My cat is fat. We are on Day 1 of a diet and it isn't going well .... any tips gratefully accepted. ....

[ghosty]

She's huge - she is Garfield's long lost twin. She has been on a 'light' formula food (Hill's) for a year and I think she is just hungrier.
I have rationed her food and no one is allowed to feed her but me (part of the problem is 2 small people feeding her when she asks for it
Today, Day 1, she has been tripping me up and ambushing me as I am going about my business in the house ....
Any tips on how to get her down to a reasonable weight of 4.5 or 5kgs?
Ta

PS. The vet suggested she becomes an indoor cat but won't that make it worse as she won't have any exercise?? ... We keep her indoors at night but I can't police her during the day with the children running in and out all day long (leaving the doors open etc)

[ghosty]

As I type, she is sitting on my foot ... chewing the shoe lace of the trainer on my other foot and lashing her tail ... every so often staring up at me ...
What if she decides to eat me?

[differentID]

she may be as big as she is because she goes to other houses to eat.
It is possible, but you must make it clear to your children that if they keep leaving the doors open she may get very poorly, whicj is why she must stay in. How old are they,btw?

[NotQuiteCockney]

Can you get her exercising more, get her running around? I used to buy crickets for my cats, to chase and eat ...

[malfoy]

ha. not tips here. our cats are on hill's rd which I belive is lighter than their light if you see what I mean.

we have had successful weight loss here but no tips. the cats do tell lies and never exercise

[Seasider]

how about giving some catnip so she runs around ?!

[ninja]

My parents set up an assault course for the cat to do before she got fed! Don't know that it did much though

Sorry!

[LazyLinePainterJane]

I would say that you are supposed to keep her in to avoid her eating at other houses and scavenging food from other places. At our old house, our cat used to get burgers from the chip shop!

I have another cat who I know regularly goes for food at another house in the road, as far as I know she could have 6 different feeders.

Is she just on the dry food?

[BecauseImWorthIt]

Make sure your neighbours aren't being 'kind' and feeding your cat. You may need to put a label on her collar, saying she is on a special diet and that she must not eat anything else otherwise it will be dangerous for her health.

I have a very sociable cat who I know has colonised half of our street.

[ghosty]

what's 'hill's rd', malfoy?
She likes running around after a pull along toy that the children have so maybe I could encourage them to play more with that (and her)
The children are 8 and 4.

[Alambil]

Can cats eat bran?

My mum feeds her dog on one cup dog food and one cup bran... the bran swells and makes them feel full, the food gives nutrition whilst keeping calories down.

You can buy it online - although it comes in gynormous bags...

[malfoy]

www.hillspet.com/media/WEURG/product/prodKeyPDF/en/PD_FL_D_d_rd_o_O_n_o_WEURG_prodKey_en.pdf

Not sure if link will work. It's prescription cat diet food for v obese cats.

[ClairePO]

Get a food ball and get her playing with that but make sure the biscuits you put in are part of her daily allowance not in addition.

Get a laser torch have her running around after that - careful not to shine it in her eyes though so maybe not let your DC's use that with her. I also get my no. 2 cat to run up and down stairs after it but he is a very fit slim cat and it really wears him out so maybe don't try that if you think it may be too much for her at first.

www.woofnwhiskers.co.uk/cat-treat-ball-p-200.html treat ball

www.petplanet.co.uk/product.asp?dept_id=183&pf_id=7076 laser toy

If you are going to put a do not feed me note on her collar you can actually get collars woven with that on.

www.kittycollars.co.uk/personalised-cat-collars.htm

I just worry with that what happens f they get lost and no-one feeds them.

[ghosty]

thanks for those links ClairePO ... we live in Australia so I don't know if I can get that particular stuff here but I will hunt around ...
Today, I waited until about 8am to feed DC (Dear Cat) ... I have measured out her day's rations and only put a bit of it in for breakfast. She sat there, looked at the bowl, looked at me, looked back at her bowl in disgust and then pounced on my feet as I walked away in a kind of "Yeah, you WERE joking right? Call that breakfast?" way
I haven't seen her since and it is 11.15. We've been out and she normally comes running when she hears the car... She is probably sitting down to steak and chips up the road as I type ...

[DuffyMoon]

my mums cat was overweight nad he has lost about half his bodyweight in about a year. He gets weighed at the vets once a month and they get the food from their as well so I think it is a Hills food or something....he gets 70 grammes a day, and they have had to be very strict with him. They measure it out in the morning and thats it for the day, if he whinges for a treat, they give him one out out of the days measure

[ghosty]

Did he get on the cover of 'Feline Slimmer of the Year' magazine Duffy?
Yes, I think the prescription food from the vet may be the way to go for my poor cat ...
She is so pissed off with me

[superloopy]

I'd better be careful next time I visit then.....

She may try to eat DS - he would certainly fill her up!!