My mom's cat is HUGE. He is a 23lb fluff ball with a weight problem. She has taken him to the vet to try to find out what to do to get it under control and the vet has done tests and determined he has a thyroid problem. They told her to cut back his food and try to increase his activity, but she is having trouble. She has finally given up because he is so unhappy. She decided she would rather have an overweight happy cat with a shorter life than an unhappy cat who she feels she is starving to death and tormenting. Here's what she was trying.
She put him on a special weight management food (super expensive). He was only allowed 1/4 cup per day.
He would get his 1/4 cup of food each morning in his bowl. By noon his food was gone and every time anyone walked through the kitchen the cat would run in and cry and beg for more, pleading to be fed. By the next morning when he got his next 1/4 cup of food he was starving and would scarf it down. She did this for 5 months with no change to his behavior. His stomach never shrunk or appetite change. He didn't adjust. She didn't just start him on a sudden 1/4 cup of food. She slowly decreased it, incrementally cutting him down over the period of 2 months before he went for 5 months on the 1/4 cup.
During the 5 months on 1/4 cup/day he lost 2 pounds.
Her and my dad have tried to engage him in play. They have tried to increase his activity. He has no desire to play. He doesn't show any interest in cat toys, laser lights, cat nip, strings, moving objects, or anything else. He HAS hunted some of the birds in the backyard on the patio, but that is the only activity he has shown. He will go out on their patio and in their backyard and wander around, but he won't even bother to leave the yard because he refuses to jump the 8 foot fence.
Being a large cat he CAN jump high. We have seen him go over the 8 foot fence a few times, but he doesn't like to. He jumps up on to the beds, on the couch, on top of the entertainment centers, on the bar or table, etc. He runs quite fast to greet my dad when he comes home from work. But the rest of the time he prefers to just lay around and be lazy.
What can my parents do to help their cat? They worry about his health and well being. My brother has the brother of this cat (they look like twins) and he is a mirror image - but a normal size and super active. Complete opposite of what my parents' cat looks like. Any advice to give to my parents? My mom is retired so is home all day with the cat, and my dad will be retiring this year, so will also be home soon (other than the vacations they take, in which case my brother or sister always stay at the house so that the cat is never alone - that cat is so spoiled! :-) can't even be left alone over night while my parents go out of town!).
Thanks!
Here's a picture of him yesterday in front of the Christmas presents.
She put him on a special weight management food (super expensive). He was only allowed 1/4 cup per day.
He would get his 1/4 cup of food each morning in his bowl. By noon his food was gone and every time anyone walked through the kitchen the cat would run in and cry and beg for more, pleading to be fed. By the next morning when he got his next 1/4 cup of food he was starving and would scarf it down. She did this for 5 months with no change to his behavior. His stomach never shrunk or appetite change. He didn't adjust. She didn't just start him on a sudden 1/4 cup of food. She slowly decreased it, incrementally cutting him down over the period of 2 months before he went for 5 months on the 1/4 cup.
During the 5 months on 1/4 cup/day he lost 2 pounds.
Her and my dad have tried to engage him in play. They have tried to increase his activity. He has no desire to play. He doesn't show any interest in cat toys, laser lights, cat nip, strings, moving objects, or anything else. He HAS hunted some of the birds in the backyard on the patio, but that is the only activity he has shown. He will go out on their patio and in their backyard and wander around, but he won't even bother to leave the yard because he refuses to jump the 8 foot fence.
Being a large cat he CAN jump high. We have seen him go over the 8 foot fence a few times, but he doesn't like to. He jumps up on to the beds, on the couch, on top of the entertainment centers, on the bar or table, etc. He runs quite fast to greet my dad when he comes home from work. But the rest of the time he prefers to just lay around and be lazy.
What can my parents do to help their cat? They worry about his health and well being. My brother has the brother of this cat (they look like twins) and he is a mirror image - but a normal size and super active. Complete opposite of what my parents' cat looks like. Any advice to give to my parents? My mom is retired so is home all day with the cat, and my dad will be retiring this year, so will also be home soon (other than the vacations they take, in which case my brother or sister always stay at the house so that the cat is never alone - that cat is so spoiled! :-) can't even be left alone over night while my parents go out of town!).
Thanks!
Here's a picture of him yesterday in front of the Christmas presents.
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