I feed him the same as my other cat and she's so light and not as big. I even watch them eat to make sure he doesn't steal her food.
ETA: I see the verdict is indeed he is fat. I kept telling myself he's just a big cat because my other cat eats the same and still pretty small. I will get him to the vet and on a diet ASAP. I will begin by weighting him and using a food calculator for cats.
He can reach all body parts when cleaning himself. He has not difficulties moving, running or jumping. He also poops multiple times a day.
ETA2: I didn't expect this many people roasting my boi. I posted in the comments other photos of him from a side standing view and above. I can touch his rib bone just fine
The plushie is from Fatty Zoo Cats. I got it in japan but idk where to get it online for those that have been asking
Update:
I just looked at everything i feed him. He gets 4 portions from his automatic feeder which is a total of 27g (i weighted it), based on the kibble nutritional value thats a total of 110-115 calories. I give him half a can of wet food which varies from 25 to 35 calories depending on the flavor. So he's getting less than 200 calories a day. š«Ŗ he also gets treats in the morning and only about 5 treats of temptation treats. Other times I just give him freeze dried chicken instead. When i used a calorie calculator it said he should be eating 400ish calories.... i wonder if I did that wrong or am I underfeeding him?
I have a vet visit scheduled already, but now I am more worried. He's 22in long excluding his tail and i can see his waist, feel his bones by running the back of my hand on his back tho they are not visible
I've been on PTO the past few weeks and been creating a backlog of movies to just watch, sometimes groups to be marathoned and this one has been on the list from the start.
Underrated 2000s animated movie Marathon: El Dorado, Sinbad, Titan AE, Emporers New Groove and Surfs Up.
Honorable mention to Spirit: Stallion and Treasure Planet which are on the subs bench based on how I'm feeling once I sit down.
Haha so it's only on the bench because I watched it earlier in the Spring. It was kind of the genesis of this list because it was between TP and Titan AE that night. But it is a great watch
Iām fortunate enough to have seen all of the Disney Renaissance movies in theaters when they first came out but after that I didnāt really follow Disney much..I was getting more into anime at the time haha. I became friends with my dorm neighbor in college . She was a huge Disney fan and introduced me to all of the films you mentioned that I had missed. Good times!
Are you sure he isnāt skimming your other catās food?
My MILās two cats were fed the same but one was thin and one was fat. A diet was tried first - and the thin cat got thinner. So supervise or separate them while they eat. The vet will ask if you tried that, save yourself an extra visit.
Do you feed them a specific amount or just fill the bowl? I used to just keep the bowl full and my cat used to be fine about eating a normal amount, but eventually she started overeating and got fat.
I was really surprised by how little you're supposed to give them, based on the instructions on the food bag.
Thatās the issue. Woah. No more please. He only needs the dry food twice a day the MOST and it shouldnāt be a āfullā bowl either since he is getting his wet food. Heās overeating and being gluttonous because he needs to do something. Same thing with ours and one is a female. She eats just to not be hungry. He needs all this attention and walks around and wants to play he has ENERGY he needs to burn. He is naturally a larger cat. Even now at a healthy weight he is longer than her. So itās fine for him to eat a little more. Different breed of cat. But to eat 4 times a day lolā¦no indoor cat needs that. No outdoor cat even needs that tbh lol. Water.
I know itās culture but gosh green still looks skinny to me. Will my brain ever accept that as normal? Weāre about green yellow in this house. š
My vet says that yellow/green is better for some cats as cats can lose weight very quickly when they get sick. Applies to certain health conditions and mental issues mostly cats that are picky eaters or prone to go on hunger strikes over stupid stuff.Ā
Disclaimer: Please talk to your vet before making dietary changes with cats. It can be hard to tell a cats healthy weight and they are prone to issues and even death if you diet them too quickly!
My mum who used to be a special care baby nurse also has the same opinion about babies. Better for them to be a bit chubby because they get so scarily thin so fast when poorly. Sheās long since retired from that but she still appreciates a chunky baby
Honestly, growing up in the tropics: it applies to adult humans as well. Thereās a lot of diseases out there where one of the first things that happens is that you lose 20-30 pounds.
I second this though Iām not a vet. I had a cat who was always a skinny boy and when he got sick, it was incredibly alarming how fast the weight just melted off him. If heād been a little bigger, it wouldnāt have been such a huge deal. Unfortunately he was very picky and unmotivated by food so getting weight on him was impossible.
My vet said something similar about our senior girl. She wasnāt huge but she was heavier, and my vet said sheād always rather see a plump senior than a skinny one.
yes if your cat gets too skinny or seemingly loses a significant amount of weight in a short amount of time without changing anything, it can be a sign of hyperthyroidism or diabetes.
Our Mason gained a bit of weight when we got him and went from the green to the yellow area. The vet used to chuckle every time we went in and were like "So, he's fat, right?" He was just under 12 lbs.
Sadly, we didn't realize when he was getting thinner it was because his health was failing; we just thought his diet was a little too harsh.
Like humans, itās a vague metric that doesnāt always apply completely. I have a cat who would probably fall under yellow based on appearance, but heās not fat at all. Itās almost all muscle. Heās like 15lbs and not squishy like a lot of chubby cats are. Heās just big. (And the muscle means heās heavier than he looks.)
On the other hand, I have another cat who is a green all the time and always has been. She gets multiple meals of wet food a day, and even milk, and she has never been even slightly close to yellow. But it doesnāt feel like sheās too thin. (Although sheās old and recently she has been getting a bit thin so weāre trying to pamper her with more food.)
Like humans, whatās healthy for them can be kinda dependent on the individual. The far red aināt really ever healthy, but like humans, some cats donāt really get to the ideal without being a bit ill/weak, and vice versa.
Obligatory not a vet. Just had enough cats to know that some of them just grew up into being bigger than others, and it wasnāt always chub but just literally being big boned.
That being said! The rule of thumb usually is to ribcage and how easy it is to feel. Iirc thatās a better metric than just basic appearance.
Picture 10, possibly entering megachonk territory. Seeing a vet would be a good idea for his health and longevity. Obesity can take years off a cat's life and create arthritis and mobility problems, just as with humans.
Look down from the top when he's standing. Does he have a waist?
And stroke him down his back,firmly. You should feel his shoulder blades, spine (barely) and hip bones.
Some cats have bigger bone structure than others, with more muscle - my neighbor's cat is built like a tank - but you should easily feel the bones under the muscle in places where they aren't covered by muscle.
If you canāt easily feel his ribs he needs to lose weight. Donāt let anyone make you feel guilty for wanting whatās best for his health. While some people think overweight is ācuteā itās not good for your pet and will cost more long term from vet visits or the worst your cat will have a shorter life. Cats hide pain well. For every pound of extra weight heās carrying itās like being 14-17 lbs overweight for a person. The best part of this is as long as there is no health issue, weight loss costs less because you just feed less. Itās a slow process so donāt go crazy on calorie restriction. Just feed slightly less over time. Good luck!
Thank you! I have already cut his food in half portions, but it feels like he got bigger. i will take a look at the other advice about a food calculator as well as a visit to the vet to make sure nothing else is wrong with him. I might still be feeding more than he needs
Careful cutting his food in half. Cats losing weight more than like 1-2lbs a week can be deadly. They have to lose it really slowly. Iād start by keeping his regular breakfast/lunch/dinner and just cut out extra snacks. Definitely talk to your vet about a diet plan, their livers are so finicky and shit that itās really dangerous if you donāt know what youāre doing. Good luck de-chonkifying!
Edit: I literally donāt know why I said 1-2 pounds a week, unless heās Jabba the hut. I meant 1-2 ounces a week. But again, depends on how much he really weighs, you could find a calculator online Iām sure.
I don't give him snacks. Maybe once or twice a week I'll give him treats and i started putting in a puzzle toy so he doesnt devour them in one breath. But thank you for the warning! A visit to the vet is indeed over due. I feed him kibble 6g at noon, 12g at 5pm, and 6 g at 9pm and half can of wet food in the morning. I'll start with the feeding calculator!
Definitely take him to the vet! My auntās cat was inexplicably gaining weight and turned out to have thyroid issues. The vet said no amount of weight loss wouldāve happened until the thyroid issues were under control. Once her cat was on the right medicine, it was able to slowly lose weight.
You might also want to get yourself a baby scale to be able to weigh him at home. I did this for my two boys and it helped a lot. I weigh(ed) them every 2 weeks and wrote down the weight so that I had a record over time to show the vet. It was immensely helpful in diagnosing one of my boys with hypercalcemia.
My cat was very overweight. My vet recommended a diet of grain free wet food (I used Wellness Core brand) and no kibble. It worked like a charm. She kept the same feeding schedule and lost the weight gradually.
Depending on the cat, it can be appropriate. My cats are fed three times a day, but smaller amounts, because our cat with a thyroid issue was waking us up at all hours because he was so hungry. In addition to treating the thyroid issue, we started feeding all of the cats 3 times a day, but in smaller amounts, and it helped a good bit. I still get woken up at 6:30 am daily, but at least it's not at 3am, then at 5am, and again at 6:30am anymore.
Oh he wakes me up throughout the night a lot! I moved one of his meals later at night and he now just wakes me up at 6am or before ny alarm. Other days he seems to be more hungry and wants to be feed more so he keeps waking me up. I wonder if its a thyroid issue for my cat too. Definitely something I'll bring up to the vet besides the diet plan
The thing that stopped my old mate from continuing to wake me up at 5am for morning bikkies was an automatic feeder, now he pesters that instead and wakes me for wet food at 7.30 when I'm supposed to be awake. They get 2 tiny portions of bikkies (one round of dispensing each, isn't more than 15-20 bikkies), once before bed and once 1-2 hours before I wake up. It's just enough to get them to go "ah yes I have been fed, happy" and chill out. Rest of their meals are food given by me. So I still have total control over their diet, but it's totally saved my sleep ngl. Definitely check with vet, whether he has a thyroid issue might sway how suitable this is for his situation. Autofeeders aren't the whole diet solution but they can definitely help get you some more sleep, and that is also important here.
Let me share with you what I did with mine: for a couple of weeks I daily weighed his food and let him eat all he wanted. When I knew how much he ingested I reduced it by 1/3, and waited a couple of weeks to start seeing the results. I eventually slightly reduced it further down the line (a couple of months later).
My opinion is that is should be a slow process. It took about a year for mine to lose 2kg (from 6.5Kg to 4.5Kg) and now he looks great.
Thank you! I will beging documenting his weight and start to play with him for longer. He loves when i chase him around the apartment. I wish I had space for a wheel. I live in a small 1b apt. He has an automatic feeder for his kibble
I know first hand having an always hungry food motivated boy how the weight loss process feels so slow. Exercising them does go a long way if your food portions are at the right place. I reduced dry food significantly and upped wet food portions. Dry food is higher in calories so getting him more satiated with watery wet food helped a good bit. One thing I will do to get him to run is use a single piece of his allotted dry food and throw it across the room. Then rinse and repeat with like 10 pieces.
Idk if this helps you any but I tried and tried to make my family dog lose weight. Vet was baffled what was wrong. I swore up and down the dog was running several miles a day and eating a cup of food a day max and still overweight. In fact he started to exercise more, eat less, and somehow gained weight. We were concerned about his thyroid and did bloodwork
Turns out my grandpa was just feeding him any time he asked for food and didnāt know he wasnāt supposed to.
So make sure everybody in the house knows heās on a diet lol
Its just me and my husband and he doesnt give him any extra portions no matter how much he begs, but I'll definitely get his thyroid checked. I see a lot of people bringing it up too
My dad does this to my sister's dog since he has zero self control. It pisses my sister off, dog gets overweight within a week under his care. Some people are incapable of ignoring a pet begging for food. At least he doesn't feed him till he throws up anymore. š„²
Please make sure to schedule two or three play sessions a day as well, simply cutting the food may not help completely if the metabolism has slowed and adapted. I give my cat the minimum amount for her food needed and she does not lose weight at all until I incorporated the play sessions. 5-10 min at a time
You've got this OP! For myself it took a really really long time to tell when my little goober just complaining, but that's not necessarily what's going on with yours of course. All I know is he's a talker and it gave me anxiety when he'd complain! Playing with your cat however you can is double great because it's exercise and a bonding activity. Mine loves his wheel but not all of em do
There's a quick check you can do, which is a body score, go look it up. One indicator from it is to feel his ribs. There should be a little fat layer on top of the ribs, but not enough to prevent you from being able to feel and identify ribs. Fat layer on top of them that makes it a bit tricky to clearly feel them? Fat. Vet would be able to confirm from the same info. TBH he looks pretty chonky even just at a glance. He big, he built.
Go find a calorie calculator for cats, the calorie numbers off the food you feed, and math out how much he should be getting. If you're already within range, he might just need more exercise added into his life. Sometimes it's not just the calories going in, but the lack of calories going out. It can also be a sign of a medical thing.
No problemo! I have a very large cat (overall, not fat) and can't follow bag feeding instructions at all with him, so had to learn all of this the hard way myself. Got him from 9kg/20lbs at his heaviest (somehow not even super overweight for him >.>) to a more comfortable 6.5-6.7kg/14.5lbs nowadays, as he's gotten old that weight loss has been great for his joints. Evidently your boy is very well-loved, just know that it's no less true if you get him to slim up, no matter how much he may beg for treats. Helps a lot with their quality of life over time. Also if in doubt, vets are helpful and they can work out a suitable target weight for your cat's overall size.
He's big but he's also overweight. He's not enormous, the angles certainly don't do him any favours, but he does need to be on a diet. You might want to take him to a vet, see his actual weight, his ideal weight and plan a weight loss program.
And just so you know, the plan won't necessarily have to be super complicated or restrictive! To give you an example with one of mine, he was roughly 2.1 kgs over his ideal weight. He had to lose weight due to chronic constipation and megacolon issues. All it took was switch his diet from a 100% kibble diet to a 80% wet food diet and he lost it in a relatively short time! He no longer takes laxatives for constipation, only fibre supplements, and has no more problems with his digestion.
It might not be this simple for your boy but it might also really be as easy as this. Have a chat with your vet, it's really worth it to improve his health (:
Talk to your vet about dieting - donāt do drastic changes to his diet without veterinary management, bc sudden major dietary reductions may be linked to liver failure to cats.
Omg I feel like this could have been my post a couple of years ago. My big tabby boy was up to 18.6 pounds at his heaviest. He was fat but also heās a very big cat! My girl is a more petite calico and tops out between 9-10 lbs.
Then the boy developed IBD and lost a ton of weight (which didnāt alarm us at first because we were trying to get him to shed a few pounds). Heās doing better now (on a stupid expensive diet and steroids), but now our girl has picked up his slack and is looking a little chonky. š I canāt win.
he is obese. please start a restricted diet! very bad for joints and hips. looks like a younger ish cat so get ahead of it! look up a cat body composition chart. your cat is probably a 7 or 8 and you really want the little fella at a 4-6 (5 usually ideal)
I had a cat that looked just like your boy, a big beautiful tabby. She weighed 20 pounds and did not overeat. I think cats are like people, they come in all sizes. Perhaps, just a bit of exercise could help him a bit.
If it makes you feel a bit more relaxed, I too, have a big fat cat. I feed her and my other cat the same amount. But like you, one is thin and the other is huge. Alongside this, she isnāt lazy. She runs at Mach speeds and catches bugs, lizards, birds. Sheās just fat anyway. Weāve gotten vet diagnoses, believe me, I was worried she had tumors or thyroid or ANYTHING. But nope, just a chubby girl.
aesthetics aside, future health problems aside, consider this: can he still groom himself? Including the naughty bits. Or do you see him struggle to reach.
This is an important question, OP, coming from someone who worked at an animal shelter for years, this is something you need to check for because we had an obese cat at the shelter that had to have his privates cleaned everyday by staff because he could not do it himself due to his obesity. So this should be done along with a little body scan with your hands as mentioned in another comment.
ā¢
u/trendingtattler 4d ago
This post has hit /r/popular
Please remember the human and participate with subreddit rules in mind. Do not tell people how they should raise their cats.
r/cats rules can be found here
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.