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Original poster

Fat or Big Boned?

52 replies

LexMitior · 11/04/2021 12:02

I have an 11 year old tabby moggie. He has always had a "cobby" sort of body, quite squat.

Anyway, two people have recently said that he is fat! I recently put him on rawish diet (Nature's menu) and his condition has really improved. Fur looks absolutely perfect, very fluffy and he has more energy. So I hadn't thought fat, but he is large and was nuetered late at 3 years, so retained a lot of those tom cat "chunky" looks and muscle. I can feel his ribs etc under his skin relatively easily.

Is he actually big boned or just a fat lad and needs a diet?

OP posts:
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20
bluebluezoo · 11/04/2021 19:27

You never see a slim tabby, they are designed to survive famines

Quite often see tabbies on facebook though, with “anyone lost this cat, it’s starving so I’ve been feeding it”

Accompanied by a picture of said fat sleek tabby with it’s nose in a dish of tuna.

GillBiggeloesHair · 11/04/2021 19:28

Teddy, one year old, least flattering photo I have of him.

Fat or Big Boned?
AlfonsoTheTerrible · 11/04/2021 19:32

Bless him. He's built for comfort not for speed.

JumpLeadsForTwo · 11/04/2021 21:07

Our "well padded" tabby - tends to lose a little in the summer, but definitely has an extra winter layerGrin

Fat or Big Boned?
Original poster
LexMitior · 11/04/2021 21:41

More evidence of chunky tabby syndrome

Fat or Big Boned?
OP posts:
Jayneisagirlsname · 11/04/2021 21:49

Maximus is another helpless victim of chubby tabby syndrome. He says it's floof not food. Hmmm...

Fat or Big Boned?
RuleOfCat · 11/04/2021 21:50

We have a chunky tabby too, also neutered fairly late, and lived on the streets before he got rescued and was pretty thin at that point - he seems to take it as a personal challenge to wolf any food he's given then pester us for more. He's not as chunky as Toddlerteaplease's friend's ginger, but definitely about a pound/500 grams overweight. He's an outdoor cat and we think he supplements his strict diet at home with the local wildlife (aka 'garden macdonalds'). OP, I don't think your lad is too bad for a tabby.

Original poster
LexMitior · 11/04/2021 21:53

I'm loving all these tabbies with their imperious chunkiness

OP posts:
RavenT · 11/04/2021 21:56

This is interesting. Also have a tabby. Got him from CP a year ago and he is obsessed with food and is nicely padded for a young cat. Grin Have had cats before but this is the first tabby and not used to the constant need for food!

Beamur · 11/04/2021 21:59

He's a handsome lad but slightly chonky.

TheLongRider · 11/04/2021 23:13

I can't believe we're fat-shaming tabbies on the internet! Confused Grin

Stripes are so slimming don'tcha know!

We had a tabby girl cat who ended up on diet food because she'd eat rings around herself. We had to split her dinner into two portions and feed her the rest later because she would pester for food so much. She learned pretty quickly that 10pm meant "extra" dinner.

Mildmanneredmum · 13/04/2021 15:36

I have a well upholstered female rescue cat, no idea how old, and I took her to the vets for a couple of things recently. He came out, gave her back to me in her carrier, and said, there's nothing wrong with your little cat except that she's F-A-T. He said he didn't want to say the word in front of her!

claireb7rg · 13/04/2021 16:17

I have a ginger tabby chonk and a very skinny baby tabby

The vet put ginger chonk on diet biscuits, he's big boned and big bellied - weighs 5.44kg

Not sure what baby weighs, we only got her on Friday so will find out when I take her for her 2nd vaccs, hopefully more of her fur will have grown back by then after her spaying

Fat or Big Boned?
Fat or Big Boned?
Fat or Big Boned?
Toddlerteaplease · 13/04/2021 17:33

Magic had pancreatitis a few years ago. The vet did a laparotomy as we weren't sure what the problem was. She phew me at 3 am and said there was no foreign body. But that she was very fat. I was mortified. As she's not that big. But has a very cobby body.

purrswhileheeats · 13/04/2021 20:06

I've got a skinny tabby! Shock Woody is a lanky streak of piss, often gets fed chicken and pork by concerned neighbours as he looks emaciated Hmm

Fat or Big Boned?
Fat or Big Boned?
Fluffycloudland77 · 13/04/2021 20:07

Is he half Bengal? The paws are Bengal.

purrswhileheeats · 13/04/2021 20:12

His little 'brother' Kloppy though is a true tubby tabby, weighed in at 5.2kg at his last vet's visit Shock

Fat or Big Boned?
Fat or Big Boned?
JumpLeadsForTwo · 13/04/2021 20:20

Our vet thinks our tubby rescue tabby has some Bengal in him. Certainly very chatty and great hunter!

Fat or Big Boned?
purrswhileheeats · 13/04/2021 20:20

@Fluffycloudland77

Is he half Bengal? The paws are Bengal.
His markings are very interesting, sometimes he looks like a Savannah as he's got stripes, spots and diamonds. He was just a tiny little feral when I rescued him though ♥️
Fluffycloudland77 · 13/04/2021 20:33

Savs have longer legs than bengals, he looks Bengal to me.

purrswhileheeats · 13/04/2021 20:45

My old lady Alfi (Alfreda) was the ultimate lazy, fat tabby. She hated going outside, preferring instead to lie on me and purr 😕

Fat or Big Boned?
Original poster
LexMitior · 15/04/2021 10:11

Aw. What a lovely tabby purrswhileheeats - she looks so happy and content.

OP posts:
MrsVeryTired · 15/04/2021 13:56

My fluffy tabby looks just like Maximus up thread, she's a lazy lump and loves her food Grin.

MrsVeryTired · 15/04/2021 13:57

I try and put her outside occasionally but she just sits at the window wanting in.

purrswhileheeats · 15/04/2021 18:56

@LexMitior

Aw. What a lovely tabby purrswhileheeats - she looks so happy and content.
Aww thanks 😊 She died a couple of years ago at the age of 13, she had FIV which I didn't know about until she suddenly became ill in the last three months of her life.

Despite her angelic face, she was actually an evil cat Grin Loved me but despised every single person and cat who crossed her path Shock She hated my mother (understandable) and would viciously attack any friends that kindly fed her when I went away. Her ultimate 'fuck you' was to punish me if I left her for a few days - I'd receive tearful messages from friends saying she'd disappeared and they were frantic looking for her. She would roll up once I got home, all nonchalant Hmm