Cats, too fat?

[giggler]

I rescued two kittens about 3 yrs ago, my wierd neighbor abandond them.

They are sort of indoor/ outdoor cats now. Both Fixed. They sleep inside all daylight, but want out all night to go do what young cats do at night.

They love Dry Purena Cat chow, and wont eat anything else, even Tuna.

I leave a bowl of dry food for them, and they come in and out for little nibbles all the time.

They seem to be getting Fat! Like they are very fast, but are both getting Big Beer Guts, that almost drag the floor!

Is this Unusual?

Eric, Austin Tx.

 

[Whiskadoodle]

We are a Purina family here too. My cats do like Tuna, and can hear a can open even when the stereo is on.

I notice this winter my 3 y/o is starting to add on a little weight. That is, there is a little roundness to the sides of her belly, whereas, up to now, she was very sleek, even skinny. Both are girl cats, ( the oldest is 13) and they seem to have some slight muscle relaxation to their bellies, just in front of their back legs. I attribute it to their being neutered, tho do not know why I think this, as I have never had un-neutered pets. So that part hangs down and is loose and flappy. The younger is fast as all get- out, and runs everywhere in the house, upturning lamps on tables, I just got heavier based lamps at estate sales, to replace and rugs and runners get scattered kitty-wumpus. Neither go out in winter, and the youngest is afraid of the outdoors Period.

I give them 1/2 cup Purina dry food/ day, once at dinner-time. I keep a few cans of tuna size cans cat food on hand in case we ever get snowed in. So they get a heaping spoonful of that once in a great while, like a can lasts 2 days. Neither particularly likes people food. The youngest will stick her nose in whatever I let her, but that's mostly curiosity. This doesn't sound like much food, but over-all, there are crumbs and partial chewed bits at the bottom of their bowls leftover.


Now, my oldest was fat when I got her at age 5, and has added weight since. I tried several different organic, diet, type brands from 2 different pet stores, she couldn't get used to / didn't like anything else. I said, if you get hungry of course she will eat it. Nope. I had a male cat once too, he stayed thin his entire life. I should ask what Jr feeds their cats, which are both thinner than mine, and one is about 3 y/o too.

I wonder if the cat's breed has anything to do with how they carry their weight. Mine are both mixed indeterminate. I wonder if your cats supplement their diet ( hunting ) if they are night owls.

 

[kleenex]

It's time, it's diet time

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Cats are carnivores, the dry food is what's making them fat. Purina dry food has corn in it, not a normal food for cats.

 

[Mad Cook]

I rescued two kittens about 3 yrs ago, my wierd neighbor abandond them.

They are sort of indoor/ outdoor cats now. Both Fixed. They sleep inside all daylight, but want out all night to go do what young cats do at night.

They love Dry Purena Cat chow, and wont eat anything else, even Tuna.

I leave a bowl of dry food for them, and they come in and out for little nibbles all the time.

They seem to be getting Fat! Like they are very fast, but are both getting Big Beer Guts, that almost drag the floor!

Is this Unusual?

Eric, Austin Tx.

It sounds as though they are overweight and you should cut down their ration of chow (slowly, of course).


Or perhaps they are "two-home cats" and have another "owner" feeding them - perhaps the other owner thinks they are out in the daytime and come home to sleep at night. A friend had a cat like that!

Or they might be hunting. A cat which belongs to the owner of the stables caught a rat today and high-tailed it out of the barn with this huge rat in her mouth. A few minutes later I found her munching on the rat. I know she's fed properly and she's supposed to be a house cat but obviously no-one has told her that the odd snack of rat is a no-no. Needless to say she is a little over weight but she can still jump from the ground on to a wall higher than my shoulder and from the wall to the window ledge - a distance of about 3 feet - with the rat in her mouth!

 

[Cheryl J]

My cat has that flappy loose skin/fat under his belly too, but not too terribly bad. He gets less than a cup of food daily, the vet said adult cats only need 1/2 to 3/4 C. a day. That seems so little to me so I give him a tad more.

If he can see the tiniest bit of the bottom of his food bowl (even though the food is pushed up on the sides of the bowl), to him it's empty and he yowls for more. I just shake the bowl a little so he can't see the bottom of it, then he's fine and eats it.

 

[Steve Kroll]

Cats are carnivores, the dry food is what's making them fat. Purina dry food has corn in it, not a normal food for cats.

Exactly right.

I would try to switch to a food that has meat as the first ingredient or, better yet, a product that's completely grain free. We recently had to do the same with one of our dogs. The grain in her food was turning her into a little butterball.

 

[bakechef]

My male cat Oscar will only eat dry food, I've tried wet, but he tries to bury it. When he was a kitten he would eat the chunks in gravy, well he'd suck off all of the gravy (you could hear him do it ) then let the chunks dry out and eat them. After he turned about a year old he stopped eating wet all together.

Now he just eats a dry urinary tract formula and treats. He's a bit chunky, but a very healthy 15 years old. He hasn't seen a vet since he was neutered at just under a year old. He's 100% indoor, he has no interest in the outdoors.

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[msmofet]

My male cat Oscar will only eat dry food, I've tried wet, but he tries to bury it. When he was a kitten he would eat the chunks in gravy, well he'd suck off all of the gravy (you could hear him do it ) then let the chunks dry out and eat them. After he turned about a year old he stopped eating wet all together.

Now he just eats a dry urinary tract formula and treats. He's a bit chunky, but a very healthy 15 years old. He hasn't seen a vet since he was neutered at just under a year old. He's 100% indoor, he has no interest in the outdoors.

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What dry urinary tract formula food/brand do you feed him? Our boy cat almost died because of crystals forming due to the dry food (meow mix) he loved. Now the vet says he can only eat science diet s/d and c/d food or he will die if he eats other food. That stuff is expensive and we have to feed our girl cat the same food or Georgie will eat her food. Now neither will eat much food because they don't like it much.

 

[Addie]

Exactly right.

I would try to switch to a food that has meat as the first ingredient or, better yet, a product that's completely grain free. We recently had to do the same with one of our dogs. The grain in her food was turning her into a little butterball.

Also when you do use canned cat food, read the ingredients. Make sure there are no fish that are high in natural oils. Like Salmon. Tuna is another one.

My sister had an all black cat that was huge that we called Puma. He was not large with fat, just in size. She only fed him canned cat foods that were from the shellfish family. Shrimp, clams, etc. One can of cat food per day. She knew he was hunting when he went outside. His favorite food was pigeon. We often saw him catch a pigeon in mid air. So she knew he was getting enough to eat. In the winter, he was really getting enough food. All she had to do was throw out some crumbs for the pigeons, and he had his meals for the day.

One day in winter, we watched him catch one. He then ran into the backyard and put it under the back porch. Then he trotted out front again and continued until he had three of them under the porch. He finally decided to eat the fourth one he caught. That night he didn't get a can of cat food. The last time she took him to the vet's, she was told that he was too fat. Her remark to the vet? "I will speak to the birds to fly faster." That vet is still probably wondering what she was talking about. Puma lived to 18 years old. He continued to grow in size, but with no fat!

 

[bakechef]

What dry urinary tract formula food/brand do you feed him? Our boy cat almost died because of crystals forming due to the dry food (meow mix) he loved. Now the vet says he can only eat science diet s/d and c/d food or he will die if he eats other food. That stuff is expensive and we have to feed our girl cat the same food or Georgie will eat her food. Now neither will eat much food because they don't like it much.

I just buy the 9 Lives Special Care urinary tract formula. He really likes it. I've also bought Purina One urinary tract formula and he liked that as well.

Luckily I've never had a problem with crystals with him, using this food is just a precautionary measure.

At this point he's a senior citizen and he can have whatever makes him happy!

 

[taxlady]

Cats are carnivores, the dry food is what's making them fat. Purina dry food has corn in it, not a normal food for cats.

That sounds likely to me. I suspect that carbs in cat food are part of the reason a lot of cats are diabetic nowadays.

 

[taxlady]

Also when you do use canned cat food, read the ingredients. Make sure there are no fish that are high in natural oils. Like Salmon. Tuna is another one.

Where do you get that idea? Recipes from veterinary nutritionists often include fish oil. I have read that cats shouldn't be fed a lot of fish, especially tuna.

My sister had an all black cat that was huge that we called Puma. He was not large with fat, just in size. She only fed him canned cat foods that were from the shellfish family. Shrimp, clams, etc. One can of cat food per day. She knew he was hunting when he went outside. His favorite food was pigeon. We often saw him catch a pigeon in mid air. So she knew he was getting enough to eat. In the winter, he was really getting enough food. All she had to do was throw out some crumbs for the pigeons, and he had his meals for the day.

One day in winter, we watched him catch one. He then ran into the backyard and put it under the back porch. Then he trotted out front again and continued until he had three of them under the porch. He finally decided to eat the fourth one he caught. That night he didn't get a can of cat food. The last time she took him to the vet's, she was told that he was too fat. Her remark to the vet? "I will speak to the birds to fly faster." That vet is still probably wondering what she was talking about. Puma lived to 18 years old. He continued to grow in size, but with no fat!

That reminds me of a cat named Frrimousse. I lived in the same apartment with him for about a half a year. He was a big, red, neutered tomcat. He was tubby. He was the laziest cat I ever met. If it was pelting rain, he wouldn't run to get inside. He would walk fast.

He used to sun himself on the roof. He would do this long enough that the pigeons would forget about him. Then, still lying down, he would grab a pigeon with one paw and eat it.

 

[jude6272]

Although Purina has great marketing, its actually not as good for cats as they claim. When we adopted our cat, she was eating Purina. We switched her to Science Diet because it's much healthier.

My cat also started gaining weight. As much as i love her nibbling, i now ration her food and that helped. She's 12 pounds so i give her 1/2 cup in the morning and 1/4 cup at night. I don't take her food up during the day, but she's adjusted well to the schedule and lost the weight.

Also, don't forget that if you give them lots of treats, you need to give them a little less food. It's amazing how filling treats can be.

 

[Addie]

Where do you get that idea? Recipes from veterinary nutritionists often include fish oil. I have read that cats shouldn't be fed a lot of fish, especially tuna.

Common sense. How often do you ever see a cat go fishing for their food at the oceans edge or in a brook? Also advice from Puma's vet. I do know it used to give Puma diarrhea every time she would eat an oily fish canned food.

 

[Addie]

If I were a pet owner, I would be reading the back of the package or can very closely. I also want a "Made in America" company. If citizens of a country are willing to make baby formula that kills new born infants, what is to stop them from doing the same with pet food?

 

[taxlady]

Common sense. How often do you ever see a cat go fishing for their food at the oceans edge or in a brook? Also advice from Puma's vet. I do know it used to give Puma diarrhea every time she would eat an oily fish canned food.

Just like people, cats are individuals and tolerate different things.

I never saw a cat at the ocean, lake, or brook. Ask anyone who has ever had a cat and a fish tank. Most cats will fish when they have the opportunity.

I'm not saying that anyone should feed their cat fish. Too much fish isn't good for cats. They certainly shouldn't have tuna very often.

 

[Mad Cook]

Just like people, cats are individuals and tolerate different things.

I never saw a cat at the ocean, lake, or brook. Ask anyone who has ever had a cat and a fish tank. Most cats will fish when they have the opportunity.

I'm not saying that anyone should feed their cat fish. Too much fish isn't good for cats. They certainly shouldn't have tuna very often.

Don't feed them dog food either. It can do them a lot. of harm

 

[taxlady]

Don't feed them dog food either. It can do them a lot. of harm

Certainly don't feed cats dog food regularly. If they only eat a little bit once in a while, it won't cause any problems.

The problem with dog food for cats is that it is nutritionally deficient in protein, some amino acids, some vitamins. and some essential fatty acids. Taurine is the missing nutrient usually mentioned. Cats need to get taurine from animal sources and dogs can make their own taurine, so it's not usually added to dog food.

And yes, it can be very harmful to feed a cat regularly on dog food.
http://www.petmd.com/blogs/dailyvet/2009/August/21-4582