I would love to help him... :(

linaaa

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Hi everyone,

I wanted to thank those who helped me before. I can't seem to help my cat lose weight though.

11/8 --- He started out at 19.6. He was fed 4 cans per day. When he started the diet he lost weight.

11/19 --- About a week later, he lost weight.

11/24 --- Then he gained 1 lb. less than 1 week later! He was gaining weight so I asked what to do on here : ) and people commented to feed him less. I gave him 3 cans each day.

12/4 --- He was losing weight (at a rate that I thought was too much) so I started feeding him 3 cans, 4 cans, 3 cans, 4 cans, etc. daily.

12/15 --- Now he gained weight again!!!
11/819.6
11/1918.8
11/2419.8
12/418.6
12/1519.4
:((( I really don't know what to do anymore and I don't want to hurt him. Should I continue to feed him 3 cans EVERY day? He's clearly gaining weight every time I give him 4 cans?

Thank you so much in advance! I appreciate each and every one of your answers, advice and help! <3
 

stephanietx

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What are you feeding?  Is it canned only or dry or a combination of both?
 
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linaaa

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Each can is about 70-80 calories. I feed him Purina One. He doesn't get every choice either. The Chicken, Turkey & Giblets, etc. cans have the most protein which is what I give him.
 
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linaaa

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I transitioned him from all dry food --- to a combination of wet and dry food --- to all wet canned food. Now he's eating only wet canned food.
 
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linaaa

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He's also 12 years old. :( Should I just leave him alone and not control his diet this much?
 

catwoman707

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My Krissy is about to turn 12 and is a chunky, chubby girl. She has been on all canned now for maybe a year, she doesn't quite look like a barrel anymore, but is still a chunk. Always has been though....

I have 2 cats, they split a can of fancy feat chicken in the am, I give her a small palm full of Natural Balance dry because she will act like she is starving otherwise, and for dinner they share a regular sized can of either friskies pate or something better when I can slip it in, (not fond of better canned or grain free so much :( )

and for bedtime they get several crunchy treats.

On average, cats eat about 1 can, 5.5 oz canned food a day, maybe more, at least at first, or dry, about 1 full cup.
 

cprcheetah

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So he is roughly getting about 280-320 calories.  Do you have a target weight for him?  I think you are feeding him WAY too much.  Have you seen this thread?  http://www.thecatsite.com/t/245236/...-and-his-journey-back-to-a-healthy-weight/570  Mickey is about 17# right now and eating 180 calories and losing weight.  Here is a formula to help you figure out a rough estimate of much to feed.   Take 13.6x the ideal lean body weight in pounds + 70.  That should be a starting point of how many calories your cat should eat per day.   I have a 16# boy right now, he should weigh maybe 12#, he was gaining weight on his recommended 233 calories so I reduced him to 200 calories, still gaining weight so he is now at 190 calories and back to losing weight.   

If your kitty is overweight and older it is extremely hard on their systems, so I would recommend getting him to lose weight.  Excess body fat can cause all sorts of problems, including hard on their joints which makes arthritis worse.
 
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stephanietx

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First off, and I'm sorry if you've already mentioned this, have you consulted with your vet about his weight?  Secondly, have you tried some grain-free foods such as Wellness or Innova EVO?  Thirdly, are you doing anything to exercise him (such as playing)?  Do you know if he has arthritis that might slow him down and inhibit him from playing?
 
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linaaa

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I agree - I think he's getting way too much. I just wanted to ask some cat experts first. : ) I didn't want to cause any damage to his liver or kidneys (like I read that "starving" a cat will do). I set his goal weight to be 15 lbs. and calculated the amount of calories he should be consuming. I guess I overdid it. Your formula seems awesome so I'll try that. Thank you sooooo much for your help. You don't understand how much I appreciate it!
 

sillywabbit

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Which kind are you feeding him? Four cans? Wow. Adult cats only need around 250 calories a day, maybe less for senior kitties.

Not sure if my screenshot will take, but I looked up the calorie content of canned cat foods on petfinder. Regular beef One is almost 100 calories. "Savory beef" is around 73 calories. Adult food around 69-70 a can .

Not going to tell anybody how to take care of their cat, but to be honest, if I had two cats, I probably MIGHT go through 4 cans a day.

If this was my cat I would either keep the brand and slowly edge to 2 cans a day total, or 3 cans a day of the adult food.
 
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catwoman707

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The biggest issue is when he is not getting enough food, his body will burn the stored fat for protein, and his liver can get bombarded with fat, unable to process so much fat, so it can cause hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver disease) and is extremely dangerous.

The best way to prevent this, as well as from him getting too much food and not losing, is to get a cheap postal scale and weigh him every other day until you see a slow but progressive weight loss. (ebay has them)

He should not lose more than 2% of his current weight per week.

Of course as he loses you need to recalculate the safe amt he can lose.
 

sarah ann

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My cats maintain a healthy weight on 210- 230 calories a day. They are not very active though. They are 10-15lbs.  Taz is the largest cat (tallest in height and length) compared with everyone else and he is about 15 lbs.

A safe rate of weight loss is 1 - 2% of their current body weight per week.

For example, if your cat weighs 20 pounds, he can safely lose up to ~6 ounces per week. (20 pounds X16 ounces/pound = 320 ounces.  2% of 320 = ~ 6 ounces.)

1% would be 3 ounces per week - or 3/4 pound/month.

As your cat loses weight, the amount of weight that he should lose each week will decrease.

For example, if your cat is down to 16 pounds, his weight loss should slow to ~2.5 -5 ounces each week which represents 1-2% of 16 pounds.

Try feeding 3.5 cans per day (approx 260 calories a day). Your vet should have some canned food lids or you can buy them online. See how his weight does. You may even eventually need to feed 3 1/4 cans a day or even just 3 cans.

I would make sure your scale is accurate as well. Lots of inaccurate scales out there.
 

fleabags mom

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I also think it's useful to remember that some cat's weight can fluctuate quite naturally and because you weigh him every week, you're getting worried?! The amounts you are showing I think are not a huge concern personally because there are other factors that come into play - like how much energy he uses while playing etc, if he clears his bowl every meal time or sometimes leaves some.. or how many treats he has.  You get the picture!!  My cat always loses weight in the summer because he's always out and about and piles it on in the winter because he's indoors most of the time. He gets the same amount throughout the year. I took him to the vet and he was not concerned, said it was natural for cats to fluctuate to a degree and only get concerned if he loses a lot of weight.

And can size - is that the little cans or a normal dog size food can? If it is the latter, that's a lot of food! If it's small, then no, I think that's fine. 3 cans is about right? Mine gets 4 but he's an outdoor kitty and burns a lot of calories off.
 
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linaaa

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Thank you SOOOOO much everyone for your help! I'll be purchasing an accurate postal scale tonight and doing just as you all advised! : )
 
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