Requesting diet advice/opinions for fat cat

[bridget]

Hello. I adopted my orange tabby male a year ago from a shelter. Gemini was 14 years old, weighed a whopping 31.5 pounds(!) and has arthritis. I put him on a diet of low-call catfood and a bit of canned food because of his age. He also gets Cosequin every day for his arthritis. Our goal was to get his weight down to 15 pounds, as I think he is a pretty big cat, so that seemed reasonable. Fast forward, he is now down to 20 pounds. Still doesn't get around real well, but is minimally mobile (gets to litter box, but sometimes not in it, but I can deal with that). He is flabby but now has a waist! The dilemma is that for several months now, he isn't losing anymore weight. So, given his age, and the current weight loss, should we just call it good? Or should I reduce his food a little? He currently gets about 1 heaping tablespoon of canned AM, 1/8 cup dry for lunch, another tblsp. canned for dinner and another 1/8 cup dry at bedtime. I could, if necessary cut out either his lunch or his bedtime snack. Opinions or advice please?

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi! Have you asked the vet about whether or not they think it is really necessary for him to lose more? How many calories do you think he is getting now? How is his health otherwise? Do you think he would do OK if you cut more food from his diet?

If you are really driven to continue with his weight loss, maybe cut his dry food in half for one of the feedings, but add a bit of canned to replace it? Canned has less calories, but doing this would still allow him to eat a bit more.

Feeby (15+ yo) never weighed more than 18.5 pounds, now she is currently at 15.5 and I am good with that. She is also sedentary, but does fairly well moving around, and she takes Glyco Flex Plus for her arthritis. She is in pretty good health based on semi-annual check ups and blood work. So, I am not sure that letting her stay at her current weight is any real big deal for me.

Ever think about changing his litter box to something he can more easily get in and out of in case that is the reason he sometimes go outside of it? I also have interim steps around the house that help Feeby get up on locations that she likes but probably wouldn't use without the extra steps.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!
Here's an adult cat body condition chart that you can utilize, and here is some more information that might help. Also, can you get him to exercise a bit more -- gently, of course. Maybe have him follow you a little way around the house with his food dish in your hand and see if you can gradually increase the distance?

How Much Food Should I Feed My Cat? – Cat Articles

Fit or Fat: Your Pet's Body Condition Score (BCS)

 

[bridget]

Thanks, good information. I will assess his body condition, and then perhaps lessen his dry food just a small amount. I will also consult vet about whether he should lose any more weight or just leave it alone.
He won't exercise much at all; I think it hurts him to walk. He was in poor condition when we got him and he walks on his front hocks (I think I'm explaining it right). Like his poor legs won't hold him up.
As for litter box, we are using the lowest sided one I've been able to find. I think that is something I just have to put up with and it is really not a lot of trouble, as it is in a room whose floor I'm not concerned about and newspaper under/around the litter box.
He is such a nice cat and despite his problems, we really enjoy him. Strangely, he is able to pull himself up on the couch if we aren't there. But he requests to be lifted if possible!
Thanks for the comments.

 

[IndyJones]

Is it possible to cut dry food out altogether? Dry has much more calories than canned.

All cats are different but I've found most cats trim down better on all canned or raw than on dry.

 

[Furballsmom]

But he requests to be lifted if possible!

he walks on his front hocks

aww, what a sweetie, and he probably likes the extra attention as well. You might do as we are with Poppycat and help him down too

Could you cut out a part of one side of the litterbox, and then smooth it (for example, heating/melting the cut edges with a cigarette lighter) so there aren't any sharp edges?

He currently gets about 1 heaping tablespoon of canned AM, 1/8 cup dry for lunch, another tblsp. canned for dinner and another 1/8 cup dry at bedtime.

lessen his dry food just a small amount.

My boy is a 14-15 pound cat, and although he's more active than your fella and I realize that different foods have different calories et al, Poppycat is getting a LOT more food than this and barely maintaining his weight.

As suggested by other posters, rather than decreasing the kibble could you maybe make a change to his mid-day meal, from kibble to canned food?

From the article above;
The ranges of calories per pound of cat vary greatly: the guidelines range from 15 calories per pound of body weight for inactive indoor-only sterilized cats to 35 calories per pound for active cats. Outdoor cats may need up to 50 calories per pound. The “average” cat needs about 20 calories per pound.

Canned foods typically range from 180-220 calories per 5.5 ounce can; dry foods are often calorie-dense, ranging from 300-500 calories per cup. When eating canned food, the average adult cat usually needs about one 5.5 ounce can of food per day.

This article focuses on caloric intake only, and assumes the cat is fed with good-quality cat food that has the right balance of protein, fats and carbohydrates (“macronutrient” content). Cats utilize proteins and fats far more efficiently than carbohydrates. Dry cat foods often contain a high level of carbohydrates: these foods may encourage a cat to eat more than the ideal number of calories as the food does not leave them feeling satisfied. On the same token, fat has almost twice as many calories as protein and carbohydrates. Cats utilize fats for energy well, and fat provides cats with needed nutrition: but a cat eating high fat foods will need less food or they may eat too many calories and thus gain weight.

 

[LTS3]

Here's a thread with tips:

Mickey, my 27 lbs foster and his journey back to a healthy weight

Mickey is my newest foster kitty. He is 7 1/2 years old and weights 27 lbs. This is the first of hopefully many posts chronicling Mickey's journey back to a healthy weight. He is with me solely for the purpose of losing weight. He is actually in pretty good shape other than his weight. His rear...

www.thecatsite.com

I put him on a diet of low-call catfood and a bit of canned food because of his age.

He currently gets about 1 heaping tablespoon of canned AM, 1/8 cup dry for lunch, another tblsp. canned for dinner and another 1/8 cup dry at bedtime. I could, if necessary cut out either his lunch or his bedtime snack. Opinions or advice please?

What brand of canned and dry are you feeding? Can you omit the dry and feed only canned?

 

[DreamerRose]

I don't think you should reduce any of his food. What you are giving for a large cat is already small enough. Check out Mickey's thread above and see if it helps.