"Pleasantly plump" bengal or possible health issue?

Hello! I realize cat obesity is a serious health issue and I'm a bit worried. I have a 1 year old female snow bengal. She has always been kittenish, in that she is short and petite compared to most bengal cats. For a long time now, she has been looking chubby. She does love to eat, prefers wet food over dry but eats both.

When she sits facing front, her body resembles a gourd. The plumpness concentrating on her bottom half mostly. When standing above and looking down at her, her body looks wide. A lot wider than her half brother, my slim bengal boy. She definitely feels heavier than she used to.

A small bowl of dry food is out all day, and wet food at dinner. She was eating Wellness minced chicken in gravy, but past maybe 3 months I've switched her to Stella & Chewys freezes dried raw chicken. She loves it. Last week, I stopped leaving dry out all day, taking it away when I get home from work at 6pm and putting it out again in the AM until I am home from work. My mom used to give her plain cooked chicken/pork occasionally. But I've made her stop. My girl begs for food when she smells meat being prepared.

She is fixed. I think around Spring time last year. (I know 1 years old is a little late :/) could it be weight gain from being spayed? Or just too much food? Or maybe she's fine how she is? Ahh! She plays, sleeps, poops and pees fine. Overall, seems happy and fine. But I would love some opinions before I take anymore action. Here are some photos.

*Small detail* When I return home from work, the bowl of dry food is not empty. Half eaten at most. Hard to say who is eating more of it. But my boy does not have an appetite like my girl!

What interesting markings she has!

After cats get spayed, they often burn less energy so it's not necessary to feed as much. It's hard to tell when they're still growing what is an appropriate amount sometimes, though! She does look a little on the chubby side, but I'm not great at determining how healthy a cat's weight is from pictures. 1 year old is the perfect age to go in for a yearly vet exam, and they will do a much better job of telling you how overweight she is and what weight she needs to be.

I would recommend feeding exclusively canned food and raw if you're able. Most canned foods (and all raw!) are much lower in carbohydrates than dry foods, and carbs will cause weight gain in cats like nothing else! Carbs are also not very filling, so you might notice she's more satisfied between meals when she's eating more protein. That alone might be enough to get her to a healthy weight, especially since she's young and active. If not, you'll have to pay attention to portions and how many calories she eats every day, and weigh her every day or every other day. If she doesn't lose weight, cut back on the calories. If she's losing more than 2% of her body weight a week (which is not healthy), increase her calories.

Molly92 said:

What interesting markings she has!

After cats get spayed, they often burn less energy so it's not necessary to feed as much. It's hard to tell when they're still growing what is an appropriate amount sometimes, though! She does look a little on the chubby side, but I'm not great at determining how healthy a cat's weight is from pictures. 1 year old is the perfect age to go in for a yearly vet exam, and they will do a much better job of telling you how overweight she is and what weight she needs to be.

I would recommend feeding exclusively canned food and raw if you're able. Most canned foods (and all raw!) are much lower in carbohydrates than dry foods, and carbs will cause weight gain in cats like nothing else! Carbs are also not very filling, so you might notice she's more satisfied between meals when she's eating more protein. That alone might be enough to get her to a healthy weight, especially since she's young and active. If not, you'll have to pay attention to portions and how many calories she eats every day, and weigh her every day or every other day. If she doesn't lose weight, cut back on the calories. If she's losing more than 2% of her body weight a week (which is not healthy), increase her calories.

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Thank you! I will have to figure a way to feed her only wet. She won't mind that and neither do I! I say "figure a way" because My boy. He eats more dry than wet. Hes more interested in licking the gravy and then walking away. So I used to leave dry out for him (and his sister). He grazes throughout the day, unlike my girl who will eat her wet food meal in one sitting. It's difficult trying to cut her food down without him getting too skinny.

Since I havent been leaving dry food out after 6pm, I have been sitting on the floor with my boy and sprinkling crushed up treats on his wet food dinner every couple bites to encourage him to finish his meal so he won't be hungry later in the night and go looking for the dry food that isn't there for free feeding anymore.

Oh, how I wish I started them on a feeding schedule from the beginning! Have to let my boy know that free feeding isn't a thing anymore so he will eat better and when food is placed in front of him, not whenever he pleases! Vet check up will be scheduled for both fur babies when I can take some days off work probably in the next month. Thanks again!