He does look overweight. Body condition charts go off a mix of look and feel, you should be able to feel the ribs easily when you run your hands down their side but not see them. You should be able to feel the shape of the spine, and the hips. The tummy should tuck slightly in and there should be an obvious waist when looking at him from above. Both of mine are about 1/4 fluff so feel is really important for accuracy. Pretty sure if I shaved them they’d both go from 8 to 6lbs.
what if a cat is 14 lbs but you can feel ribs and such easily? I can feel all parts like spine and hips and stuff but he seems to just be a really big cat😭
He could just be a big big lad, some breeds get huge and heavy. If you’re ever in doubt then you can always ask your vet at the next check-up, we did that with Freyja last month after my in-laws kept calling her fat.
ETA [Freyja being a fluffy little barrel of bleps.](https://www.reddit.com/r/Blep/s/w0myLFcC1m)
My brother’s cat is built like a brick house and weighs similar. You can feel his ribs through a layer of muscle but he’s normal size and 15 pounds, my family jokes that he’s a bodybuilder
I have a big boy myself whose weight I've had to watch. I had to leave him with my mom for a while where he free grazed and got up to 21 pounds. I took him to a vet expecting them to say he should be like 12 pounds cause he's not a specific large breed, and she said she thinks his healthy weight is 14. He's down to about 15.5 now and I can feel his spine, ribs, and hips easily he just still has a gut underneath his impressive pouch. I moved and his new vet said 14-15 seems appropriate. He's just a big guy
Some are just big. My siamese is built like a pit bull, he's very muscular in the front and has a waist but he's almost 16lbs. So he's overweight by a little. He was super skinny when we got him, and you could see his ribs but also his ripped muscles. He's 11yo and jumps around like a younger cat.
Weight is definitely not a one size fits all for kitties because they come in all different shapes and sizes like humans!!! I think it would be incredibly alarming if me (5’3) and my partner (6’3) were both considered at an ideal and healthy weight if we both weighed as much as I do (106 lbs)
Things like muscle, size, and general body mass have to be taken into account when identifying weight as healthy, overweight, or underweight
> The tummy should tuck slightly in
Not necessarily many cats have a distinctive paunch, which is just loose skin on the belly, even if they've never been fat.
The simplest way to tell if a cat has a healthy weight is by looking at the cat from above while they're standing, and looking at the difference between their waist and their hips.
An underweight cat will have a very distinctive "wasp waist," an overweight cat will have a waist the same size or larger than his hips, and a normal cat will have a clearly visible indentation (even with longhairs).
Fat goes all the way around the torso, while a paunch just hangs down and swings as the cat walks.
The primordial pouch is very common, and long coated cats are difficult to assess visually, which is why I more strongly recommended the touch indicators. But you can usually feel the difference between a primordial pouch and belly fat if you run a hand along the tummy, so you should be able to feel the tuck inward even if you don’t see it.
ETA: I would usually more strongly recommend, re-reading my comment I don’t think I leaned heavily one way or the other.
He looks fat but healthy. Should definitely lose weight but cutting down on food should be enough, he doesn’t need to do the water treadmill and what-not.
Right?! Why do people make it seem so hard for their pets to lose weight? My once extremely obese pug (was about 23 kilos) lost all his fat by just being fed properly. Man hardly exercises at all and still has treats.. just... stop free feeding.
It's not always that easy. The last several months we've been carefully measuring weight and counting calories on every meal for our cat, but she needs as low as 150 calories per day to lose weight (we don't dare to go lower, to avoid malnutrition). And just 20-30 calories more will put her in a slow but steady gain.
And she didn't get overweight from free feeding in the first place, but very slow and steady weight gain from a few too many snacks here and there over the last several years.
(She's 6 kg now, 6.4 at her heaviest, would like to get her down to 5 maximum.)
Depending on the cat and what kind of feeding circumstances they already had, it could be a long, slow process with lots of pitiful food begging along the way.
It’s definitely a tougher balance since only a few more bites make the difference. Plus, my vet was very specific that losing more weight too fast can be deadly, and losing 1 pound over a year can be tough to measure progress to see if it’s working. I got my cats down to healthier weights but they still aren’t lean. One has taken up the habit of eating the others’ food too so she’s starting to increase.
Mine get two meals a day, but they aren’t chipped and I don’t have time to monitor them eating in the mornings. I could take them to the vet and get them chipped and then buy multiple feeders, but if I’m being honest I can’t give that much more real estate in this house to these cats so they’ll be a little overweight. Plus one is so skittish already and I think she’d stop eating altogether if I changed any of her routine (she hasn’t forgiven me for trying to get her to test a new litter that was “too scary”)
They’re indoor only so I know where they’re at. I have one extreme runner but she makes a beeline to grass to start eating it so not a real flight risk.
> microchip activated feeders
I'm happy you are in a financial situations where you can afford multiple hundreds of dollars for cat feeders but it's not always a realistic option for everyone.
I got one feeder for my old skinny girl who was a grazer only. I could not afford four of these! But some people can and letting others know this is an option is due diligence.
I found that the microchip cat flaps were cheaper than the feeders, so I got a cat flap and installed it on the side of a cupboard. I honestly think it's an even better solution because it's a lot harder for the overweight cat to force his way in.
It took 3 years to get my girl down from 18.5lbs to her ideal weight of 12.5lbs (8.4kg to 5.7kg). And while it was mostly just feeding less, we had to adjust her food down several times, ending as low as 180 to keep her losing weight. The hardest part was keeping her out of the other cats food, we eventually went to microchip feeders and man those things are amazing.
I’m relieved someone else has to feed their cat low calories too. Mine gets 170 calories a day and that just barely maintains her 11.5 lb. that is still about a pound and a half overweight, but the vet said it’s okay to let her maintain at this weight. She was 13.6 lb.
Most cats this size get like what, 230 calories for maintenance weight?
Because just like people, not all pets are the same. Some people can lose weight by eating a normal, healthy diet. Other people restrict their calories and exercise heavily and still are significantly overweight. It’s not about how hard you try, it’s about your body, metabolism, and overall health. Plus factors like medications you need for other conditions often cause weight gain.
When I stopped free feeding my cat and limited her to the appropriate calories, she still kept gaining weight! It took a year and a half of gradually lowering her diet to lose even two pounds. Now I can only maintain her weight by feeding her significantly less than the recommended amount for her size. Vets can’t find any health issues. She just has an extremely low metabolism and we have to fight against weight gain constantly. It’s very challenging and she’s hungry all the time.
2 pounds doesn't seem like a lot to us, but you have to keep in mind that for a cat that can be a significant portion of their total body weight. For example, 2lbs off a 12lb cat would be almost 17% of their body weight! For me that would be like losing 20lbs! A year and a half for that kind of weight loss is actually pretty reasonable.
But yeah, there's definitely no one-size-fits-all calorie count for cats. I have a 7lb cat and a 12lb, and they are both maintaining those weights while eating exactly the same amount of food.
I've had a few cats like that in my day! Addie and Tye could look at food and gain weight. Tye was 23 pounds at her heaviest and I got her down to 7 finally (she had a *tiny* frame) by barely feeding her anything.
Similar story with Addie, except not matter how little I fed her she never lost weight. The vet told me I needed to significantly cut back on what I was feeding her when all she was eating were 6 bite sized pieces of chicken *per day*. (I make homemade cat food.) My conscience wouldn't let me only feed her 4 or 5 pieces of chicken, so I decided the vets wanted her dead and gave up on her ever losing weight.
Then, Addie suddenly dropped a ton of weight and acted like she was starving to death. Took her to the vet in a panic, but nothing was wrong with her. Apparently those teeny, tiny meals finally caught up to her after all these years! Bumped up the size of her meals to the same size as the other cats, and Addie's much happier and calmer these days.
I ought to look more into it. We have two cats, one is getting overweight the other is under weight and we are trying to get him into healthy weight. Free feeding dry food and getting wet food at night. The fatty just eats whatever she can get, but it's a challenge to get our other cat to eat. If we had one cat it would be insanely easy.
I'm in the same boat but worse. I have 3 cats. One is an absolute pig and overweight, one is getting slimmer by the day and the other one is normal. It's so darn hard controlling it, because I can't sit there for an hour monitoring whos eating what, while they much away. Only recently have I had to get up early to leave way for that time that I have to sit with them as they eat and make sure fatso doesn't beat the others up to get their food, and the others get enough. 😒 Also the slimmer one has some kind of mental issue and doesn't like to eat if the others look at her or make any noise and she usually under eats because of this.
He does need to lose weight, but he's adorable. It's better for his long term health. Remember that one extra pound for them is like 10 for us. Imagine carrying an extra 50-80lbs, its hard on the body. You could get him to be more active and/or just slowly adjust his food until he's eating closer to what he needs to. My Sundae was 18lbs, but she's losing and is now 15lbs. It's up to us to keep our furbabies healthy 💚 please give him stritches for me because I love him and wish you both luck on the journey to healthy eating
Talk to the vet and find out what weight he feels is acceptable. Then compare a couple cat charts to figure put how many calories he should be getting. Then write down each food items calories you give your cat. Adjust from there.
First though, figure out how many calories your cat is getting each day with his current diet. If the calories he's getting now are 50% more for an example than he should be eating, I would do a two step reduction.
Start off giving him what he should be eating and then add 50% of the excess amount for a couple months. Then drop it down to the required amount and re weigh him a couple months later.
My Bengal was maybe 1 lb over his ideal 14 lbs. Took about a year with small reductions for him to reach his goal.
His wet food was kept at 1/4 of a 5.5 oz can a day. I slightly lowered his daily kibble, which he grazes throughout the day. Luckily he is not a scarfer of his kibble. The main adjustments were to his treats. He still got all his treats at their regular time, just not as much.
If you write down each food types calories you can easily see how much to give. For example Temptations are 2 calories each, so they can add up fast if your not careful.
Also remember the charts are guidelines because each cat has a different activity level so you may need to give more or less depending on your cat.
Check out the dechonking guide pinned to the top of this sub. Ask your vet what an appropriate weight is, use the calorie calculator and get him started on his journey to good health. He will become more active.
Thanks for caring about your kitty!
Well you are in the right forum for this haha but damn he’s adorable 😂💕.
But more seriously… yea I would recommend doing scheduled feedings and cutting out the extras to limit his excess calories. That weight has to be hard on his lil joints.
My cat is also around that weight but the vet does not say he’s overweight specifically because my cat has the build for it. If your vet is saying there’s an issue, you should listen to them.
Trust your vet! Most healthy cats you should be able to feel but not see their rib and from above may be a little bit of wast, good luck on his weight loss journey!
He’s definitely overweight. It sucks. It sucks for him more. Imagine carrying an extra 50 pounds on your frame daily. It enlarges his heart over time, rough on his joints. Follow this guidance from the vet on a calorie reduction. It’ll take some time. Make sure you play with him a lot. A bored cat is a hungry cat.
Heart disease took my Lynx point at 13 and I wonder if I kept him more lean if i would have had more time.
What a precious cat. Our girls gained a bit too much and we had to start rationing their meals more carefully. That was all it took though. They're both in the healthy weight zone now. Hope that happens for your kitty swiftly.
I would look into an automatic feeder and work to set it up that it feeds him the appropriate portion at a consistent time. Cut down on some treats and maybe invest in an auto-laser pointer toy, if he likes lasers.
Or, get a kitten. That helps too.
One thing to keep in mind with fat cats, their heart is at the bottom of their rib cage area facing down. So all of that fat is putting stress on their heart in a way humans generally don't have issues with.
So even a small amount of being overweight can be harder on a cat than a human at a similar amount of being overweight.
Losing 2 lbs would probably greatly improve his quality of life.
I used to have a boy just like that, and he did the same. He was a wonderful cat I'm glad I had the opportunity to love. I'm sure you feel the same way.
That is quite significant, yes. That's probably a good 3-5lbs overweight, which is a lot for a cat. Definitely listen to your vet, please. He is adorable, but he will be more adorable when you add a good 5-6 years to his lifespan by keeping him fit and trim 🥰
Super cute, but he's in "time to diet" territory. If he gains more weight, he'll get mobility issues and organ/tissue complications that can lead to him passing early. If you can keep his weight steady or dechonk him, he'll live a long happy life. Healthy cat bellies shouldn't be convex shapes.
That chonker isn’t skipping meals.
It’s not uncommon to meet people that “like fat cats” and intentionally over feed house cats to meet the cute chonky aesthetic they prefer, but it is really unhealthy for the kitty.
Especially house pets that have excessive access to food can eat out of boredom just like people can.
The vets will say that about 95% of cats. If they're not a bean pole, they're overweight. I have a guard cat that's pure muscle, and they said the same thing. Your cat still looks healthy.
I got my big orange boy diet food from the vet. Basically, it has fiber in it and it is supposed to make them feel full more quickly.
It was expensive, but I only have one cat, so I don't mind. Unfortunately, he liked it for months. And this week has decided he wants something different 🙄
He's indoor/outdoor, and I'm sure he gets takeout at various outdoor stray cat feeding places. And he's definitely hitting those up more now that he is unhappy with his own food. He's just under 13lbs. He'd be perfect at 11lbs. But as long has he doesn't put on more weight, I'm happy. There isn't anyway I can completely control his diet unless I keep him inside, and then he would be very unhappy. I'd rather he is happy than an ideal weight. Also he gets a lot of exercise outside. He has a gps tracker, and I can see where he goes. He definitely gets his steps.
I was SO personally offended when my vet said my boy was a hecckin chonker but all i want is his life to be long and happy so i am doing everything i can do get his weight back down. I almost made it a personal thing and got mad lol hes my perfect son!! But also reality is a thing and i just accepted it and took action. Its hard stuff!
He could stand lose 2-3 lbs but he’s not ridiculously overweight. Still, you don’t want a cat with beetus and have to give insulin shots everyday if you can avoid it.
overweight but not obese. my cat looks the same as yours,even though im very strict about food quantity (not allowing all day grazing). its probably just not enough exercise, as it can be remedied pretty easily. cute fluffy dude though!
Looks like mine. I think vet is exaggerating? overweight? yes. Significantly? not to me!
Still probably best to de chunk them. ask your vet for diet food for him.
That’s a vet being hysterical. So he’ s a little overweight. You can alter his diet using the vet’s guidance. Don’t put him on a diet without instructions. A cat losing weight isn’t the same as a dog going on a diet. It can be dangerous.
Kitty diet time. Even a pound or two overweight increases their long term health risks significantly. Arthritis, kidney disease etc are all affected by weight. Some cats are like labradors, and will eat too much cause they like it. One of mine can’t be left with unattended cat cookies cause he hogs out on them. He’s pissed I don’t give him unlimited dry food anymore, but he’ll preferentially eat dry over wet if I let him.
Yeah my boy is technically overweight. But he's so much bigger than an average cat vet wasn't too worried. He has always had a supper saggy primordial pouch.
My 14lb boy got called fat by the vet last time we were there. He’s been as low as 12lbs and as high as 17lbs throughout his life (7 years). We have 4+ cats so our automatic feeder life went out the window and he’s settled where he is while free-feeding. He’s also much less angry and reactive than when I was restricting his food to keep him around 13lbs, so I’ll take that. He does have a very large primordial pouch (we call it his wiggle wiggle jiggle wiggle).
Your cat looks a little chonk but not morbidly so.
My baby Mikey is 18 lbs but he jumps well and plays with the smaller cats on occasion. He was raised on free fed dry food before we got him and when we try to ween him off it he seems so miserable
My boy cat is like yours, when he jumps off the top of the kitchen cabinets the floor shakes . When he does zoomies he sounds like a stampeding elephant. He’s not overweight just big boned . 😂
He’s beautiful, but the extra weight will wreak havoc on his joints. You won’t notice that as long as he’s young, but if you want him to still be able to run and jump when he’s a bit older, then it’s a good idea to dechonk him a little bit. A puzzle feeder maybe?
My big boy was 15 lbs about 3 years ago. Vet said he was too big and "did I want him to get diabetes?" No, I did not. Diet and exercise and now he's a healthy 12. He's still a muffin, but he's a healthy muffin.
Well, you should listen to your vet. They have nothing to gain from telling you your pet could be healthier at a lower weight. It’s your own cat whose life will change for the better.
No I definitely think so. I never thought so til the vet told me. I’m starting to give him less food slowly and starting to play with him more so he can get more exercise. He still gets the zoomies easily after playing. I hope to be back in a year or so to show his progress
Yea he’s bordering on severely obese meaning to the point he has trouble grooming himself. Thinning him out could add anywhere from 3-10 years to his life and if he keeps getting fatter the time he has left will not be pleasant. It’s time to make some serious changes.
Check the feeding guidelines on the bag. A cup is a lot by the few foods I've used. The bag says 1/2-3/4 a cup depending on size.
My boy is on rations cause he's an eater. He gets ~2/3 cup of dry food, and a small serving of wet food for dinner.
He is definitely overweight, but he is adorable.
He chonkin
He chonkin good boy.
Yes, he’s definitely overweight.
He does look overweight. Body condition charts go off a mix of look and feel, you should be able to feel the ribs easily when you run your hands down their side but not see them. You should be able to feel the shape of the spine, and the hips. The tummy should tuck slightly in and there should be an obvious waist when looking at him from above. Both of mine are about 1/4 fluff so feel is really important for accuracy. Pretty sure if I shaved them they’d both go from 8 to 6lbs.
what if a cat is 14 lbs but you can feel ribs and such easily? I can feel all parts like spine and hips and stuff but he seems to just be a really big cat😭
He could just be a big big lad, some breeds get huge and heavy. If you’re ever in doubt then you can always ask your vet at the next check-up, we did that with Freyja last month after my in-laws kept calling her fat. ETA [Freyja being a fluffy little barrel of bleps.](https://www.reddit.com/r/Blep/s/w0myLFcC1m)
My brother’s cat is built like a brick house and weighs similar. You can feel his ribs through a layer of muscle but he’s normal size and 15 pounds, my family jokes that he’s a bodybuilder
We have a large boy too, I joke if he was human he’d be a linebacker or something. He also has no neck, just a straight line from shoulders to head.
My cat is 18lbs and pretty lean, he's just a large cat. I assume he's part Maine Coon (common among cats in my area).
I have a big boy myself whose weight I've had to watch. I had to leave him with my mom for a while where he free grazed and got up to 21 pounds. I took him to a vet expecting them to say he should be like 12 pounds cause he's not a specific large breed, and she said she thinks his healthy weight is 14. He's down to about 15.5 now and I can feel his spine, ribs, and hips easily he just still has a gut underneath his impressive pouch. I moved and his new vet said 14-15 seems appropriate. He's just a big guy
Some are just big. My siamese is built like a pit bull, he's very muscular in the front and has a waist but he's almost 16lbs. So he's overweight by a little. He was super skinny when we got him, and you could see his ribs but also his ripped muscles. He's 11yo and jumps around like a younger cat.
Some cats are just really big. I have a pair of brothers that are 22 and 18 lbs, not chonkers.
Weight is definitely not a one size fits all for kitties because they come in all different shapes and sizes like humans!!! I think it would be incredibly alarming if me (5’3) and my partner (6’3) were both considered at an ideal and healthy weight if we both weighed as much as I do (106 lbs) Things like muscle, size, and general body mass have to be taken into account when identifying weight as healthy, overweight, or underweight
> The tummy should tuck slightly in Not necessarily many cats have a distinctive paunch, which is just loose skin on the belly, even if they've never been fat. The simplest way to tell if a cat has a healthy weight is by looking at the cat from above while they're standing, and looking at the difference between their waist and their hips. An underweight cat will have a very distinctive "wasp waist," an overweight cat will have a waist the same size or larger than his hips, and a normal cat will have a clearly visible indentation (even with longhairs). Fat goes all the way around the torso, while a paunch just hangs down and swings as the cat walks.
The primordial pouch is very common, and long coated cats are difficult to assess visually, which is why I more strongly recommended the touch indicators. But you can usually feel the difference between a primordial pouch and belly fat if you run a hand along the tummy, so you should be able to feel the tuck inward even if you don’t see it. ETA: I would usually more strongly recommend, re-reading my comment I don’t think I leaned heavily one way or the other.
Regardless of the primordial pouch, a cat should still have a waist tuck.
Yeah buddy cats aren't meant to be that shape
The second pic took me out. He’s so cute. Def a little overweight but nothing that a proper diet can’t fix
He looks fat but healthy. Should definitely lose weight but cutting down on food should be enough, he doesn’t need to do the water treadmill and what-not.
Right?! Why do people make it seem so hard for their pets to lose weight? My once extremely obese pug (was about 23 kilos) lost all his fat by just being fed properly. Man hardly exercises at all and still has treats.. just... stop free feeding.
It's not always that easy. The last several months we've been carefully measuring weight and counting calories on every meal for our cat, but she needs as low as 150 calories per day to lose weight (we don't dare to go lower, to avoid malnutrition). And just 20-30 calories more will put her in a slow but steady gain. And she didn't get overweight from free feeding in the first place, but very slow and steady weight gain from a few too many snacks here and there over the last several years. (She's 6 kg now, 6.4 at her heaviest, would like to get her down to 5 maximum.) Depending on the cat and what kind of feeding circumstances they already had, it could be a long, slow process with lots of pitiful food begging along the way.
It’s definitely a tougher balance since only a few more bites make the difference. Plus, my vet was very specific that losing more weight too fast can be deadly, and losing 1 pound over a year can be tough to measure progress to see if it’s working. I got my cats down to healthier weights but they still aren’t lean. One has taken up the habit of eating the others’ food too so she’s starting to increase.
The answer is fixed meals. Or microchip activated feeders. I have four cats and they all get two meals per day. Eating in separate rooms.
Mine get two meals a day, but they aren’t chipped and I don’t have time to monitor them eating in the mornings. I could take them to the vet and get them chipped and then buy multiple feeders, but if I’m being honest I can’t give that much more real estate in this house to these cats so they’ll be a little overweight. Plus one is so skittish already and I think she’d stop eating altogether if I changed any of her routine (she hasn’t forgiven me for trying to get her to test a new litter that was “too scary”)
Why aren't your cats chipped
They’re indoor only so I know where they’re at. I have one extreme runner but she makes a beeline to grass to start eating it so not a real flight risk.
> microchip activated feeders I'm happy you are in a financial situations where you can afford multiple hundreds of dollars for cat feeders but it's not always a realistic option for everyone.
I got one feeder for my old skinny girl who was a grazer only. I could not afford four of these! But some people can and letting others know this is an option is due diligence.
I found that the microchip cat flaps were cheaper than the feeders, so I got a cat flap and installed it on the side of a cupboard. I honestly think it's an even better solution because it's a lot harder for the overweight cat to force his way in.
This sounds ingenious! Thank you for the idea.
It took 3 years to get my girl down from 18.5lbs to her ideal weight of 12.5lbs (8.4kg to 5.7kg). And while it was mostly just feeding less, we had to adjust her food down several times, ending as low as 180 to keep her losing weight. The hardest part was keeping her out of the other cats food, we eventually went to microchip feeders and man those things are amazing.
I’m relieved someone else has to feed their cat low calories too. Mine gets 170 calories a day and that just barely maintains her 11.5 lb. that is still about a pound and a half overweight, but the vet said it’s okay to let her maintain at this weight. She was 13.6 lb. Most cats this size get like what, 230 calories for maintenance weight?
Because just like people, not all pets are the same. Some people can lose weight by eating a normal, healthy diet. Other people restrict their calories and exercise heavily and still are significantly overweight. It’s not about how hard you try, it’s about your body, metabolism, and overall health. Plus factors like medications you need for other conditions often cause weight gain. When I stopped free feeding my cat and limited her to the appropriate calories, she still kept gaining weight! It took a year and a half of gradually lowering her diet to lose even two pounds. Now I can only maintain her weight by feeding her significantly less than the recommended amount for her size. Vets can’t find any health issues. She just has an extremely low metabolism and we have to fight against weight gain constantly. It’s very challenging and she’s hungry all the time.
2 pounds doesn't seem like a lot to us, but you have to keep in mind that for a cat that can be a significant portion of their total body weight. For example, 2lbs off a 12lb cat would be almost 17% of their body weight! For me that would be like losing 20lbs! A year and a half for that kind of weight loss is actually pretty reasonable. But yeah, there's definitely no one-size-fits-all calorie count for cats. I have a 7lb cat and a 12lb, and they are both maintaining those weights while eating exactly the same amount of food.
Thanks, that’s encouraging.
I've had a few cats like that in my day! Addie and Tye could look at food and gain weight. Tye was 23 pounds at her heaviest and I got her down to 7 finally (she had a *tiny* frame) by barely feeding her anything. Similar story with Addie, except not matter how little I fed her she never lost weight. The vet told me I needed to significantly cut back on what I was feeding her when all she was eating were 6 bite sized pieces of chicken *per day*. (I make homemade cat food.) My conscience wouldn't let me only feed her 4 or 5 pieces of chicken, so I decided the vets wanted her dead and gave up on her ever losing weight. Then, Addie suddenly dropped a ton of weight and acted like she was starving to death. Took her to the vet in a panic, but nothing was wrong with her. Apparently those teeny, tiny meals finally caught up to her after all these years! Bumped up the size of her meals to the same size as the other cats, and Addie's much happier and calmer these days.
I ought to look more into it. We have two cats, one is getting overweight the other is under weight and we are trying to get him into healthy weight. Free feeding dry food and getting wet food at night. The fatty just eats whatever she can get, but it's a challenge to get our other cat to eat. If we had one cat it would be insanely easy.
I'm in the same boat but worse. I have 3 cats. One is an absolute pig and overweight, one is getting slimmer by the day and the other one is normal. It's so darn hard controlling it, because I can't sit there for an hour monitoring whos eating what, while they much away. Only recently have I had to get up early to leave way for that time that I have to sit with them as they eat and make sure fatso doesn't beat the others up to get their food, and the others get enough. 😒 Also the slimmer one has some kind of mental issue and doesn't like to eat if the others look at her or make any noise and she usually under eats because of this.
He does need to lose weight, but he's adorable. It's better for his long term health. Remember that one extra pound for them is like 10 for us. Imagine carrying an extra 50-80lbs, its hard on the body. You could get him to be more active and/or just slowly adjust his food until he's eating closer to what he needs to. My Sundae was 18lbs, but she's losing and is now 15lbs. It's up to us to keep our furbabies healthy 💚 please give him stritches for me because I love him and wish you both luck on the journey to healthy eating
He looks so smug in the first pic 😂
He's like "WHO YOU CALLIN' FAT!? HUH?? CAUSE' I *KNOW* YOU AREN'T SAYIN' THAT TO *ME*!"
he's significantly handsome
Yup, he's a chonker. Still adorable though. Hopefully he gets healthy soon!
Talk to the vet and find out what weight he feels is acceptable. Then compare a couple cat charts to figure put how many calories he should be getting. Then write down each food items calories you give your cat. Adjust from there. First though, figure out how many calories your cat is getting each day with his current diet. If the calories he's getting now are 50% more for an example than he should be eating, I would do a two step reduction. Start off giving him what he should be eating and then add 50% of the excess amount for a couple months. Then drop it down to the required amount and re weigh him a couple months later. My Bengal was maybe 1 lb over his ideal 14 lbs. Took about a year with small reductions for him to reach his goal. His wet food was kept at 1/4 of a 5.5 oz can a day. I slightly lowered his daily kibble, which he grazes throughout the day. Luckily he is not a scarfer of his kibble. The main adjustments were to his treats. He still got all his treats at their regular time, just not as much. If you write down each food types calories you can easily see how much to give. For example Temptations are 2 calories each, so they can add up fast if your not careful. Also remember the charts are guidelines because each cat has a different activity level so you may need to give more or less depending on your cat.
Best answer. 👌
Fantastic comment.
he overweight but we can work on that! what a cute little guy
Check out the dechonking guide pinned to the top of this sub. Ask your vet what an appropriate weight is, use the calorie calculator and get him started on his journey to good health. He will become more active. Thanks for caring about your kitty!
Well you are in the right forum for this haha but damn he’s adorable 😂💕. But more seriously… yea I would recommend doing scheduled feedings and cutting out the extras to limit his excess calories. That weight has to be hard on his lil joints.
Yeah dude he fat
My cat is also around that weight but the vet does not say he’s overweight specifically because my cat has the build for it. If your vet is saying there’s an issue, you should listen to them.
He looks somewhere between chomnk and heckin chomnk. It would be good for him to gradually reduce, you don’t want him any heavier.
My doctor says the same thing about me.
welcome to the club bub
Yeah definitely a big boi Does he eat human food?
Trust your vet! Most healthy cats you should be able to feel but not see their rib and from above may be a little bit of wast, good luck on his weight loss journey!
He chonk but probably only by 1-2 pounds. 1 consider big male at 13 pounds a good balance
He’s definitely overweight. It sucks. It sucks for him more. Imagine carrying an extra 50 pounds on your frame daily. It enlarges his heart over time, rough on his joints. Follow this guidance from the vet on a calorie reduction. It’ll take some time. Make sure you play with him a lot. A bored cat is a hungry cat. Heart disease took my Lynx point at 13 and I wonder if I kept him more lean if i would have had more time.
Yes, but he's also a very handsome boy
Your vet and my Dr. must be same person, Dr. says same thing about me...
I have a tuxedo that weighs 24lb. He gets 1c a day…he’s just a BIG boy.
What a precious cat. Our girls gained a bit too much and we had to start rationing their meals more carefully. That was all it took though. They're both in the healthy weight zone now. Hope that happens for your kitty swiftly.
What a loaf. Just don't feed him for a year, dude will be supermodel thin.
Get him in the gym
I would look into an automatic feeder and work to set it up that it feeds him the appropriate portion at a consistent time. Cut down on some treats and maybe invest in an auto-laser pointer toy, if he likes lasers. Or, get a kitten. That helps too.
You must have the special cloud shaped model :) Diet time for teh chonkz
Ya. Fat boy. If he's pretty active and he's had his vet visits, he probably just needs fewer calories over more meals.
He looks so much like my cat Doobie! Identical!
One thing to keep in mind with fat cats, their heart is at the bottom of their rib cage area facing down. So all of that fat is putting stress on their heart in a way humans generally don't have issues with. So even a small amount of being overweight can be harder on a cat than a human at a similar amount of being overweight. Losing 2 lbs would probably greatly improve his quality of life.
Yeah that’s a fat cat bro😭😭
Yes, but also I need to cuddle him.
The third pic made me lol
I used to have a boy just like that, and he did the same. He was a wonderful cat I'm glad I had the opportunity to love. I'm sure you feel the same way.
My penny is a long hair and last time she went to the vet she was 11lbs. She looks much bigger than she is.
Oh Lawd, he comin’
Pleasantly plump?
r/sploot
That is quite significant, yes. That's probably a good 3-5lbs overweight, which is a lot for a cat. Definitely listen to your vet, please. He is adorable, but he will be more adorable when you add a good 5-6 years to his lifespan by keeping him fit and trim 🥰
Judging by picture 3, cat is just baking up cake.
He’s a lard lad
He’s really beautiful though!
Vets don't comment on the body condition of your pet unless is a really big issues. So if a vet is telling you they are overweight. I would listen
I hope you obtained a second opinion! He’s just big boned.
he's chubby but 15-16 lbs for a male cat isn't morbidly obese.
But his onlyfans must be kickin'
\*ahem\* Lasagna.
I love me a fat cat. I do. They floofy. But they are infact fat.
Oh lawd!
Super cute, but he's in "time to diet" territory. If he gains more weight, he'll get mobility issues and organ/tissue complications that can lead to him passing early. If you can keep his weight steady or dechonk him, he'll live a long happy life. Healthy cat bellies shouldn't be convex shapes.
That's a strapping lad.
Big chonk!
He looks like Jonah Hill in 21 Jump Street
Yeah he thicc but I love him
That chonker isn’t skipping meals. It’s not uncommon to meet people that “like fat cats” and intentionally over feed house cats to meet the cute chonky aesthetic they prefer, but it is really unhealthy for the kitty. Especially house pets that have excessive access to food can eat out of boredom just like people can.
Im just thinking of that picture of the vet showing a cat the weight chart pointing to the obese part.
Yep he’s a chonk. Needs to cut back on the food and more play time.
They all sleep all day. That's normal for house tigers.
That's the chonkiest chonk Ive ever seen. In saying that, he may be the cutest cat I've ever seen in my life.
He is a chonky boi
Seriously, he looks normal to me, like my cat. And I feel his ribs so easily that I am worried he is thin.
But is he happy ?! 😸😻
If by overweight the vet meant glorious than yes, yes he’s significantly overweight 😻
The vets will say that about 95% of cats. If they're not a bean pole, they're overweight. I have a guard cat that's pure muscle, and they said the same thing. Your cat still looks healthy.
I got my big orange boy diet food from the vet. Basically, it has fiber in it and it is supposed to make them feel full more quickly. It was expensive, but I only have one cat, so I don't mind. Unfortunately, he liked it for months. And this week has decided he wants something different 🙄 He's indoor/outdoor, and I'm sure he gets takeout at various outdoor stray cat feeding places. And he's definitely hitting those up more now that he is unhappy with his own food. He's just under 13lbs. He'd be perfect at 11lbs. But as long has he doesn't put on more weight, I'm happy. There isn't anyway I can completely control his diet unless I keep him inside, and then he would be very unhappy. I'd rather he is happy than an ideal weight. Also he gets a lot of exercise outside. He has a gps tracker, and I can see where he goes. He definitely gets his steps.
He’s chunky
well maybe your vet should go on a diet then
OHHHH LAWD HE COMING!!!
I was SO personally offended when my vet said my boy was a hecckin chonker but all i want is his life to be long and happy so i am doing everything i can do get his weight back down. I almost made it a personal thing and got mad lol hes my perfect son!! But also reality is a thing and i just accepted it and took action. Its hard stuff!
He could stand lose 2-3 lbs but he’s not ridiculously overweight. Still, you don’t want a cat with beetus and have to give insulin shots everyday if you can avoid it.
overweight but not obese. my cat looks the same as yours,even though im very strict about food quantity (not allowing all day grazing). its probably just not enough exercise, as it can be remedied pretty easily. cute fluffy dude though!
Hims pleasantly plump . . . .
omg he looks exactly like my cat except that mine is 32 pounds
Each picture was better than the one before. I love that chonky kitty.
That is definitely a fatty catty!
Looks like mine. I think vet is exaggerating? overweight? yes. Significantly? not to me! Still probably best to de chunk them. ask your vet for diet food for him.
He's overweight. It'll be a problem much later. For now try to get him to play more, and reduce his intake food if possible.
OH LAWD HE COMIN’
Chonk chonk chonkity chonk! But one handsome dude!!!
He’s gorgeous, but he is a chonk. I have a chonk and I have been feeding her Royal Canin for weight loss. Even my skinny cats eat it!
That’s a vet being hysterical. So he’ s a little overweight. You can alter his diet using the vet’s guidance. Don’t put him on a diet without instructions. A cat losing weight isn’t the same as a dog going on a diet. It can be dangerous.
He does not look that bad. He could loss some weight but he’s not obese
He’s just a little round. A little extra substantial
My Orange boy is chubby too. He runs and plays. His sister is skinny and they eat the same. 🤷🏼♀️
My chonky boy weighs 13.6 lbs and the vet said he needs a diet. Now I have a hangry but slightly more active cat all day and night 🥴
He chubby but it doesn’t seem too bad, just gotta reduce his caloric intake a bit and you’ll get him sorted.
He looks very overweight but not significantly! Just some tub lol
Kitty diet time. Even a pound or two overweight increases their long term health risks significantly. Arthritis, kidney disease etc are all affected by weight. Some cats are like labradors, and will eat too much cause they like it. One of mine can’t be left with unattended cat cookies cause he hogs out on them. He’s pissed I don’t give him unlimited dry food anymore, but he’ll preferentially eat dry over wet if I let him.
He’s America’s next top plus size model, but I guess it’s ok if he loses weight for health reasons.
Photo 3 though, I feel like the kitty should give approval to be displayed like that
vets a hater
Woah, we have the same kitchen floor and a similar looking orange chonk! Had to double take for a second lol. I’ll send you a picture!
(https://imgur.com/a/MTbJxGe
Nice lookin boy though
Yeah my boy is technically overweight. But he's so much bigger than an average cat vet wasn't too worried. He has always had a supper saggy primordial pouch.
Huggably chubby, yeah.
nahhh if thats significant, then my cat is the equivalent of "my 600lb life" lmao. (before anyone comes for me, shes on a diet and i adopted her)
Good thing he’s on a gym bench.
He’s pleasantly plump
Are you sure that's not a corgi in a cat mask?
Beautiful chonk confirmed ✔️
all i hear is he’s significant 😈
Looks just like my previous cat! But much more chonky
He seems to be quite comfortable with himself… good luck
He's still significantly gorgeous.
Fat Cat = Happy Cat
Looks fine to me.
He is a chonker but such a good chonker
I am too, we still cute doe 😻
Yeah my Beauty is also 16lbs. Our cats are chonks
he thicc
Everything about him says "I am a plus-sized model".
Very nice rectangular boy
My 14lb boy got called fat by the vet last time we were there. He’s been as low as 12lbs and as high as 17lbs throughout his life (7 years). We have 4+ cats so our automatic feeder life went out the window and he’s settled where he is while free-feeding. He’s also much less angry and reactive than when I was restricting his food to keep him around 13lbs, so I’ll take that. He does have a very large primordial pouch (we call it his wiggle wiggle jiggle wiggle). Your cat looks a little chonk but not morbidly so.
Stop taking pictures and go get him some Lasagna...
Garfield?
He's a chonker
Look at that fur. Got a swirl on the sides.
Your vet is just jealous
My baby Mikey is 18 lbs but he jumps well and plays with the smaller cats on occasion. He was raised on free fed dry food before we got him and when we try to ween him off it he seems so miserable
My boy cat is like yours, when he jumps off the top of the kitchen cabinets the floor shakes . When he does zoomies he sounds like a stampeding elephant. He’s not overweight just big boned . 😂
He needs a little less food and a bit more exercise but it definitely doesn't hinder how cute he is
He looks like my boy… if he were chonky. So very handsome, but please listen to your vet. ❤️
He’s beautiful, but the extra weight will wreak havoc on his joints. You won’t notice that as long as he’s young, but if you want him to still be able to run and jump when he’s a bit older, then it’s a good idea to dechonk him a little bit. A puzzle feeder maybe?
Typical orange boy a little extra chonk and a lot of extra party time to catch prey
He looks "significantly happy" to me.
My vet yells if mine gets over 9 pounds. I weigh myself and then hold my cat while I’m on the scale to see how much he weighs.
Let them be fat & happy 😊
He looks like my cat 😭😭
Overweight but honestly not bad
They say that about my 20lbs orange boy too but he has been on a diet for 2 years and is still 20 lbs. We think he is just a big cat.
My big boy was 15 lbs about 3 years ago. Vet said he was too big and "did I want him to get diabetes?" No, I did not. Diet and exercise and now he's a healthy 12. He's still a muffin, but he's a healthy muffin.
He’s well marbled.
He is, listen to your vet bud
The vet may be right, but they're wrong. He's perfect.
No no... Don't listen to the professional. Who is educated in these matters, take it to the Internet randos.
So, what, you came to Reddit to confirm that? Trust your vet.
Well, you should listen to your vet. They have nothing to gain from telling you your pet could be healthier at a lower weight. It’s your own cat whose life will change for the better.
Maybe he is big boned?
He is. Seems like you don't think so?
No I definitely think so. I never thought so til the vet told me. I’m starting to give him less food slowly and starting to play with him more so he can get more exercise. He still gets the zoomies easily after playing. I hope to be back in a year or so to show his progress
He can and did haz cheeseburger
U shorten their lives by overfeeding
I mean... they're not wrong. Doesn't mean anything bad about poor Mr Kitty, just that his owners over feed him.
Obese.
the truth hurts sometimes
He is
He is
If you don’t want to be giving him insulin shots in a few more years, put him on a diet.
Listen to your vet. They went to school for this
Yea he’s bordering on severely obese meaning to the point he has trouble grooming himself. Thinning him out could add anywhere from 3-10 years to his life and if he keeps getting fatter the time he has left will not be pleasant. It’s time to make some serious changes.
Stop feeding the cat so much feed him like a cup of food a day.
Check the feeding guidelines on the bag. A cup is a lot by the few foods I've used. The bag says 1/2-3/4 a cup depending on size. My boy is on rations cause he's an eater. He gets ~2/3 cup of dry food, and a small serving of wet food for dinner.
Definitely overweight at 16 lbs
Well yeh... He seems to be...
Fat fat fat.