My oldest "kitty" Pepper, who is now eight, has always had a weight problem,
has been on a prescription Science Diet food for almost four years and yet
has never dropped below 17-18 pounds. When he began this special diet (which
was also due to FUS, or some similar urinary disorder) he weighed 23 pounds.
I'm beginning to worry about him because he hasn't lost any weight, and I've
only been feeding him 1 cup of kibble every day, spread throughout the day.
I really don't want him to end up in pain and crippled when he gets older,
and so would appreciate any feedback from others with weight-challenged cats.

66 responses total.

Well, if he's not dropping below that weight, it might be the weight he's
comfortable with.  Is he having other problems related to weight?  Is your
vet concerend?  Some cats are just big.  

Well, I wouldn't exactly call my Sasha weight-challenged, she's getting 
there.

Have you talked to your vet about how much food to give Pepper?  I 
think my sister (whose cat Liska is seriously weight challenged) only 
gave her cat like 3/4 a cup a day, but I can't remember off the top of 
my head.  I can call home and find out, I should call there anyway. 
<grins>

For some cats 17-18lbs isn't so bad, how overweight is he?  My cat's 
ideal weight it 11-12 lbs, whereas my roommate's cat Gomez should only 
be about 8-ish max.  And you did say that he started out at 23lbs so it 
sounds like he's lost some weight, which is good. :)

Pepper's really not having problems; not that I can tell, anyway. Everytime
we see the vet, we get a lecture & warnings about his weight, but the doc has
never seemed overly concerned about his apparant lack of weight loss. The vet
has said that his ideal weight would be no more than 15 pounds, but I don't
think Pepper *ever* weighed that! ;-) 

I guess a big part of the reason I'm worried is because it seems like Pepper
is getting more and more sedentery, and he was a pretty mellow kitty, already.
Perhaps I should express my concerns to the vet, and talk about decreasing
his food. When he first went on the diet, I think he lost most of the 5-6
pounds very quickly, but a lot of that was because he was so ill with the
urinary problems. Since that time, he has not shed a pound, and I'm beginning
to wonder if the expensive food they're selling me isn't the right formula,
or something.

Well, cats can get really sedentary when they're about 8.  If he's 
maintaining and only two pounds 'overweight' I'm sure he's probably 
fine- but to ease your mind talking to the vet sounds like a really 
good idea.  The food he's on may not be special diet in that he's 
supposed to lose weight but in that it helps keep his urinary tract 
healthy.  My parents' cat Alex (grumpy old man cat, he's all of about 
12 now) is on that kind of a diet due to having had a problem with 
urinary tract crystals.

They do say that cats over about 6 (or is it 8?) need geriatric food- 
the baby's getting old- for a cat.  Though hopefully he'll live a 
healthy 20 more years. :)

I wouldnt worry about it. let the cat be fat and happy. 

If fat and happy didn't reduce the cat's lifespan- that might be a fine 
idea... however, I'm presuming that Mickey would like to see Pepper 
around for a good long time.

Cats do have a rather high risk of death from obesity.  My cat Conan got
rather fat, and the vet explained that with cats, a fever sickness can cause
some kind of liver problem which can quickly kill an overweight cat.  So it's
a bit more important for cats to keep close to an ideal weight.

You might just try feeding a bit less and see what happens.  I don't think
Conan gets a full cup of dry food (Science Diet) a day, but he's still got
more than enough energy.

Really. I wonder how much less fat cats live than thin cats. I suspect 
that there isnt really that huge of a difference unless the cat is 
seriously overweight. 

"Hepatic lipidosis commonly is called fatty liver syndrome because the cat's
liver actually becomes filled with fat.  A severe liver
disease that can be fatal, hepatic lipidosis typically occurs when an obese
cat suddenly stops eating, which causes a mobilization of its
own fat stores and results in excessive fat accumulation in the cells of the
liver.  This excessive fat accumulation impairs the normal
function of the liver cells, resulting in liver failure. 

There are many reasons why obese cats stop eating. Often, stress will make
an animal lose its appetite.  Moving into a new home,
having a new animal introduced into the household, or suffering an illness
can cause a cat to lose interest in food."

Courtesty of http://www.vetcentric.com

Also, with cats 'seriously overweight' may only be a few pounds due to 
percentages and their small weight to begin with.  I mean in human 
terms being 5 pounds over weight isn't a big deal- but for cats?  If 
they're only supposed to be 10 pounds to start with they're half-again 
as much as they should weigh, that's not good.  

Now that I'm thinking about it, my vet described that liver thing as a very
quick process.  Only one or two days of not eating (and yes, I've had sick
cats miss a couple days of eating) can cause it.

Cats are really not evolved to carry bulk fat for lean times, unlike camels
or (to some extent) humans.

I know what Hepatic lipidosis is as I had a room-mate whose cat got that 
after running away for a couple of months. She was fat when she left and 
really skinny when we found her. She might not have survived at all if 
it werent for being fat in the first place though. <<shrug>> That cat is 
fat again and healthy these days but we had to feed her for months 
through a hole cut into her neck. 

Anyhow, I still would be interested in knowing how much less fat cats 
live compared to thin cats. I have seen cats who were double their 
"ideal" weight who lived for quite a long time. My own cat is kind of on 
the fat side although I dont think she is 5 lbs overweight and I just 
let her eat as much as she wants. She gets *really* stressed when there 
isnt food in her bowl. 

Have you thought to take your cats for walks?  Or introducing a young 
kitten into your household?  Sometimes that get them more active.  Or 
you could always plaster posters of model cats showing off high fashion 
collars and such.  Peer pressure might help.  It does with Scott (the 
cat, not the grexer)
.

My cat is pretty active. I have tried taking her for walks but she hates 
being on a leash. I am thinging about making a "cat pen" in the back 
yard for her at some point. 

gack s/thinging/thinking

Sorry for neglecting this item --- there have been other things occupying my
worrying time, I guess. I am still rather concerned with Pepper's weight,
especially as my suspicions were confirmed with a weigh-in at the vet's today:
he back up to 23~24 lbs. :(

The young vet said there was no real observed correlation between overweight
cats and life span. He did (gently, this time) warn us that *if* Pepper was
to get sick, and he were still overweight, that the quality of his life would
be dramatically lowered and chances were that he would not recover. Of course,
then he hedged and said that nothing was proven, there were still studies and
whatever happening.

An interesting thing he told us: A lab study had monitored a large sample of
overweight cats and found that most of them were fed dry food. The researchers
found out, evidently, that these cats crave protein, and have to consume more
carbohydrates when given dry food only. Pepper has only ever had dry food,
and he will not eat anything else. 

Oh, and the vet did say that the Prescription Science Diet cat food was for
urinary tract health, and was not a reduced-carb/calorie food. So, we've
decided to cut back to 3/4 cup per day. Pepper's not going to be pleased with
that situation, and it will be more difficult on us, because the other cat
doesn't have a weight problem and gets more food. 

Jiffer mentioned trying a leash and taking the slug for a walkie. I had to
laugh, remembering the time when Pepper was a "kitten" of 4 or 5 months, and
we purchased a shiny new harness and leash for him. We spent a week or two
getting him used to the harness, and then decided to try taking him down the
3 flights of stairs to the ground. First, he wouldn't leave the apartment on
his own volition, and we had to carry him down the stairs. He was howling the
entire way down, poor thing. I sat him down in the grass, and he went
spread-eagled, and dug in all four sets of claws. He absolutely could not be
moved. I couldn't ever bring myself to try it again. For days he avoided us,
acting exactly like he had right after we rescued him.

Later, after we were back in Austin, we decided to try getting Pepper a
playmate --- that's how we got Sam the tuxedo cat. Our plans again were foiled
by feline intelligence --- Pepper ended up showing Sam how to be lazy! :\
Maybe the centrefolds from CAT FANCY will work, I don't know.

Heh, well if you figure out how to make the cat less lazy let me know. ;)

Well, mine has been:  get a herniated disk, a 3 yr old cat, 14 month old demon
of a cat, and then wake up for a few hours of the day.  "Momma's up!  PLAY
TIME!!!!!"  They expend more energy than a tazmanian devil.  Also, they've
been watching "birdies" since my father put up my bird feeder, and my eldest
was watching 2 Mourning Doves eat off the ground about 8" from her.  she was
small, smushed, ears flat, breathing shallow, twitching ever so slowly....
Huntress :)

Re #18- sounds like how Tish would behave when she saw birds from our 
bird feeder.  The squirrel who came up to the patio door, putting his 
front paws on the door and looking in, drove the cats absolutely 
bonkers.

Re #16- Mickey, that's what Sasha is like outside.  She has no trouble 
leaving the apartment (the halls are enclosed), she keeps trying to 
escape- but once she gets outside?  Oh no, don't like that AT all.  

That's interesting news about the dry vs. moist cat food, will have to 
consider supplementing Sasha's diet...

I supliment the diet of Tanis and mostly precious (mostly her because she
kinda gives me little choice, she's funny, likes to eat tomatos, lettiuce,
cheese, broccolli, mushrooms, etc) but I give them kitty tuna and chicken when
I eat it (the chicken, not me eating the tuna).  Tanis isn't a big fan of
"other" food, he's not sure what to do with it.  Precious has a few bites,
and then finishes with dry food. 

The cats were afraid and still are of "outside" but my wish is to KEEP them
afraid.  When tanis was a few months old, my roomate said "let him out, he
can play a little" and then that's ALL he wanted to do.  (my cats are
declawed) and he'd do it against my wishes.  Precious was let out a few times,
and would just rub on the front stoop on the concrete, like a big scritch,
but she also would get in the habit of trying to get out.  Now, they're in
a new place, and I don't let them near the door, so they have the fear of
"out there" going again.

Heh... gotta love that escape artist talent...  Sarah came home once 
and didn't notice Sasha sneaking out (it was dark inside and with an 
all grey cat it's easy to miss her).  When I got home an hour or so 
later I was staning about 30 ft (?) away from the door, talking to the 
Blue Rose, and I could hear Sasha crying by the front door (when I 
looked around I saw her little grey head in the window).  Girl is LOUD 
when she wants to be... though she actually didn't want outside- she 
wanted my attention.

Lately, since Sarah moved Morticia and Gomez, Sasha has been VERY vocal 
and demanding and won't leave me alone.  Cute- mostly, but getting 
annoying (as in when I'm trying to sleep and she's purring and kneading 
my bicep...).

Awwwwwww!  Mine do that a lot.  But I find the more hurt I am, the more
they're cuddly, like protecting me from each other, they play on the floor
in my room, or in the living room, and Tanis pouts when he can't cuddle RIGHT
next to my back to make sure he can take care of me if I need it.  he even
tries to help with my PT when she comes, although he doesn't get that laying
on my stomach HURTS all by it self, but when his 12 self sits on my butt, that
doesn't help!!  I say OWWWWW, the PT lady shoos him off, and then he comes
and rubs his head on my cheek saying he's sorry. 

I dunno if I told this story already, and if I did, please forgive the repeat,
but when Tanis was about 5 months old, he got out, and RAN, and got to the
next door neighbor's porch (it was a townhouse and than involved running under
this tiny "fence" between our doors, and under the neighbor's gas grill, and
when I ran around, he hid under a chase lounge chair, the kind with the rubber
slats running across it...  <chuckles>  I said to him "THAT isn't going to
save you!", stuck my hand in, and extracted him by his collar THROUGH the
chair, he didn't know I could do that....Hehe.....  didn't try running away
after THAT one.  

My human gives me Science Diet and occasionally Fancy Feast.  I really
like Fancy Feast.  I nibble on the Science Diet throughout the day.  My
vet is very pleased with my weight.  I've only gained an ounce in the last
year.

Good to hear these things from the cat's point of view.  I'm still 
pondering whether or not to introduce Sasha to canned cat food.

Currently she's irked because she no longer has open feeding really. 
But she does need to lose some weight...

With mine, regular "canned" food bothers them, they get sick tummies.  They
eat the Canned 9-lives kitty tuna that has an added enzyme so they don't get
urinary tract infections, and precious seems to crave what momma is having.
Tanis is good that he doesn't care for "people" food, mostly because he didn't
have it for so long in his life, and is now liking chicken, but other than
that, he just "covers" it and marks it, and then leaves it alone.

<licks paw, wipes face>

<scoots ass on your carpet>

tragedy likes cheese and the occasional piece of popcorn.
Tuna juice and some little pieces of lunchmeat.

Other than that she's strictly a dry food grrl.

SOmetimes it's just funny watching them try to eat people fod and not
really knowing what to do with it.

Julie's cat Joey likes popsicles and corn.

Oh yeah, and this is damn gross but my cat likes to eat q-tips with
earwax on them.  I said that for barry's benefit.

Carla- actually from what I've seen- lots of cats like q-tips with wax 
on them... Seems to be a species favorite... <grins>

my dad's dogs like to eat them too...  <shudders>  My poor precious has a
fungus or something in one of her ears, so she gets ear drops and q-tips now
at least once a day, so her infatuation with them is gone.  Tanis likes to
play with them until they're all fuzzed out at both ends, and then finds a
newer one.

you know, if your cat is eating science diet CD/S, it is
generally suitable to switch them to a lower cal version
called W/D.
as your vet though.

I have noticed a weird habit in my cat, he *loves* the hairball formula of
Iams... weird kitten I have...

I'll be putting Magnus on wieght control and hairball control formula 
as soon as he is off the kitten feline growth.  magnus is going to be a 
big boy, I don't want him to get TOO big.

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My cat has been on weight control for a several years but now that she 
is getting old, It think she is losing weight. I think I might take her 
into the vet and ask about maybe changing her food. Last spring, she 
weighed 9 lbs exactly which is a fine weight for her. Its totally 
possible that she hasnt actually lost weight. I'll let the vet weigh 
her. 

My worst fears with regards to Pepper's weight problem were realised 
yesterday --- the vet diagnosed him as having hepatitic lipidosis (see 
scott's resp:9 above). We're not certain of the cause, but he stopped 
eating totally, for a couple of days last week. This was enough to 
start the syndrome. Since then, his appetite has not been the same. The 
vet says that the blood work conforms the diagnosis, and didn't think a 
liver biopsy was necessary, even though no strong signs of jaundice 
were observed.

We're trying to get him eating --- the vet prescribed the Science Diet 
a/d (ultra-rich wet food) along with a pill that is meant to increase 
his appetite (I can't remember what it's called, but it's usually given 
for nausea). He has a follow-up visit scheduled for next Thursday. I 
really hope he starts eating by himself. It's the only way to reverse 
the disease, and the next step is insertion of a feeding tube and force-
feeding.

Ouch - sorry to hear that.

Thanks, scott. I'm trying to remain hopeful, since there is a 60% 
recovery rate, even if a feeding tube is required.

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