20Oct/102
Good weight loss program/diet for my cat?
My cat is about 4-5 years old and was last weighed at 26 pounds, his weight could have gone up since then. I can't take him to the vet because I just don't have any money to spare right now. I am still really concerned about his health though. Are there any good weight loss programs/diets that I can put him on to get him healthy?
P.s. He has been fat for a while now.
October 20th, 2010 - 13:01
It’s really easy, just feed them less. If you’re free feeding, stop. Feed three small-ish meals a day. Look at the guidelines on the bag and see how much your cat should be eating. Then cut back by about an eighth of a cup. In three weeks, weigh your cat again. If he gained weight or stayed the same, cut back by another eighth of a cup or so. If he lost weight, you can continue at the same pace. Weigh every 3-4 weeks so you can have a good handle on whether he’s losing weight or not. If he stopped losing weight and he’s not to his goal weight yet, go ahead an take another eighth of a cup off. An easy fairly accurate way to weigh your cat is to weigh yourself first and then weigh yourself holding your cat and see what the difference is. Obviously not hugely accurate but should work okay for these purposes. You need some mental toughness also
He’ll probably act like he’s starving, beg for more food, etc, but you just need to ignore it.
Exercise obviously helps but some cats just aren’t into playing. Do what you can but don’t fret if he doesn’t want to play all day..
Good luck! You’re right to be concerned about his health. So many negative consequences for an overweight kitty.
October 20th, 2010 - 13:01
First, get your cat moving. You might try buying a laser pointer and having him chase the glowing dot (many cats LOVE this game, and it’s a great way to burn calories), or he might like chasing a feather tied to a string. Make sure he gets some active play time every day.
Second, control how much food he eats. Many people just have food sitting out all day for their cats to eat whenever they want, but this makes it very hard to monitor how much your cat is eating. The bag that the food comes in should say how much an adult cat should eat in a day. Offer your cat only this much and no more.