Cat is overweight and family blames me

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is within your control, OP.

I fostered pregnant dogs for a rescue and raised their litter of puppies, while having my own dog and sometimes one of his friends over. Every one eats at different times and only their ration. The ones who tend to steal food do not get that opportunity because I stand guard while the others are eating and I don't let the food thief operate at all. While my dog doesn't counter-surf, some foster dogs have been veritable Houndinis, so I don't keep food out, plates get put in the dishwasher rapidly and the door is closed. Some food containers are left to cool in the kitchen before going into the fridge, but the lids are secure.

Come on, have a little more personal discipline. While you train yourself to put away your own food and stand guard over your other pet while they're eating, you also need to reduce your food thief's portions to account for potential theft opportunities that you'll miss.

Lol, thanks for the scolding, Karen. Lovely that you had time to run a rescue of pregnant puppies, but I have a full time job and children to raise. The cats diet is not at the very top of my list of priorities.

Same, OP, same. I have a job, kids, and other pets. One of my cats had worms that took three rounds of meds to cure and I think it permanently damaged her hunger cues. I restrict food past maintenance level and she starts eating the plants and plastic. I can’t change my entire household for one cat’s lifestyle choices and I’d rather a fat cat than a dead cat, so it is what it is.

And I kid you not, my sister likes to give me crap about the cat’s weight, but my mom told her the cat was disabled and she was discriminating. So no more family blame, thanks mom! Ha!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^ and fyi you sound flipping nuts and your house must be disgusting

Are you 5? Is this the way you talk to people who have been there, done that, and have solutions for you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We helped our food-obsessed fat kitty lose weight by carefully measuring her food. We tried to factor in her stolen snacks throughout the day. It took one year of slow and steady but she is a normal weight now.

We did this and fat lost weight. Vet was very happy.

Vet had told us to stop feeding dry food because it’s fattening and cats don’t feel full when eating it so they just eat more and more.

[Anonymous]

Tomcats like the fluffy ones. Body paws-itivity!

[Anonymous]

It's annoying, but you need to feed your pets separately.

[Anonymous]

What kind of food are you giving your cat? Awhile back I did a lot of personal research on cat food. "Diet" cat food often isn't great. Just a lot of filler so that they can eat higher quantities. I'd suggest trying grain-free cat food and/or wet food. The higher protein may help the cat.

[Anonymous]

A fat cat is a happy cat. Stop projecting your own body image issues and control-fetishism onto a helpless animal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve been trying to restrict her diet, put her on diet kitty food, tried to encourage more exercise by having plenty of toys and also putting her food and litter box on separate floors so she has to go up and down the stairs several times a day. But her weight barely budges, and I often catch her trying to sneak extra food!

Until the cat learns to open doors and use a can opener it’s 100% under your control.

[Anonymous]

Just make sure there is not an underlying medical problem. Mine was diabetic, and once on insulin, became normal weight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is within your control, OP.

I fostered pregnant dogs for a rescue and raised their litter of puppies, while having my own dog and sometimes one of his friends over. Every one eats at different times and only their ration. The ones who tend to steal food do not get that opportunity because I stand guard while the others are eating and I don't let the food thief operate at all. While my dog doesn't counter-surf, some foster dogs have been veritable Houndinis, so I don't keep food out, plates get put in the dishwasher rapidly and the door is closed. Some food containers are left to cool in the kitchen before going into the fridge, but the lids are secure.

Come on, have a little more personal discipline. While you train yourself to put away your own food and stand guard over your other pet while they're eating, you also need to reduce your food thief's portions to account for potential theft opportunities that you'll miss.

Lol, thanks for the scolding, Karen. Lovely that you had time to run a rescue of pregnant puppies, but I have a full time job and children to raise. The cats diet is not at the very top of my list of priorities.

Same, OP, same. I have a job, kids, and other pets. One of my cats had worms that took three rounds of meds to cure and I think it permanently damaged her hunger cues. I restrict food past maintenance level and she starts eating the plants and plastic. I can’t change my entire household for one cat’s lifestyle choices and I’d rather a fat cat than a dead cat, so it is what it is.

And I kid you not, my sister likes to give me crap about the cat’s weight, but my mom told her the cat was disabled and she was discriminating. So no more family blame, thanks mom! Ha!

Lol.! Have you tried wet food?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What kind of food are you giving your cat? Awhile back I did a lot of personal research on cat food. "Diet" cat food often isn't great. Just a lot of filler so that they can eat higher quantities. I'd suggest trying grain-free cat food and/or wet food. The higher protein may help the cat.

Royal canin.

[Anonymous]

Is she actually diagnosed as overweight by a vet?

Everyone says my cat is "fat" but he's not -- he's just big. He's tall and has big paws and long legs. When he was a kitten his ears were enormous on his head and then he grew into them. Vet told me even if he lived on the street he'd weight a minimum of 11-13 lbs. He's a housecat so he weighs 17 lbs but he's active and healthy.

Some cats are just built big. I don't know why but some people expect all cats to be about the same size but obviously different breeds have different body types. Maybe my cat has some Maine Coon or a similar large cat breed in him (he's a shelter cat, clearly American shorthair but who knows what else).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^ and fyi you sound flipping nuts and your house must be disgusting

Are you 5? Is this the way you talk to people who have been there, done that, and have solutions for you?

You sound nuts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is she actually diagnosed as overweight by a vet?

Everyone says my cat is "fat" but he's not -- he's just big. He's tall and has big paws and long legs. When he was a kitten his ears were enormous on his head and then he grew into them. Vet told me even if he lived on the street he'd weight a minimum of 11-13 lbs. He's a housecat so he weighs 17 lbs but he's active and healthy.

Some cats are just built big. I don't know why but some people expect all cats to be about the same size but obviously different breeds have different body types. Maybe my cat has some Maine Coon or a similar large cat breed in him (he's a shelter cat, clearly American shorthair but who knows what else).

Not op, but yes, my cat is definitely overweight

[Anonymous]

Catkins diet! It's better for them anyway.