How to help cat lose weight

[Aunt Angus]

OMG yes the laser pointers. I had to outlaw them in my house because of my german shep mix. She lost her gosh darn mind from them. She was searching day and night - even while we were sleeping. she stopped sleeping well because of her constant hunt for it. Seriously it was a problem! But, she is the exception - definitely do it for this fat cat

I'm dying!!!!

 

[Emelyn]

Is he 15 pounds or 22 pounds? That's a huge range for a cat.
What is his normal food?
Stop ALL treats. He should have absolutely nothing other than his normal food.
I would put him on a high quality dry reduced calorie diet in controlled portions. Acana makes several formulas in "indoor" cat varieties. Read the recommendations for how much to feed a cat at the target weight your cat should weigh and feed him no more than that amount daily. Try giving it to him in something to make him work for it. Like this.
Taking him for walks on a harness would be good if he'll do it. Most cats resist that.

I think 22. I have about 8 treats left in the bag so I'll just finish those and then completely stop buying him treats. I usually get him food from Costco (below)

 

[Lizzy733]

Our girl was an ex-feral caught in a cat cage. She wasn't a very good hunter and came to us gratuitously underweight. It took her about 3 months to bulk up, but we were leaving our son in charge of feeding and she eventually started getting a bit overweight as he was rationing out too much.

It's true, it takes time for a cat's weight to reduce once they've put it on. With her, she's on an expensive feed which is very concentrated, so a little bit goes a long way. One small scoop once a day has all she needs. Her bowl is also an activity feeder, which slows down how quickly she can eat. It makes her have to consider if she's so hungry that it's worth knocking to food down or fishing it out with her paws.

Your cat will get more active as the weight slowly comes off and they start to feel more healthy too.

There are indoor-specific formulas to consider as well once the weight is more manageable, but a formulated weight-loss feed is likely best for now.

So, check the packaging for quantity recommendations, feed only once a day, so your cat spends some time fasted, cut out any soft foods, human food or treats.

We'd been using canned food as a training incentive with our girl, since she was not tame and this likely contributed early on.

She still gets these on occasion (when we have guests or need her to come when called), but did cold-turkey for a while to get her to slim down. She's looking much better these days.

 

[Isadora]

I think 22. I have about 8 treats left in the bag so I'll just finish those and then completely stop buying him treats.

I know you probably want to use up the treats because you feel like it's wasteful not to, but your cat will be better off if you just throw them away. Might as well get him started on the right foot right away.

 

[Daphne_loves_mealworms]

i would definitely recommend starting off with a vet visit + bloodwork to make sure he doesn’t have any health issues currently, then see if they can set an appropriate calorie goal for him. Losing weight is the goal, but losing it too quickly can be dangerous. They may have a suggested food based off his physical and BW. Otherwise, try to stick to canned food. Read all labels carefully as calorie content can vary wildly.

I adopted my own fat cat when she was 20 lbs. There was a struggle as she was pre-diabetic with a lower GI issue. We finally found an Rx diet that worked for her (Hills Metabolic canned), and she was just over 14 lbs when Covid interrupted the supply. I’m just getting her back on track after discovering that her favorite new over the counter food had 30 more calories per 3 oz. can than she needs. With 3 meals per day, it added up and she regained over 1 lb.

I recommend purchasing a baby scale to monitor weight at home. Record his weight loss and contact his vet if the loss is excessive or he doesn’t lose at all. Schedule regular appointments to monitor blood work. And most importantly, don’t give up!

I agree with the exercise recommendations everyone else has made. I take Sammie out on supervised walks and play with her whenever I can. She also plays with my 13 yr. old cat.

Here‘s my fat girl, Sammie!

 

[Aunt Angus]

I should add that my huuuge cat Aubrey had all that work up @ the vet. There's nothing wrong with him other than the fact that he was 31 lbs. He is heavier than both of my dogs combined AND the same as my other 3 cats combined.

I've never met a bigger cat. I know they're out there, but I don't know any personally. He's just..... huge.

 

[Daphne_loves_mealworms]

I should add that my huuuge cat Aubrey had all that work up @ the vet. There's nothing wrong with him other than the fact that he was 31 lbs. He is heavier than both of my dogs combined AND the same as my other 3 cats combined.

I've never met a bigger cat. I know they're out there, but I don't know any personally. He's just..... huge.

My Sammie would be 31 lbs if she could! She is literally never NOT hungry, even when she’s eating enough to gain weight. There’s regular cats out there, and chubby cats, then there are cats like Sammie and Aubrey. I wish I knew what causes certain cats to go “above and beyond” in their quest to fill their bellies. Something physiological? Trauma in kittenhood? Something in the food?

 

[Aunt Angus]

My Sammie would be 31 lbs if she could! She is literally never NOT hungry, even when she’s eating enough to gain weight. There’s regular cats out there, and chubby cats, then there are cats like Sammie and Aubrey. I wish I knew what causes certain cats to go “above and beyond” in their quest to fill their bellies. Something physiological? Trauma in kittenhood? Something in the food?

Idk. I'd guess something psychological? Aubrey is ancient now, but he used to expend a lot of energy trying to find food. And beg at the table - oh, he was the worst! He was my mom's cat for most of his life, and she would indulge him, which didn't help. She finally put him on diet food a few years before we ended up with him.

Interestingly, he had a vomiting issue that the vets could not figure out. Since he's been with us, it's stopped entirely. Again, I wonder if that was psychological, too?

Gotta get him when he's on the couch and ask him about his mother, I guess.