My senior cat is overweight, but barely eats. Why is he so fat?

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!

The first thing I would ask myself in these sorts of situations is if there is ANY POSSIBLE WAY he is getting food from any other sources. This can include other people, hunting, scavenging on the ground, the garbage, etc etc. If this is not possible, then he may just have a slower metabolism that a cat normally would for this young of an age. You are right in saying that hypothyroidism is rare in cats, to the point where I have not really ever met someone who has diagnosed this without the help of a surgical complication. There are other metabolic disorders and organ dysfunction that can result in weight gain, all of which would require further investigating with your regular veterinarian or through an internal medicine specialist. Hope this makes sense.

This is genetics. Just like people, some are more prone to obesity despite diet. The best diet to feed is actually a canned food to stimulate weight loss in cats. Look for a low carbohydrate percentage... idieally inder 10%. You can also try to increase the exercise and activity level by using treat disornsers or a laser pointer

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!

I recommend changing his diet to a specialized weight management diet such as hills metabolic so he can feel full and receive all the necessary nutrition to be healthy, whilst still losing and then maintaining weight. Mist vets offices provide free weight clinics to monitor and advise on feeding such diets and maintaining health and fitness

Yikes! Depending on how rapidly Hobbes has been loosing weight, that's could be very concerning. I would focus on trying to figure out why his weight is down so much. At a minimum, he needs some blood work that checks his kidney values, thyroid level, and urine. If your vet has already done all of that, ask if they would refer to somewhat to have a full abdominal ultrasound. I'm worried about hyperthyroidism, kidney disease, or even cancer for Hobbes.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Esther. It would be a good idea for her to see her veterinarian for laboratory work to ensure there is a not a disease causing her increased appetite. There are several that affect older cats causing hunger. If she is healthy, then it is a behavioral issue. Cats prefer to eat small frequent meals throughout the day. This will satisfy their needs better. You can divide her total calories for the day into 8 or so small meals. So maybe feed her several teaspoons of food many times during the day instead of just two main meals for her. This will allow you to control her calories while still meeting her needs. I hope this information helps!