I always end up with one (of two) that has had to lose a few lbs. Funny thing, one reason why I've gotten female cats, is that they are usually smaller than the males!

We give our cats both dry and wet food. A few years ago, we started tossing 1/2 their portion of dry food (a "pebble" at a time) for them to chase. Figured the exercise would be good for them, and it would mimic chasing "prey" for them as well.

They love "playing" this "game" BTW! :-)

Thanks for the tip. We have a brand of treats called "Greenies" and she is crazy about them. I'm going to use them just as you suggest. What a good idea!

Basik, is that canned or fresh food you're giving her? If fresh, is she getting enough taurine?

I wonder if my new cat needs to go on a diet. She was rescued with kittens and weighed 8.5 pounds in May when the kittens were weaned. After three months in a foster home, she weighs 11 pounds. I'm not sure if new moms typically gain that much weight after weaning their kittens. Anyone know? Her sides bulge. She eats one small can of Wellness during the day and two tablespoons of dry Wellness at night. Should I just give her two cans of the wet food a day?

Oh what a pretty calico girl. No, I've never had a fat cat and guess it's just been lucky I haven't as they eat pretty much ad lib. I've had some very large cats, but it was just their breed type, and they didn't 'bulge' anywhere. You are wise, because if ever she were in a circumstance where she had a sick spell, and lost a lot of weight fat, being overweight can bring on fatty liver syndrome. She seems pretty content there, with her eyes half closed. Looks like she's meditating. UHmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

over the last 15 years the trend has been, perhaps as it is in us, for the average indoor cat to be overweight. I would guesstimate that about 70% of cats I see daily (would be in the many thousands by now) to be overweight, and a good 20% to be obese... so you can bet most cat owners have some experience with overweight cats. Average normal weight for average female cat should be around 8-9 lbs, and about 9-10 lbs for a male (note that some cats are normally only 5 lbs fully grown and others are over 15... but the average DSH cat should be within those ranges).

Feline diabetes is another possible result of high carb diets - similar to type 2 diabetes in adult humans, and for a similar reason - high carb diet. Cats evolved to eat mostly meat and maybe a very small amount of grain in the stomachs of their prey.

I think cats overeat for the same reason a lot of people do - boredom! Never had a problem with my old cats in the past who were indoor-outdoor.

Basik, I'd recommend getting a no-carb cat food to feed your cat. There are many formulations out there in all different price ranges. If you feed a cat strictly a "people food" diet, the cat will not get the nutrients it requires. Taurine is one of the most important ones.

There are formulas for weight loss as well but if you feed a grain free food, you'll see a difference in her weight. Feed no more than the recommended amount and use set feeding times. I feed my cat a combination of Primal Pet raw and Blue Buffalo Wilderness dry.

Stop feeding the treats! Those are nothing but junk! If you want to feed a treat, get dried chicken or turkey breast. Make your cat do something for the treat; use a feather toy and have her chase it. Teach her some tricks that have exercise built in (fetch is good) so she's working for it.

I play tag, fetch and hide and seek with my cat. He runs around like a silly goof and really enjoys the one on one time. He knows when I should stop work and will pester me to play hide and seek. He really enjoys the activity!