Quote:
Originally Posted by thetalady
What she eats has the single most impact on her weight. What does she eat?
Exercise for cats... not so much. Of course, you want her to be active. A big, sturdy & steady cat tree is good for increasing activity. So are "birds"- feathers on a long sort of a fishing pole. Most cats love to chase & kill the bird!
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Currently I feed her Blue Buffalo brand dry food - the 'Indoor Health' formula. I've been feeding her ~half a cup per day, twice a day. I'm going to slowly whittle that amount down a bit, and when she finishes her current bag I'm going to switch her to the 'Weight Management' formula per the vet's recommendation. I was also feeding her half a can of Fancy Feast canned food at night, but have already cut that to 1/3 of a can after her vet visit, and may even eventually whittle it down further to 1/4 of a can (again, per the vet).
Some background: She used to live with my parents on their farm and was an indoor/outdoor cat for most of her life, so she got lots of exercise exploring the farm, climbing trees, and hunting. She became a full-time indoor cat with me last March, and has adjusted very well, although more inactivity has probably added to her weight problem. My parents spoiled her rotten, which is a big reason she's such a big cat in the first place, and they're the ones who started giving her the canned food - to lure her inside at night.
The last 9 months she's been living with me I've slowly adjusted her food intake, etc. and fully expected the vet to report a weight loss...instead she GAINED two more pounds! You could've knocked me over with a feather...or one of her feather toys, which she does have and loves!! She has 'Da Bird' and some others. I'm just feeling discouraged about her weight gain after all of my efforts.
