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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

My cat is fat :-(

27 replies

hiddenhome · 29/09/2014 14:43

She's about a year and a half now and I took her for her vaccinations and general health check earlier on and the vet said she was overweight. She has got a bit of a tummy on her Hmm

The trouble is, my elderly cat eats every three hours - just small amounts of a sachet and the younger one is finishing her food up Confused

My elderly cat likes the gravy, but often leaves the chunks.

I'm going to have to rethink my feeding routine.

Can I just buy gravy for the old one? They used to sell these tube things at my old vets, they were just gravy and she loved them, but we've moved now.

I'm also getting the kitten next Tuesday, so she'll need feeding too Grin

My cat is fat :-(
OP posts:
cozietoesie · 29/09/2014 14:58

What would happen if you cut down the amount that your (quite lovely by the way) fatcat is getting - eg would she wait her turn to finish the old girl's food or would she muscle in and nick it all?

(I'm studiously ignoring the kitten issue for the moment.)

OwlCapone · 29/09/2014 15:02

Take into account the amount of ElderlyCat's food that FatCat is eating when deciding how much extra to feed her or remove any left over food from ElderlyCat when she has finished eating and not leave it down, although this involves supervising meal times :)

My own personal FatCat eats the dog's dinner when he feels I've not fed him enough.

Original poster
hiddenhome · 29/09/2014 15:02

She waits her turn to finish it. Old cat doesn't like chunks, just gravy.

I really need to find some liquid or paste food to give to the old one. I've just ordered a paste supplement from amazon.

She's there looking for food now, but wants me to open a fresh sachet so she can suck the gravy off.

OP posts:
LaurieFairyCake · 29/09/2014 15:06

This is a pointless post

But I love fat cats Grin

Have you any tummy pictures, she's lovely!

KittiesInsane · 29/09/2014 15:08

Ours similarly sucks the gravy off. Does it work if you mash it up a bit? The one our ancient cat likes is the 'Felix 'Good as it Looks' because it also looks foul stuff which has shreds of meaty stuff rather than chunks.

Original poster
hiddenhome · 29/09/2014 15:08

I need a hand held liquidiser and I could liquidise these sachets.

This is my old one eating her food. I have to keep opening new sachets. No wonder the other one is getting fat Confused

My cat is fat :-(
OP posts:
Original poster
hiddenhome · 29/09/2014 15:08

No tummy pics at the moment, but will try later on.

OP posts:
Original poster
hiddenhome · 29/09/2014 15:10

I'm going to pets at home to see what they sell.

I'm going to try and find the hand held mini liquidiser.

This kitty feeding business is getting complicated Confused

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 29/09/2014 15:13

I'm anazed your dog leaves anything OwlCapone. Are you sure you're not giving him more than he needs?

Your solution sounds more straigforward then, Hiddenhome - at least on the surface. Why not try a couple of days of cutting down her food (and letting her finish OldCat's nosh) and see how it goes. She might become more persistent if she was hungry and make OldCat miserable.

By the way - did your vet given you any guidance on diet? It can be quite dangerous to put cats on a severe diet so you need to take a fairly long term view and keep it pretty gradual. Is there any way, as well, that you could up her activity level to burn off a few calories?

HaveYouSeenHerLately · 29/09/2014 15:47

Maybe you need a baby blender! There's one on Asda Direct for £10 (free collection from store) Grin

Original poster
hiddenhome · 29/09/2014 16:02

No, the vet didn't give any advice, just said she was overweight.

She plays in the garden, does a bit of climbing and has toys, so she does get some exercise. She's not allowed to wander overnight and there's no mice to hunt here though.

I've been to Pets At Home and bought a pate thing which I will mash up until I find the mini blender.

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 29/09/2014 16:15

Here's some guidance on the topic for you hidden. How old is the kitten?

OwlCapone · 29/09/2014 16:46

I'm anazed your dog leaves anything OwlCapone. Are you sure you're not giving him more than he needs?

He is a very strange dog and will only eat as much as he needs. I provide him with the recommended amount for a dog of his size, split over two meals, and he doesn't necessarily wolf it all down at once. It's unnatural!

He is the perfect weight and shape for his breed. My childhood spaniel was nothing like this, he would wolf down whatever you put in front of him.

OwlCapone · 29/09/2014 16:48

I have managed to reduce FatCat's weight by giving him his daily allowance half in a quality dry food and half in wet. He doesn't like the dry food as much and so doesn't scoff it all. I also put him in a Do Not Feed Me collar although he has managed to remove and lose three of these. Hmm

imawigglyworm · 29/09/2014 17:00

For dogs you can get puzzle bowls - I think you can get them for cats too. They make the food harder to get too making the cat/dog have to work harder and longer to eat it meaning it gets digested slower.

We've just got one for our (getting) fatdog it now takes him about 15 mins to eat his bowl of food where it would of usually taken 2 mins!

Original poster
hiddenhome · 29/09/2014 18:22

The kitten will be 8 weeks old by next week. I'll feed her separately upstairs.

Old cat has just eaten two cat goo tubes and some Sheba pate mixed up with boiled water. She really enjoyed it. Perhaps she's better off on goo from now on. She struggles to chew stuff I think. I've had her teeth checked and they're okay.

OP posts:
Original poster
hiddenhome · 29/09/2014 18:27

She's just eaten more Smile

My cat is fat :-(
OP posts:
dotdotdotmustdash · 29/09/2014 20:54

Can you squeeze the lumps inside the sachet and break them up a bit? I used to do that cat food, the packets are quite robust and you can pretty much mulch the food down before you even open the pack.

Original poster
hiddenhome · 29/09/2014 22:02

Yes, I can try that as she does like the sachets.

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Original poster
hiddenhome · 29/09/2014 22:04

Thanks for that link cozietoes Smile

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EssexMummy123 · 29/09/2014 22:05

Lol - i suspect that i have a fat cat but so far the vet has been fairly polite - e.g. 'he's a big cat' but he's not actually said that we should put him on a diet.

JoInScotland · 29/09/2014 22:09

I have two cats who are sisters - one loves her food (and is fat). One is uncaring about food (and is an average weight). The fat ginger one is always finishing the evening treat of the other cat who just wanders off midway through. The black-n-white one also licks the gravy or jelly off and leaves the chunks. So now I treat the black-n-white's bowl like baby food and mash it all up with a fork. I basically puree it for her. Guess what? She eats about 90% of it now... she really likes that pureed texture. That cuts down on waste that the fat one cleans up. Everyone wins. I suggest mashing it up like mashed potatoes, then it all tastes of gravy/jelly. You might be surprised how much ISN'T wasted then. HTH

Original poster
hiddenhome · 30/09/2014 10:24

Yes, I agree that purée is the way to go.

My old people in the care home become like this. It's as if eating is too much effort for them, so they need softer, mashed up foods. I guess it's just part of being elderly.

OP posts:
Original poster
hiddenhome · 02/10/2014 11:34

Fattish tummy shot

My cat is fat :-(
OP posts:
cozietoesie · 02/10/2014 11:49

What a big tumfy! Smile