Any experience with obese cats?

[TexasBushwhacker]

So, since I'm a senior lady, I'm looking to adopt some senior cats. I found a bonded pair, 9 years old, male and female. I went to meet them today and hope to bring them home next weekend.

The only problem is that they are both hefty, around 20 lbs. Their previous owner didn't say what they were being fed other than it was kibble and they were being fed 3 times a day, plus treats. The vet at the shelter recommended they be put on Hills Metabolic, which is 1) prescription and 2) almost $100 for a 14 lb bag.

Now the first thing I thought was maybe they should just be fed twice a day. Since I go to work 5 days a week, that's the schedule they'll have anyway. The second thing was I read the ingredients on the Hills Metabolic and it's full off GRAIN. When I've had cats before, once I switched to grain free, they loved it.

If they've been getting the Hills Metabolic at the shelter, I'll probably get a small bag and transition them to something grain free over a couple of weeks.

Thoughts?

[mzmolly]

1. There are many foods that are suitable for

overweight cats. That said, I agree that feeding less will be sufficient once you transition them from Hills.

I hope you enjoy your new furry family members.

[TygrBright]

2. Actually, you're probably better off keeping to the 3x a day feeding but reducing amount.

And yes, transitioning them with some of what they're used to should help.

Just smaller amounts, and if you can feed them separately it should help.

Also lots of play with wand toys, etc., to get them exercising a bit more.

Good luck!

They are lucky to have found a new furever home where they can be together, with someone who loves them enough to care for their health.

appreciatively,
Bright

[roody]

3. All my pets have hated Hills.

Any high quality food in appropriate amounts will be good for them.

[SheltieLover]

4. Fancy Feast Classic Pate is supposed to be good for weight loss,

as it is 99 calories per can.

I have a senior rescue who demands to eat a decent amount every 3 hours, round-the-clock.

I also feed blue indoor in teeny amounts when she demands food.

She is 16 lbs, much too heavy for her bone structure.

Always a battle.

Vet even rx'd transdermal antidepressant for her, but it didn't make any difference.

She absolutely will not play with anything, at least not with things that won't bleed. Lol

Congrats on your new babies!

[Phoenix61]

5. This is what I feed mine.

This thing to think about when dealing with a litter box is the more nutritious the food the less they need to eat and the less you have to scoop. Also, they tend to eat less when it’s nutrient dense.

[url=https://postimg.cc/crFrwS8f][img][/img][/url]

[spooky3]

7. I've had overweight cats and normal weight cats. I

Agree that you should NOT feed them Hills for the reason you mentioned. And, I have never had a cat who liked Hills food of any type.

You can easily feed them 3x per day—before you go to work, when you come home, and maybe a little dry food just before bed. I would just feed them a LITTLE less than what they have been getting. They are already stressed.

I wonder if, once they become accustomed to a loving home with space to move around, they will eat less on their own.

[Bayard]

8. At a shelter

There's usually not much to do besides eat. I agree with only feeding them twice a day, not free choice, high quality food, but good lord--not $100 for a 14 lb bag! I had no idea Hill's was that expensive, but I've never fed it.

Cut out the treats till they've trimmed up, and hopefully they can get more exercise.

Any pics yet?

[TexasBushwhacker]

12. These are pics from the shelter

Felix, the house panther





Dakota, queen of the castle

[spooky3]

13. After they are free to move around, I bet the weight will drop off. Nt

[Archae]

9. Both my cats are losing weight...

Charlotte especially was somewhat fat.

Instead of the store-bought Purina or such, I buy through Chewy.com the "Science Diet" perfect weight dry food, and give my two cats a Sheba a few times a month.

More expensive, but worth it.

[patricia92243]

10. Can cats eat raw meat? My niece feeds a lot of raw meat to her dogs.

[piddyprints]

18. We feed ours raw ground turkey or rabbit.

The important thing is the correct protein to phosphorous ratio, which they'd get from whole prey in nature.

Raw fed pets rarely overeat or undereat, so their weight normalizes over time.

[chowmama]

14. Get the weight off slowly

Think percentage of body weight instead of 'I need to get x pounds off them fast'. If they need to lose 10% of their body weight, it should take them as long as it should take you to lose 10% of your body weight. 20%, 30%, same thing. Crash dieting can be a disaster.

If they stop eating altogether, get them to the vet right away. The vet will check the liver values, as well as test for diabetes. Hepatic lipidosis is rare, but really serious.

Slow and steady, a few ounces at a time. They're going to be so much happier, the closer they get to their goal. 9 years old is not that old; they should have a good life still ahead of them.

[TexasBushwhacker]

15. Lost a cat to lipidosis several years ago

She was my mother's cat, and my mom got really sick after her second round of chemo. She had to go into the hospital for about a week and her cat just quit eating. When I realized she hadn't eaten, I took her to the vet, but she was just too far gone. I held her in my arms as they euthanized her. I felt SO GUILTY.

So now, I'm not going to make any drastic changes. I wouldn't even say they're that obese. They're big cats! Big heads!

[chowmama]

16. Oh, I'm so sorry about your mom's cat

Don't feel guilty - cats are so good at hiding any weakness.

And yeah, body structure for your new guys is a big part of the equation. Toshiro Plushbottom, one of mine a long time ago, had a fighting weight of 13 pounds. At that weight, he didn't have an ounce of fat on him. (Of course, he spent most of his life trying to convince me that he needed to be 15 pounds.) We think he was part Maine Coon, although he looked British Blue/White.

He came out of a 7-11 parking lot, where he was bumming for Slim Jims. My husband and his toddler son had stopped for a snack before taking the little guy back to his mom. The toddler rushed the cat before my husband could stop him and the cat just dropped on his side for a belly rub. Phew.

Going into the store, the clerk said "Is that your cat? He's been here all day." Another customer said "Oh, you've got a problem with a cat? I've got a dog in the truck that'll take care of that for you." and headed out towards his Sherpa Intimidia. Jim didn't look for a gun rack, but the guy was the type. Jim followed him out and said "That is my cat. Leave him alone."

Fleas, worms, the works. We got it all sorted and he lived to 19 years old.

[piddyprints]

17. I would never feed my cats Hills anything.

Vets sell it because the only nutrition course they take in vet school is sponsored by Hills. I have never had a pet do well on it. Ever.

The big thing is not to overfeed, which is hard when cats are used to eating whatever and whenever they want. Just get some food you can afford, feed them twice a day, and pay attention to portion control.

[TexasBushwhacker]

19. Thank you. I did buy a small bag of Hills

to transition them to a grain free chicken chow that's around $2 a pound. The Hills small bag was $7 a pound, and it's not even the prescription stuff the vet recommended. That stuff was $8 per pound!