OT: Advice needed about indoor cats.

[jennyleigh1975]

I have a question about indoor cats and weight. Today, my husband and my sister in law both made comments as to how fat my cat is. I didnt think she was all that big. So, I weighed her. Turns out she weighs 14 lbs. So, I called our vets office and asked how much she should weigh, and they said around 8-10 lbs.So, for those of you with indoor cats, what do you feed yours and how much a day? I have just always left food out for my cat, so she can eat anytime she wants to. I guess that was bad idea, lol!!Edited by: jennyleigh1975

[matmysunshine]

I have 4 cats, and they I think one of them is pretty much on the heavy side, but i also leave food out for them ALL the time, that could be why they are alittle bit on the Plump side Is your cat Fixed, they tend to gain alot more weight when they are becasue they become SOOO lazy and just eat and sleep All of mine are so I guess that why they are that lazy.. But aside from my son, and Hubby, they are also my babies Christy

[jennyleigh1975]

My kitty was fixed back in Nov. She decided to come into heat on Thanksgiving Day!! LOL!! Not fun when you have a cat in heat and a house full of company coming over!! Needless to say, she was out in our bathroom, away from company. I swear, I never heard a cat meow so much, lol. Anyway, is 14 lbs really too much for her to weigh, should I start feeding her just once/twice a day and not leaving it out?

What do you feed yours Christy?

[roxxi277]

My cat has also been fixed, and I leave her dry food out all
day. She also gets a bowl of wet cat food as a treat every
night. She weighs a about 7 lbs. She is 4 years old. (in
case you wondered if she was a kitten). Yes she is very small,
but she eats ALL the time. But cats are finicky. They
usually don't eat all at once. They pick throughout the
day. I am wondering if cats are like people, and it is in their
genes whether or not they get fat. LOL. Maybe try feeding
your cat in the morning, and then taking away the bowl. And then
feed the cat one more time at night, again taking away the bowl when
she is done. The problem is, she may be used to her bowl being
there all the time and get nervous that its gone.....maybe even pace
around the area. Did you try giving her smaller amounts?
You may even try going to a large pet store, like Pet Smart, and see if
they have diet cat food. I know they have it for dogs, so maybe
they do for cats too. Good Luck! Carrie.

[jennyleigh1975]

Yes, I have wondered if I take it away from her, will she get antsy and wonder what happened. She has had it readily available since she was a kitten, and when it gets empty, she lets us know!!!! I honestly didnt think she was all that big. I think I will take her to the vets office tomorrow and let them weigh her and see what they say about her weight/food.

[jesskali]

I have 2 indoor cats , a persian and a domestic short hair. My persian looks pretty chunky and he weighs about 10 pounds. He is 2 and a half years old. My DSH looks like a very lean and muscular cat and he weighed 12 pounds at his last vet check and that has been almost a year ago. He just turned 2. Right now I feed them both a special hairball formula that PetSmart makes. I was feeding them Purina, but that really isn't a very good food. I keep their food out all day, too. They just eat when they want. I personally like my kitties plump but they don't need to be too overweight. If you want to learn a lot about cats, visit www.persian-cats.com. It is a great website!

Jess

[kmarie]

WEll..i have two cats..one is about 14 years old..shes quite thin...and the other is about 6 years old..and well..hes FAT.... 35lbs to be exact!!!! Both have access to a bowl of dry food all fo the time and each get a tiny can of fancy feast in the morning. Both are fixed.


My boy hobbs is HUGE...hes sway abck actually..but hes very active...and very healthy as well! So if your kitty is 14lbs I wouldnt stress tobad..he could be a heffer like my hobbs!!

[jennyleigh1975]

LOL!!!! My youngest daughter weighs 35lbs!!!! I love it when you see big kitty cats like that. I dont really think my Toodles is all that big. Maybe I do need to change her food. I have been feeding her the Purina Cat Chow indoor formula cat food. I wonder if my vets office would charge me just to weigh her? Then they can suggest a better food for me to be giving her.

Thank you everyone!!!!

[Scattycat]

I've got 2 cats (but not indoor cats although the one likes to sleep a lot [img]smileys/smilies_02.gif[/img] ) I find it interesting to see that a lot of you leave food out all the time - my cats get 2 meals a day and that's it! The one is really skinny but he eats everything I put down and the other is quite chunky but she's very fluffy so maybe it's furr not fat [img]smileys/smilies_01.gif[/img] I know somebody else who puts food out all the time and her cat is fat too so maybe that's the answer - stop feeding so much (only joking) Providing your cat is happy and healthy (and not wheezing when he runs!) I don't see any harm in him being what is considered overweight [img]smileys/smilies_01.gif[/img]

[jesskali]

Jennyleigh,

I have been using the PetSmart brand called Authority Hairball control for adult cats. It is a little more expensive than Purina, but not nearly as expensive as Science Diet or Iams. My cats actually had diarrhea on Science Diet. The cats seem to like the Authority and have done well with it. If you do change foods, try to do it gradually or it may make Toodles sick!

Jess

[jennyleigh1975]

I transitioned her gradually when she turned one and I weaned her off the kitten chow. She didnt have any trouble. I might try the IAMS, or Science diet, simply because we dont have a PetsSmart or anything similar close by. By the time I drove 75+ miles from home, I wouldnt really be saving any money, because of the gas I would be using!!

[luckistar2]

I have 5 kitties, all indoors, and I would say that one out of the five is overweight. Yes, 14 lbs. is heavy for a cat but cats are like humans, some are just built differently. My only boy cat is probably about 14lbs and he doesn't look fat at all. He is just a big cat.


However, extra weight is a health risk, just like with humans, and can put strain on their bodies. I recommend gradually switching your food to a premium weight management food. Most brands like Science Diet, Iams, Nutro, etc. have a weight loss formula. They also will give directions on the bag on how much to feed your cat based in his/her current weight. It is probably best to feed twice a day instead of free feeding.


Since your kitties are used to free feeding, if they get antsy because the bowl is empty I would just give them a few kibbles to occupy them until meal time.


Also, indoor cats lack a lot of the same opportunities for exercise that outdoor cats can get. So make sure you provide a variety of toys and take some time out of your day to get the lazy cats up and playing.


A side note, I am not at all suggesting that you should let your cats outside for exercise. I have worked at an animal hospital for about 5 years and would never suggest such a thing.





Good Luck.

[jennyleigh1975]

Thank you so much. I am going to Wal-Mart today, and I think that they sell IAMS. I am going to try her on that. I weighed her moma, my outdoor cat and she weighs 10 lbs. So I know I need to slack off on Toodles food. She has some toys to play with, I think I just need to encourage play more. Naturally her favorite thing to do is find a sun spot to lay in and sleep, lol!! I have taken her outside, just to see how she would like it and the first thing she did was run back up the steps and wait to be let back in. She will eventually get used to only getting fed once/twice a day, wont she?