Is Fancy Feast making my cats fat? How can I help them lose weight?

Thank you for submitting your question! Most indoor cats tend to be a bit over weight as a result of plenty of food and little exercise. First off, encourage plenty of play time. You can feed them on elevated surfaces so they have to jump up to get a meal. You can also hide kibble around the house (out of their pre-measured daily amount) to engage them in their natural hunting behavior. This is mentally stimulating for them and encourages more exercise. Science Diet is a high quality food and would be a good choice for them. I do not typically recommend grain free formulas as they are high in carbohydrates and result in weight gain. Measure the food daily for each cat and feed them separately (several small meals throughout the day). This way you will how much each cat is receiving. Lastly, feed them less than recommended for their weight bracket since they are both overweight. Good luck!

The appropriate size of a cat is dependent upon their body structure. Some cats with a larger frame will be 17lbs at a healthy weight and some small framed cats are only 6lbs! Here is a link that describes body condition scoring and ways you can determine this at home. It also includes pictures to illustrate the levels: https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-do-i-determine-if-my-cat-is-overweight/ If Jazz is at a healthy weight, you don't need to really change anything. If he is over weight, you may want him to lose weight. It is important to note that weight loss needs to be very slow in cats or they run the risk of developing a potentially deadly liver disease. Due to that fact, before you begin a weight loss program, I recommend to call Jazz's veterinarian to get an exact calculation of calories to feed every day. The following article gives some practice information and advice about weight loss: https://www.petcoach.co/article/characteristics-of-a-good-weight-loss-diet-for-cats/ Lastly, the quality of pets foods can vary greatly. In my opinion, Fancy Feast is a mid range diet so it's not a bad diet for most cats. Pets love the taste and it does increase the water intake which is important. Most of the canned foods are also not high in calories so for most cats, this is a good thing. Some brands of food will contain higher quality proteins that are easier to digest. My favorite brand of pet food is Royal Canin. Most pets who eat this diet will generally have a reduction in stool production because it doesn't have a lot of fillers. They make a variety of formulas based upon a pet's life style. I also like Science Diet and Purina Pro Plan. There are many pet food myths circulating so always make sure to learn the facts. Here is another article discussing decisions to make when choosing a cat food: https://www.petcoach.co/article/choosing-a-cat-food/ I hope this answers your questions about pet food. Please feel free to post any additional questions.

Thanks for trying to be proactive about Fici's health! It's a shame you cannot get the Metabolic diet shipped to you as this diet is great for weight loss. An Alternative for Fici is Royal Canin Weight Control. I'd recommend feeding an all canned diet as this is more likely to help with weight loss than dry foods. If you cannot find any prescription diets then another type of canned food may still help with weight loss. Weruva makes canned foods that tend to be lower in calories and are available in pet stores or online. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and good luck with Fici!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Yes, you can cut back a bit on how much you feed her. Ideally, this is based on your veterinarian's recommendations on how much to cut back which is based on how much she weighs and the kind of food she eats. Another alternative, is feeding her a weight loss diet that works great called Hill's Science Diet metabolic weight management diet. This is something you can buy online or at your local pet store. Good luck and have a good night!

I recommend you switch to the Royal Canin light 40 food. https://www.amazon.com/Royal-Canin-Cat-Light-400g/dp/B000T5MCTI/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?s=instant-video&ie=UTF8&qid=1504529362&sr=8-3&keywords=royal+canin+light+40 You feed them based on the recommendations on the bag according to their "ideal" weight (not the weight they are now) which I would say should be 10-11 pounds. Whatever the bag tells you to feed you can split anyway you like - into 2 feedings, 3 feeding, whatever you want as long as that is all they get for the day. If they still don't lose weight, you probably need to see your vet to get a prescription weight loss diet. You are right to be concerned. Overweight cats often get diabetes which is really not fun to manage in a cat :( Hope this helps. If you have more questions feel free to post again! Best wishes!

Personally I have several patients that seem to do well on Fancy Feast. As long as he is maintaining a healthy weight and does not have other health concerns I think it would be fine to continue to offer canned Fancy Feast. The foods without gravy tend to be lower in carbohydrates which might be better nutrition for cats, but again if he seems to be somewhat picky and has been underweight in the past you may want to stick with what he likes. It also might be a good idea to double check with your vet and see if they have other recommendations.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! There is diet that would be perfect for him because it can help him lose weight and it is also well-balanced. It is the Science Diet metabolic weight management diet. If you wish to not use a weight loss diet then any of the Science Diet foods for adult cats would be great for him. Good luck and have a great day!