Feeding an overweight Norwegian Forest Cat

I have an 11 yr. old Norwegian Forest Cat, Booger,  now weighs 29 lbs!!  He and the other 6 kitties are addicts for Pro Plan dry and any brand wet. Booger obviously does not get enough exercise but we are working on that.  He goes to the vet college every 3 months to monitor the pressure in his eyes and has lost sight in his right due to herpes virus. Besides eye drops he is also on L-Lysine powder to control the virus and his sneezing which has worked very well.  For weight loss Science Diet was suggested but he will not eat the samples.  He did eat the Purina OM (overweight management) samples but I can't find it locally so will have to order it. I've tried other weight management brands but he won't eat them.  My concern with the OM is the Corn Gluten Mean and all the other "meals" and no sign of real meat.  I do try to feed the No Grain dry's mixed with the regular Pro Plan dry and all the other kitties are in good weight condition.  I know Booger's breed is a Large breed but 29 lbs. seems too much and could lead to other very serious problems so I want to try and get a hold on this issue now.  Surprisingly the other kitties rarely ever eat from Booger's bowl, they have their own so I should be able to feed him his portion without spending a fortune feeding the ones that don't need weight loss.  Same with the wet and right  now I'm feeding cheaper brands because I can't afford $2 a can for 7 cats so spend $40 on 16 lbs. of dry instead.  I would appreciate all suggestions!  Anyone experiencing this issue with their Norwegian?  Thank you all very much.

I don't have a Norwegian, but all the brands you listed/that have been recommended for you are actually not that great for weight loss, even the weight management ones! The key for weight loss, in addition to portion control, is to feed a high protein, low carb diet. The protein keeps them fuller for longer, and is much healthier for them all around. Cats were not built to eat a lot of carbs and plant material! 

I would cut out all dry food from his diet if possible. Kibble tends to have more carbs and fillers just to bind it into nice little balls and travel well. Wet food also has more water, and water can help with satiety as well. Then, find a wet food that has few plant based fillers. Grain free is good, but be careful that it doesn't also have non grain carbs like potato and tapioca, which are just as bad. The highest quality brands are going to be more expensive (Nature's Variety, Holistic Select, Whole Earth Farms, Tiki Cat, Wellness Core, etc), but a less expensive option that is still mostly meat is going to be Fancy Feast classic pates. 

Then, pay careful attention to how much food he gets everyday, and weigh him every few days. If he's not losing weight, cut back the amount further. Don't start off with a drastic reduction because if a cat loses more than 2% of its weight in a week than it can be at risk for fatty liver disease, so it is going to take a little bit of math. My cat was overweight at 14 lbs, and she didn't start losing weight until I got her eating under 180 calories a day. The food quality is really important, though, because when she was eating that much of a potato-filled food, she acted like she was starving! But when we switched to better foods, she was still a bit hungry, of course, because she was on a diet, but she was much more comfortable. Plus now, she's not only lost weight, but her fur and skin look healthier and she has much more energy.

Not with a Norwegian but my boys needed to lose a little weight from being on kitten food while Rocket was under a year. I used the Natures Variety Weight Management. I can't find it anymore but they do now make one called Pride which is a lower calorie version of the original formula they are marketing for indoor cats which might be what they switched their weight management to. It has 37% protein, 14.5% fat, 7.5% fiber and 10% moisture at 363 kcal/cup (about 75-100 calories less than most adult cat foods). Its a grain-free, gluten-free food using peas as the binder (which I think matches what I remember for the weight management formula). http://www.instinctpetfood.com/pride-by-instinct 

I agree with the other post that a lot of diet cat foods aren't effective. The higher protein keeps them fuller longer and they eat less. On the Natures Variety version after one bag the boys dropped the weight they gained on the kitten food (they have just lost a little of their waist definition so maybe a half pound each but I am very cautious about their weight and not wanting them overweight) and now all three are on the adult Instinct by Nature's Variety plus wet food once a day (that's Link below, a solid 13 pounds).

If you want to try something else, I'd say to read the labels and looked for something around 350-375  kcal/cup with no grains. I am not sure about the tapioca comment. Mine eat a food with a tapioca binder and they are looking good. I've done the research into it and it seems that there are mixed ideas on it and that there is some confusion. I know that potatoes are not a good substitute, my vet agrees, but even my vet wasn't sure about tapioca. She said that based on the appearance of my cats it doesn't seem to make them retain weight around the midsection like the grains and potatoes do so the jury is still out. If I can find a high protein substitute in the same price range with peas or some other binder I might try it. But with dry food it needs a binder and there are only so many things that can be used so its one of those things that you just have to do your own research and try to do whats best for your cats. 

If you have independent pet stores in the area, look there for a wider selection of higher quality foods. Chain pet stores tend to have a limited selection and some brands of food are not sold in chain stores.

No food keeps teeth clean at all despsite what some vets say. Only regular home dental care will keep teeth clean, just like it does for your own teeth Toothbrushing with pet toothpaste is best. Many cats don't like their teeth brushed at first but eventually get used to it. It helps to use a yummy flavored toothpaste and to reward the cat with a treat afterwards. Large dental chews and oral rinses / sprays are less effective but work somewhat. The drops that you put into a bowl are water are a waste of money, IMO. No cat is going to drink enough water from a bowl for the drops to have any effect on plaque and won't do a thing to remove food particles stuck between teeth.

Feeding your cats enough calories daily is the key to prevent extra weight, or in the case of your 29 lb one, to lose the extra weight. Canned and raw foods (commerical raw or home made) help with this as they are less calorie dense than any dry food. Here's a web site that goes into more detail about diet and obesity: http://catinfo.org/?link=felineobesity Here's one TCS member's story of how she got an overweight cat to lose the extra weight: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/245236/mickey-my-27-lbs-foster-and-his-journey-back-to-a-healthy-weight

Look for canned food that comes in large 13 oz sizes. That helps keep costs down for feeding a lot of cats. Friskies has a few varieties in the large cans. Wellness does as well. Nature's Variety Instinct Originals dog food comes in a large sized can which you CAN feed to a cat. It includes taurine. It is only the NV Instinct Orginals, not the other lines NV has.

Yes, dry food does nothing for their teeth, so it's not really necessary at all if your cat is good on wet.

Nature's Variety Instinct is a great brand. I think the frozen variety is some form of raw food, which is also very healthy and great for weight loss. It just tends to be more expensive, especially preprepared raw tjat they sell in stores.

And I should have clarified, most cat foods will have a few starches in there, but you just don't want them to be one of the main ingredients. The lower down on the list they are, the better.

Thank you very much Kieki for the info and web sites.  I first noticed your Snowshoe/Siamese kitties because I also have one. Siamese or Oriental Shorthair are my first love but no one ever dumps one at our farm! LOL  The last four that were dumped are awesome, no fleas or diseases, just had to spay and neuter and as each arrived in the past couple years they blended in fine. Back to the food....the regular ProPlan has not made any of the other 6 overweight and they absolutely love it.  It's expensive but still not the very best so I always try to find totally grain free bags on sale and give them all the choices.  We had a pet store with all the great foods but they closed so it's basically Petco and Petsmart and Petco seems to have the best quality foods. I'm putting all your advice together and start trying each to see what Booger will eat the best.  He did like the Purina OM but I have to order it since I couldn't find it in town. I've gone thru the making fresh with another kitty and I'm always afraid I'm leaving something out.

Thanks again. 

LTS3 and Molly 92 I really appreciate your advice.  I used Instinct with a kidney disease kitty and the frozen actually went quite a ways.  They usually tell you to go low protein for the disease or, of course Science Diet KD (eck) but I went with the holistic viewpoint and high protein.  The thought is to give the kitty as much energy as possible and he actually did keep his energy and lived months past what was expected without suffering so for me it was the right choice.  I think the Instinct was a benefit in that case so it may be helpful with the overweight.

I order all my food online even though I have pet stores near me. Lets be honest, I am lazy and an impulse shopper. So I set up a monthly delivery with their food and order replacement toys as needed. I go through Amazon, free shipping and since its on auto order I save money each month but I've heard good things about Chewys too I just have prime and a credit card with 5% cash back on Amazon purchases so win-win.

Good luck finding something that will work for Booger.

And I love my Snowshoe/Siamese mutt kitties. Rocket was dropped on my front porch so don't give up one getting the good luck of one being dumped on your lap too.