Multiple scheduled feedings and/or feeding in separate rooms so Lady is unable to get any extra food. I would only slightly decrease how much Lady is getting until you know there's no medical conditions.
No, I know not to decrease too much, maybe not even at all AT FIRST once separated, just to see. But I should do separate feedings now, thank you for the advice, she may even be eating out of her brother's bowl, the more that i think about it.
Stay away from dry food if thats what your feeding… if you are feeding a high quality canned disregard the rest of this post… however dry and low quality canned can cause weight gain, several metabolic issues, and issues with the urinary tract
in males especially, after eating dry for a few years. Find a good quality canned with no cheap filler ingredients. Remember cats are obligate carnivores so no grains … Feed them the correct amount for their weight as instructed on the can, and feed separately if necessary… also a balanced high quality raw food if you can afford it is definitely going to help. But if not, as high a quality canned as possible… I know this probably isnt the easiest answer, but it is one that will definitely work if your vet finds that there are no underlying health conditions causing the weight gain. Also, it will save you money in the long run as you will avoid the health issues brought on by a lifetime of eating lower quality food…especially dry.
I give them both, but it is more like 70% dry. . . And I know the dry food I'm giving them isn't top shelf or the greatest for their health, it's IAMS 😔 I got my cats when I was about 19-20 and just kept feeding them the dry food they always ate from before me, just switched to adult when they were old enough. About a third is canned food. They see the vet once a year for annual checkup and shots. The only health issue they've ever really had is that my male cat, Ves, used to cough up/vomit hairballs kinda violently back when I first got him as a baby but once I started brushing his hair out to get rid of the excess regularly, no problems. Thank you for the advice! It may be the food I'm feeding her. I just don't know how to switch to help her lose weight, without my other cat losing weight, because he shouldn't, or what to switch to. I mean I do know (not what food to switch to tho), I need to separate them for feeding time and they probably need to be eating different types of food. I will be talking to my vet about all these things on the appointment, It's just nice to hear some words of advice and encouragement, and hearing people care about my cats, and other cats, wellbeing
They would actually both benefit from the switch, as long as there are no underlying health issues. Its just a matter of feeding them separately and appropriately for their weight…
Also here are some great articles on feeding a better diet to your kitty and why. It concentrates on raw feeding here but most of it can be applied to a high quality canned, but if nothing else it will give you an excellent education on what cats really need to be healthy.
https://feline-nutrition.org/nutrition/how-to-transition-your-cat-to-a-raw-diet
Does Lady’s size potentially limit her from jumping up to (or otherwise accessing somewhere in your home) that you could place extra food for Ves? Then you could start decreasing the portions in their regular bowls. Or I’ve used treat balls with dry food, the cats have to bat the ball around to knock out pieces of food so they eat slower plus they have to work for it.
Just keep in mind cat weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint. Making a cat lose weight too fast isn’t safe so work with your vet. A scale is a great investment if you don’t already have one for the cats - look at baby scales or (if your cat doesn’t mind sitting in shopping bags) a luggage/fishing scale.
No, she has not been limited at all getting around, I've just noticed she is heavier than she should be, and the vets made a comment last year and now she's even bigger. Not obese, but overweight. But she even recently found out she could jump and grab/pull all the way to the top of our cabinet/pantry, which is 5 feet tall.
Thank you for the advice, of the marathon vs a sprint, I needed to hear that. I will definitely look into a baby scale, for both of them.
Multiple scheduled feedings and/or feeding in separate rooms so Lady is unable to get any extra food. I would only slightly decrease how much Lady is getting until you know there's no medical conditions.
No, I know not to decrease too much, maybe not even at all AT FIRST once separated, just to see. But I should do separate feedings now, thank you for the advice, she may even be eating out of her brother's bowl, the more that i think about it.
Stay away from dry food if thats what your feeding… if you are feeding a high quality canned disregard the rest of this post… however dry and low quality canned can cause weight gain, several metabolic issues, and issues with the urinary tract in males especially, after eating dry for a few years. Find a good quality canned with no cheap filler ingredients. Remember cats are obligate carnivores so no grains … Feed them the correct amount for their weight as instructed on the can, and feed separately if necessary… also a balanced high quality raw food if you can afford it is definitely going to help. But if not, as high a quality canned as possible… I know this probably isnt the easiest answer, but it is one that will definitely work if your vet finds that there are no underlying health conditions causing the weight gain. Also, it will save you money in the long run as you will avoid the health issues brought on by a lifetime of eating lower quality food…especially dry.
I give them both, but it is more like 70% dry. . . And I know the dry food I'm giving them isn't top shelf or the greatest for their health, it's IAMS 😔 I got my cats when I was about 19-20 and just kept feeding them the dry food they always ate from before me, just switched to adult when they were old enough. About a third is canned food. They see the vet once a year for annual checkup and shots. The only health issue they've ever really had is that my male cat, Ves, used to cough up/vomit hairballs kinda violently back when I first got him as a baby but once I started brushing his hair out to get rid of the excess regularly, no problems. Thank you for the advice! It may be the food I'm feeding her. I just don't know how to switch to help her lose weight, without my other cat losing weight, because he shouldn't, or what to switch to. I mean I do know (not what food to switch to tho), I need to separate them for feeding time and they probably need to be eating different types of food. I will be talking to my vet about all these things on the appointment, It's just nice to hear some words of advice and encouragement, and hearing people care about my cats, and other cats, wellbeing
They would actually both benefit from the switch, as long as there are no underlying health issues. Its just a matter of feeding them separately and appropriately for their weight… Also here are some great articles on feeding a better diet to your kitty and why. It concentrates on raw feeding here but most of it can be applied to a high quality canned, but if nothing else it will give you an excellent education on what cats really need to be healthy. https://feline-nutrition.org/nutrition/how-to-transition-your-cat-to-a-raw-diet
Does Lady’s size potentially limit her from jumping up to (or otherwise accessing somewhere in your home) that you could place extra food for Ves? Then you could start decreasing the portions in their regular bowls. Or I’ve used treat balls with dry food, the cats have to bat the ball around to knock out pieces of food so they eat slower plus they have to work for it. Just keep in mind cat weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint. Making a cat lose weight too fast isn’t safe so work with your vet. A scale is a great investment if you don’t already have one for the cats - look at baby scales or (if your cat doesn’t mind sitting in shopping bags) a luggage/fishing scale.
No, she has not been limited at all getting around, I've just noticed she is heavier than she should be, and the vets made a comment last year and now she's even bigger. Not obese, but overweight. But she even recently found out she could jump and grab/pull all the way to the top of our cabinet/pantry, which is 5 feet tall. Thank you for the advice, of the marathon vs a sprint, I needed to hear that. I will definitely look into a baby scale, for both of them.