Comments on: How to Put Your Cat on a Diet

on 2/21/2009 It is very difficult for me because I have one fat cat and one at a perfect weight. How to diet the one without depriving the other?

on 5/26/2007 Dry food of any kind, especially so-called "weight control" diets, should NOT be used for weight loss. These foods are extremely high in grains, fillers, and carbs, and are not appropriate diets for weight loss. These types of diets also greatly increase the risk of diabetes developing. The best diet for a cat is a low carb, grain free canned diet such as some of the flavors of Wellness or Nature's Variety. Calculate the caloric needs of the cat (approx 15-20 calories per pound for an indoor , moderately active cat)then cut by 30 % and feed the correct amount on a 12 hour schedule. For a good overview of one case of weight loss check out http://community.webtv.net/getcathelp/tucker catinfo.org is another great info source

on 3/20/2006 I like a lot of the previous posts. Good tips. However I just want to caution and warn all cat owners from vegan/vegetarian and other low protein diets. Please, don't do it. It leaves your cat a candidate for many health problems, not to mention a weak cat in general.

If you feel you cat is growing obese, there are simple ways for you to get his weight under control without even seeing a veterinarian.

1. Have you been playing with your cat? Like children, cats need a lot of exercise when young. Setting aside regular times when you play with your kitty makes a great deal of difference because you train him/her to love and accept routine exercise. And to them its all playtime! They'll love it!

2. Set a feeding schedule and follow the serving suggestions on the package closely. It's not your cats fault he's overweight, it's yours for not balancing the diet. For instance; my cats are fed three times daily with little to no snacking. 7AM, 1PM, 7PM.

3. Water is all they need. A big misconception among pet owners is that cats need milk. They do not. In fact, most cats are lactose intolerant. Even those whom are not L.I. Milk contains almost no nutritional value. It's like feeding them soda. The sugar in the milk is difficult for them to digest, so you are packing your kitty full of indigestible sugars. This will make them sluggish and will work against your exercise schedule. So, no milk!

4. Don't feed cats from your plate. This turns them into beggars and trains them that it's OK to eat scraps as they can find. It's not OK. For the duration of the diet, I strongly suggest a dry-food diet. The reason is that if you compare the nutritional facts between dry-food, semi-wet food and canned food, nothing comes close to providing the levels of protein, fiber, taurine, etc, like dry-food does.

Nutro Max dry-cat food is highly suggested. Eukanuba is decent. Friskies stinks. Iams stinks. All low quality cheap cat food is horrible. When placing your cat on a diet, look for the dry cat food with over 30% protein, under 20% fats, over 10% fiber, and over 1% taurine.

5. And last but not least, remember, variety is the spice of life. If I gave you rice and chicken every day, all day for the next two months, you wouldn't like it very much. In fact, you probably would attempt to skip meals just to avoid having to eat it again. Well your cat isn't that different from you. He loves variety.

Choose Tuna, Chicken, Liver, Seafood, Beef and other flavors to change it around. This will ensure your cats don't feel the need to skip meals. Because when your cat skips meals now, guess what he will attempt to do later?

on 11/22/2005 Higher quality cat food pays for itself 150%. You end up with a fat cat if the animal is overeating cat foods of poor nutritional quality (like Whiskas or Friskies). Your cat overeats because the foods you feed it are lacking in the vitamins and minerals which the cat's body needs. Think of it this way: You're feeding your cats potato chips.

Go to a quality pet food store and invest in a bag of food made by companies like Innova or Wellness. If that isn't available, the expensive Purina kitten chow is a high quality food. Eukanuba isn't terrible, and you can pick Science Diet as a last bet. Your cat WILL achieve its proper body weight if you provide it with high quality food. If you're feeding dry, eventually your cat will consume a total of about 1/4 cup of food per day.

on 11/22/2005 I adopted an abused cat from a shelter that was starved as a kitten and young adult. When I fed her, she would over-eat because she was terrified of not having a next meal. Now she's a bit chubby. Before putting a formerly abused cat on a diet, speak to a vet and then gradually reduce their food. It also helps to put small portions in different places in your home where your cat may go. Divide the total amount daily that she is supposed to get and place in several dishes around the house. It creates a sense of security and still drops the weight.

on 11/22/2005 Obese cats may develop diabetes. Don't wait to put your cat on a diet. I had a diabetic cat. He lived for 2 years after diagnosis, but if I had put him on a diet sooner, he'd still be with me today.

on 11/22/2005 Some pet care centers have exercise programs for animals. You may be able to involve your cat in an exercise or dance class for extra exercise. It is very good for them. My cat really enjoys it.