Trainer with the Fat Cat

I have 2 cats: Pixel is a little girl with short hair and Vector is big boy with long hair.  Vector always seemed a bit heavy for me... and I admit, I was concerned about being the trainer with the fat cat.  However, I was reluctant to put him on a diet because it's hard to tell if he's overweight... he's so stocky and fluffy.  AND THEN I might be the trainer who starves her cat because of her own personal dysfunctions... omg, so hard to be a good mommy.

My vet rescued me by confirming Vector was bit heavy, and I should decrease his feeding.

So what does a diet for a fat cat look like?  Thought you'd find this interesting:

(1) Primary diet is wet (canned) food, which has more water and protein than dry food.
(2) Decrease dry food, which decreases calories from carbohydrates.
(3) Eliminate snacking - we no longer leave dry food out to nibble on all day.
(4) Actively play with indoor cats 2-3X per day, about 30 minutes of total play.
(5) Changes shouldn't be drastic, and may not be necessary for all cats.

If this plan sounds familiar to you, it should... add vegetables, and it's pretty much the same recommendations I make for humans who have trouble losing weight.

Point #5 is important because cats are small animals and should not be losing a pound a week.  Also, Pixel, the girl cat, was fed the same way as Vector, BUT does NOT need to lose any weight.

Now, you may ask... if we fed both cats the same way, how does Vector end up being 40% heavier than Pixel?  SUPER INTERESTING QUESTION!  We FED the cats the same way, but their individual feeding habits were very different: Pixel loves wet food and is active around regular meal times.  Vector prefers dry food, eats it all day long, and bugs us to fill his bowls whenever we make any motion towards them.

The changes we made were small: we kept the same amount of wet food, and decreased dry food to a measured amount once a day.

Results: Both cats protested the decreased food for 3 days, then mellowed out.  Vector has lost 0.4 pounds so far.  Pixel has not lost any weight.  And... this was the surprising thing... Vector is now MUCH MUCH MORE active!  And affectionate!

Hope this helps with your pets or your own fitness!