Is my 12.9 lb cat overweight? How can I help him lose weight?

It is concerning that Felix is almost 20lbs. He definitely needs to lose weight. You can start by limiting the amount of food being offered and switching him to a weight loss food gradually. Another thing is to keep him active. A laser pointer is a great way to keep cats active. Heavy cats are prone to different diseases. One big one is diabetes. I recommend if you cannot get him to lose weight talk to your veterinarian. There are prescription diets that will help Felix. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Your kitty indeed is quite chubby but looks very sweet! I suggest you do not free feed him during the day and reduce his dry food to a 1/4 cup in the morning. You can also feed him canned food only, 1/2 can in the morning and 1/2 can in the evening. Try this for a few weeks. If he does not lose weight you can buy special weight reduction food, however often cats do not take well to this kind of food. Playing a lot with him, throwing paper balls, etc. is also very important (exercise).

Kit is very handsome! Thanks for posting a picture. Since cats are obligate carnivores, we think the most biologically appropriate food for a domesticated cat is a mouse which is a high protein diet. The closest we can get to that ideal diet with commercial food is a canned food diet. Canned food diets are lower in carbohydrates and higher in protein than dry foods. Since cats are obligate carnivores, they are not able to utilize carbohydrates effectively and will often just gain weight on foods that are higher in carbohydrates. The best website I have found to describe this well is listed below. http://catinfo.org/ The above website also discusses changing cats from dry food to canned food. I most commonly recommend Wellness canned food for cats. It is a very food company with a good history and cats tend to do well on it. The general rule for cats is that they should eat about 5.5 ounces of canned food each day for each 10 pounds of ideal body weight. But be sure to go slowly with any diet changes to prevent GI upset. As far as getting Kit to be more active, I would recommend looking at the website below for ideas to get an indoor cat more active. https://indoorpet.osu.edu/cats Good luck! I hope that was helpful and answered your questions. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Canned food is an effective way to lose weight. It has a higher moisture content, and had the added benefit of getting more water into Texas's diet. I would see if feeding him canned food will be an option for him. I hope this helps!

Maybe. Some cats with very large frames could be normal at this weight. Here is a video discussing body condition scores in cats: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yRvL8NcfHs Weight loss occurs by eating less calories or burning more calories through exercise. Play is a great form of exercise in cats.

You're right, there are lots of ways of doing it. I like using the website below, but really you start by decreasing what Snoops is currently eating by 20% for 1 month and re-evaluate his progress. In general, cats will find more satiety eating wet food over dry food, and it is also lower in carbohydrates and higher in protein. I have had success using the "fancy feast" diet, which is one small can twice a day (making sure to choose the ones that sound like normal cat food, not spinach and cream or eggs and bacon!). If you don't see progress after 1 month, then discuss using a prescription weight loss diet with your vet. https://petnutritionalliance.org/cat.php

I certainly understand being concerned. Have B seen by a vet. The vet can discuss weight loss methods with you including a prescription weight loss food. Play with him every day to get him moving, and to help him lose weight. You are doing the right thing by getting rid of this extra food, and tell your family you spoke to a vet who said he needs to be at a healthy weight or he will develop serious health problems from being overweight. I hope this helps!