My cat is on a diet and I need advice.

[winnietucker]

I have an older cat whose exact age is unknown. I got him from someone who didn’t want him anymore and he’s been with me ever since.

He wants to cuddle and eat only. He does not want to play. Once in a blue moon he’ll play with one of my dogs but he doesn’t play with me, toys, or my other dog.

When we lived in Hawaii he was able to go outside as he pleased since there are no predators there. We now live in Washington so he has to stay inside. He’s gotten chunky as a result. We put him on a diet (by just feeding less) but he’s plateaued. Also, I’m tired of him harassing me. He doesn’t let me sleep unless there is food in his bowl. He follows me around the house complaining until I feed him. Today he tried to steal the fish’s food and he regularly tries to steal the dog’s food. Once I came home and saw he tried to chew through their treat bag. He refuses wet food though. He won’t eat any of it no matter brand/ flavor/ texture. He won’t eat the cheap stuff and he won’t eat the expensive stuff.

How do I get this cat to lose some weight? He’s clearly overweight and my vet is recommending Satiety. But at $47 for a less than 8 lbs bag I wanted to explore other options before giving up and buying it.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Can you get him to play ?
Our old cat Tinky used to love chasing clothes pegs all over the kitchen floor
His favourite toy was a real rabbit's tail on some string

Have you looked at cheaper brands of weight management cat food ?
Or what if you mixed it in with his usual nibble
My vets have never once tried to get me to buy a vet only brand

 

[winnietucker]

Can you get him to play ?
Our old cat Tinky used to love chasing clothes pegs all over the kitchen floor
His favourite toy was a real rabbit's tail on some string

Have you looked at cheaper brands of weight management cat food ?
Or what if you mixed it in with his usual nibble
My vets have never once tried to get me to buy a vet only brand

He won’t play. I’ve bought him toys, tried a laser... he’s not into it. I wasn’t sure if non prescription food worked but I’m open to suggestions!

My vet is only this concerned about the cat. My one dog (also from a family who didn’t want him anymore) started getting chunky but she didn’t say anything about him. He’s got some food issues and is also incredibly lazy for his breed so it’s not coming off as quickly as I had hoped with him either.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

I live in a country where most cats get to play outside
Could yours go on a lead and go for walks ? - i don't really know how this works
Next time you go grocery shopping have a look at the weight managment choices available - maybe mix in half and half with the food he loves
Its too bad the two of them don't play together

 

[facetgirl]

My girl cat is the same way. She loves to lounge now that she is in her finer years and the only thing she loves more than that is to eat. She will seek me out in the house, sit in front of me and cry. She is a love though- she will also seek me out for affection so there is that

I playfully chase her around the house. I probably look ridiculous but I keep telling myself that play is important. I also stopped feeding her treats (I think I enjoyed giving these to her as much as she enjoyed getting them.) My vet wants to put her on a "senior" based diet which he says will help with her weight.

Looking forward to other's ideas here too.

 

[sonnyjane]

Tough love. But first - a compliment. Kudos for keeping your cat inside. I don't care if it leads to debate, both for the wellness of the cat and the wellness of local wildlife, your cat should not be roaming outdoors. As an avid birder I'm actually horrified it was outside in Hawaii because they are wreaking havoc on bird populations there precisely for the reason you say you didn't mind him being out - there are no natural predators so the birds aren't used to it... but I digress... you're doing the right thing now.

Some cats simply cannot be free-fed. My current one cannot be. There will be periods of whining during the initial diet, but it really does stop if you don't give in. Do you mind me asking how much the cat weighs as well as how much you are feeding him? My cat needs to have very strictly measured meals to keep his weight down. Most cats need far less food than the bag recommends.

One thing thing worked very well for my cat were these mice that you can hide throughout the day: https://www.chewy.com/doc-phoebes-cat-co-indoor-hunting-cat/dp/179102?utm_term&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI14rJgvfI5wIVTR-tBh1bNgQ4EAQYASABEgIRZ_D_BwE&utm_campaign=hg&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google-product&utm_content=Doc & Phoebe's Cat Co.

I put much less than the recommended scoop in each mouse so that I could give many more mice throughout the day if that makes sense. It slowed down his eating and also got him to jump up high etc. Plus you can hide them in places the dog can't access.

If he's waking you up, you could also try an auto feeder. I have this one: https://www.amazon.com/PetSafe-Auto...ocphy=9033353&hvtargid=pla-349258975654&psc=1

He used to wake me up in the middle of the night because he was hungry so this one dispenses the smallest amount (1/8 cup) and I have it set for 4 AM - keeps kitty from bothering me. I use a low-calorie indoor cat dry food ("weight management" formulas)

I'm in Washington also. My cat is trained to go on a leash. You don't walk a cat like you walk a dog really (well you can if your cat will, but mine doesn't). It's morel like putting him on a leash and letting him roam and you're the one going for a walk. It's great and safe outdoor stimulation. I believe this is the one I got: https://www.chewy.com/petsafe-come-me-kitty-harness-bungee/dp/48956?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=hg&utm_content=PetSafe&utm_term=&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIt9OblvjI5wIVUxitBh2Qswb9EAkYByABEgJHuvD_BwE

The hardest thing is usually giving in when they beg. If you can stop the free-feeding and get him on a schedule, it will benefit in the long run! I will also say that all cats, like all people are different. I have a GIANT cat (almost 16 lbs). The vet is more or less happy with where he is. She said she wouldn't mind him losing another pound or two, but he will NEVER been one of those dainty little 8 pound cats you see on TV. He'd be skeletal. "fat cats" are very prone to complications as they age, however, which is why it should be addressed, but slow and steady is the best way with cats. Cutting them down too fast or starving them never ends well!

Good luck!

 

[missy]

Yup agree with @sonnyjane. With everything she wrote including keeping your cats indoors at all times.

We are dealing with a food obsessed kitty who cannot and will never be free fed. It is hard for our other cats who need food often because they only eat small amounts at a time and one of them is hyperthyroid and is losing weight and not eating much at all. With Tommy (hyperthyroid cat) I have to put out food often and coax him to eat. But with the food obsessed kitty he never is satiated and will always eat more. No good. SO tough love indeed.

I feed Oliver (food obsessed) in a playpen separate from the others and when I feed the others (more often) I put Oliver in the playpen so he cannot eat their food. It isn't fun and the day is busy with the cats and their eating but for now it is the best solution. I have the luxury of doing it this way because I am home much of the time and revolve my schedule around the cats schedules lol.

I will add that yes Oliver cries and cries for more food but we had him checked by his vet and his weight is good and he is healthy and he is not underweight at all. We are practicing tough love but it is for Oliver's good and future good health. We have dealt with overweight cats before and the consequences (diabetes, kidney disease, hypertension) are very bad. We are doing it for Oliver because let's face it...it would be far easier to allow him to keep eating and not deal with the crying and aggravation of limiting his food. But tough love is what is necessary and tough love is what we are doing.

We distract him as much as possible and entertain him and play with him and do what it takes to get his mind off food but we can only take his mind off food for short bits of time because he is truly obsessed. Hoping he outgrows it as time goes on and unlearns the behavior and hope you can do the same with your cat.


When they get and stay obese many health issues come so it is critical if you can to get your cat's weight better controlled. Slowly but surely.
Good luck @winnietucker and hope you can get your cat's weight under control.

 

[rainydaze]

I have a similar feeder to @sonnyjane. It feeds as little as 1/8 cup which allows me to space out the meals so that he is satisfied without over-feeding. I had to experiment with the schedule until I got to a place where he stopped meowing incessantly. He would meow every three seconds for hours on end (the longest I counted was four hours) starting at 4am. Yikes kiddo!! As for getting him to play, the only one who has had a modicum of success is our other kitty, a younger female with more prey drive than he has.

He came to us at 17lbs and I had him down to 15lbs but that was with the disruptive constant meowing. The vet is happy with 17 for him as long as it stays steady and goes no higher, which has been the case for several years and this auto feeder. I very rarely give him treats, he can't afford them.

feeder: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VIXRB6O/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[winnietucker]

I live in a country where most cats get to play outside
Could yours go on a lead and go for walks ? - i don't really know how this works
Next time you go grocery shopping have a look at the weight managment choices available - maybe mix in half and half with the food he loves
Its too bad the two of them don't play together

I’m uncomfortable with him being outside given all the loose dogs and actual predators in my area. No way I could fend off a dog. Maybe once we get our fence up I can make a little tether area like a zip line to hook him up to.

My girl cat is the same way. She loves to lounge now that she is in her finer years and the only thing she loves more than that is to eat. She will seek me out in the house, sit in front of me and cry. She is a love though- she will also seek me out for affection so there is that

I playfully chase her around the house. I probably look ridiculous but I keep telling myself that play is important. I also stopped feeding her treats (I think I enjoyed giving these to her as much as she enjoyed getting them.) My vet wants to put her on a "senior" based diet which he says will help with her weight.

Looking forward to other's ideas here too.

I put his food up in an area where he needs to work a little to get it so he does have some exercise. I’m going to start researching foods and we’ll switch the guy over to a diet food vs just feeding less.

 

[bludiva]

our cats eat wet so we can't do this with them but for our dog who was starting to look a little too well fed at one point, we will sometimes make her work for her dinner (run for kibble, put it in a treat ball, etc.) made a big difference. the mouse idea from sonnyjane sounds like a good one to try. not too big of a change but your kitty will have to do a little more work for his kibble and you can control portion size.

 

[winnietucker]

Tough love. But first - a compliment. Kudos for keeping your cat inside. I don't care if it leads to debate, both for the wellness of the cat and the wellness of local wildlife, your cat should not be roaming outdoors. As an avid birder I'm actually horrified it was outside in Hawaii because they are wreaking havoc on bird populations there precisely for the reason you say you didn't mind him being out - there are no natural predators so the birds aren't used to it... but I digress... you're doing the right thing now.

Some cats simply cannot be free-fed. My current one cannot be. There will be periods of whining during the initial diet, but it really does stop if you don't give in. Do you mind me asking how much the cat weighs as well as how much you are feeding him? My cat needs to have very strictly measured meals to keep his weight down. Most cats need far less food than the bag recommends.

One thing thing worked very well for my cat were these mice that you can hide throughout the day: https://www.chewy.com/doc-phoebes-cat-co-indoor-hunting-cat/dp/179102?utm_term&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI14rJgvfI5wIVTR-tBh1bNgQ4EAQYASABEgIRZ_D_BwE&utm_campaign=hg&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google-product&utm_content=Doc & Phoebe's Cat Co.

I put much less than the recommended scoop in each mouse so that I could give many more mice throughout the day if that makes sense. It slowed down his eating and also got him to jump up high etc. Plus you can hide them in places the dog can't access.

If he's waking you up, you could also try an auto feeder. I have this one: https://www.amazon.com/PetSafe-Auto...ocphy=9033353&hvtargid=pla-349258975654&psc=1

He used to wake me up in the middle of the night because he was hungry so this one dispenses the smallest amount (1/8 cup) and I have it set for 4 AM - keeps kitty from bothering me. I use a low-calorie indoor cat dry food ("weight management" formulas)

I'm in Washington also. My cat is trained to go on a leash. You don't walk a cat like you walk a dog really (well you can if your cat will, but mine doesn't). It's morel like putting him on a leash and letting him roam and you're the one going for a walk. It's great and safe outdoor stimulation. I believe this is the one I got: https://www.chewy.com/petsafe-come-me-kitty-harness-bungee/dp/48956?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=hg&utm_content=PetSafe&utm_term=&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIt9OblvjI5wIVUxitBh2Qswb9EAkYByABEgJHuvD_BwE

The hardest thing is usually giving in when they beg. If you can stop the free-feeding and get him on a schedule, it will benefit in the long run! I will also say that all cats, like all people are different. I have a GIANT cat (almost 16 lbs). The vet is more or less happy with where he is. She said she wouldn't mind him losing another pound or two, but he will NEVER been one of those dainty little 8 pound cats you see on TV. He'd be skeletal. "fat cats" are very prone to complications as they age, however, which is why it should be addressed, but slow and steady is the best way with cats. Cutting them down too fast or starving them never ends well!

Good luck!

Thanks for the tips! I’ll look into ordering the mice when I decide on a weight loss food for him and do it in one order.

My cat has to be in the 20s. He was in the mid 20s but did lose some weight after we stopped free feeding. He’s also a fairly large cat in general and is about as tall as my corgis. I just want to slim him up so he has a healthy rest of his life. He currently eats 1/2 cup - 1/4 cup in the morning and 1/4 at night. It takes him no time at all to eat it and then start harassing me again.

I read auto feeders were a no go because a motivated cat will break it and then free feed until you catch it which is why I’ve never bought one. Do you think this is actually an issue?

My cat won’t be outside at all until I get my fence up. Too many loose dogs. Some of my neighbors let their dogs run around off leash outside and there’s a Great Dane that keeps ending up in my yard somehow... It sucks because my yard is very large so my own dogs can’t enjoy most of it either...

 

[rainydaze]

My cats (2) have never once tried to break into it. I did see pictures and reviews of cats that do that though. As hungry as my guy might be I think he's too lazy to put the effort into breaking into it, lol! I'd say it's worth a shot to see if yours does or doesn't, if he doesn't it's a great solution.

 

[winnietucker]

Yup agree with @sonnyjane. With everything she wrote including keeping your cats indoors at all times.

We are dealing with a food obsessed kitty who cannot and will never be free fed. It is hard for our other cats who need food often because they only eat small amounts at a time and one of them is hyperthyroid and is losing weight and not eating much at all. With Tommy (hyperthyroid cat) I have to put out food often and coax him to eat. But with the food obsessed kitty he never is satiated and will always eat more. No good. SO tough love indeed.

I feed Oliver (food obsessed) in a playpen separate from the others and when I feed the others (more often) I put Oliver in the playpen so he cannot eat their food. It isn't fun and the day is busy with the cats and their eating but for now it is the best solution. I have the luxury of doing it this way because I am home much of the time and revolve my schedule around the cats schedules lol.

I will add that yes Oliver cries and cries for more food but we had him checked by his vet and his weight is good and he is healthy and he is not underweight at all. We are practicing tough love but it is for Oliver's good and future good health. We have dealt with overweight cats before and the consequences (diabetes, kidney disease, hypertension) are very bad. We are doing it for Oliver because let's face it...it would be far easier to allow him to keep eating and not deal with the crying and aggravation of limiting his food. But tough love is what is necessary and tough love is what we are doing.

We distract him as much as possible and entertain him and play with him and do what it takes to get his mind off food but we can only take his mind off food for short bits of time because he is truly obsessed. Hoping he outgrows it as time goes on and unlearns the behavior and hope you can do the same with your cat.


When they get and stay obese many health issues come so it is critical if you can to get your cat's weight better controlled. Slowly but surely.
Good luck @winnietucker and hope you can get your cat's weight under control.

Thanks for sharing! Good luck with Oliver. Food loving cats and rough... my dogs are both food obsessed but way less pushy about it.

@rainydaze I was told that’s a neutered male cat thing but I don’t know how true it is. It does kind of makes sense though because my cat has never been a hunter or even super active compared to my mom’s old female cat. I’ll def look more into feeders. I’d like to be able to sleep in for once...

@bludiva I def intend to look into the mice. Food might be the only way to get him to willingly exercise.

 

[winnietucker]

My cats (2) have never once tried to break into it. I did see pictures and reviews of cats that do that though. As hungry as my guy might be I think he's too lazy to put the effort into breaking into it, lol! I'd say it's worth a shot to see if yours does or doesn't, if he doesn't it's a great solution.

I’ll do some research and look for some sturdier feeders. I’ll just have go check it daily to make sure he doesn’t break in.

 

[missy]

Thanks for sharing! Good luck with Oliver. Food loving cats and rough... my dogs are both food obsessed but way less pushy about it.

He’s going crazy right now. He’s driving me crazy too. He’s running around screaming and swatting me. Really frustrating. I’m going to feed him half a can at noon. I give him half a can 4 times a day which amounts to 11oz of food. Which is sufficient but I’d prefer feeding him twice a day. However he won’t tolerate that so four times a day it is for now.

At least he’s active. I feel for you because cats can be so stubborn.

 

[sonnyjane]

Thanks for the tips! I’ll look into ordering the mice when I decide on a weight loss food for him and do it in one order.

My cat has to be in the 20s. He was in the mid 20s but did lose some weight after we stopped free feeding. He’s also a fairly large cat in general and is about as tall as my corgis. I just want to slim him up so he has a healthy rest of his life. He currently eats 1/2 cup - 1/4 cup in the morning and 1/4 at night. It takes him no time at all to eat it and then start harassing me again.

I read auto feeders were a no go because a motivated cat will break it and then free feed until you catch it which is why I’ve never bought one. Do you think this is actually an issue?

My cat won’t be outside at all until I get my fence up. Too many loose dogs. Some of my neighbors let their dogs run around off leash outside and there’s a Great Dane that keeps ending up in my yard somehow... It sucks because my yard is very large so my own dogs can’t enjoy most of it either...

I have only had this auto-feeder for 4 months but no problems with him sneaking in. It has a childproof/catproof latch (their words!) I think your cat would greatly benefit by spreading out the feedings. Rocky (my cat) gets 4-5 small meals a day as opposed to two big ones. Think about with us... are we more satisfied when we snack throughout the day, or if we go 12 hours without eating?

My cat has been as high as 20 and as low as 15.5. He is 16.5 now. I'd definitely encourage you to try sub-20, certainly, to avoid health complications. This is the food Rocky gets: https://www.chewy.com/blue-buffalo-...MIgcL_xPfJ5wIVTR-tBh18Pg6AEAQYAyABEgJj3vD_BwE

It's not the best, but it's definitely not the worst. A little expensive but the 11 pound bag lasts a LONG time. Rocky ends up getting 1/2 a cup every day, spread out over 4 meals, and then a few treats like these: https://www.chewy.com/purebites-chicken-breast-freeze-dried/dp/35896

 

[winnietucker]

I have only had this auto-feeder for 4 months but no problems with him sneaking in. It has a childproof/catproof latch (their words!) I think your cat would greatly benefit by spreading out the feedings. Rocky (my cat) gets 4-5 small meals a day as opposed to two big ones. Think about with us... are we more satisfied when we snack throughout the day, or if we go 12 hours without eating?

My cat has been as high as 20 and as low as 15.5. He is 16.5 now. I'd definitely encourage you to try sub-20, certainly, to avoid health complications. This is the food Rocky gets: https://www.chewy.com/blue-buffalo-wilderness-weight/dp/36706?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=f&utm_content=Blue Buffalo&utm_term=&show-search=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIgcL_xPfJ5wIVTR-tBh18Pg6AEAQYAyABEgJj3vD_BwE

It's not the best, but it's definitely not the worst. A little expensive but the 11 pound bag lasts a LONG time. Rocky ends up getting 1/2 a cup every day, spread out over 4 meals, and then a few treats like these: https://www.chewy.com/purebites-chicken-breast-freeze-dried/dp/35896

Solid point. I’ll try to break up his feedings to 4x a day and see how that works out.

 

[KaeKae]

Maybe a change of foods? My cat needed to lose some weight. Our vet suggested this one, which worked well for him.

HILL'S PRESCRIPTION DIET c/d Multicare Stress + Metabolic Chicken Flavor Dry Cat Food, 6.35-lb bag - Chewy.com

Buy Hill's Prescription Diet c/d Multicare Stress + Metabolic Chicken Flavor Dry Cat Food, 6.35-lb bag at Chewy.com. FREE shipping and the BEST customer service!

www.chewy.com

 

[winnietucker]

Maybe a change of foods? My cat needed to lose some weight. Our vet suggested this one, which worked well for him.

HILL'S PRESCRIPTION DIET c/d Multicare Stress + Metabolic Chicken Flavor Dry Cat Food, 6.35-lb bag - Chewy.com

Buy Hill's Prescription Diet c/d Multicare Stress + Metabolic Chicken Flavor Dry Cat Food, 6.35-lb bag at Chewy.com. FREE shipping and the BEST customer service!

www.chewy.com

My vet recommended a similarly expensive prescription food and I was hoping for some other options.

 

[sonnyjane]

Maybe a change of foods? My cat needed to lose some weight. Our vet suggested this one, which worked well for him.

HILL'S PRESCRIPTION DIET c/d Multicare Stress + Metabolic Chicken Flavor Dry Cat Food, 6.35-lb bag - Chewy.com

Buy Hill's Prescription Diet c/d Multicare Stress + Metabolic Chicken Flavor Dry Cat Food, 6.35-lb bag at Chewy.com. FREE shipping and the BEST customer service!

www.chewy.com

My vet recommended a similarly expensive prescription food and I was hoping for some other options.

It's tricky... many vet offices get kickbacks/sponsorships from of the big Rx food companies. I'm happy that my vet has never pushed specific brands on me, but rather just recommended certain properties of foods (high protein, lower calorie, no artificial colors, etc.)

 

[bludiva]

maybe you can propose some alternate foods to your vet or ask for food shopping guidelines. i can't imagine if losing weight is the only health issue that you need to jump to expensive prescription food.

if you have a costco card their pet food tends to be highly rated and a good value for money. i'm sure there are similar over the counter options. i'd push back on the prescription food.

also most vets i've ever visited recommend all kinds of things that cost 3x retail from their office, it took me a long time to realize you can get it elsewhere, including the prescriptions.

 

[winnietucker]

It's tricky... many vet offices get kickbacks/sponsorships from of the big Rx food companies. I'm happy that my vet has never pushed specific brands on me, but rather just recommended certain properties of foods (high protein, lower calorie, no artificial colors, etc.)

I think she’s pretty legit but some of the stuff she sells in office is expensive. Other than this cat food she hasn’t really pushed any other products so I trust her.

maybe you can propose some alternate foods to your vet or ask for food shopping guidelines. i can't imagine if losing weight is the only health issue that you need to jump to expensive prescription food.

if you have a costco card their pet food tends to be highly rated and a good value for money. i'm sure there are similar over the counter options. i'd push back on the prescription food.

also most vets i've ever visited recommend all kinds of things that cost 3x retail from their office, it took me a long time to realize you can get it elsewhere, including the prescriptions.

I love Costco! I can def look for this. I’m considering Pro Plan’s weight management food as well since my dogs eat Pro Plan and my vet highly recommended it.

 

[rainydaze]

Again piggybacking on @sonnyjane 's recommendation - I have the feeder set up to let out 1/4 cup at 5:30am, 1/8 cup at 4pm, and 1/8 cup at 10pm. He has no problem making it to 4pm for the feeding, he sleeps the day away. 5:30 is early enough to prevent him from waking us up, and the 10pm feeding gets him through the night. Our other cat gets 1/4 can of wet food every morning, and she also nibbles from the automatic feeder, so he's not getting all of that to himself. I just recently removed an additional 1/8 cup feeding because I am hoping to see if I can trim him down just a bit, without him annoying the daylights out of us. So far, so good!

@missy Oliver is quite the handful! I'm sorry he's driving you nuts over food, and I hope the tough love finally breaks through. I tried that with my guy for a few months but he just wouldn't let up. He was already six years old though, so more set in his ways, and I don't think he was quite as food obsessed as Oliver is at the moment. Fingers crossed for you!

 

[Matata]

Has your vet checked to see if there's a thyroid issue?

Haven't read any of the responses so apologies if I'm repeating what others have suggested.

1. Feed the cat 2-3 times per day in an area separate from other pets. Set a feeding schedule and adhere to it. You'll have to put up with complaints for awhile but eventually the cat should adjust to regimented feeding times
2. Leave food down for 15 minutes, if not eaten, put it away until next meal time
3. Stop access to other pets' food
4. Try feeding meals with a Kong treat toy so the cat has to work at getting the food or you can throw the kibble pieces down a hallway or around a room and make the cat chase after the pieces in order to get some exercise
5. Make sure the food you're feeding is nutritionally complete. It could be that a picky eater is choosing a food that does not meet nutritional needs which may contribute to begging. Alternatively, try adding in a good quality vitamin mix, such as Wild Trax, to current food to see if that helps.

If the cat is waking you up during the night, feed the last meal right before bedtime but be sure to try the kong or other toy technique or throwing the kibble around the room to ensure the cat gets simultaneously exercised and fed which should at the very least, tone down the number of nighttime caterwauling.

 

[winnietucker]

Has your vet checked to see if there's a thyroid issue?

Haven't read any of the responses so apologies if I'm repeating what others have suggested.

1. Feed the cat 2-3 times per day in an area separate from other pets. Set a feeding schedule and adhere to it. You'll have to put up with complaints for awhile but eventually the cat should adjust to regimented feeding times
2. Leave food down for 15 minutes, if not eaten, put it away until next meal time
3. Stop access to other pets' food
4. Try feeding meals with a Kong treat toy so the cat has to work at getting the food or you can throw the kibble pieces down a hallway or around a room and make the cat chase after the pieces in order to get some exercise
5. Make sure the food you're feeding is nutritionally complete. It could be that a picky eater is choosing a food that does not meet nutritional needs which may contribute to begging. Alternatively, try adding in a good quality vitamin mix, such as Wild Trax, to current food to see if that helps.

If the cat is waking you up during the night, feed the last meal right before bedtime but be sure to try the kong or other toy technique or throwing the kibble around the room to ensure the cat gets simultaneously exercised and fed which should at the very least, tone down the number of nighttime caterwauling.

No she hasn’t. Prob cause we told her we free feed. But I’m going to implement all these things. This cat is losing weight whether he likes it or not.

 

[OboeGal]

I think she’s pretty legit but some of the stuff she sells in office is expensive. Other than this cat food she hasn’t really pushed any other products so I trust her.



I love Costco! I can def look for this. I’m considering Pro Plan’s weight management food as well since my dogs eat Pro Plan and my vet highly recommended it.

I would recommend the Pro Plan over the the Kirkland. (Kirkland has been associated with some of the cases of the dilated cardiomyopathy that have been affecting dogs and cats.) My 17-year-old chunky male kitty has been doing very well on the Pro Plan weight management in addition to some wet food.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Our big formally stray get gets his food spread out across the day as he's still learning he has food security now, he's been ravishing at breakfast latelly as the nights get cooler
He got quite pudgy over the winter but i cut right back on the biscuits and he's looking lean and muscly now
Borris has biscuits out all day to snack on, where Tibby can't get them, but gets wet food for breakfast and tea (dinner)

 

[winnietucker]

I would recommend the Pro Plan over the the Kirkland. (Kirkland has been associated with some of the cases of the dilated cardiomyopathy that have been affecting dogs and cats.) My 17-year-old chunky male kitty has been doing very well on the Pro Plan weight management in addition to some wet food.

Oh shoot I didn’t realize that was affecting cats too. Pro plan it will be! My dogs do well on it so hopefully the cat does too.

 

[chrono]

Switching to wet has helped my old cat a lot because the dry was a lot of carbs. I went with 2 to 3 feedings of canned and it improved overall health as well.

 

[mochiko42]

My cats eat a mix of wet (bought canned food and homemade food) and dry foods. One was put on a diet by the vet due to being overweight (15lb),but because of multiple food allergies he can't eat the diet kibble. So the vet recommended using the regular kibble but soaking it until it softens a bit and swells up. This helps increase the size of the kibble so the cat gets fuller faster because it thinks it's eaten a larger quantity of food when in fact it's just adddd liquid weight. You can try soaking the kibble in plain water or in plain unsalted chicken/meat broth. Added bonus is that the cat gets more liquids which helps avoid kidney problems.