Molly's overweight..help needed.

[rubycube]

Molly was a the vets for her booster last week and the vet advised that she was a little overweight. She has put on 500g since she had her dental about 6-8 months ago and now weighs in at 4.99 KG. Is this heavy??

To be honest Molly was quite a big cat when we got her 2.5years ago. I couldn't hold her for very long because she was HEAVY!! Maybe I have just got used to holding her for longer now but she doesn't seem to be as big as before!

I can sort of feel her ribs but she does not have much of a defined waist and she does have a bit a hanging tummy! Molly is not the most active of cats, she does play when she is in the mood. She is more than happy though to just sit in the sun or sleep on the sofa.

At the moment we feed Molly on Purina dry cat food, twice a day. The vet advised that we should change her dry food to another brand,(vet didn't say which brand though) which they could supply and if Molly didn't like it they would offer a refund. (I could swear that I saw pound signs in the vets eyes!) I would sooner find something myself and have looked into other dry foods but I am not sure exactly what I am looking for, ingredient wise. I want to make sure that Molly wont go hungry either.

Your help would be greatly appreciated.

Susan

[catwoman999]

Hi Susan...
I wouldn't say 4.99kg is really that overweight...
It varies from vet to vet what is overweight!
I think between 4kg-5kg is perfectly acceptable...
But others may argue on that point! Some vets say anything over 4kg is overweight.
I have 4 cats:

Buffy 4kg
Amos 5.8kg
Sebastian 5kg
Joshua 5.9kg

Now, Amos and Joshua could do with losing some weight but being indoor cats its hard lol...
But Buffy and Sebastian are fine...

Your vet was probably gonna try your cat on Hills Science diet. There are lots of threads on this site that you can look up, and get advice on the type of food best to deal with weight issues.

Good luck!

[Elaine]

It's difficult to say if your cat is carrying too much weight or not with out actually seeing her but in my own personal experience I agree with Catwoman999, that vets do see anything over 4 kg's as being obese.
As in humans cats come in all shapes and sizes and motabolism varies too.
My Eva is a big girl, she is over weight and we do have a constant battle trying to keep her weight down, previous vets always wanted her to go down to 4.5 kilos which I always felt was not right. Current vet reckons 6 kilos as she is a large cat.
http://www.petsgetslim.co.uk/site-media/images/modules/advice/Cat_weights.pdf
My personal view is that an all dry diet is not ideal for cats as they are not naturally drawn to water as dogs are which may affect kidney function.

[Moli]

Most of my boys are 4.6 - 4.8..apart from Chancer is is 5.8, but he is a big stocky cat...I personally feel the vets tend to forget each cat is different, they vary so much is shape and size...

[dinahsmum]

It doesn't sound too huge.
Last time I was at the vets there was a poster seeking feline blood donors who had to be a minimum of 5kg.
Best advice is probably keep an eye, make sure she takes some exercise and don't let her pile more on.

[angieh]

You could also substitute some of her regular dry food with a "light" variety. And encourage her to be a bit more active. I see you say she's a house cat - more daily play will help her and you will find it a pleasure I'm sure.

[Mags]

A laser pen will provide her with lots of exercise, I have one for Cassie when the vet said she was overweight ....... she loves it so much that I have to be careful I don't overdo it with her!:)

[rubycube]

My personal view is that an all dry diet is not ideal for cats as they are not naturally drawn to water as dogs are which may affect kidney function.

Thanks Elaine, interesting point.

Molly(on top of sofa) that day after she came to us from rescue centre. Looking HUGE!
http://pets.webshots.com/photo/2214533210029381383hENsmF?vhost=pets

Molly(lying down). Taken last month.

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb184/susanb2107/OutandAbout081-1.jpg

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb184/susanb2107/OutandAbout079-1.jpg

Molly used to have both wet and dry food but our vet (rightly or wrongly??) advised us that older cats would be better suited to a dry food diet to help maintain their body weight and keep their teeth healthy. (Not that Molly has many teeth left!). I personally don't have a problem giving Molly wet and dry but sometimes I do wonder if vets are giving out the correct advice.

Mags, I will definately get Molly a laser pen. She goes absolutely mental chasing a piece of string so i'm sure the pen will really get her moving. She also adores catnip and her mouse is thrown all over the place!

Thanks again for your advice, you are all so very helpful. :D

Susan

[Elaine]

Thanks Elaine, interesting point.



Molly used to have both wet and dry food but our vet (rightly or wrongly??) advised us that older cats would be better suited to a dry food diet to help maintain their body weight and keep their teeth healthy. (Not that Molly has many teeth left!). I personally don't have a problem giving Molly wet and dry but sometimes I do wonder if vets are giving out the correct advice.



Susan

I would agree with you there.
From the pictures, she looks a little chubby and very very cute but I'm not convinced she is seriously over weight, it's difficult to tell. At the end of the day you are her best advocate.
I always think though, that cats in the wild (originally being desert creatures), got/get most of their fluid intake from the animals they fed on and therefore they are not as drawn to water as dogs are. Feeding a dry only diet does make them drink more but they still dont take in enough fluids. It's also a good idea to add a little extra water to their wet food, it doesnt do any harm to try to make sure they get as much fluids as possible.

[Elaine]

http://www.messybeast.com/overweight.htm

[catwoman999]

Molly and her sister look lovely happy cats. Quite happy to pose for the camera, it seems.
I would also say she is not at all 'obese', just well covered as they say :D

[dandysmom]

As others have said, it's hard to tell from the pic if she's actually overweight, but she doesn't look it to me. My Leia is 6 k , but she's a big cat... long and tall; vet never said anything about obesity at her last visit. My personal preference is for wet food, but as she prefers dry we compromise: she gets a sprinkling of dry over the wet. She had cystitis once which is why I avoid dry as much as possible. I also add some water to her wet food.

[rubycube]

http://www.messybeast.com/overweight.htm

Oh poor Tiddles, how very sad. :(

Reading that article made me realise how wrong my vets advice has been and I feel a bit naive in believing what they tell me is the right thing to do. :oops:

Molly will definately be having wet and dry from now on, with added water - thanks for the tip. :)

Susan & Molly aka "Tubby"

[John]

My Sandie was a big boy.. ginger and white cat weighting in at a comfortable 8.5kg..Millie was 4kg at the time vet said they were both overweight and sold me a bag of Hills Science brand..which made Millie sick..most of it went in the bin..and i carried on feeding as normal..the food they were used to. and enjoyed..tc

[random]

My boys are normally all around 5-6kg but they are big lads. The girls have not been weighed since they were spayed but were all between 3-4kg. They are all quite small cats. But all of them have good muscle tone, even for indoor cats. One of my boys has been ill and is currently 3.5kg but he's really ribby and skinny and he used to be the biggest cat. He will definitely go over 4kg to be at a nice weight.

[MadCatLady]

OK.... Hello RCube & Molly!! :smt039

Firstly - all cats are different... RigbyBigBear (as the name suggests) is approx 8kg and only slightly obese due to steriod usage for his tempremental bladder! :roll: But being the size of a small horse he carrys it well (Yes Elaine fotos will follow eventually!! :p )

Secondly - Different cats eat differently... Mine love their dry diet & i have filter water fountains & bowls of water for them to drink from... Each day they get 1/2 pouch of wet food as a treat but if I try & mix water into Bears dry mix he won't eat it and will just sit in the kitchen until I change it or give him a pouch....:? :?

Thirdly - Don't always believe what your vet tells you... I am very lucky to have several great vets at the clinic I use (some not so great ones too!! :evil: ) and I also google alot and ask those who I am in contact with through the rescue to get a variety of opinions & advice. I have (to my never ending disgust :smt062) heard many vets recommend 'perscription only' diets which allegedly are ONLY available from your vet.... WRONG WRONG WRONG!!! :smt018 The internet has opened a whole new world of reasonably priced alternatives... one of which is....
[link removed]

There are several varieties of light/low cal food, both wet & dry which you can get delivered to your door and using this link donates 1% of each spend to Castaways Animal Rescue association... (thats where I volunteer :-D ) just use our link, create an account and away you go... just use the link everytime you order & we benefit too!! :twisted: I would suggest trying several different sorts (Hills & Royal Canin are good...) and mixing small amounts in with her usual food, slowly getting less & less old food in the mix until she is just on the low cal version... if it is dry she prefers then try mixing in water or gravy to make it more palatable... hope this helps.... :-P

[Gumby Cat]

My Solomon weighs about 5.4 Kg which is rather too much according to the vet. I do try to keep him on a strict diet -he's on Hills i/d dry food - but because of a low white cell blood count he's on steroids which unfortunately increase his appetite! I make sure he gets plenty of exercise though by playing with him. I've not heard of laser pens, where can you get them?

[Mags]

My Solomon weighs about 5.4 Kg which is rather too much according to the vet. I do try to keep him on a strict diet -he's on Hills i/d dry food - but because of a low white cell blood count he's on steroids which unfortunately increase his appetite! I make sure he gets plenty of exercise though by playing with him. I've not heard of laser pens, where can you get them? You can get them here (http://www.zooplus.co.uk/ask?query=laser+pens&form=search)

Just be careful you don't shine the light into your cat's eyes;)

[pcspik]

I've not heard of laser pens, where can you get them?

Pets at Home sell them or any decent online pet store. Some independent pet shops may sell them too.

Like the others have said, that is not obese for a cat. My Tigger is on Hills Light, not because she is terribly overweight, but because she is an indoors only cat. I used to feed her Pro Plan biscuits (what she was fed on at my local Cats Protection shelter) but she was getting rather fat. She seems to cope ok, plus she has been on it for over a year. She used to gets tons of hair balls with the Pro Plan, but she never gets them with the Hills. She is fed Felix Senior meat even though she is not a senior puss, because it is lower in fact than ordinary adult meat (or so I am told).

[rubycube]

Well Molly was back onto wet food last night (with a touch of water) and she really enjoyed it. She is not a fussy eater and seems to eat whatever is put in front of her. I will however swap over her dry food to a lighter version and see how she goes, weightwise. As long as Molly is not hungy and she is happy, then I am happy too. :D

My 2 previous cats, Patch & Bobbie were fed on wet & dry and lived up to the ages of 15 & 17. So obviously we were doing something right!

Oh and the laser pen is on order, dont think her latest "toy" a paper bag will last much longer!

[Gumby Cat]

You can get them here (http://www.zooplus.co.uk/ask?query=laser+pens&form=search)

Just be careful you don't shine the light into your cat's eyes;)

Thanks Mags, I've just ordered one - although with a postal strike due here next week I don't know when it will arrive!

[Mags]

Thanks Mags, I've just ordered one - although with a postal strike due here next week I don't know when it will arrive!
Hope it doesn't take too long to arrive!

Let us know how Solomon reacts with it....:D

[Gumby Cat]

Thanks - will do!

[Gumby Cat]

The laser light toy arrived yesterday in a large box via DHL!

BUT - how do you open it to insert the batteries??! Presumably the oblong-shaped panel on the base is intended to be pushed back, but try as I may I can't get it to move. I tend to be arthritic in my hands so can't exert too much pressure and I just don't know how to prise it open without damaging it. I e-mailed Zooplus this morning asking for their advice but so far they haven't replied.

It's most frustrating - any suggestions?

[Mags]

The laser light toy arrived yesterday in a large box via DHL!

BUT - how do you open it to insert the batteries??! Presumably the oblong-shaped panel on the base is intended to be pushed back, but try as I may I can't get it to move. I tend to be arthritic in my hands so can't exert too much pressure and I just don't know how to prise it open without damaging it. I e-mailed Zooplus this morning asking for their advice but so far they haven't replied.

It's most frustrating - any suggestions?
Is your laser light toy in the shape of a mouse?

[Gumby Cat]

Is your laser light toy in the shape of a mouse?
Yes, Mags.

[Mags]

Let's hope it is very similar to mine;)

Turn the mouse over with its rear end facing towards you....... mine has a small serrated finger grip on the oblong panel......... slide this panel TOWARDS your body and it should open easily.

I made the mistake of trying to slide it the opposite way when I first did it:roll:

Good luck!

[jan]

Hi there,
my Tess cat has always been a bit on the tubby side - my vet once said its no good trying to make a kate moss out of a dawn french! I find with females tho as they get older (and all mine are speyed) they have what I call undercarriage droop, saggy skin that hangs down. It tends to make them look fatter than they actually are. Felix was 5.25 kg and the vet said try to get him below 5 kg to be realistic but I don t think I have managed it as he is HUGE - tho again, an indoor cat. They do have a laser pen so thanks for the reminder, will find it out again. They love it! Jan x

[Gumby Cat]

Let's hope it is very similar to mine;)

Turn the mouse over with its rear end facing towards you....... mine has a small serrated finger grip on the oblong panel......... slide this panel TOWARDS your body and it should open easily.

I made the mistake of trying to slide it the opposite way when I first did it:roll:

Good luck!

Mags, I've tried that but it just won't budge, it feels like it's been superglued! I'm beginning to think there's someting wrong with and I'll have to send it back which is a confounded nuisance. My only other option is to await the return of a husky male friend from holiday, see if he can shift it, but he's not due back for over two weeks! :mad:

[Gumby Cat]

Mags, I've tried that but it just won't budge, it feels like it's been superglued! I'm beginning to think there's someting wrong with and I'll have to send it back which is a confounded nuisance. My only other option is to await the return of a husky male friend from holiday, see if he can shift it, but he's not due back for over two weeks! :mad:

The Kleeneze man arrived earlier this afternoon to deliver some stuff I'd ordered, so I asked him very sweetly if he would have a go at opening that light! With the aid of a screwdriver he managed it (I'd already tried that but to no avail), which was a gyreat relief, and for the past 10 minutes or so Sol has been shooting up and down the hall chasing the red light! He's now gone outside to sleep it off under a bush....

His fur where he was shaved prior to the biopsies is taking ages to grow, it's well over four months now. I'm beginning to wonder if it ever will get back to normal, it's not as if he were long-haired. :(

[Mags]

Pleased to hear Sol is enjoying his laser mouse at last!:lol:

[dandysmom]

How nice that the deliveryman was helpful! Glad you got it working and that Sol has been. enjoying it. I do hope his fur grows in faster......