Fat cat

So Maggie, the former feral that I gave to my MIL is quite a chunky girl. My MIL feeds her purina, because that's what I fed her. Would switching to another higher quality brand help her lose weight and be healthier? And she is definitely overweight, no question about it. She's a tiny cat with a big ole belly.

If you can get your MIL to feed wet food do so! Wet food is much lower in carbs which cats don't need and will store as fat. Plus its much healthier.

I know some have seen a differance in just switching to a high quality dry food and feeding the right amount.

Has the Vet seen the cat and stated WHAT the proper wt would be? This is the First step...

Wet food if Mom and the cat will deal with it runs about half the calories per ounce as dry ... likely the lower end food has Less calories per cup than a "better" one would in a dry

Originally Posted by sharky

Has the Vet seen the cat and stated WHAT the proper wt would be? This is the First step...

Wet food if Mom and the cat will deal with it runs about half the calories per ounce as dry ... likely the lower end food has Less calories per cup than a "better" one would in a dry

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She hasn't been to the vet since she got her about almost a year ago, and her weight seemed fine then. I'll talk to my MIL and tell her about the vet and wet food.

Yeah - vet is a good idea. I changed up Archie's food only after the vet gave me a talking-to!

Dry food only can cause a kitty to pack on the weight, especially if she is not getting enough exercise.

Now that I have amended Archie's diet, he has lost weight... I don't know how much- gotta get a baby scale or something. He moves better.
We have play sessions twice a day.... he LOVES the Cat Dancer toy.

I live in a townhouse and the railing to the upstairs is next to a high fireplace mantle where the kits hang out sometimes. Arch hasn't been able to fit very easily through the railing slats....He would get a little stuck and have to really tug himself to get through. I saw him do it this morning to access the mantle. He slid right through and onto the perch. Yay!!!!!!

Well... Purina is not a good food, but here is something else to keep in mind:
A calorie is a calorie that is a calorie. The problem with the food being wet or dry with the weight loss, is not really how the food is, but how people feed it... People tend to free feed dry, while wet is controlled fed - you feed what it is on the can and that is it.

Make sure your mother in law feed only the recommended amount in the package, and not free fed. She CAN leave that food throughout the day.

Yes, since wet food has so much water in it, it should help keeping her fuller - but if she feed her wet food, she needs to account those calories, and take some of the dry food out.

In my experience the amount recommended in the bags tend to be too much. I would feed less.

If your MIL must keep her on kibbles, a higher protein, lower carb should help - I would go grain free - think TOTW? Cats LOVE that!!

And yes, time to go to the vet for several different reasons

I agree with most of the previous posters - get the kitty on wet food and you'll likely see a nice drop in weight (and an increase in energy as well).

Originally Posted by carolinalima

Well... , but here is something else to keep in mind: A calorie is a calorie that is a calorie...

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This may be true with people, but not with obligate carnivores like our cats. They use protein for their energy needs, not carbs. They can't, in fact, properly digest carbs and what they do process simply turns into fat.

Cats are so efficient at utilizing protein that you can switch a cat to a higher calorie diet and have it lose weight if those calories are coming from more protein and less carbs.

Sounds crazy, I know, but it's just one of the many ways their remarkable digestive system differs from ours.