My 9-month-old kitten seems fat and lazy. How can I make him active?

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.

Oh he is a gorgeous big boy! But it's good to want to encourage Mars to play more. House cats tend to have weight problems and exercise is great. Try to find something that stimulates him. Will he chase a laser dot or does he like feather toys. Some cats will learn to play fetch with foil ball cat toys. Experiment to see what catches Mars' attention and get him to play with you. One other thought of he's overweight. Canned cat food may be better overall than dry kibble. Talk to you vet about the best diet for him to be on to prevent weight gain. Good luck and have fun!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Toby. It would be worth having him see his veterinarian for a physical exam to determine his body condition score and to ensure that he is overall healthy. This will give you an idea if he is at a healthy weight or not. You ideally what to be able to feel his ribs and for him to have a defined waist. Puzzle food toys are a great way to slow down his eating and keep him mentally stimulated. Cats are hunters by nature so hiding food around the house will encourage this instinct as well. Finally, be sure to accurately measure his food daily so you know the total amount he is receiving. I hope this information helps!

It's difficult to say for sure from the picture, but it looks like Phoenix has a bigger belly than he should. We assess overweight animals by assessing their body condition and scoring it based on observations. It's a bit vague, but gives a good idea of how much fat needs to be lost. Below is a link to a guide for scoring body condition. It's best to keep them at a 4-5 BCS, because thinner cats tend to be healthier and live longer. https://www.wsava.org/sites/default/files/Body%20condition%20score%20chart%20cats.pdf For further information about maintaining an ideal body condition, please read the short article at the link below. http://www.petmd.com/cat/nutrition/evr_ct_obesity_in_cats_and_what_to_do_about_an_overweight_cat I hope that helps and all is well with Phoenix.

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).

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!

I see what you mean about the fur loss. I'm wondering if his belly getting fat is because he doesn't go outside anymore. When he was outside, he would have been more active, burning more calories. Because he lives indoors now, he won't be as active, so he won't be burning as many calories, leading him to gain weight. You should speak to his vet about cutting back his food to help him lose weight. The fur loss may be normal, my cat's belly looks just like that as well but I'd still have it checked out by a vet to be safe. I hope this helps.