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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

201 replies

Monchhichi · 27/12/2022 16:36

My 6 year old cat went missing for three weeks in June this year, when he returned he was skinny, matted and full of fleas and ticks. He has always been an active outdoor cat, but since his return he just isn't interested in going out anymore, he just snuggles on the sofa asleep all day.

We feed him the same as before he went missing, one pouch of wet food a day plus a scoop of biscuits (he is a large Siberian). I've tried getting some toys to encourage exercise but no luck so far, he merely lazily swipes a paw if they're within reach.

Any suggestions for toys your cats have enjoyed?

OP posts:
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RandomMess · 27/12/2022 22:03

We've used microchip feeders in the past, fat boy eventually just stuck his head in next to skinny girl 🤣

Took him 9 months to brave enough and suss it out though

pinkhousesarebest · 27/12/2022 22:33

This is us too. We have a res ue that is obsessed with food and a skinny minny who most lives off the self service outside and has scant regard for kibble. Despite his curves, he can shimmy up to the highest perches where we hide the little cats food.
Reading for tips. As funny a it sounds, I know his weight will be the death of him.

Oher · 27/12/2022 22:42

A pounch plus a scoop of biscuits is not actually much for a Siberian. Might be something else wrong, it also seems odd for a 6 yr old to be so lazy. My guess would be an underactive thyroid (which is easily treated but costs quite a bit of money).

If you don’t have pet insurance, maybe take it out, wait a couple of weeks and then get the vet check as a blood test would be a good idea and at my vet that’s about £200. If the vet thinks its overeating you can just cancel the insurance.

Techno56 · 27/12/2022 22:44

He says he's not fat, he's big boned.

This was a year ago before cat fat club, satiety food and so much yowling for more food.

Is WFH during and post covid has caused the problem..he lost a kg over about 4-5 months but then put half of it back on rapidly as we relaxed rather too much. He's now back on the satiety and is getting weighed on January 3rd (rather him than me!) so we shall see.

With the microchip/tag bowl we tempted ours to use it by putting tuna in there, he got the hang of it pretty well and Arthur was never brave enough to try and barge his way in while he was eating as he would have got absolutely destroyed, they were not friends!

My cat is fat
TwoMonthsOff · 27/12/2022 22:51

What a lovely cat ❤️❤️❤️❤️ what breed is he

Walnutwhipsarenothesame · 27/12/2022 22:52

My cat is overweight too. She is five and really chunky now. I have been limiting her food but it just doesn’t seem to make any difference. In the winter she hardly goes out, just sleeps all day. She has a pouch once a day and a scoop of dry food. Science Plan. The vet says she’s overweight but has no real suggestions as to what to do. What advice about what food to give her ? She is regularly wormed. Where do I get Eden food from?

Walnutwhipsarenothesame · 27/12/2022 22:53

Blondeissimo · 27/12/2022 18:38

I have a large chunky cat who attends a kitty fat club at the vets. He eats satiety food which means he still gets volume of food (he's obsessed with the volume of food and will turn his nose up at small portions) but the calories are lower. So, a large looking portion has fewer calories than a 'normal' dry food. It's working well for him.

What is it called?

TheMousePipes · 27/12/2022 22:54

My vet suggested getting a harness for fattypuss and taking him for a walk around the garden. He lay on his back with his eyes shut and dd towed him around the kitchen like a very round floor mop. It was not a success.

TwoMonthsOff · 27/12/2022 22:55

TheMousePipes · 27/12/2022 22:54

My vet suggested getting a harness for fattypuss and taking him for a walk around the garden. He lay on his back with his eyes shut and dd towed him around the kitchen like a very round floor mop. It was not a success.

🤣🤣🤣🤣😭😭’very round floor mop’ 😭😭😭😭

RandomMess · 27/12/2022 22:58

One of our cats can be used like a floor mop, pushed around to sweep up 🤣

Original poster
Monchhichi · 27/12/2022 22:59

MrsBrandonspiano · 27/12/2022 17:50

Can we see a picture of him?

Here he is!

My cat is fat
My cat is fat
OP posts:
Original poster
Monchhichi · 27/12/2022 23:00

Techno56 · 27/12/2022 22:44

He says he's not fat, he's big boned.

This was a year ago before cat fat club, satiety food and so much yowling for more food.

Is WFH during and post covid has caused the problem..he lost a kg over about 4-5 months but then put half of it back on rapidly as we relaxed rather too much. He's now back on the satiety and is getting weighed on January 3rd (rather him than me!) so we shall see.

With the microchip/tag bowl we tempted ours to use it by putting tuna in there, he got the hang of it pretty well and Arthur was never brave enough to try and barge his way in while he was eating as he would have got absolutely destroyed, they were not friends!

He's gorgeous!

OP posts:
Original poster
Monchhichi · 27/12/2022 23:04

Some of these responses are hilarious, a fat cat is a determined cat!

OP posts:
Walnutwhipsarenothesame · 27/12/2022 23:08

Monchhichi · 27/12/2022 22:59

Here he is!

Show quote history

What a stunning cat

Walnutwhipsarenothesame · 27/12/2022 23:08

TheMousePipes · 27/12/2022 22:54

My vet suggested getting a harness for fattypuss and taking him for a walk around the garden. He lay on his back with his eyes shut and dd towed him around the kitchen like a very round floor mop. It was not a success.

🤣🤣🤣

TwoMonthsOff · 27/12/2022 23:18

Love this thread ❤️I’d never tire of cuddling those two ❤️

I guess some cats are more food driven than others, just like us people really

Miss03852 · 27/12/2022 23:19

I’d give him two wet foods and skip the biscuits. The biscuits are usually much more fattening.

KnickerlessParsons · 27/12/2022 23:22

With such a change in behaviour, are you 100% sure it's the same cat?

pinneddownbytabbies · 27/12/2022 23:26

You might find he has a greater interest in going outside by springtime. We had one that went awol and was living rough for several weeks, it was the summer before last and he was what I can only describe as agoraphobic when we got him back. It took him about 9 months before he would actually ask to go outside. I think he was scared of getting lost again.

None of ours are the slightest bit interested in going outside at the moment, all four of them are curled up asleep pretty much the whole time.

Original poster
Monchhichi · 27/12/2022 23:28

KnickerlessParsons · 27/12/2022 23:22

With such a change in behaviour, are you 100% sure it's the same cat?

He was vet checked on his return, has a microchip, but I'd know him anywhere anyway!

OP posts:
Original poster
Monchhichi · 27/12/2022 23:32

pinneddownbytabbies · 27/12/2022 23:26

You might find he has a greater interest in going outside by springtime. We had one that went awol and was living rough for several weeks, it was the summer before last and he was what I can only describe as agoraphobic when we got him back. It took him about 9 months before he would actually ask to go outside. I think he was scared of getting lost again.

None of ours are the slightest bit interested in going outside at the moment, all four of them are curled up asleep pretty much the whole time.

You might be right, he just seems very wary of the outdoors now, he still prefers to go out to toilet even though he has a cat litter, but comes straight back in after. He looked so pleased to be home when he returned, he was either stuck somewhere or lost for three weeks and really was a mess poor thing. He just wants cuddles all the time now (and food!).

OP posts:
RandomMess · 27/12/2022 23:55

@Miss03852 that isn't true or massively depends on the brand of food.

You need to read the ingredients.

You should look for something that is at the very least 70% meat. Most commercial wet cat foods are far from this and full of grains and fillers.

Quality kibble is often better.

We used to throw the kibble so they had to run up and down for it.

Miss03852 · 28/12/2022 00:04

RandomMess · 27/12/2022 23:55

@Miss03852 that isn't true or massively depends on the brand of food.

You need to read the ingredients.

You should look for something that is at the very least 70% meat. Most commercial wet cat foods are far from this and full of grains and fillers.

Quality kibble is often better.

We used to throw the kibble so they had to run up and down for it.

Yes it is true. They’re also dehydrating.

Blondeissimo · 28/12/2022 07:45

@Walnutwhipsarenothesame he eats Royal Canin neutered satiety. He loves it. I also put it in a slow feeder for him so that it's not inhaled in a nano second.

HumourReplacementTherapy · 28/12/2022 09:07

Haha imagining all the fat cats rocking up for fatcatclass, trying to stand on 3 legs to take the weight off. Grin I too have a fat cat and we have cut down on his dreamies and he looks at you as if to say "you are joking right?"
He won't touch wet food and isn't particularly greedy with his dry food which is weighed out. Leaves it to nibble at all day... dreamies are his crack, he sits licking his lips at 8pm at the dreamy cupboard