Help with getting my cat more active

My vet would like to see my 13lb male cat, Bender, lose about 2 pounds. I have him on Science Diet Light canned food right now. (1 and 1/3 can per day split in 3 meals he weights 12.8lbs does that seem reasonable?) I would like to get him to be more active too so he will burn more calories, right now he likes to sleep. I've tried those toys that dispense food, I have one that hangs on my door and the cats have to jump at it to get it to drop food. My other cat, Jakey, loves it, but Bender prefers to watch Jakey play and just eat the food that falls (since Jakey is more interested in the play part) I've also tried those feather chase type toys with Bender alone or with Jakey and he is never interested in chasing or pouncing or anything. He usually watches it, and may bat a paw out if it is close, but other than that. He will also not chase food, I've tried throwing it and he has no interest. (I have wondered if maybe he cant see so well, and maybe that is why he doesn't chase the food, but I think he may just be lazy)

So does anyone have any ideas or other toys their cats like that will also get him moving around some more?

Thanks!

Monica

Hi and welcome to TCS! For weight loss, it is best to focus on calorie intake. Most adult indoor sedentary cats need about 20 calories per pound per day. So for weight loss, you want to figure out the weight you want him to be, and make sure the weight loss is gradual. Also, most "Light" formulas are high in carbs, and it would be better to feed a high animal protein canned food. You are reducing calories, but you want the food you are feeding to be well utilized and make him feel satsfied.

Bender sounds like a smart cat! I'm not sure what else you can try to make him exercise more that you haven't tried. My cat will only play with interactive toys that I have to make move. Other than when I play with her, she spends most of the day sleeping. How old is Bender? Maybe he's slowing down some?

I would focus on what you can control which is his diet. Who knows? Maybe once he loses some weight, he will be more active.

He is going to be 2 this July. He's never been super active, he looks a lot like Garfield and kinda behaves that way too lol. I do wanna get his extra weight off though, and he will hopefully be more active. Or at least have an easier time getting around. He's not like a giant overweight cat, but running does seem harder as hes gotten bigger.

Thanks for the reply
 

I have an overweight cat also, and the only thing that he likes to play with is the original cat dancer, the one that is actually rolled up pieced of cardboard on both ends of a length of wire.  What he likes about it is if I get one of the other cats to play with it, they by them playing with one end, the other end moves all around by itself (because of the wire)  Darko watches it, then goes nuts over it because he can see I'M not controlling it, no one is .  It doesn't last long, but at least it gets him up for a couple of seconds.   He also likes it when I do take control of it and push one end under a door so it disappears.  Then I slowly pull it out like it peeking at him, then push it back under and so forth.  Drives all of them nuts .

The idea when playing is to make the toy as if it is their prey.  Make then stalk it...always lead it away from them, then hide it around the corner,make some noise with it, but let them catch it once in awhile, and when they do, give them a small treat.

As far as food, I totally agree with vball.  That diet food doesn't fill him up.  He needs high protein, low carb food.  So far my Darko has lost 2 lbs since I finally got him on

   a)  scheduled feeding

   b)  high protein, extremely low carb (I feed raw now, so it's actually probably NO carb )

I got my lazy 13 pound tortie down to 10 pounds mostly through restricted feedings.  Like you I wanted her to more active but she wasn't really down with that program, her idea of play is to lay on her side and swat at the toy as it goes by.

I know I've mentioned it nearly every post I've made so far, but I love puzzle box feeders.  They really only work for meal fed cats, and you'll have to separate them during meals, but it gives them to drive to get up and interact with something. 

I also noticed once Callista lost the weight she wasn't quite the lazy bones she used to be!