My first time battling w/ an overweight cat, need help

I've never had to deal with a "fat" or overweight cat before.

Some of the farm kitties get "fluffier" during winter, and honestly they need the extra weight (some of it is hair). Squishy is a farm kitty currently living indoors, as he had a major surgery from which he is recovering. Back history - senior neutered male w/ a history of blood in urine, was on C/D which he no longer requires. Restricted to bathroom/office (700 - 800 sq ft) area of the house as he sprays when given full roam of the house.

He's an old guy, 15 - 18 years is a conservative estimate. He's quite sedentary. We play with a wand toy 2x/day, as I imagine his life is quite boring right now. But he just lays there & waits for it to come to him. We play "chase the kitty treat" with kibble to get him to run/move around. He also spends a fair amount of time chasing the turbo track & turbo scratcher balls in circles. He's weighed about 13 lbs, being a bit chubby - but now he's gotten quite chubby. He has quite the "udder" or "spay sway" to him.

Eats wet food 1x/day halfheartedly, not too excited about it but eats it so no one else gets it. He is eating Nutro Natural Choice Senior mixed w/ the last of a bag of Wellness weight control. He'll be eating Nutro Senior mixed w/ Authority weight control once the Wellness is gone b/c I got it for a good price. He is a compulsive eater, eats every time I'm in the room. And he doesn't like to see the bottom of his bowl, so I've been listening to pitiful yowling at the top of his pudgy lungs b/c I refuse to re-fill it every time it gets empty. Poor starving kitty.....

How much do I feed him?
Am I better off just feeding him one food or the other?
What else can I do to keep his weight down?

Hey Nat,

I feel your pain... Bugsy Is overweight too, but somethings have helped him to lose weight...
Do you know his ideal weight?
Since he is a senior, it would be best to discuss it with the vet... Then from that point on it is my understanding you want to feed 20-25 calories per pound of ideal weight. So, if his ideal weight is 11 lbs, you want to feed 220 - 275 calories a day. I would not go below 20 calories per pound of ideal weight... Start slower, and play by ear... If he doesn't lose weight after a while, then you reduce his intake a little more, but as my vet says, "I rather have a fat cat than a dead cat". (these are my vet's words, I swear! )

What helped Bugsy, was a lower calorie diet, more wet food that dry, and adding fiber to his diet so he felt fuller. I add fiber also because of his IBD, but his first vet told me to add it to lose weight too... You can try adding a little canned pumpkin to see if it helps...

Adding water into his wet food will also fill him up a little more...

I have been told many times that weight control foods don't work, as they have lots of fillers and are too low in protein, so the kitty is hungry too quickly and will eat more... In the end it is counterproductive.

In my experience what helps the most is more wet, less dry...

Bugsy lost when he was healthy 2 lbs since I modified his diet; and another pound since his diarrhea started - one way or another, he now has a waist, and I can finally feel his ribs again.

Good luck Nat!

If he were a lot younger I'd recommend a lot more exercise for him, including making him work for his food, but at that age, do you want to stress him by changing his habits? The dangerous age for overweight males is between 7-9 years old, where they can easily get cardiomyopathy (heart issues). I'm struggling with my Spanky's weight (age 7) right now and have added more exercise into his life (he loves lazer pointers).

I know you know how to apply advice from this site and I hate to offer you this. Due to his age, you need to talk to your vet on this one. Geriatric cats just have too many potential issues going on with them to incorporate changes into their lives without consulting a vet.

If he doesn't like seeing the bowl empty, take it up when it's not meal time. That helped with Sho years ago because if he safe his bowl he would have to check it, which led to begging. Plus you can wash the bowl out.

Maybe try breaking his meals down into smaller meals more frequently? How much time do you have to spare?

I've talked to my vet, who said to put him on Science Diet - that's about it. I'm contemplating just monitoring his food intake to see if we can cut down his weight slightly, but not pushing the issue too much so long as he doesn't continue to gain weight. I'm wondering if it's just his "nature" to be bulking up more, as it is winter, and it's survival instinct he cannot get past???

Breaking it down into smaller meals could be hard, I'm gone for a normal workday & every other weekend work also. I could probably do three meals a day, though - morning, right away after work, & night.

I just don't want to screw it up. I'll probably ditch the weight control food & stick with the senior, he's doing well on it.

I sort of figured that was your schedule. Three meals a day is good, though.
You may find that he'll eat his wet food better when there's been more hours between meals- such as in the morning or after work, since you say he's food obsessed. Maybe you can get more wet food in him that way? Measuring dry and more wet is how I slowly got Sho's weight down - though he was only 4 and Tomas (a kitten a the time) helped.

Have you tried a more simple toy on him? Sho is difficult to get to play (8 now) and he really only likes ribbon/string and soft balls.

Some of Ritz' issues are also my issues (TMI....) Food does not equal love, it can equal diabetes.
If the cat was formerly feral, that can complicate matters.
I am learning that just because she is meowing doesn't mean she wants food. Sometimes she just wants more of me, wants to go to bed (we both get up early) or wants to play. Given that your cat is a senior, maybe there are some games that are more intellectually versus physically challenging. The puzzle box might be appropriate.
I too have heard (Sharky) that low calorie foods don't work, especially for cats; it's all about protein. So now that the extra weight on Ritz is no longer "baby fat" at 18 to 24 months old, I am trying to feed her high(er) protein, lower fat. Some of Soulistic foods meets that criteria. Also, I second adding liquids to the wet food, although some cats (like Ritz) doesn't like too soupy food. I've also heard of putting golf balls at the bottom of the bowl so the feline has to hunt/work for the food.
Finally, cats learn. I'm trying for five days to feed Ritz two meals a day and nothing in between. And buying ear plugs
Keep us posted.

You know my thoughts on wt control... I would prefer you not use that ...

Kandie was overwt for a time and higher protein , moderate fat food actually helped her trim down but she was roughly 12/13 at the time

Ask your vet about calories ... All of mine are at Proper wts now( Yes rolly pooly Punky is a Solid not chunky 15.25 lbs ) Punky and Dahlia are at about 19 calories per lb ( 15-30 per lb is normal I have seen VET supervised as low as ten) .. Sylvie is at about 22 calories a lb but you know he is built like a super model ... Zoey is at roughly 28 per lb .. All are feed within the guidelines for the food / foods they eat ...

It's been something like 6 weeks since his latest bloodpanel, so I feel better knowing everything checked out OK then. I think he has to go to the vet tomorrow, so I'll see if I can push him then, asking about how many calories per day, etc.