When my bf and I bought a kitten the pet store suggested buying the food they had been feeding him so he won't suffer an upset stomach due to sudden diet change. The food which cost an arm and a leg contained 50% crude fat and my other cat got into the kittens' food. My domestic short hair is only five and now she weighs roughly 5.5kg and she is longer in size then the usual short hair. The expensive food ran out but she hasn't lost the weight as she is lazier and stays up in my room all day because the kitten drives her nuts. She is both an outdoor and indoor cat usually spending about a quarter of her time outside. Her diet is about half dry food and half wet food (either tuna or canned food). How do I help her lose weight and is stress a factor in this?The 50% crude fat food was kitten food and $15 for a kilo. She is fed weight management dry biscuits minus what ever the kitten nicks off her dry food plate while she's away. His bowl is kept in the upstairs bathroom where he is shut up at night so he has a preference for her plate downstairs.
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This website has some very, very good info about feline obesity and the proper diet to help a cat loose weight healthily. The vet herself had helped morbidly obese cats loose weight and be able to do regular cat things like running and being able to groom themselves all over.http://www.catinfo.org/?link=felineobesityI would definitely give it a read.Other Answers:
- You're feeding her too much. Cut her food in half.
- Slowly take her of the wet food, taking away 1 less chunk of tuna/canned food each day. Once she is weaned of wet food, you can slowly mix in some of a new, less fatty food each day until she is fully eating that food. If you do it abruptly, your cat can develop digestive problems such as vomiting and diarrhea. If she keeps on vomiting and diarrhearing(what?), slowly wean her back onto the 50% crude fat food.
- Tuna is horrid for cats, pick a chicken pate instead (never chunks in gravy).Cat food with lots of carbs (corn, rice, wheat) and less meat will make a cat fat.Of course kittens need more fat too so they grow properly.http://fullofknowledge.com/2013/02/why-some-cats-are-fat-and-some-cats-are-skinny/Stress could be a factor - if she drinks alot and pees a lot maybe she has diabetes!
- If I ever feel my cats need to lose wait, I put them on a higher protein diet... Canned fish, mixed with only a little pasta or rice, and a little vegetable. Homemade foods are far better than commercial. If I had to supplement the homemade with commercial, I would choose an "all natural" dry food, like Good Life Recipe for Indoor Cats... or Nutro Natural Choice (higher cost), or other high-end food for Indoor Cats or for Weight Control. The protein diet I am suggesting is like an Atkins diet for Cats (low carb).
