I have a two and a half year old tabby cat, and he used to eat Friskies; seafood sensations. His weight ended up getting to 13.5lbs because he would eat just out of boredom. I cut the food intake down so he stopped gaining, and I slowly weened him off it and onto Blue Buffalo; Weight control formula. He's been on it for about a week or two now.. But for some reason he keeps gaining. I am down to feeding him about a cup a day and he's now up to 15lbs. Does anyone know why this might be happening?
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Cat keeps gaining weight!
- Thread starter evalyster
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Best to stay far far away from all "weight control" or diet kibbles. They're too high in carbs for an obligate carnivore. A much better idea would be to switch to a higher protein, low carb wet food and ditch the kibble altogether. More on why, here: http://catinfo.org/?link=felineobesity
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So basically the pet store lady had no clue what she was talking about when she recommended it? Great.. i still have a little over half a bag left..
I'm sure the lady at the pet store thought she was helping and meant well. I don't believe in weight control foods at all. They are loaded with excess carbs that cats don't need and can contribute to weight gain. I agree with Sugarcatmom. Feed high protein / low carb wet food for a healthy weight and a healthy cat all around. If you do stay with dry, skip the weight control kind and look for a higher protein one like EVO or Nature's Variety.
Getting weight off a cat isn't easy. But take a look at the link Sugarcatmom posted. :nod: I've taken our Billy down from 15 pounds to around 13, by using no kibble, and a high protein food. This helps them feel more satisfied, even though they eat less. And feeding canned food with the moisture helps a lot - it also helps you control how much food they eat, as you then feed timed meals. It's not easy to transition from kibble to timed meals. When we did it (with 8 cats!), we had to feed 5 or 6 smaller meals a day, and then work it down to three meals (before work, after work, and before bed).
We started by pulling the kibble in the morning, but leaving a measured amount out at night, and feeding wet food meals during the day. Kitties that have been free-feeding kibble don't know to eat enough at each meal, which is why the small amounts frequently. Then just drop one meal a day, and reduce the amount of kibble you leave out at night. If you were putting down 1/4C of kibble, make it 1/8C after he starts eating larger amounts of the timed wet food meals. :nod:
Basically, if you use high protein foods, they not only feel more satisfied, but they actually start to burn more calories, and so it helps keep the weight off while increasing their lean body muscle mass. :nod:
The best canned foods for this are By Nature 95% foods and Nature's Variety Instinct cans. I now feed my cats raw food, but that's a whole other process....
The switch from kibble to high protein canned is like... going from spaghettio's to health food. Kitty may not like it at first. You can help by crushing some kibble and sprinkling that over the food, or using freeze dried meat treats (like freeze dried chicken or salmon). Just remember - anything you add to the food does add calories.
One thing? In the move to timed meals, when you get up in the morning, do ANYTHING other than feed your kitty right away. You definitely do NOT want to train him that he gets fed when you get up. It won't be easy at first, but SO worth it in the long run!!!!!
We started by pulling the kibble in the morning, but leaving a measured amount out at night, and feeding wet food meals during the day. Kitties that have been free-feeding kibble don't know to eat enough at each meal, which is why the small amounts frequently. Then just drop one meal a day, and reduce the amount of kibble you leave out at night. If you were putting down 1/4C of kibble, make it 1/8C after he starts eating larger amounts of the timed wet food meals. :nod:
Basically, if you use high protein foods, they not only feel more satisfied, but they actually start to burn more calories, and so it helps keep the weight off while increasing their lean body muscle mass. :nod:
The best canned foods for this are By Nature 95% foods and Nature's Variety Instinct cans. I now feed my cats raw food, but that's a whole other process....
The switch from kibble to high protein canned is like... going from spaghettio's to health food. Kitty may not like it at first. You can help by crushing some kibble and sprinkling that over the food, or using freeze dried meat treats (like freeze dried chicken or salmon). Just remember - anything you add to the food does add calories.
One thing? In the move to timed meals, when you get up in the morning, do ANYTHING other than feed your kitty right away. You definitely do NOT want to train him that he gets fed when you get up. It won't be easy at first, but SO worth it in the long run!!!!!
Might be a good idea to have your vet check your cat out.Sometimes it can be a thyroid problem.
EVO is a high protein, low carb food, and normally fine for kitties. But for kitties that need to lose weight, it's not such a great choice, because it's also high fat, which is loaded with calories. The cans of EVO are more calorie dense than the cans of Nature's Variety Instinct or the By Nature 95% foods. Another good one is Before Grain canned foods. :nod:
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