Hmm the diet food aint working...

[Jeanette]

Well Oliver's been on the Hills r/d since around christmas and has in total lost 200 grams.. That's no where near enough

On the bag it says to feed 50-75 grams for a 5 kg cat.. Now Oliver weighs 6,6 kg and I'm told to feed him out from what I want him to weigh.. I really think he should down on 5, maybe even 4,5 kg.. I feed him 50 grams a day.. 25 grams morning and 25 grams evening. I spread it over the floor in the hall (he hasnt vomitted for weeks )

BUT he still poo's more than usual, and he miau's.... A lot!!! I think he is hungry and the food just doesnt give him enough.. It wasnt like this the first time we used this food..

So what to do now???

[Jac]

Sorry got me stumped, I'm sure someone will be able to help though. Good luck. Just a thought, has he got more muscley. Muscle weighs more than fat. Just an idea.

[Jeanette]

No I dont think he has. He's an indoor cat, so doesn't get too much exercise..

[Booktigger]

I dont' have any faith in r/d - I know of 3 cats (one of my fosters included) that not only didnt lose a lot of weight on it but quickly developed struvite crystals on it. When Tom had a bout of cystitis in Dec, my vet suggested a wet food only diet, and he has lost loads of weight on it - he does get weighed monthly to check it isn't too much of a weight loss. In Dec he was 8.3, by Jan's weigh in he was 7.8 and he was weighed again on Tues and he is down to 7.3, so in my opinion, it is the best way to go. And obviously increase their exercise, he eats at the top of the stairs so that he has to run down them to get out after his food, and has to run up them at night for his tea, so simple things like putting his food higher up helps. But you do have to make sure you don't reduce the food intake by more than 15%.

[Jeanette]

I actually haven't reduced it at all.. He got 50 grams on the senior dry food aswell (before).

I live in an apartment without any stairs and he's never outside.. Ane he is lazy!!! Maybe I should try the wet food.. Its expenssive though. And whiskas is lousy (IMO!)

But it sounds like you are on the right path with your Tom, wtg!!!

[Booktigger]

Maybe that is the problem then? Senior food has lower calories, so can help with weight loss (although hasn't with my male cat - but he is very lazy compared to Tom). I don't feed Whiskas etc to my cats, but unfortunately have to with the fosters, and that is all Tom has been on. Feeding guidelines aren't too good though, even my vet says they are higher than they should be, and she thinks Tom should be fine on half a tin of wet food a day. Might be worth trying even half and half with the wet food, and if it works, then start to increase it?

[Jeanette]

Yeah... I will have a think over the weekend, and see what I can do... He really need to loose some weight...

Thanks

[dinahsmum]

Can he be more active J?
Can you get him into a bit more string-chasing etc?
If you can work up to flying leaps they must be good for using energy. He must sleep and laze about for a big big part of the day whilst you are out, and , unlike Luna, he doesn't get the opportunity to work off some flab outside.

[Booktigger]

Well, Tom has lost a kilo in 2 month son wet food only, yet from Aug (his first weigh in) to Dec he had gone from 8.96 to 8.3. Whether wet food will make him feel fuller for longer is a different matter though. My vets also do a free weight clinic where they weigh them and give you advice - another bit of advice was to split his food intake into more regular, smaller meals, so when he was on dry food only, he had 3 meals a day.

[Jeanette]

Hí both..

H: Well I dont know how.. He really isnt very playful.. Atleast he's getting a bit walking around to find the food, that I throw in the hall...

BT: I could try somehow to split it up into 3 meals, but I'm away for 10 hours during the day, so its gonna be a bit hard.. But definately worth a try