Hmm the diet food aint working...

[Jeanette]

Well Oliver's been on the Hills r/d since around christmas and has in total lost 200 grams.. That's no where near enough:-(

On the bag it says to feed 50-75 grams for a 5 kg cat.. Now Oliver weighs 6,6 kg and I'm told to feed him out from what I want him to weigh.. I really think he should down on 5, maybe even 4,5 kg.. I feed him 50 grams a day.. 25 grams morning and 25 grams evening. I spread it over the floor in the hall (he hasnt vomitted for weeks:) )

BUT he still poo's more than usual, and he miau's.... A lot!!! I think he is hungry and the food just doesnt give him enough..:? :( It wasnt like this the first time we used this food..

So what to do now???

[Jac]

Sorry got me stumped, I'm sure someone will be able to help though. Good luck. Just a thought, has he got more muscley. Muscle weighs more than fat. Just an idea.

[Jeanette]

No I dont think he has. He's an indoor cat, so doesn't get too much exercise..

[Booktigger]

I dont' have any faith in r/d - I know of 3 cats (one of my fosters included) that not only didnt lose a lot of weight on it but quickly developed struvite crystals on it. When Tom had a bout of cystitis in Dec, my vet suggested a wet food only diet, and he has lost loads of weight on it - he does get weighed monthly to check it isn't too much of a weight loss. In Dec he was 8.3, by Jan's weigh in he was 7.8 and he was weighed again on Tues and he is down to 7.3, so in my opinion, it is the best way to go. And obviously increase their exercise, he eats at the top of the stairs so that he has to run down them to get out after his food, and has to run up them at night for his tea, so simple things like putting his food higher up helps. But you do have to make sure you don't reduce the food intake by more than 15%.

[Jeanette]

I actually haven't reduced it at all.. He got 50 grams on the senior dry food aswell (before).

I live in an apartment without any stairs and he's never outside.. Ane he is lazy!!! Maybe I should try the wet food.. Its expenssive though. And whiskas is lousy (IMO!)

But it sounds like you are on the right path with your Tom, wtg!!!:)

[Booktigger]

Maybe that is the problem then? Senior food has lower calories, so can help with weight loss (although hasn't with my male cat - but he is very lazy compared to Tom). I don't feed Whiskas etc to my cats, but unfortunately have to with the fosters, and that is all Tom has been on. Feeding guidelines aren't too good though, even my vet says they are higher than they should be, and she thinks Tom should be fine on half a tin of wet food a day. Might be worth trying even half and half with the wet food, and if it works, then start to increase it?

[Jeanette]

Yeah... I will have a think over the weekend, and see what I can do... He really need to loose some weight...

Thanks:)

[dinahsmum]

Can he be more active J?
Can you get him into a bit more string-chasing etc?
If you can work up to flying leaps they must be good for using energy. He must sleep and laze about for a big big part of the day whilst you are out, and , unlike Luna, he doesn't get the opportunity to work off some flab outside.

[Booktigger]

Well, Tom has lost a kilo in 2 month son wet food only, yet from Aug (his first weigh in) to Dec he had gone from 8.96 to 8.3. Whether wet food will make him feel fuller for longer is a different matter though. My vets also do a free weight clinic where they weigh them and give you advice - another bit of advice was to split his food intake into more regular, smaller meals, so when he was on dry food only, he had 3 meals a day.

[Jeanette]

Hí both..

H: Well I dont know how.. He really isnt very playful.. Atleast he's getting a bit walking around to find the food, that I throw in the hall...

BT: I could try somehow to split it up into 3 meals, but I'm away for 10 hours during the day, so its gonna be a bit hard.. But definately worth a try:)

[Booktigger]

Well, I am out of my house from 8 to 5.30ish, so I gave him breakfast, tea and supper, and tried not to leave any food down during the day (unless it was his breakfast that he hadn't finished)

[Donna]

I have a "fluffy tail" toy on a stick that my cats love pouncing on if you wiggle it on the floor. Chloe races around after it when she gets really excited and has been known to do backflips and somersaults to get it at great height!!! I know she is only one and still very playful, but if you start with a little bit of playtime and gradually build it up as he is losing weight I think this would burn a few calories!!

[dinahsmum]

I agree Donna. Couldn't think of a name/description but 'fluffy tail' suits it fine. Or there's the fish or bug on a piece of string on the end of a stick (like a fishing rod) - those movements seen to be very attractive and will even tempt my old girls sometimes!

[Donna]

This is the "fluffy tail" toy I think is the best toy there is for pussy cats!!! Makes them go mental!!:-D

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c362/donnamcg/Feb8037.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c362/donnamcg/Feb8041.jpg

[Booktigger]

I have a similar toy, but have to say it didn't go down that well (one of the fosters just licked it!!). I had a different toy that went down so well it was ripped to shreds, but can't find a replacement - went to the pet shop I got it from and they didn't have any in.

[Jeanette]

I have one of those toys on a rod thingies.. He'll try to catch it once, and that's it...

I might try and feed him 3 times a day.. And see if I can find some wetfood...

[Mags]

How much does Whiskas (or any other wet food) cost in Denmark Jeanette?
I pay 46p for Whiskas (sorry can't convert that into your currency!:roll: )....

[Jeanette]

Whiskas is expenssive here. But that's not the only problem.. I dont like Whiskas..:oops: My first cat got the runs from whiskas and all the other canned catfood products.. There's way too much water in it.. Or there were back then (11 years ago)...

[Mags]

Do you have supermarkets own make food over there? They are usually quite a bit cheaper and tend to be a bit drier........

[Jeanette]

We do. But I've been told, that when cats are neutered, you need to feed something specific to avoid urine infections..

[Donna]

Dry food is more likely to be fed to cats that suffer with urine problems I have been told. Wet food is better as it has water in it in case they do not drink a lot of water. If they dont get enough water that is when they are likely to get urine infections.

[Jeanette]

Oliver has Luna's waterbowl, so he always has loads of water available...

[Booktigger]

Well, Tom had a few bouts of cystitis, but hasn't had a prob in the 2 months he has been on wet food only. Although that could also be connected to the weight loss, as overweight cats are more likely to get cystitis. A survey was done and the most likely cats are neutered, overweight black and white males.

[Jeanette]

Wow.. Okay.

But you guys think that Whiskas or any other can "cheap" food is better than the expenssive food from the vet??

[Mags]

Cassie always has Whiskas J.....it is considered one of the better cat foods here......and she has never had any problems with it...

[Booktigger]

Well, I won't personally feed Whiskas, I don't think it is a good food - my reasons are the poor meat content and the fact that the first ingredient is cereal. However, i do have to feed the fosters whatever the rescue provides, and Tom has been on Whiskas, Kitekat and supermarket brands, and has lost weight and not suffered with cystitis.

[Jeanette]

I thought of calling the vet, but I know what he'll say.. "give less dry and add veggies" but Oliver wont eat veggies:?

[Booktigger]

IT might be worth taking him though - my vets do a free weight clinic where they advise on things - although the tip with Ginger was less dry, but at the time he ws only given 20g and he has no teeth so couldn't eat all that. Never been told more veggies for a cat, and not something I would do, they aren't designed to eat veggies.

[dinahsmum]

Tinned sardines or pilchards in tomato sauce?
Not sure if that is diet food, as they are oily fish, but mine love it and you would think it is good for them

[Jeanette]

I think they may be a bit fattening, H... But a good idea like all the others:)

Hmm I might just call the vet anyway tomoz and hear what he says...

[dinahsmum]

I think they may be a bit fattening, H... But a good idea like all the others:)

Hmm I might just call the vet anyway tomoz and hear what he says...

Maybe you could 'hide' some diced carrot or peas or similar in the strong fishy fish/sauce? He'd be getting the feeling of fullness without taking too many calories

[Jeanette]

Oooh H, that's a great idea:-)

I could boil a few carrots and some peas.. I could even mush them into a bit of fish..