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My cat Ginger (10 years old, female, spayed) came to us overweight. We didn't really worry about it until she started showing signs of arthritis, but we've recently changed her diet and it seems to be helping. She's losing weight!

She now has a lot of extra skin. Like, double handfuls of extra skin. It flops around when she runs and turns her into a kitty puddle when she lays down. It doesn't seem to bother her, but I'm just curious. Will her skin tighten up or will she always be a kitty puddle?

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Great job on helping your cat lose some of those extra pounds! I bet she feels much better.

Unfortunately, your cat's skin will not likely tighten around her new body.

PEOPLE: For, people, it can take a couple years before the skin "fits" right after weight loss...and that's only if you are young and didn't lose too much weight. People not in this category often choose surgery to tighten the skin.

CATS: It is similar in cats. A cat's skin elasticity gets less with age. This starts, usually, with middle age cats (i.e., your kitty). If a cat loses weight too quickly, this can also cause large amounts of skin. In this case, the skin's elasticity just can't keep up with the weight loss.

WATER: One thing that will likely help increase your cat's skin elasticity is plenty of water. Inside cats tend to be dehydrated. So, we need to entice them to drink more. If you are able, get a cat water fountain. My cats love ours and drink a lot more water than without it. If you cannot get a fountain, leave a faucet dripping in a sink or bathtub.

I had a similar situation with my middle-aged cat a few years ago. He was only slightly overweight. When he lost a couple pounds, he had stomach fat that almost touched the ground, and he never lost it. However, he was a happy cat. As long as it isn't bothering your kitty, she should be ok. Ask your vet next time you're there to see if there are any other recommendations.

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  • She went to the vet yesterday and I asked! I'm posting the answer separately but wanted to add that we have a fountain and feed wet food so hopefully she's hydrated enough already.
    – Zaralynda
    Commented Mar 22, 2016 at 13:19
  • @Zaralynda Great job! Thank you for taking such good care of your kitty! Commented Mar 22, 2016 at 13:20
  • What methods did you use to get her to lose weight?
    – newuser101
    Commented Jul 14, 2017 at 1:08
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She had to go to the vet yesterday so I asked about her loose skin. The vet said that eventually the loose skin will migrate down to her belly and give her a bigger "belly pouch" that will flop around when she walks/runs. She won't loose any of it.

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  • Did the vet think the extra skin was bothering her at all? Commented Mar 22, 2016 at 13:22
  • @KittyConsultant nah, and she feels a lot better with out the weight anyway.
    – Zaralynda
    Commented Mar 22, 2016 at 13:23
  • Cats have fairly loose skin anyway, certainly when compared to ours. (Makes subcutaneous injections much easier...)
    – keshlam
    Commented Apr 28, 2016 at 14:43

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