Apparently my cats have succumbed to the obesity epidemic

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According to my sis who was like " is that even a cat shape?"

Now they are a little bit portly. They are quite timid and do not like to go outside. They like eating and sleeping.

How much should I be feeding them?

My friend's cat got rather portly and was put on a diet by the vet, he did slim down a wee bit and rediscovered a love of biting socked feet! Lived till he was about 18/19 too :)

I was feeling a bit down in the dumps but the thought of lovely fat cats has cheered me up!

I didn't offer anything useful :( sorry! I would ask your vet to recommend a food and how much they should have, also encourage them to play with you - rolled up tin foil? Surely no mog can resist.

You should fat shame them. Point and sneer, make loud, derogatory comments.
Although, being cats, they probably won't give a fuck.

I know mrscakes but they are just doing it to themselves

Sigh

They had a difficult childhood and were teen mothers before I adopted them. Perhaps they need the comfort?

I'm afraid it's more than a joke for cats. Have a read of \link{http://www.icatcare.org/advice-centre/cat-health/obesity-cats\this.}

Have you actually weighed them yet?

Christ no I haven't tried to weigh them. They only just tolerate a bit of light stroking.

Am going to get a cat toy that they loved previously - it's a thing that mimics a bird.

I don't want to get diet food from the vets. I just want to cut their found and increase exercise.

I susiect that between me and DP and DD1 they were being overfed. I think they were getting a can abd three quarters of butchers cat food.

So what's best?

My sis reckons we should give them Iams to crunch on and then a very limited supply of wet food.

You need to be really strict and weigh out a calorie controlled portion according to their weight. Because they don't go out at least you are in control of what they eat. (But you can't control how much the sleep very easily!)

We have one who goes round to neighbours to eat. I put a collar on with a tag saying 'please don't feed me' and its actually worked! She's becoming more like her old self.

Up their exercise a bit, slightly decrease their food and (I'm afraid) be prepared for a long haul on this one. It's potentially dangerous to put them on a crash diet so depending on the degree of obesity, it could take you a while.

You might like to consider putting their food in foraging toys if you're considering dried - have a read of \link{http://www.apbc.org.uk/system/files/private/advice_sheet_15_-_environmental_enrichments_games_for_cats.pdf\this} as a starter. There's loads of guidance on the net on making them and you could get a plastic kibble ball or two in the interim (online or from a pet supplies shop/supermarket) until you hone your Blue Peter skills or collect the kitchen roll or toilet innards.

They should be being weighed as part of their regular vet visits. When were they last vetted?

Are due to go back actually - they were last seen in October so need to be wormed.
So yes this has given me the impetus to make an appointment to get the get to have a look.

Toy idea looks great - I have 3 DC so they would enjoy doing this

Ah Hah! Good idea.

Vet advised me to cut down my cat's dry food when she got a bit chubby (low carbing!) and I use one of those balls too. She gets the equivalent of a pouch of wet food (I get Bozita food online) a day split into 3 meals, she seems to prefer frequent small meals & would eat a heaped bowlful 3 times a day happily!

She also doesn't like outside & is quite timid but does enjoy ball toys small enough to kick around - I got some knobbly bouncy balls & scrunchy foil balls for cats, & she will also kick & chase bottle tops. She's also got a cat nip mouse - it velcros open & you fill it with catnip. Doesn't like laser pointers or Kong toys or anything else cats are meant to all like!

Oh and most importantly, she did loose about a kilo in weight!

Running up and down stairs chasing string is excellent exercise, it would help tire the kids out too.

Butchers choice food is fine, it's cereal free which is the most important thing to me.