Overweight Cat (12 lb)

[aniela]

I took Oz to the vet today to get the the bare minimum shots and a check up. I rent and my apartment complex is starting to enforce certain pet related parts of the lease. Anyway, I was told Oz needed to go on a diet since his ideal weight should be 10 lb; he's 12 lb. He is pudgy looking but I'm not sure if I should cut back on his food. I had him at 10 lb six months ago and he looked sickly so I fattened him up. The vet was pretty firm with the weight issue because Oz is only two years old and he doesn't have a waist. This is the first time at this particular vet. Last time I took Oz to the vet he was skin and bones at 7.7 lb and wasn't full grown!

I like the clinic as a whole by the way. My family is friends with the vet who owns the place.

[marie73]

I looked at the before and after pictures in another thread of yours. He was pretty tubby compared to when you first got him. And if he's gained another two pounds since then (I think the latest pictures were from February), he DOES need to lose weight. Not sure if I got the dates right....

You fattened him up, you can slim him down, too.

What are you feeding him?

[laurief]

If he's pudgy, he needs to lose weight. Ideally, cats should be lean with a visible waist. If he looks sickly at 10 lbs, then see what he looks like at 10.5 lbs. It's possible that your eye just finds the pudgy look more visually appealing, which is not in your cat's best health interest.

Laurie

[aniela]

He lost a little weight since then. He seems to have shorter legs than most cats and that tummy is just excess skin. I find the leaner look more appealing by the way.

[laurief]

Ah, he does not look fat to me. Slightly thicker than ideal, but within close range of it. I bet he'd look perfect if he lost .5-1 lb.

Laurie

[aniela]

Thanks! I did cut back his food from 1/2 cup to 1/3 cup. I'd like to see him at 11 lb. I wish I had photos of him at 10 lb.

Before someone says something, I'm trying to finish up his current kibble and have been in the process of transitioning to canned. He gets canned on weekends and actually eats it! Though the vet did say that canned was bad for him and to feed exclusively kibble...I know better thanks to this community.

[scottd]

He could probably lose a little bit of weight but my cat is 14lbs so...

[marie73]

Well, I was talking about this picture you posted a few months ago:





Maybe it's the camera angle, but I can see why your vet said he needs to lose weight.

[tigre86]

An extra pound or two is a lot of stress on a cat's body so he probably could stand to lose a pound or so. He doesn't look fat to me but I can see that he's a little pudgy. Does he exercise at all?

[aniela]

Originally Posted by marie73

Well, I was talking about this picture you posted a few months ago:

<removed photo>

Maybe it's the camera angle, but I can see why your vet said he needs to lose weight.

No, he was a bit fat in February. I had just got him back in January after keeping him at my ex-boyfriend's house. I was unemployed for a few months and the only place I could afford was a roommate situation. My roommate was highly allergic so Oz lived in a bedroom at my ex-boyfriend's house until I got back up on my feet. He may have been overfed.

He then went on a diet shortly after I got into my new place.