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I need to get my cat to lose weight, she is a 4 year old, 19 pound, shorthaired cat.

To clarify, she is not naturally a large cat, her weight is an issue. Her supposed ideal weight would be around 10 pounds.

I currently feed her a 1/2 cup dry food in the night along with a 1/4 cup dry food in the morning sometimes, if she is hungry, and 1 can of wet food every two to three days. (purina one dry food, fancy feast medley wet food)

My question is: What other alternative options do I have to manage her weight, other then switching the type of food I give her?

These images are not of her, but she looks about the same.

All and any help or advice would be appreciated!

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    Or try to let her have more meal at day and night but with smaller amounts of food. And a full can of cat food for one meal is alot. I hope you take my answer for real because your cat is at danger if she stays this way. Thank for listening.
    – toothless199
    Jun 17, 2017 at 0:33
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    Have you taken her to the vet to see if she has anything wrong with her? That doesn't sound like a lot of food
    – user6796
    Jun 17, 2017 at 0:47
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    It's a lot of food...and is she naturally a large cat? Like my cousin has a perfectly healthy 16# Maine coone.... Just trying to figure out how drastic of a weight issue it is. Is she fixed? Do you have a pic? Does she have a waddle, drooping belly, or basketball belly?
    – Christy B.
    Jun 20, 2017 at 20:18
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    I would take her to a vet and get professional advice.
    – Vahx
    Jun 27, 2017 at 13:16
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    What other alternative options do I have to manage her weight, other then switching the type of food I give her? Any good reason for dismissing the most obvious option and looking for alternatives?
    – wim
    Jun 27, 2017 at 13:16

2 Answers 2

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First of all the 1 cup should be reduced to 3 quarters or 1 half, you should try to exercise her more by playing with her even if she wouldn't play along you shouldn't give up. Try to tease her with her favourite toy then make the toy move a little further from her, whenever she catches the toy praise her with a treat and sense her diet is now lessened she would be extra happy to have the treat. Stay on routine with her food times but just reduce the amount. She'll probably ask for more, if so then just ignore her or try to play or tease her a little, she'll either play or decide to leave you alone. I'd say try to get her interesting stuff such as new toys or let her watch you doing something anything that needs work such as building something useful in the house or just cleaning the house.

If she is interested in the outside world then take her for walks and praise her when she walks along but make the praises only a small bite of wet food or a piece of dry food not a lot of them. Make her do stuff other than eating and giving loves. I personally chase my cat for play then she chases me, quite immature but she doesn't have a cat to play with and she trusts me for being her cat friend. If you could do the same it would really good for you and your cat.

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    just to add to this answer,you might also add a litle water to the dry food this will make your cat feel full faster making it easier on your cat.when it comes to wet food buy portion sized meals and give just one meal once a week.
    – trond hansen
    Jun 17, 2017 at 6:29
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    taking your cat for a walk is a realy god idea,slow and steady pace and not too long just to get the hartbeat up a litle,maby only 100-200 meters in the start and longer when it gets in shape.
    – trond hansen
    Jun 27, 2017 at 14:29
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    Thank you for the detailed answer tooothless199 and trond hansen. I am going to be getting a harness and leash for her soon, and hopefully this will help with her weight loss.
    – newuser101
    Jun 30, 2017 at 21:10
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You should try to decrease the amount of food she gets in every meal and not let her choose when to eat because as you say, she's a little overweight. So you should choose her meal times and the amount of food she gets in every meal. For starters, make her food routine once when you wake up at maybe 6 or 7 AM, then at 12 PM, 6 PM, and if she gets hungry again, 12 AM. But, the half-cup should become a 1/4 cup or even less because you'll be feeding her 3 to 4 times a day. And make the amounts of food she gets in every meal the same. Let's say a 1/4 cup or less. If you didn't go with the times I chose, it's okay to choose your own times, as long as it takes 6 to 7 hours between each meal.

In short, it's easier to say give her fewer amounts of food, and more mealtimes than you used to give her before, and it should be 4 at max. If you notice she still isn't hungry after 6 to 7 hours from each meal then make it 8, although that seems too long. But don't give her food before 6 hours, calories need time to burn.

Of course, you should try to help burn them by playing. Training and exercise can help. But to make it more fun for her, stick up with training and playing. If you start to give her meals on routine, she'll have more appetite to be ready for training. Try tossing treats to make her run after them and eat them, don't make them lots of treats though. 5 treats are enough for every season. 3 seasons maximum per day. Training the cat to stand up or do anything else to get treats is also good, just make sure to not give a large number of treats.

So to answer the header in three words I'd say:

  1. Have a routine for the meals she gets.
  2. Have her get the same amount of food every time.
  3. Play with and exercise your cat.

Even if your cat asks for more food at each dish it's important not to give her more. Her health depends on it.

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    Thank you for the helpful advice. I am starting to give her planned meals instead of free feeding, I'll follow your schedule and update on how its going. I had one question, as for the wet food, how should I divide up a 3oz can of food into portions for the feeding schedule?
    – newuser101
    Jun 30, 2017 at 21:17
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    Well that's the problem, if you only have 1 cat like I do this means she doesn't get fresh wet food everytime. You can divide it into 3 meals. 1/3 for each. After the first meal is served cover the can with nylon and put it in the refrigerator. Before the next meal get a 1 third out put it in the cat bowl and let it warm up a bit before giving it to your cat. Of course this may let your cat's appetite arrise by having to smell the yummy wet food but still not having to eat it, which is good as long as she doesn't eat more than her diet can take.
    – toothless199
    Jul 1, 2017 at 0:52
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    Now if your cat was used to eating a full can for a meal it's better to make it a halve instead of a 1/3. And gradually decrease the amount by time.
    – toothless199
    Jul 1, 2017 at 0:55
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    If I am aiming to give her 3 meals a day, would this mean that one day I give her wet food only and the next, dry food? Also, is one can of wet food divided into three meals, enough for one day?
    – newuser101
    Jul 1, 2017 at 23:25
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    No it's better to give her wet and dry on two days, at the time the can of wet food should be emptied
    – toothless199
    Jul 2, 2017 at 5:26

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