How do I feed my overweight cat to prevent diabetes safely?

For pets like Carl who feel hungry all the time, I would first make sure that he is not pre-diabetic. I can see that he is severely overweight and we want to make sure he doesn't have any underlying health problems first. If he checks out ok, then I would recommend getting him on a diet that will make him feel fuller longer. There is only 1 food on the market that I know will do this effectively and that is a prescription diet called Royal Canin Satiety. Ask your vet for a prescription card, because this is a prescription diet food. Best of luck with your pet Carl and much success to getting him to lose the weight!

I am assuming she is favoring wet food because it has more water in it and she is having a medical problem causing her dehydration. this could be caused by diabetes for example, but there could be other causes to that such as a chronic urinary condition. she needs to get to the vet as diagnosis in her condition is the key, she will need a blood test, i believe it should revile the problem.

Cats get hyperthyroidism and this actually causes them to get too skinny. Cats who are over weight at at a much greater risk for diabetes but if they get the disease, they tend to lose weight and drink excessively. To answer your questions though, both conditions require blood work for diagnosis. Most cats get heavy because they eat too much and their metabolism slows down. Feeding multiple cats is difficult when one needs to lose weight and requires commitment on the humans part. You cannot leave food down all the time. You must separate the cats at feeding time. You must switch the heavy cat to a light cat food and control the portions. Cats do best if they are feed 4-6 times a day. For my own fat cat, I got an automatic feeder that stays shut in a room. It portion controls and is timed. All I do is open the door and shut it behind him. It’s pretty easy and I like that. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

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!

It is more likely she is bored rather than hungry. You should do some environmental enrichment for her and I would also suggest you get an automatic feeder that will dispense food every few hours (her daily amount broken up into multiple smaller feedings through the day). I would cut out the wet food all together. Some Feliway diffusers may help to calm her a bit as well. ( https://www.feliway.com/us/Products/FELIWAY-CLASSIC-Diffuser ) ( thedrakecenter.com/materials/environmental-enrichment-indoor-cats ) ( https://www.amazon.com/PetSafe-5-Meal-Automatic-Dispenses-Digital/dp/B000GEWHNS/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3LGP5X3KNCN9U&keywords=automatic+cat+feeder&qid=1563116991&s=gateway&sprefix=automatic+%2Caps%2C485&sr=8-3 ) Hope this helps. If you have more questions you can always opt for a private consultation where we can chat back and forth. That way you can ask as many questions as you'd like. Best wishes.

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!

You are correct that Alby does need to lose a few pounds. This can be a tough situation. While you can feed a food meant for multi-cat households, you may not get the results you desire. These diets are typically medium calorie and meant to keep fat cats from getting too fat and skinny cats from getting too skinny. Your best option is to start separate feedings. Cats generally need to eat 4 to 6 times a day for best results. The skinny cats can eat a food with a higher calorie content while Alby gets a food with a lower calorie content. You can find the calories on the side of the bag. Utilizing food puzzles or kibble dispensing balls can help Alby to burn some calories and stay stimulated while eating. Also setting aside 30 minutes a day for vigorous play will help to burn calories. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.