My fat cat refuses to lose weight

[ivyandnala]

I need some help understanding why Chubby McChubberson is not losing weight. She’s a 5 year old indoor cat and weighs slightly over 5kg. Looking at her frame, I would guess she should weight around 4.2-4.5kg to be at a healthy weight so I put her on a diet. I have another more active cat who is smaller in build and weighs in at 3.2kg (healthy for him). I am feeding this guy twice, if not three times as much as my fatso and yet she is absolutely refusing to lose weight. On one side I’m worried I’m starving her, but on the other it’s been 4 months on this diet and she’s barely lost any weight. I’m at a complete loss. I’m feeding her a diet of about 150 calories per day with a mix of wet and dry food. I give her the dry food in a ball to encourage slower eating and movement.

According to the internet I should be feeding her a diet of 200 calories to lose weight. So what gives? And is it possible the low caloric diet will impact her health even though she is losing weight at a rate of 0.001 grams per month?

 

[zoes]

Try feeding her only wet food, and thin it out with water until it's sloppy (if she'll eat that way.)

I had the same issue, I was feeding half dry, half wet. One of my cats was steadily gaining weight, even though the other two ate the exact same amount and were slim. She was also always hungry, meowing for food. I bought $200 micro-chip activated cat bowls so I could control what each cat ate. Counting every calorie, every kibble. She didn't lose a thing and it just stressed me out.

So, I switched to fully wet food (I still give a tbsp of kibble in the morning for fun) and she's lost the extra weight and isn't hungry all the time. I free-feed wet food pretty much - a bowl at breakfast and at dinner, and if they're hungry between.

 

[Azazel]

As zoes said, cut out the dry food and feed wet food only. Dry food is high in carbohydrates which cats cannot process properly because they are obligate carnivores. It is a primary reason why there is an obesity epidemic in household cats.

 

[zoes]

As zoes said, cut out the dry food and feed wet food only. Dry food is high in carbohydrates which cats cannot process properly because they are obligate carnivores. It is a primary reason why there is an obesity epidemic in household cats.

It's so true. You guys gave me that advice some months ago, and I resisted it at the time (too expensive, too much work, my cats don't like wet food, etc,) but it planted the seed that I could do it. Once I did, it solved all my problems - urinary crystals, weight, hunger, and even how I personally felt about the food I was giving them.

 

[Azazel]

Also, it's important to get your cat on a regular play schedule. They need exercise. Some cats lose interest in play and hunting but that shouldn't discourage you from trying to play with them. They are all innate hunters. You just need to try different technqiues and toys to find something that interests them.

 

[ivyandnala]

Okay, you guys have convinced me. The dry food is out. It’s more expensive but I love my little fatso (gonna need a new nickname soon) so it’s worth it.

The other cat, Skinny McSmalls, has decided to stop eating the dry food anyway because it’s not yummy enough for him apparently...

 

[di and bob]

Just remember to withhold food sparingly, gradually cut back the amount you give him. If cats don't get enough to eat they develop all kinds of problems, including liver conditions. So easy does it, small losses, not dramatic ones.....