Overweight cat?

ramcheer55

My cat, Izzy, is about a year and half years old.  She was 3 months old when we got her from the local humane society where she was neutered.  Since then, we have always gotten the same cat food for her - we used kitten formula first and then indoor cat as she has gotten older.  We put 1 cup in her bowl in the morning and that's all she gets.  Maybe 2-3 times a week at dinner we'll put about a tablespoon of wet food down for her...mostly to keep her off of the kitchen counter as we're trying to cook our dinner.  She has treats but doesn't get them very often.  We took her to the vet the other week and they said that she is 13 pounds and is too heavy for a cat her age.  I don't believe that we over feed her and she is very active and playful so she gets exercise everyday.  I have noticed that she seems to have a bit of a "pooch" under her tummy that sways when she runs down our stairs.  I was told the "pooch" was common in female cats who were fixed after having a litter of kittens...like I said, she was 3 months old when we got her and therefore never had kittens of her own.  This is my first cat I've ever had...does anyone else have a "fat cat" and does it seem like we feed her too much?  Alot of times, if her bowl is empty at night, she will start chewing on our wireless router for our computer to get our attention.

cs026a

It's going to depend on the type of food your feeding as well as the amount. Different food have vastly different calorie counts - maybe some of the more educated ladies on the food topic will chime in for you!

What type of food are you feeding? Feeding a higher quality food may also help. I have a 14 pound cat, so it's a constant struggle for us as well. We just switched foods, and got a timer feeder. Both our cats get hungry in the middle of the night, so we divide up their daily food into three meals. Set the timers (one for now, one in 8 hours, and one in 16 hours). This seems to work great - no one is pestering us for more food, and they know exactly when their food will arrive.

We also have another food bowl, that makes them work to get food out. We give them that for their breakfast on occasion, that way they have to play and only get one piece of food at a time. 

Good luck!

 

Kaiene

The pooch can be a result of how the vet does the spay.

Ditto the suggestion about feeding a higher quality food.  Check out petfoodratings.net for some more information.  Also, be sure kitty is getting exercise.  Our laziest cat loves the laser pointer. 

kellbell1919

All of my cats are smaller than 13 lb, but they're all small enough that if they were 13 lb it would be way too heavy. What are you feeding her? We keep their weight down by feeding grain free and feeding wet food.  Taste of the wild and wellness are both excellent foods.  Feeding grain free in cats reduces the risk of kidney failure, hyperthyroid and diabetes long term.  It is also important to keep their weight in check to prevent those types of diseases.  If your vet says she is too heavy, she is probably too heavy.ETA a cup a day is way too much food.  That's what my 40lb dog gets.  My cats eat max 1/2 c per day.

kittie8709

I would ask the vet. The feeding guidelines on the bad are misleading and you could be unintentionally feeding him too much. We cut down the food to 1/2 cup per day and he has lost the weight. 

WaitingOnTwoPinkLines

On grain-containing kibble, my fat cat maintained a weight of 16 pounds on 1 cup of food per day (a light variety), so I'd say the #1 issue is feeding too much.

Once we switched to a grain-free, high protein, low carb food (Wellness CORE), he now gets 1/2 cup per day & weights 12 pounds, which is perfect for his frame.

I would recommend feeding a high protein, low carb food from a food-dispensing toy such as the FUNkitty Egg-cersizer made by Premier.