I'm so concerned--my kitty is very overweight

My boy Terrell is so overweight. He always has been a big guy, but it's gotten very bad lately. He's going to the vet next week, but in the meantime, I'm feeling just horrible. I try so hard to get him active (we even adopted a kitty playmate for him!), and I'm super careful (almost obsessively so) about his food. I'm at my wit's end. I feel like a kitty mommy failure.

Poor Terrell.

Seriously, any advice? Like I said, we're going to our vet next week, but I'd like to be as proactive about this as possible.

I should also say that my "kitty" is ten years old. Not a kitty, per se, but my kitty forever.

I would wait until you take him to the vet, because they say never cut down their food unless on a vets advice.

Rosie is 12lb and Sophie is 10lb 1oz, and the vet told me the quantity they should be having, and so far it's working perfectly because they should be 8lb for their frame.

Both my cats are indoors, and before Rosie came along i tried to play with her as much as possible to keep her active, but since i got Sophie they both get plenty of exercise running after each other

And 10 years old!......he's still a baby!!!

Where does he fall on a scale of 1-9?

http://www.placervillevet.com/feline...0condition.htm

Are you saying he's a 6 or a 8?

Anyway, start with the vet's advice and then work from there. Good luck!

Don't worry, kitty will be okay!
Chances are, they'll tell you to put him on diet food--no biggie. Oliver topped out at 15 lbs after he was neutered when we lived in a small apt and before we moved and got Emma. Now he's 13 which is pretty good for his size--he's very long and big boned.
I felt so bad when the vet told me how much weight he had to lose-felt like a bad mommy--but, I got over it! They slim down pretty quickly and it won't affect their overall health that much in the long run.

Now if only I could lose weight as easily!

I agree, wait until you've spoken with your vet. You didn't mention what you are currently feeding him (and if he gets treats), and how you feed - free-feed, feeding 2 oe 3 times per day?

Your vet should be able to recommend a safe rate of loss, and suggest a good food (though I admit some vets simply suggest one brand and one brand only, which if you just need a diet food, I do not agree that Science Diet is the best option).

for weight loss the Science Diet works well though. I agree that the ingredients aren't ideal, but we used it for Abbey (she was 23 lbs!!) until she got down to about 16 and then I switched to Innova Light.

Originally Posted by 3CatHouse

for weight loss the Science Diet works well though. I agree that the ingredients aren't ideal, but we used it for Abbey (she was 23 lbs!!) until she got down to about 16 and then I switched to Innova Light.

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I do use Science Diet prescription foods, and despite their ingredients was grateful when they worked, but I do think there are other diet foods out there that can be tried first.

Thanks for the reassurance. Terrell is 25 pounds, when I weighed him unofficially. (I weighed myself, and then weighed myself holding him.) When he was 22 pounds, our doctor wasn't THAT concerned: She said that he's just a big boy all around, but that if he gets any bigger we'll have to do some behavior modification.

Terrell eats Eukanuba Light and Neutro Natural Choice Light (I'm trying to get him off the Eukanuba so they're mixed right now), and then some Neutro Light wet at night. (He's got very dry skin so I'm trying some wet food to help him out with that--another thing I'm going to ask our vet about). He gets no snacks or treats during the day, and I only feed him 1/3 cup morning and night. He tries SO HARD to get to our other kitty's food though, and she eats Neutro, too (can't remember the type, but it's for adult cats). So I watch them like a hawk so he won't get into the full-fat stuff.

Anyway, we'll see what the Doc says on Monday. THanks again for your reassurance. : :

I think some cats are just prone to either be real petite & tiny, or real big boned & chunky. Mine all get the same type food and they're all across the board as far as size, shape, and weight!

But yes I'd speak with your Vet before switching foods or putting kitty on a diet. Cats don't take too well to food changes!

Originally Posted by klcrooks

. He tries SO HARD to get to our other kitty's food though, and she eats Neutro, too (can't remember the type, but it's for adult cats). So I watch them like a hawk so he won't get into the full-fat stuff.

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How do you keep them separated to eat? I have one cat who is getting kinda large, and then rambo is still a kitten and skinny. They won't eat if one is closed away somewhere else...and i don't really want the kitten on diet food....

Renny, we don't keep them separated. They won't eat if they are. They're too intersted in what the other cat is eating! (Those stinkers.) So I usually try to feed them when I'm doing someting in the kitchen (dishes or cooking or getting my lunch ready in the morning) so I can watch them and head off any "food burglarizing" attempts.