturally. I need to measure them.

sandtigress · May 16, 2007

I don't know why others haven't mentioned it before, but a sort of quick and dirty litmus test for "fatness" in a cat is the ability to feel their ribs - at least on my long-hairs. Short hairs you can also look for a waist-line, but that's hard on longhairs.

On an ideal cat (and this might vary according to musculature or what have you) you should be able to feel the ribs, but not as if they're emaciated. If you can't feel them at all, I would say you should definately talk to your vet about a healthy way to help your baby lose weight.

If you can feel them, then the weight is most probably okay, though a pound or two off might not hurt. Once again though, like others have said, I would consult a vet before you try to make them lose too much weight. I hope that helps. For you others, let me know if you disagree with this!

batgirl2good · May 16, 2007

I've heard of that "test," and you are very helpful!

Originally Posted by Sandtigress

I don't know why others haven't mentioned it before, but a sort of quick and dirty litmus test for "fatness" in a cat is the ability to feel their ribs - at least on my long-hairs. Short hairs you can also look for a waist-line, but that's hard on longhairs.

On an ideal cat (and this might vary according to musculature or what have you) you should be able to feel the ribs, but not as if they're emaciated. If you can't feel them at all, I would say you should definately talk to your vet about a healthy way to help your baby lose weight.

If you can feel them, then the weight is most probably okay, though a pound or two off might not hurt. Once again though, like others have said, I would consult a vet before you try to make them lose too much weight. I hope that helps. For you others, let me know if you disagree with this!

debskats · May 17, 2007

Bailey is 9 and weighed 30 pounds 14 ounces the first of the year. He got sick and had to have surgery where he was diagnosed with IBD. At that time, the vet told me that he absolutely had to lose weight. I've know that for a long time, but I guess I got scared enough this time to realize that if I didn't do something I would probably lose him before I had to. I'd already switched him to an all canned food diet before his surgery, but the vets gave me 2 food options, Hill's d/d or Royal Canin rabbit, and told me exactly how much I needed to feed him a day. I put him on the RC rabbit, but after a couple of months he didn't seem to like it any more, so he now gets a combination of RC rabbit and Nature's Variety rabbit. At the vet earlier this week, he weighed 26 pounds 5 ounces!!!

Bailey is a huge cat and when I asked the vet what would be a good weight for him, she told me 18 to 19 pounds, but she said that since he's such a big cat and has been overweight for so long, he'll need to be visually checked as he gets closer to that weight to see if he should really go that low. I can't imagine him at 18 pounds because he'd be skin and bones. But, we still have a ways to go, so I'll just have to see.

I agree with everyone else's advice to talk to your vet and see what they have to say. They should be able to give you some good advice too about what kind of food to feed and how much. I could never get any weight off of Bailey until I switched him to only canned food because, like beandip said, there are just too many carbs in dry food.

batgirl2good · May 17, 2007

Bailey is gorgeous, and you are a good mama. Good luck! You've done so well with him!

sharky · May 17, 2007

What does the vet say about kittys wt??>??

debskats · May 17, 2007

Originally Posted by batgirl2good

Bailey is gorgeous, and you are a good mama. Good luck! You've done so well with him!

Thank you so much! Even at more than 26 pounds, he's looking pretty darned skinny to me!!!

He's hit a plateau right now, just like people do, and the vet said that if he stays at the same weight for 4 weeks, then I'm to start decreasing his food again. Oooooh, he's gonna love that!

x-ta-z · May 17, 2007

All my guests think Singa is pregnant

She is about 5.5 kg and the vet said it's normal for her - she is not fat just a bit 'heavy' - still in the limit

I still want her to slim a bit. She gets little excercise as she is pure indoor.
She was a whole lot slimmer when she was still actively playing.

Is my cat fat?

indykitty

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mybabyphx

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beandip

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emmylou

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zissou'smom

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indykitty

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nausicaa

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beandip

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batgirl2good

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sandtigress

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batgirl2good

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debskats

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batgirl2good

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sharky

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debskats

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x-ta-z

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