Obese Cats that are not active, get fed too much, or eat everyones food, lose precious quality time in their lives. Arthritis, pancreatitis, diabetes, and other medical problems can make them miserable.
I just adopted one as well and I started feeding her Iams weightloss & hairball. She's always had friskies during her 6 years with her previous owner. She recently had constipation. Is adding plain pumpkin the best solution??
I’ve always used a measuring cup with the cat food and thought if I leave them out while I go to work it will be fine because the amount is supposed to be appropriate, but one of them got fat. It is because the adult cat keeps getting into the kitten’s food, she really prefers it for some reason. The kitten food has a lot more calories.
This is the most helpful video I’ve seen about cat health. Thank you for being scientific and helpful. I love that this isn’t just a video to blame owners, but to be helpful instead! I had no idea dry food could lead to bladder problems!! I feed my cats blue Buffalo dry food, but I am definitely gonna switch to wet food now!
I really appreciate these videos . I just started working in a specialty hospital and your videos help me understand the complicated cases, since I am still an Rvt student . Thank you so much !!!
This is very helpful, Dr. Martinez! I have three cats; one is very overweight who likes to bully and eat out of the other cats’ bowls when she’s done with hers; one is a male at normal weight with urinary issues and needs a prescription diet; the last is a female who had all of her teeth removed because of stomatitis. They all have different feeding needs, but your video has given me new insight into feeding. Thank you!
Thank you! I just adopted a tabby who has a little extra cushion, I’ve moved him to half a Can of wet food and just a little bit of dry food. he eats around the same time the dog eats, early in the morning and around 7pm at night. I have not left dry food out for him all day (as I noticed they did this all the time in the shelter) and instead feed him freeze dried salmon treats with lots of protein if he keeps meowing excessively throughout the day. I love my animals and thank you for helping me!
@@sheffrudytke1086 I honestly do not give in to it. I ignore him or give him a low calorie “snack” some treats but don’t make it a habit. They gotta learn!
@@sheffrudytke1086 could also be he is not feeling full and is constantly looking for something with more “calorie” content or protein. Take him to the vet and make sure they are not hypoglycemic or have diabetes. Then transition to raw foods or wet foods! They’ll love it!
@@sheffrudytke1086 Like people, cats will eat because of loneliness or boredom, and of course, habit. Don't give in--as ... "barbara" said. Also, buy cheap fuzzy mice--preferably gray as in nature, and play fetch. My rescue cat plays fetch/retrieve with me and my husband multiple times a day. We got her from a place that had the food out all day, dry and wet--too much especially since she was guestimated to be 1-2 years old. She is now--less than 1 month later, at an ideal weight with more muscle tone from our place sessions. I calmly tell her "I'm here, Kizzie" when she meows at night but otherwise never answer her and she settles down fine after that. You can see videos of her on my channel. She weighs 7 lbs.
I’m finally coming to a realization that my baby is over weight. I let him graze since I’ve had him and as I look through pics he grows and grows each year. I can’t feel his ribs and he has a huge pouch. My poor baby. I’m changing his diet and trying to figure out what that’s the best option to feed him.
Thanks! I have 4 cats and 2 dogs, they’re all very fit because we live a very active lifestyle and feed them top quality food. I’m babysitting 2 cats for a while for a friend and I’m hoping they’ll both lose some weight since they’ll get a lot more exercise with my 4 fur babies 😊 We also have a 2 story 3 bedroom house with a lot of room whereas she lives in a small apartment 😊 We also give the cats 2 cans of wet food between the 4 of them and then they have some hard food through out the day, but not much. They mostly like eating the bugs they find in our sun room where they love to hunt ♥️
Thank you for this video. The struggle has been real for about 5 years & has only gotten much worse this last year, as careful as I have been. I am zeroed in more closely now, as I feel I have more knowledge of this & I am determined to get my kitty to shed her extra pounds.
I have a question about my almost 9 year old Golden Retriever. Toby has a solid feeling lump in his diaphragm area. To me it feels about the size of a small grapefruit. The vet said his lymph nodes are NOT swollen. Being that his lymph nodes are not swollen could it be something other than the dreaded C word? He is scheduled for lump removal early October 2016. The vet also said it seems that the lump is intertwined in some muscle... Any opinions would be helpful DR, Martinez.
Dr. Greg, do your cats eat the dog dish diet food? I remember seeing an earlier video of you making it in the crock pot and I believe it was Mokie who liked it. I have a fat cat at home and am trying to help him lose weight.
I’ve been having difficulty getting one of my cats, Inkblot, to lose weight. While she isn’t morbidly obese, as I can still feel her ribs, her belly is noticeably rounded. Her brothers are larger than her as far as height and length go, and it’s hard to cut down on her food without feeling like I’m depriving our other two cats as they’re a healthy weight for their size. Inkblot DOES wrestle with her brothers and such, so she gets a bit of exercise, but she doesn’t run around like crazy like the other two do. Do you have any tips?
I hope Inkblot is doing better now since I'm 2 years late with this advice, but if you're ever in this situation again you can try feeding the cats separately. I think the easiest thing is if they all have their own cat carriers that are always out, and then you put the food in the carriers and close the doors while they eat. That way they get individual portion sizes and no one can steal food from the others. It feels a little weird from a human perspective because we are used to thinking of eating as social bonding time, but cats are solitary hunters so they probably won't mind having their own peaceful quiet nook to eat in.
Im glad to know friskies canned food is ok my cat is overweight cuz my grandma (who hes been living with for the past couple yrs) is too lazy to feed them more than once every few days and she had 4 cats now has 2 she has big dog bowls that she fills to the top one of the cats gets a lot of exercise and self regulates food but the other is 20lbs when i took my cat who is about 16lbs i switched him to canned food but im on disability i cant afford the expensive stuff i can barely afford to give him canned food everyday instead of dry but i get the friskies canned food i figured its better than being on dry food im glad to know i was right ty
Commercial Wet food was becoming expensive so I switched them to raw diet food. Best decision ever. Now I am working on exercising them more which means going outside on a leash.
My cat got a bad infection 6years ago and after the surgery she tripled in size. I mostly managed to secure her weight as she doesn't gain more for a few years now, but making her lose some is hard. I don't want to push her since she finally got to adapt, and since she also got breathing problem I'm scared a diet change might be bad, but maybe if I introduce slowly wet food over dry a bit more often it'll help her 🤔
My newly adopted cat is on the chunky side. He weighs 14#, my Vet wants him closer to 12#, it's been a struggle. History of urine crystals Rx food is dry. I've never given any of my cats dry food so I'm finding it a challenge. Just recently I started to give him the single serve wet foods and the Rx food. The calories on foods is so confusing, why can't it be easy to figure out - sigh. I'm doing the best I can and hope to see a drop in his weight soon.
My two cats are obeese, I'm pretty sure my oldest weighs around 20-30 pounds. My mom won't stop giving them treats 3 times a day, 12 each time, and I have a kitten that's around 13 weeks now. I'm scared she gains weight like the older cats, I'm trying to convince my mom to only give them 5 treats each a day, and put them on a raw food diet. I'm crying so fucking hard right now, I'm scared that my oldest cat will die sooner, being 6 years old and extremely obeese, he was my only friend for a really long time and I don't want to see him go.
Arasko COS Oh sweetheart, I hope your kitties are doing okay. I don’t know your Mom, have you tried asking your Mom to watch this vid? You sound like you may be quite young. She might need to be educated by an adult. Some vets might even be willing to tell her off in person during an appointment. They might even suggest that your cats not get any treats at all for some time. I would see if Jackson Galaxy, whose a cat expert, has any advice about this on the web. Good luck, sweetheart. I have hope that things can turn around for the better, and I mean that. I hope you do too. I’ll send good thoughts to your cats.
I've been trying so hard to make my cat lose weight. I also had to work very hard to get her to try any wet food but there was one day where I couldn't go to the store to buy more and the next day we were back to square 1 and I gave up. She only accepted the most expensive wet food too, possibly because it has a particular smell that she associates with her and her kittens being trapped so they could be rescued. I'm just lost on what to do.
I can feel my cat's ribs in the front, but he has a really round abdomen. He's already ten or eleven years old (not sure, he's a rescue) and still really mobile, is that something I really need to watch out for or is it alright for him to carry a little extra weight as long as it doesn't effect his mobility and general health?
My cat went to the vet with a similar problem, it turns out her spaying surgery stitches popped and her fat & organs were sagging. Please take her to the vet when you can ^-^
I just adopted an overweigjt cat and I started feeding her Iams weightloss & hairball. She's always had friskies during her 6 years with her previous owner. She recently had constipation so I took her to the vet. Is adding plain pumpkin the best solution??
I have a 8 years old female indoor cat , sterilized, she is overweight, weighting 11.9 pounds, I ve been feeding her royal Canin dry food all her life since she doesn't like wet food ( she only licks it but won't eat it ) I am wondering how much grams of dry food per day she should have , I was feeding her 45 grams per day do you think I could give her 35 grams for a couple of weeks and see the result ? She has got a bit lazy as well doesn't play much and spends most of her time relax or sleeping. Thank you.
Thank You for making this video,,, One of our Cat’s,, Mr.Tin,,, is Over weight. He’s been “Over grooming”, (making a bald spot) from the base of his tail,,, up his back about 4”. It’s also a sensitive to rub area. The Vet. only said that it’s because he’s overweight and can’t reach other areas, when grooming himself. After our cats eat their wet food, I’ll give them salmon ,a little tuna or some low sodium Turkey,,, What are Your thoughts,,,,,, Joshua
Doctor Martinez I adore your channel. I am wo derimg if you ever work with chickens. I have 2 special needs chickens and would love to hear what you think about chickens as pets. Please keep the videos coming. My chickens know your voice lol every time they hear you on the videos they run oven and cluck their little heads off hahahahaha. So Dande and Cosmo so hello...also my cats came running when they heard you pour the crunchies into their dish hahaha. Our latest rescue came in to us at 23 pounds and in a month hes down to 20 pounds. Anyway, all the best to you and all at the clinic. Cheers!
I have a chock cat. I already switched to expensive wet food. The main issue is that she doesn't like to play, especially on the floor. She'll just chill on the couch and try to catch the feather bird toy. She is picky.
For those afraid of depriving "other" cats if only one is obese, just feed the obese one "after" the others, close off the room where the other cats eat, let them finish, put their dishes away, then get out the obese cat's food and let that cat come in with the door closed against the rest. There are timer-dishes for those who can afford them but feeding cats--only in this sense--like people on different diets and schedules, makes sense and safeguards the health of all. ADDITION: Eating doesn't take that long so you can always close off a bathroom area if that is safer and insures the other cats cannot get at the obese cat's food, or the other way around. Then put all clean dishes and closed food up and away, repeat at the next meal time. It won't take long with this--and some play time--to see the muscle increase and fat decrease. I feed Kizzie Wellness no grain pate (3 ounce can that I remove some from) and "one" sardine in oil (not smoked) per day.
My cat is 14... she used to be 13lbs and we got her down to 11lbs... however she has had a saggy belly since she was 3. Even after losing weight and being incredibly healthy (very active for age) she still has a belly that sags (about 2 inches from the floor)
A lot of cats have a primordial pouch that sags and flaps when they walk lol. That doesn’t necessarily mean your cat is over weight. Google “primordial pouch”.
My cat is too fat. She hunts her own food if she feels like she isn't getting enough from me. I also have to keep feeding her cat biscuits or else she claws at my mattress, scratches at me or my door and meows. What can I do?
I have an over weight 11 year old male cat who is a nervous eater. He's not really comfortable with other cats ( he was a rescue and an only cat. He was also declawed by his previous human) . He weighs about 18 lbs. I have 2 other cats( aged 9, female and 21/2 years( male , respectively) that are regular size. They seem to moderate their eating. But not my older , rather neurotic male. I've started feeding them all canned food , they seem to like it better and giving them a little dry food later in the day. My over weight cat also drinks a good amount of water. All of the cats are indoor and so they don't get a lot of exercise.Do you have any advice to help me keep all of my felines healthy?
J A Jones-Ford raw cat food diet. Fixed my cats drinking water like a fish which they shouldn't at all. Also healthy too with added supplements. Google the ingredients. But before you make a batch, see what raw food your cats like or their digestive system can take. My boy cat can eat anything but my girl cat can't do beef.
I had my cat on a gravity feeder and after 6 years my vet finally said she could probably use a diet. I asked him how. He said fill a bowl in the morning with Iams kibble. When she quits eating, remove the bowl. Repeat for dinner. Then that is the amount to feed her everyday. Nice simple plan if you need to put your cat on a diet.
yep. i have two cats. one is just like yours, shes skinny and muscular and has all the energy in the world. the other... is 14 pounds and i've just started restricting her dry food and she only licks wet food and won't eat a whole serving. but she cant reach her back to lick her butt anymore so... oh well. either she learns to eat the wet, or she'll just starve to death. (obviously i wont let her starve but you get what im saying)
@@phylazen5649 I ve got the same problem my cat just licks wet food she only wants her royal Canin dry food...she is now 8 yrs old and 11,90 pounds so is a bit overweight and need to put her on diet..I was feeding her 45 grams of dry food per day but she got overweight so what do you think if I feed her 35 grams per day for s couple of weeks and see how the result goes? How much are u feeding yrs in grams ? Thank you
Vets of the future will look back upon the PROCESSED PET FOOD era with horrow and shame. The horror will come from the knowledge that so much pain and misery was caused by healing professionals acting in ignorance, and the shame will come from the wilfulness of that ignorance.
Go look at all the studies not funded by the meat and dairy industry , go look at the longest living places on earth youll find 99% plant based diets in all
My cat has a very athletic build body type and he doesn't look like normal cats... I want to know how he is getting these mussel mass and he is eats normal dry cat food... something wrong with him? any type of cancer???
1st time cat owner here. i adopted her and she was just under 6lbs. i’ve had her for a year now and she’s 9lbs and i’m scared she’s becoming overweight (i can feel her ribs but she has a pouch that hangs when she walks). i try to play with her at least 10 minutes daily. i’m currently feeding 1/2 cup of dry and about 1/2 of wet food in the evening. does this sound like she’s eating too much?
I have a 15# cat, Zoe. I have taken her off of dry food and she has settled on Wellness grain free beef and chicken pate. A 3 oz. Can I’d 94 kcals. She started eating 2 cans a day and I’ve gotten her down to 1 3/4 cans. She is still not losing any weight even after a few months of eating this food. I know it’s not the highest protein food, but it’s what she’ll eat. I also get her to jump from different heights with a small amount of dry food. She tired easily, but she does it. She’s 10 years old. I’m so worried about diabetes. I have no confidence in my vet. She only put her on Royal Canin rx weight management food, which is nothing but garbage and I won’t feed it to her. Any suggestions. Thank you,
My cat is gaining serious weight.. Just in the last week his weight gain is noticeable.. He doesn't even eat that much... I figured its because he is neutered... He plays alot like a normal cat.. He is still athletic.. He just seems to gain weight immediately... I even cut back on can food and it doesn't help... I always thought neutered males just got fat because they have no testosterone...
Feed them less. I was also thinking that I was feeding my overweight kitty less but it was still a lot! They can lose the weight they just need to eat less.
Spaying and neutering can also cause fat kitty syndrome. My cat was a stray who was pregnant. She had 4 kittens. Once they were weaned I had her spayed and she doesn't have a weight problem. One male is spayed. He's fat. The other male is intact. He's slender. The two females are both spayed. One is really fat. They eat the same. All once a day. I ordered a cat wheel to get them started on a weight loss journey. I'm not saying spaying and neutering is a bad thing. I just think if you can wait a little longer than 5-6 months their bodies can tolerate it a lot better.
Thank you for talking about this topic,Dr.Martinez. I have an 11 year old obese cat who weighs 25.5 lbs.I took her to the vet last week and the vet performed a complete physical on her-x-rays,blood work and found her to be very healthy,even though she's obese. How do you go about weaning her off of the dry food I've been feeding her? I got moist food called science diet gastrointestinal kind and its like a diet wet food to help her lose weight?How long does it take for her to lose weight after feeding her nothing but wet food?
So, if feeding a cat wet AND dry food would the recommended total daily serving be: Half (5.5oz can) wet food & 1/4 cup dry food? --So, 1/4 can wet, 1/8 cup dry... 2x daily? I have one (8yrs) cat who is about 11lbs and another (sister kitty, 8yrs) who is about 6lbs. So, I'd like to get my bigger kitty back at his healthy weight!
My tubby kitty only eats dry food, so I pour a little water in with his dry food to hydrate him and also help him feel more full! He had a uti in the past, so this also helps flush out any bacteria! Most fat cats are so motivated by food that they will drink the water to get to it :)
@@lolacookie453 He has snubbed even the highest quality wet food! There is very little chemical difference between dry food with water and wet food. He has lost weight this way too!
I have one cat who is overweight and one cat super skinny... Its a struggle. My fat cat eats so fast that it's scary sounding. I don't know why she is so fat though... Because I feed her twice a day. Then my skinny cat eats very slowly. She hates being dirty so she will take her time but then ends up getting full before its gone...
Try putting a little water in the fat cat food. I did that with my mine who eats really fast and now he is need to lick it wich make him eat slower. The water really only works in wet food though not so much dry food.
I have an obese cat I got her when I was really young and didn’t know how much to feed I have another cat started gaining weight and she was very skinny and an attention seeker I have an elderly cat that has arthritis has a couple seizures every now and then when she doesn’t get food limps all the time has very hard time walking and meows very loudly when she need something she will be put down soon but these days she’s good
All my cats are pretty fat except one. He eats the same amount of food as the others, except I can feel his ribs and he's super skinny. It's really weird. He's also an indoor cat.
maybe he has internal parasites.. how are his stools? does he have diarreha? does he vomit? btw.. you can check if he is anemic by looking at his junctiva's/gums color if its pinkish then he is mostly alright.. if its pale he might be anemic.. maybe he got a super fast metabolism or its in his genes.. I suggest from my own experience to take him if you can to a visit to the vet. (mine had intestinal worms, she was very skinny and her ears and gums were pale).. just to make sure he is alright..👌🌻..
I think it's in his genes because he's been skinny since he was a kitten. His poop is normal, no diarrhea, no vomiting either. He has a little pouch of what feels like loose skin under his belly (not really fat). I'm going to be taking him for his biannual checkup in about a week, so I'll check him then. Thanks for the reply :)
I've never had a fat cat until now. I'm home all day with him, and he's ALWAYS hungry and begging. If I tried to feed him only 1/2 cup, he'd be pouting all day. He's already pouting as I'm feeding him for a 12 lb cat. He's about 20 lbs. He's an orange tabby. I've heard they are extra hungry.
It also works but do it in only a bit of food that you know that the cat will eat it all and don't leave it out for more than an hour or it will STINK like mad
Most cats will be their ideal weight or close to it if you feed them their ideal food. Cats food should not be left out because they should not be eating died carbohydrate pellets. They should be eat moisture rich high meat food with skin bones and secreting organ meat, preferably raw. They are have more sustained energy without the highs and lows. Smaller harder poops with less next to no smell. They drink less water but are more hydrated since they are getting most of their water from their food as nature intended. They have beautiful coats with less dander, and to top it off they live longer and healthier lives. 5 years ago I transitions from kibble to wet food, then from wet food to homemade lightly cooked food, then to raw food. This took me about 6 weeks and there were bumps in the road. Shadowstep was was 12 at the time and his health was declining, he was definitely showing strong signs of aging. In 6 months , well before, he was a new cat looking, acting and moving like a cat half his age. Now my cat is 17 while I can see he is starting to get cataracts he is still healthier than he was at 12 before I changed his diet.
My mom adopt 2 cats, im not sure what their breed are... I have the older one big probably weight about 20-30 pounds...Hes huge but still runs and go out side himself their other cat, hes skinny... Weird...😌
My cat has a little more fat in his blood which shows to me his pancreas is not working good. Which rauw food is good for him? And how much? I don’t trust vets here in Belgium, it is about money not the pets. I am talking from a horrible experience and with a heartbreak that will never heal.
Is he making his paws bleed? Maybe he's a little bit feral, and is sensitive to being pet. Other than that, I wonder if he has diabetes, causing his paws to feel numb or something.
fktcd That would be fucking terrible, Ive had him sense he was a kitten, so hes not feral.. Ive also took him to my vet, but I almost want a second opinion.. I would hate for something to happen to the lil guy..
CJ Ware You should make sure he gets canned food. Maybe food from the vet. It doesn't have to be weight management food, just whatever he will eat, and is healthy, it could make a big difference.
You say no cat especially overweight should have even close to a cup, and say around 200 but that chart shows that my 17 pound cat should have well over 300. I’m confused. I give her about 200-240 calories a day.
Yup! There's another thing called primordial pouch and it's just saggy skin on the stomach. As long as it's not fat filled and just skin it's fine and healthy
My cat is about 10 and over weight. He weighs about 18-20 pounds. I have tried a lot of fancy weight control kibble to no avail. I try to only give him a little a few times a day but he runs us with his crying and complaining to feed him every time we walk anywhere near his food or even if I stand up. It’s driving us crazy and we are worried about him. 1. I’m going to try wet food again 2. He doesn’t want to exercise...should I get another cat so they can play together?
