Getting a cat to lose weight

wasabipea

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OK, I'm considering adopting a 7 year old kitty from a shelter - she gets overlooked and needs a home badly and looks to be a total sweetheart.

I went to see her this weekend and there was a sign on her cage from the vet that she was sick and not to touch her. We interacted a little through the cage and she very nice... but I have to say - this cat was enormous. My Len was bog boned, and a big cat - at one time he was obese (27 lbs) until I moved into a house with stairs and he got some exercise, and soonafter I switched both cats to canned only diet - he went down to 19-17 lbs. Still a bit on the big side but as I said he was a big cat. Len's weight loss could have been a fluke (he was HUGE at 27 lbs).

This cat at the shelter... ok. Maybe the steps will help her (she looks like she should be at 12 lbs give or take, and she's probably about 19 or so now), if you switch a cat to a canned diet - is that known to be a weight loss catalyst? I suppose I could get a harness and take her for walks (haha, really). I'm leaning towards the harness and the walks, and canned food - just looking for some other ideas.

I have to find out what is wrong with her and why she is quarantined first, but she's on my mind. And so is this kitten, which I said I wasn't going to adopt a kitten, but it was the sweetest little thing.

I'm worried at her advancing age and her weight, there will be problems sooner than later. I'm not adverse to giving proper cat care, but have been thru the wringer the past couple of months with two seniors, one now departed one quickly and heartbreakingly currently departing.

Tips? Tricks? Thanks in advance!

PS: I had Len on weight-loss food, and found that he started losing when I took him off that, I think it was making him gain - and he wasn't free-fed, two meals a day, nothing in-between - so I'm not going down that "weight-loss food" path.
 

feralvr

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AW this is wonderful to hear that you are planning to adopt soon! And, I know you have been through the wringer these past months with Roni. I am not the best at answering your question about diet to get a kitty to lose weight other than to say that for weight loss, I think the calories per pound need to be 15. It is a long, slow process as it should be, but can be done. There are the prescription diets for weight loss and Hill's has that new one (canned) called Metabolic BUT certainly I am not putting my stamp of approval on this one but my neighbor's cat has recently lost 10 pounds over six months being on that canned food and the cat loved it. I have one cat whom is getting quite large, Walden. So I have begun to cut his calories down to about 15 - 20 per pound. I feed a grain free canned food, and commercial raw. I think the best thing is not to leave food out either, which you say you don't do anyway, because the piggies will gorge. I have two of them. :lol3:

How exciting and we wish you the best and of course, much support, as always! :D Hopefully other's will come along with more solid advice for weight loss. :wavey:
 

zoneout

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IMO, there are healthy ways to lose weight and unhealthy ways.  These heavily marketed special or prescription diets which purport to slim down your kitty might just do that --- but at what cost?   If the crappy ingredients are going to harm the cats organs or cause cancer in the long-term is that a trade-off you want to make?   Look at SlimFast or these fad diet pills - yeah they take the weight off you quick but when you stop the weight comes back or they lead to other health issues.

My first bit of advice is to do your reading from the cat care bible www.catinfo.org/?link=felineobesity

Dr. Pierson has all the info there.   If it is too much for you to absorb, I can make it very simple for you.   Almost every commercial food is WAY TOO HIGH IN CARBS.   I am not talking just about grains, which we know are bad - I am talking about starches and plant protein - potatoes, beets, carrots, zucchini, peas, etc, etc.   This carb-loading is happening obviously because it increases profit margins for pet food companies.   But cats were never meant to eat this much carb and they pay the price with their health.

Simply, if you want your cat to be healthiest it can be, feed it a commercial or homemade raw meat diet.   There is an entire forum on TCS with people who are expert in this.   Homemade is really not difficult at all - especially if you buy the prepackaged nutrient additives like Alnutrin.   If you would rather go the commercial raw route (which is how I started) - the only product I can recommend at this point that I am aware of is RadCat.   They are the only commercial raw company that doesn`t play games and loads up the food with unnecessary fillers.   It does get expensive though.   Thats why unless money is not an issue - most people go to homemade - which when sourced properly can actually work out cheaper than canned.

I hope this works out well for you.   We need more people like you willing to work blessings for the older shelter animals.

Godspeed.

Z
 
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wasabipea

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Thanks for the replies. when I was trying to get Len to lose weight, I was giving him IAMS weight reduction dry mixed with canned twice a day. Just grocery store canned. But I have since learnied that IAMS is not the Wonder food they market it to be.

Re: Raw diets.

1. I will have to see how cooperative the senior cat is (that kitten that stole my heart may come home with me too, if she is still available). while the younger cat is still likely agreeable, it's the older one I'm concerned about. Sometimes, especially at that age, they get set in their ways.

2. I will have to feed both cats the same food. I work, and I basically feed the cats before running out the door so no monitioring takes place. For the first few months, I may have to sequester the kitten (should there be one) to make sure she gets her fair share.

3. I can't make my own from store bought ingredients. I don't own a meat grinder, first. Second... with Roni's caretaking and my work/sleep schedule - I'm losing quite a bit of weight because I don't even have time to make dinner for myself with trying to keep her fed. My spare time is so tight, I don't have the time to make from scratch - maybe someday I will (bedtime is at about 8:30-9:00 pm and I'm exhausted in the evening). I will look into some of the commercial raw diets on the market though. It's not that money is no object, but time is an object - one that I just don't have enough of. And I should say that it;s not like money is no object either - but if it's a negligible difference I can eat it.

I did call the shelter and there is a respitory infection going around, that's why the senior was in her own cage. I noticed a lot of the kitties sneezing when I was there, I'm glad as soon as I got home I changed clothes and washed my hands and arms. That's the last thing my poor Roni needs, it'll be the end of her for sure. I hope with those precautions, she doesn't pick anything up. She's been staying in her bed most of the time, so we are probably ok.

I still think in addition to diet, I'm going to get this senior cat some exercise. Plus, come on... seeing a big fat cat going on a walk is some funny stuff. I almost feel bad adopting a kitten - they always get homes. But one senior and one kitten - that's ok right? This baby stole my heart, as did that fat love muffin.

I will check out that link. Thank you!
 
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wasabipea

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Oh and Feralvr, I thought I read 12 cal/pound for maintenance... But I could be wrong.

I was very surprised that Roni was holding her weight at 7.6 that last time I took her (Saturday). I credit the Nutrical suppplement for that - that's one thing I want to ask the vet about. I've been relying pretty heavily on that some days, she loves it - even when she will eat nothing else, she licks that off my finger (it's cute as a little baby bunny munching clover). I just want to make sure it's not doing her any harm. Her eyes light up when she sees that tube come out!
 

pinkdagger

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Raw isn't ideal for some people, and that's perfectly okay to admit it and to forgo that option. I don't have a grinder either, but TCFeline has a recipe using ground meat (this is better for cats with a healthy immune system, so if Roni or the new cat are immunocompromised, raw on a whole isn't a great idea unless you get your vet's OK and supervision. I was able to make and freeze 40 ice cubes worth in about 20 minutes using a blender, measuring cup, scale, and spoon) , and there are other commercial raw products too, like Nature's Variety. I supplement my cats' wet food with both homemade and commercial raw and just make it when I have time. If I don't have time, well, they get normal wet food for a while.

Lowering the calories and getting the new kitty some exercise will definitely do good. I don't buy into "diet" or "weight control" or "indoor" formulas. Just find good, low-carb foods and feed them according to the cat's weight. Wet food has a negligible amount of carbs, like 2% or something. The dry I feed as a snack has 13% carbs, which I consider good compared to other well-marketed but not-so-great-quality dry foods which are more like 35%.

Dr Pierson's formula is 13.6 * ideal weight in lbs + 70 for total calories per day, but that's still relatively generous (works out to about 20-30 calories per lb depending on the weight of the cat). You don't necessarily need to take her outside, but if you can find a toy she goes nuts for, get her to chase and run after it. On leash, she might feel more inhibited whereas running laps around the house is just plain fun and she has full reign to just zoom end to end.

Dr. Pierson's page about obesity is a great read. It has a lot of information on how she tackled a cat's morbid obesity (and it was like a night and day change, but of course it didn't happen overnight), so you can probably get a good idea on how you can start out and take steps towards getting the new kitty into less of a butterball.
 
 
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wasabipea

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Thanks pinkdagger. I'll have to print out that page and start reading it at home tonight, maybe when I get into bed.

Zooming around the house... Oh the picture of that cat zooming is a funny one. The write up claims this cat leaps from perch to perch. I suspect if it "leapt" onto a kitty condo perch, the whole thing would come down... but maybe she just looked bigger than she really is because she was in a cage. I have a fenced in yard too, I wanted to say "I let my kitties out into that" but I can't get out of that habit of saying "kitties". They could get into the neighbor's yard if they wanted to, but never roamed far. Roaming around outside I think helped him drop a few as well.

There seem to be commercial raw diets available, and honestly - when Roni was diagnosed with early stage CKD 5 years ago, I switched them to Friskies canned, not knowing any better, and honestly it got them both to 18. Never any desperate veterinary measures or crises. I read somewhere, and I do agree, that even the lowest-end canned diet is better for the cat than feeding a dry-only diet. That's all corn meal and the like.

If I go raw, I'll probably get a commercial brand - maybe when the winter sets in and I have more time (I have a tiny yard but a big flower garden) I'll try some of the homemade using comercial ingredients. I have to go to the web link above first and start there.

Well actually I have to figure out the rest of Roni's life first and then figure out my next step. I feel like I'm cheating on her. Poor thing isn't doing well.

But thank you for the "food for thought" (pun, yes!).
 

feralvr

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There seem to be commercial raw diets available,
Yes - quite a few and I do feed some commercially made raw.

Oh and Feralvr, I thought I read 12 cal/pound for maintenance...
For weight loss - I think it would be more towards 15 - 20 calories per pound per day. For maintenance - it would be more like 25 - 30 calories per day per pound not 12, if I read your statement correct above.

Here are some articles pertaining to raw diet that you may be interested in reading and of course IF you have any additional questions about getting your cat to lose weight on this type of diet please post a thread in our Raw Forum here. http://www.thecatsite.com/f/65/raw-home-cooked-cat-food as you will certainly be welcomed and supported in your effort.

Here is a successful weight loss story thread that may offer some support as well. It is long :lol3: but a worthy read: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/245236/mickey-my-27-lbs-foster-and-his-journey-back-to-a-healthy-weight

Raw articles if you are interested in pursuing information:
http://www.thecatsite.com/a/raw-feeding-cats-types-of-raw-diets-feeding-options
http://www.thecatsite.com/a/raw-feeding-for-cats-the-ingredients
http://www.thecatsite.com/a/feeding-raw-to-cats-safety-concerns
 
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stephanietx

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I had a cat who was overweight and what my vet told me was less carbs and more exercise, just like for humans.  So, I switched her to a mostly wet food diet, supplemented with dry food and over a 2 year period, she lost down to an ideal weight.  I'll be honest,  I'm not a huge raw diet fan because I know I don't have the time or patience to do it right.  I prefer a high-quality grain-free canned food and grain-free dry food.  We feed our motley crew a combination on Innova EVO, mainly venison, but they get a small portion of turkey & chicken as well.  For dry food, we feed Taste of the Wild.  We don't free feed or give treats.  For treats, I use kibble or grain-free treats.  For canned food, you want to serve 1/2 oz to 1 oz per pound of body weight.  If you're trying to get your kitty to lose weight, then you shoot for the 1/2 oz.  If you're on maintenance, shoot for the 1 oz.  My cats get 2 wet food servings a day and then dry food "snacks" at set times through the day.  Their total dry food diet is 1/8 C a day.
 

ritz

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First, congratulations on wanting to adopt a cat(s) from a shelter.
Second, did the shelter's vet run blood work on the overweight kitty--being overweight, he may be prone to diabetes or have a metabolic issue.
Links Feralvr provided are very good--Mickey was interestingly enough NOT food motivated. Like humans, cats have different metabolisms. Some can eat Fritos/dry kibble all day and not gain weight, some can eat carrots or low carb wet food and gain a pound.
I do think exercise more/eat less is the way to go. No free feeding of course. You can buy freeze dried, 100% meat, treats. Throw one down the hall and watch your cat run for the treat--good exercise!
And the kitten may encourage the adult cat to play more.
Good luck.
 
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wasabipea

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Some very good advice, thank you. I did ask when I called about the older cat if a blood panel had been recently run (I'm assuming it was a mini-panel, covering the "basics") and they said she came back fine. I think the reason she was off to the side with a "sick - do not touch" sign on her cage was because she was older and they didn't want her catching the bug that was going around, but the vet tech wasn't in that day and the woman at the desk was quite less than helpful and couldn't answer my questions. I wasnt to see a copy of her bloodwork and maybe have my vet take a look at it.

Sounds like a lot of good sound advice, I know it's a crapshoot trying to get a cat to lose weight - obviously the best diet possible, and exercise is ideal. I just wonder at her age if she's be agreeeable to eating "good food" because she has that "crap food" physique.

Well, I have to get through Roni's future first. I don't want to go back to the shelter if there is a bug going around, I don't want to risk bringing it home - plus, it was depressing. Let's face it, much as you want to - you can't save them all. It's likely Fatcat will be there when the time is right, but that sweet kitten that was crying for me not to leave her - she'll likely be gone. So...

Thank you again, I now have many options to consider when the time is right :)
 

xcourtney3

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One of my cats was 20lbs and the other was 16lbs before I put them on canned food. They are now down to 16lbs and 14.8lbs. I'm currently feeding them both 210cals and 180 cals on alternating days. I would recommend no dry food, and stay away from "weight loss" formulas which tend to cut the fat, add fiber and have high carbs. FWIW my cats eat Friskies. 
 

feralvr

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She doesn't look nearly as large in this pic as she is, but look at that face:
:thud: REALLY REALLY CUTE !!!!!!!!!!!!! What a doll face with big bright green eyes. She certainly doesn't look large in that photo because actually :anon:, my cats look about that size. :eek: I have a few that I need to manage quickly or else.....
 

zoneout

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She`s absolutely ADORABLE.   

Its possible that her previous owner was free-feeding kibble (not a good idea).   Once she gets on portion control she could come down to proper weight very nicely.
 
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wasabipea

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She is!

She looks *almost* normal sized in that pic, maybe a bit big... but when you look down from above, her sides protrude out - um, quite a bit. While the photo doesn't capture the beauty in her eyes - they are really bright with almost bluish/browish outline and bright gold in the middle - the photo also doesn't capture the size of her. I think they did that on purpose, because I was taken aback when I saw her in person.

But she was very friendly too. I think she's adorable, and needs a home
. Rehoming a 7 yr old cat... that was the plan. Well actually the plan was rehoming two adults... but that little kitten is killing me too. Cat/kitten - it's yin/yang, right? Kittens are cute as can be... I haven't had a kitten since I was a kid, since I always get adults.

And there were two tuxes that were the best of buddies and I'm afraid someone will adopt them seperately, so they may have to come home together - I can't let them get separated. They literally hug each other, I saw it.

What the heck? I always knew I was going to end up a Crazy Cat Lady, might as well go for it. I'm not getting any younger.


Zoneout: thanks :) that's what I'm thinking too. As I said, if that family dumped her at a kennel at 7 yrs (granted, something dire could have happened to the family) - she was probably free fed Meow Mix or the like. I think she could at least get down to a relatively healthy size with some effort.
 
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pinkdagger

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What the heck? I always knew I was going to end up a Crazy Cat Lady, might as well go for it. I'm not getting any younger.
The upside is our fate wears the cutest faces. It's not hard to fulfill our destiny when it looks like that!
 
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wasabipea

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She is so cute, and the sweet part only adds to the whole package!
 

lisahe

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What a sweet cat, Wendy! I think she's especially sweet because Brooksie was also striped (and big!).
 
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