Fat cat - best course of action

[don1976]

Hi.
When we first got our Minnie a few months ago, she was just over 4.5kg. The nurse at the vets weighed her today and she's just over 5kg.
We've noticed her slightly getting fatter and I think it's ultimately down to lack of activity. She does go outside, but she doesn't like to stay out for long, and she always wants to come in after probably just 10 mins or so - but then again, this time of year it is either wet, or just so damned cold, so I don't really blame her. I think she's also had some run ins with the neighbour's cats.
We do play with her to get her moving but she's generally pretty inactive, and I think we're ultimately overfeeding based on the lower activity levels.
Her diet consists of a tin of Gourmet Gold pate for breakfast, a spoon of Perfect fit dry food approx (18g) in the mid pm then another spoon before bed. Very few treats in between meals usually, typically half a dozen Felix Crispies cat treats per day.

So, what's the consensus of opinion ?

1) Switch food to an 'indoor food' and carry on with same portions.

2) Carry on with 3 meals a day, but perhaps reduce the dry food portion sizes.

3) Go to 2 meals a day, and miss out the later meal.

(for the record, the nurse at the vets recommended option 3)

Potentially 2 & 3 could also of course be with a different 'indoor' food formulated for lower activity cats.
Do you reckon we should cut out treats completely ?

[booktigger]

Nice to hear a Minnie update. I'd go with option 2, purely because every cat I've had on a diet (and sadly that's a few!) much prefer it. What kind of toys do you use to play with her?

[alanc]

I agree with Booktigger, go for 2 - reducing quantity is a lot easier than omitting all together.

[don1976]

Option 2 was my first instinct as well, in fact that's what we started doing yesterday.
She's used to getting to getting food at certain times of the day so I think it'll be easier to give her smaller portions at her 'regular' meal times, rather than miss out a meal completely.

Exercise-wise she doesn't seem to like chasing balls and things like that, but she does like the dangly things on poles (the snow has given me brain freeze on their proper name!) so she likes to go mad chasing those around - and of course the usual chasing shoelaces and string.

[booktigger]

It definitely is. Have you tried a laser pen?

[don1976]

We have tried a laser pen in the early days but she didn't chase it much though. She'd follow it with her head all over the place but she'd only go for it if it's within arms reach. I'll have to dig it out again and see if we can encourage her to play with it.
Variety etc...

[Red wine lady]

Oscar is a fat cat too, he is now 6.4kg!!! In our defence he is a very big cat, long legs...but he is fat, not obese but fat.

He never liked the laser pen either, but I’ve just give it another go and he has been running around the house like a kitten. You know how fickle the are. Oscar is an indoor cat and that’s his problem too, he likes to be entertained by his humans.

We are moving soon and we are going to try and let him out...he may lose some of his waistline.

My suggestion is try running up and down stairs will a long piece of string (sometimes simple is the only way) and cutting out an treats. Xx

[don1976]

Dug out the laser pen, and it's a hit !! In fact, when she's in the mood, she gets better exercise chasing this than the feather dangler toy.

[Red wine lady]

Dug out the laser pen, and it's a hit !! In fact, when she's in the mood, she gets better exercise chasing this than the feather dangler toy.

They are just so damn fickle!! Happy Days xx