Overweight Kitty!

I got Mittens back in January! He is so loving and gentle, and he has grown to love Zack, my husband, who is really not a cat person. Mittens has sure changed his mind!!!!! When I first saw him, he was so fat and lovable but now I am getting really concerned about his weight problem. He weights 20 pounds. The lady that I got him from said he has always been chunking. I went to the vet in March and they told me to feed him less and change his food. I have been giving him Science Diet Hairball Control Lite, about a cup a day. Plus, he gets fresh cold water all the time. I thought he would lose weight, but he is just stuck there at 20 pounds. I have no idea what to do at this point. Does anyone have any suggestions? I would apperciate anything to help me get him to a healthy weight! Thanks!

How overweight is he? Some cats are just very large and 20 pounds might not be that bad for him. Here's a site on how to judge how overweight he might be:

http://www.placervillevet.com/feline...0condition.htm

If he's in the obese or grossly obsese category, perhaps some tests at the vet to make sure he doesn't have any physical problems - people can be overweight from thyroid problems - I'm not certain if cats can have the same problem.

Have you considered getting a companion cat for your boy? A kitten might bring out the playfulness of your cat and give him some needed exercise. There are lots of cats available at the Houston ASPCA.

WOW! He is a 9 on that scale, and he looks just like that cat. I guess another trip to the vet will have to come soon?? I have no idea. About the other cat, we can't have another animal in our house. We have a german shephard already who lives indoors with Mittens. Any more suggestions? I guess he needs to be like 13 pounds or so...but I don't know what else to do to get him to lose the weight.

I would bring him back to the vet. Losing weight takes time in cats (remember they are much smaller than we are and will lose weight proportionally). The vet can give you an idea on how much they should be losing over time, and you can monitor him based on that info. You don't want them to lose weight too fast, but you don't want them stuck at his current weight either. You certainly will want to rule out any physical illnesses before you start him on a rigid weight control diet.

Like people, your cat can suffer from heart problems if overweight. You are doing him a favor by getting him to lose weight.

Good luck and keep us posted!