Laziest Fat Cat I've Ever Known!!

[Katikins]

Thought I'd come in here to pick people's brains as apparently I have become one of those people who I cannot stand.... I am the owner of a fat cat!!

I rehomed her and her brother about 6 months ago from someone who's flatmate had allergies. At that time she literally looked like a football with a head plonked on top. Her brother was also rather chubby. They immediately went on a diet and Basil is now looking like a cat should but Sybil is still WAY fatter than I want her.

The main problem is she is the laziest cat I have ever come across. If I get her to go outside (Basil will disappear for hours) she begs to come back in within about 2 minutes. If you try and play with her that will last about 2 minutes till she just flops on the floor. She will even lie down when eating or drinking! Her favourite thing is to just flop down wherever she may be and lie there staring at you!

I have no idea how to get her to lose weight. I try and guard them as much as I can at dinner time as she eats faster than Basil and then tries to steal his food. And while her antics are rather amusing, I am well aware that allowing your animal to be overweight is literally cutting years off their life.

Is there anything you guys can recommend or am I just destined to have a fat lazy cat? We are currently looking to buy a house so when that happens there will be a cat flap which will hopefully help!

Here is the lady in question doing her usual!

 

[pines of rome]

Have to say, she is very cute looking though! I also have a fat ginger cat, who is always looking for food in his bowl and me filling it. He only has three legs now so I am trying to get him to lose some weight, so he can hop about more easily!!!

 

[nikicb]

She looks lovely! I would feed them separately and give her a lot less. You may find that she will start wanting to be a bit more active if she loses a bit of weight.

 

[Katikins]

She is such a cutie I just wish she wasn't quite so lazy - shall have to be more vigilant and feeding times I think!

 

[Janah]

I have a fat cat, only 18mths old. At her annual jabs was told she had a heart murmur. Vet suggested not to worry just keep an eye if she became lethargic or panted a lot. She can be quite energetic, ie catching mice etc but is not as active as her litter sister. Maybe worth getting the vet to have a look.

 

[NikkiF]

That could almost be a post from me! Had cats for many years and never had a fat one before! Adopted 2 a year ago, Tabitha was overweight but CPL said would soon lose weight once she was going outside. Just like yours she only goes out for a few minutes at a time, and just likes to laze around. I stand over them at meal times so she can't pinch Jetties food, but the little monkey started jumping up onto the work surface and eating the dog treats!!! Which are now in the cupboard.

She did start to lose some weight during the summer but has put a bit back on now it's winter and going outside is an absolute no-no as far as she's concerned.

 

[Katikins]

That could almost be a post from me! Had cats for many years and never had a fat one before! Adopted 2 a year ago, Tabitha was overweight but CPL said would soon lose weight once she was going outside. Just like yours she only goes out for a few minutes at a time, and just likes to laze around. I stand over them at meal times so she can't pinch Jetties food, but the little monkey started jumping up onto the work surface and eating the dog treats!!! Which are now in the cupboard.

She did start to lose some weight during the summer but has put a bit back on now it's winter and going outside is an absolute no-no as far as she's concerned.

Well in a way that's made me feel better as its not just me!! I'm hoping once the weather gets better she'll go outside more and lose some weight, and then probably put it all back on again come autumn! She managed a whole 10 minutes outside this morning!!

 

[Cheshire Chestnut]

Very cute though - please look at my cat, his name is Moley and I think he'd make the perfect boyfriend for you cat!! http://www.flickr.com/photos/112093906@N08/12536126485/

 

[Highlands]

What do you feed?

 

[Fallenrose]

When I adopted my 2 from a rescue centre, my boy was over weight. It doesn't help that they have to be house cats as they are deaf.

I feed their biscuit in treat balls. He wasn't keen at first but he soon realised that if he didn't use it, he wouldn't get any other biscuits.

That, and feeding slightly smaller portions, is what's helped him get a bit of weight off.

He has got more active and playful as he has lost weight, and now meows when he wants to play.

 

[cloverleaf1985]

My 2 were podgy housecats too. I gradually weaned them off free fed crappy biscuits to 3 meals a day of butchers classic tinned food (no cereal in which is what makes them put on weight). They get a third of a tin each at each meal time. I also get Applaws biscuits which again have no cereal, and they get around 1/8 of a cup as treats.
One has lost 1.5kg in the 2 years I've had her and the other almost 1kg in the 16 months I've had him.
And that's with them both being lazy!

Any food with cereal in will put on weight, cereal=carbs=fat.

 

[Katikins]

When I adopted my 2 from a rescue centre, my boy was over weight. It doesn't help that they have to be house cats as they are deaf.

I feed their biscuit in treat balls. He wasn't keen at first but he soon realised that if he didn't use it, he wouldn't get any other biscuits.

That, and feeding slightly smaller portions, is what's helped him get a bit of weight off.

He has got more active and playful as he has lost weight, and now meows when he wants to play.

The treat balls are a great idea!!! I have kongs for the dog, why did I never think of this for the cats!!

They are currently on a prescription feed as her brother recently had crystals so they are on one to clear that up and then in a couple of weeks they will move onto a preventative one. As they are on vet prescribed food I don't really want to mess around with it. We both work and leave very early in the morning so feeding them different foods isn't really feasible at the moment. Will definitely look into the treat balls though - that'll get little miss fatty moving

 

[Katikins]

Very cute though - please look at my cat, his name is Moley and I think he'd make the perfect boyfriend for you cat!! http://www.flickr.com/photos/112093906@N08/12536126485/

Aaawww, what a cutie!!