Adopting morbidly obese cat from shelter today, any tips?

I am doing research online and taking him to the vet after he settles in for professional advice, but there's no advice quite like from fellow cat owners with personal experience so thought I would ask you all! I've always had 3-4 cats at any given time but due to a death a few months ago I was down to 2. So I had an open spot so to speak for the right feline. I go to shelters a few times a year just to look and give the animals some love. I went today, and fell completely in love with a cat and signed the adoption papers before leaving. I went on my lunch break so had to go back to work but I am going to pick him up when I'm off shortly.

The manager at the shelter said he had been there the longest, and had several things working against him finding a family... like his age (8 years old), being completely black, and his weight that comes with the typical health issues from being obese. And his weight is extreme, I've never seen a cat this fat in real life, only on TV vet shows or online. He looks a lot like the pic I've put up except his colors. he has trouble getting around doing just daily activities. They were keeping him in a janitor's closet at the shelter because he wouldn't fit in any cat cages and the dog kennels were all full. Apparently his owners surrendered him with no explanation, so I have no history for him whatsoever.

Has anyone here had an extremely obese cat before that they successfully dieted? I want to get this guy healthy and happy!

Oh my goodness, thank you for taking this guy in! His life is already going to be so much better. It's so hard for cats to lose weight in a shelter setting.

I have not had an incredibly obese cat, just an overweight one. She was only at a humane society for 6 months before I adopted her, but she gained over 4 pounds during that time because of what her foster fed her. I've followed the guide from http://www.catinfo.org/?link=felineobesity. Feeding only canned, high protein foods (raw would be best if you know what you're doing of course, but I don't), and weighing her often to make sure she's not losing more than 1-2% of her body weight a week. (Dr. Pierson also has a detailed journey of 2 very obese cats that she took care of towards the end of the page.)

Mine is not a very active cat, probably due partially to her extra pounds and partially her personality, so exercise has been a struggle. I imagine it's going to be especially difficult for this kitty. Catnip toys were the only toys that would get her excited at first, so I stocked up on a lot of those. I also found that she became more active indoors when she started spending some time outdoors on a leash. I think getting a daily dose of stimulation from the outdoors awakens her hunting instincts. Harness training might not be feasible for your guy at first, but opening a screened window to let the smells of the nature come in might do him some good.

He's definitely going to require a lot of special grooming because he can't groom himself. Brushing him all over, as well as gently cleaning his anus area. I had to do this with my cat in the beginning when she couldn't reach. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he's been taken care of well and it's not too much of a mess back there!

He's probably going to have more problems that you'll have to address, but I don't have experience with what those might be. A good vet is going to be invaluable throughout this process I'm sure.

Welcome to TCS!  I think it's wonderful that you're adopting a cat who has had such a hard time finding a home.  Poor little guy.  Or poor big guy.  I also have a black cat who is headed towards obesity so I've recently been cutting back on his food and playing with him more so he'll get more exercise.  We are waiting for his vest to arrive so I can start taking him out for walks.  

There is a great thread posted by someone who told the whole story of her cat's weight loss - http://www.thecatsite.com/t/245236/mickey-my-27-lbs-foster-and-his-journey-back-to-a-healthy-weight   It's very long but tells the whole story of what Mickey went through in his successful weight loss program.  There is a lot of good advice posted in there as well.

What a happy cat he will be to get out of the janitor's closet.  It just sounds awful.  You are this fellow's guardian angel - bless you for rescuing him.  

He's a real chunker, huh? Food puzzles all the way. Make him work for it! (Oh, and don't cut back too far on the food right away, you'll need to slowly decrease his weight. Too much weight loss can be dangerous to a cat's health.)

That is so wonderful that you are adopting that poor l̶i̶t̶t̶l̶e̶ big guy.  I hope he has a long and healthy life with you and your other kitties.

I second @Margd  's suggestion to read the thread on Mickey the foster kitty's road to a healthy weight.  It's very long, but has pictures that show his progress along the way.

Hopefully you will be able to post a picture of your new guy once he is home.  And as he slims down to a healthy kitty weight.  Good luck. 

Definitely read the links provided, you will get much knowledge from those stories and have a heads up on what to do!

You want to make sure you purchase a pet scale (I got one on Amazon for like $40) so that you can monitor his weight loss. That will be very important. To help this guy, you want to make sure that he's not losing too much too fast. It should be a slow, steady decline and the only way to really monitor that is with an accurate pet/baby scale.

I wish you the very best! This cat is so lucky that you found him. Keep us posted on progress. 

I meant to post sooner but it's been hard to get a pic of this guy! He is so cool. Not quite as big as the cat in the first pic I posted I don't think, but he is definitely the largest I've ever seen with my own eyes! I didn't even think about what the first person replied to me but they were absolutely right about having to clean him, as he cannot reach his back half at all. Thank god he is short haired but I so had to wipe a lot of dried gunk off his butt area. His belly is so big his nipple are cracked and stretched, it looks painful. I feel so sad for him he cannot even jump onto the sofa. We have decided to name him Dog because he is as big as one! He seems to be adjusting very well though, one of my other cats liked him instantly and they are already friends and he is venturing around my house comfortably. He sleeps a lot though and gets winded easily. My other cat is not happy with me at all however and has been sulking since I brought him home. I love him so much already and I loved the pet scale idea I will be buying one next week. Also read through the links, I loved the stories of success especially the cat named Molly this is the best photo I could get of dog when I let him out on my back porch (fenced in) very briefly for what I thought was some needed fresh air. He was so happy and curious! My other full grown cats look like kittens next to him.

bcoleman said:

I meant to post sooner but it's been hard to get a pic of this guy! He is so cool. Not quite as big as the cat in the first pic I posted I don't think, but he is definitely the largest I've ever seen with my own eyes! I didn't even think about what the first person replied to me but they were absolutely right about having to clean him, as he cannot reach his back half at all. Thank god he is short haired but I so had to wipe a lot of dried gunk off his butt area. His belly is so big his nipple are cracked and stretched, it looks painful. I feel so sad for him he cannot even jump onto the sofa. We have decided to name him Dog because he is as big as one! He seems to be adjusting very well though, one of my other cats liked him instantly and they are already friends and he is venturing around my house comfortably. He sleeps a lot though and gets winded easily. My other cat is not happy with me at all however and has been sulking since I brought him home. I love him so much already and I loved the pet scale idea I will be buying one next week. Also read through the links, I loved the stories of success especially the cat named Molly

this is the best photo I could get of dog when I let him out on my back porch (fenced in) very briefly for what I thought was some needed fresh air. He was so happy and curious! My other full grown cats look like kittens next to him.

Click to expand...

He is so cute!! I'm so happy that he is fitting in at your house already AND has a friend??  As far as helping him clean himself until he trims down some, you can buy wipes on Amazon. This is a great story and it looks like he was really meant to be with you.

Thanks for letting us know. I needed to hear something good today.

Dog really is a big boy, isn't he.  Poor baby.  So glad he now has a home and people to love him and help him become healthy.  

Thank you for taking this poor cat in. I also agree about reading @mschauer 's thread that MargD linked to above. That is a true success story.

And please keep us posted! The TCS community can be your support group in this long journey, and I'm sure you'll be gaining a lot of valuable insights which could help others down the road. 

Did the shelter say how much he weighs? Looks so much like my Maple from that angle! She's a pretty big girl in her own right.

Dog is a beautiful cat! It's so wonderful that he felt right at home so easily. I'm so happy for him and that he's getting the care and love he needs. I'll look forward to hearing about his progress!

Dog sure is a big boy!Glad he's found a caring person to adopt him and now he has a feline friend too! My boy Jasper is 25lbs., but not fat-just a huge cat. I think your best bet would be to take him to your vet and ask about a proper diet. Also-some pet stores like Petco might have someone on staff who could advise you.