Member

Posts: 16
From:Burlington city, New Jersey, USA
Registered: Feb 2004

posted 02-09-2004 11:34 AM         

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My kittie kinda has a weight problem. How much should I feed her and how many times a day? Is their any thing i can do to make her exercise.

(she's also not very playful so she dosn't like to play with toys.)

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R*O*B*

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posted 02-09-2004 01:09 PM         

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Hello. How old is your kitty and what are you feeding her right now? There are weight control/diet cat foods. Newmans Own (Paul Newman the actor who has salad dressings out and so on) just came out with a terrific cat/dog food (both hard and soft and regular and weight control/senior). Here is the link to it. It's great food! I'm very impressed with it. I also like Wellness pet food a lot (2nd link)

http://www.newmansownorganics.com/pet/what/
http://www.oldmotherhubbard.com/

[This message has been edited by Chessmind (edited 02-09-2004).]

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From:NY, USA
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posted 02-09-2004 04:33 PM         

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How much does your cat weigh? What kind of food and how much food are you currently feeding?

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From:Ontario Canada
Registered: Nov 2003

posted 02-09-2004 05:45 PM         

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One way that I got my 12-y.o. girl to exercise was to "dance for her dinner"--I would toss some pieces of her dry food across the floor and she was interested in running around then! I wouldn't suggest feeding a whole meal this way but a few pieces got her moving and then she was more interested in playing/scratching her post. You can also get toys where you can hide food, maybe kitty would go for that.

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From:Burlington city, New Jersey, USA
Registered: Feb 2004

posted 02-10-2004 06:39 AM         

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I feed her about one handful of adult purina cat food (dry) once a day. i'll get back once i know her weght! thanks

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R*O*B*

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posted 02-10-2004 06:22 PM         

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Hello. One handful of dry food is hardly any food for one day. Handsome (my cat) can eat that much in one meal (he eats 3X a day). Perhaps your kitty has some kind of medical problem, such as an underactive thyroid. How old is she? Also, when did she stop enjoying playing?

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posted 02-10-2004 08:14 PM         

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I was thinking the same thing Chessmind. There definately might be a problem if the cat is gaining weight despite eating such a small amount of food.

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From:Canada
Registered: Feb 2004

posted 02-10-2004 08:35 PM         

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Thinking the same thing, Chessmind and nern, that MDs' cat may have a thyroid problem.

My two cats use to be 22.5 and 20.5 pounds despite only half a cup a food a day. The vet indedicated it could very well be a thyroid problem.

The first thing I had to do was put the two over weight cats on a diet (they were litter mates -- I call them soulmates / inseparatable).

The diet started last Summer, and they are down to 14 to 15 pounds which is better but still need to go back in to the vet's for thyroid testing.

Mind you, they are big cats to begin with ... their father was like a miniture dog and they look like miniture dogs too / LOL.

The cat's age is important for what type of food to give it and the weight of the cat as well for the feeding amount.

My guys, as big as they are only get 3/4th a cup to 1 cup of food a day. They are on a weight control dietary food though.

The one cat was like your cat MDs. Not active at all. Once that weight poured off him, he was up and running around and playful and still is. Talked to the Vet about this and he said you would be too if you lost a lot of weight if needed to ... more energy and feeling good about self / LOL.

So true.. so very true. I didn't have to get him exercising at all. He just naturally did it on his own once he got most of the weight off. I just made sure the toys he loves where available for him

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From:Burlington city, New Jersey, USA
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posted 02-11-2004 07:06 AM         

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My cat is nine and when she was younger she was a very small cat. She now weighs about 12 pounds! Everyone thinks she's pregnate but she was fixed 4 year ago. Her weight problem started two years ago. I don't feed her table food nor can food. I feed her puriena 1 adult cat food about a hand full a day. Thanks

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R*O*B*

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posted 02-11-2004 12:50 PM         

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Hello. It's not so much the weight of the cat, as each cat has a different body frame. For instance my cat Handsome weighs 12.5 pounds. However, for his build it's a good weight (he's a big muscular kitty).

You should take your kitty to the vet. Having only one handful of cat food per day is such a little amount of food, and yet she looks over weight. It could be an under active thyroid or something else. If medical problems go untreated, your kitties life span could be shortened dramatically. Please take her to see the vet. Keep us posted.

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