Slightly Overweight Kitty

Kathsl22

Hello, I was hoping something could provide me with some advice on my kitten - Archie. He's 9 months old and a bit chubby looking. He's not fat but I'm worried that his size may increase. I can't quite get my head around it as I have another cat - Holly and she is normal weight if a little bit under. We feed them both once a day around 5pm. They have dried food and clean water available all the time - (I wonder if this is the problem). Archie usually gets 3/4 of a sachet of Whiskas kitten (I've always found one sachet to be too much) and Holly gets Adult Whiskas. I presumed this to be a reasonable amount of food to keep them at a healthy weight. We also feed both cats in different areas of the kitchen and supervise them at meal times to stop them eating each others dinner. I used to feed the cats 2 times a day about 3 months ago but I noticed Archie was starting to put on weight so I cut it down to once a day - it doesn't seem to have had an effect. Is it possible Archie is getting fed elsewhere? If so should I cut down his amount of food? I am also concious that he is still a kitten and should be getting all the food he needs.
Any advice much appreciated.
Thanks
Kathryn

Beckyess

Cats are experts at finding anyone who'll feed them! Have you considered changing him to a dry feed then giving him his food in a treat ball so he has to work for it?
Becky
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Love is a Posse of Poodles and Percy

Kathsl22

Yes I have thought about swapping to dry food but they look forward to their dinner so much I don't know if I have the heart to take it away. Am I just being too soft? Never heard of a treat ball - How does it work?

littlelab

Hey there Kath

I have the same problem with one of my cats, she is now 16lbs and is a monster, she eats the same food as my other 2 who are sleek and slim and they have wet food, senior I sachet each in the evening and they share throughout the day, 1 bowl of Burns dried cat food to snack on.

She is an indoor cat, her own choice I add, although probably wouldnt get through the cat flap now Laughing

.

The vet on several occasion has given her a complete examination with tests the thyroid problems, digestion problems, you name it (petplan loved us!) He even stuck a pin in her to see if she had water wave (personally I thought he was trying to pop her Laughing

).

Nope nothing wrong with her, looks like she may just have a low metabolic rate and she is extremely lazy Very Happy

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Natalie and Co xxx

Beckyess

A treat ball is where you fill the ball with the cats food and they have to roll it around to get it out to eat!
Becky
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Love is a Posse of Poodles and Percy

Kathsl22

I think you might be right little lab. Like humans, cats must also vary in the speed of their metabolisms. I think I have also got to take into account that Archie is a he and Holly is a she so they are going to differ in size. Archie isn't a house cat but doesn't seem to stay out as much as Holly does. Do you think I should reduce his food intake?

shadylady

cats will continue to eat all day if you let them, they also have a very ingenious way of making there owners feed them there favourite food by not eating a certain food, but as an owner you should let your cat now your in charge of mealtimes if at all your cat refuses to eat something take it away and an hour or two later intoduce that food again a cat will not starve itself. by letting your cats have acess to dry food allday is not a good thing because your cats now thing they r incharge of their own mealtimes and eat whenever they want which unfortunate for u your kitten is taking advantage of. my three cats get fed in the morning about 9 am then i feed them again at tea time around 6 pm then for supper ( when i go to bed) i give them dry biscuits. although my copper is quite chubby but he is blind so its hard exercising him every day but i try.
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littlelab

The only thing you can do is perhaps put him on adult food now, kitten food is much higher in fats and protein so will be higher calories.
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Natalie and Co xxx

Kathsl22

thanks for the advice everyone - I think I will switch Archie to adult food and see if that helps.