I have a six-year-old house cat that weighs 20 pounds. I really like him as a big cat, but my friend said he is too fat and is destined to have health problems in the future. Is this true? What can I do to make him lose weight, because all he does is sleep and eat?
Obesity is related to several factors. Heredity, breed, age and sex are factors we can't do anything to change. However, obesity in cats can also be in large part due to overeating and a low activity level. Often the overeating is due to free-choice feeding. Although not always easy to do, it would be a good choice to take a few pounds off your cat.
One suggestion is to try to increase the activity level of your cat by increasing playtime or by getting him a playmate. The second part of the plan is calorie restriction. Keep in mind, however, that you still have to feed your cat a nutritionally balanced diet. You will most likely need to restrict the amount of food you are feeding and also buy a light or reduced calorie food that is high in fiber. If would be best to figure the total amount you need to feed in a day and divide it into 3 to 4 meals. It is crucial to eliminate or greatly reduce any treats in your cat's diet.
If you feel your cat is overweight, I recommend you visit your regular veterinarian to help you set up a diet plan that will work for your cat. There is a lot of information about the different light and reduced calorie foods. There are also prescription diet foods available through your veterinarian. You and your veterinarian should monitor your cat's progress frequently enough to know if you are making progress. Most importantly, make sure your cat is on a healthy diet plan.
I have a three-year-old neutered male cat who is grossly overweight. I feed him light food only twice a day, not free choice. He has not lost any weight; in fact, he continues to gain. Can cats have thyroid problems that cause this weight gain? Could it be some other condition?
Common reasons for weight gain may include lack of exercise or too many calories for his individual metabolism. If it turns out that he does not have hypothyroidism, and you cannot increase the amount of exercise that he gets, then you will need to reduce his caloric intake.
You have already tried this by feeding light food and by limiting access to this food. The next step would be to ask your veterinarian how many calories your cat should eat each day in order to lose weight, and then adjust his feedings accordingly. You must be very careful when restricting the amount of food ingested by an overweight cat because it can affect his liver. Reducing the caloric intake should always be done in conjunction with a veterinarian's input and monitoring. If your cat does not get enough calories, his body will think it is starving, and start to utilize fat reserves in an inappropriate manner than can result in liver failure.
There are some special, very calorie restricted cat foods that may be available through your veterinarian that may help dieting your cat. Unfortunately, many "light" or "diet" commercial cat foods contain only slightly fewer calories than regular versions. Sometimes simply switching from one brand of food to another can dramatically decrease the number of calories a cat eats.
This information, prepared as a public service by the Rhode Island Veterinary Medical Association, answers problems Rhode Island veterinarians currently are seeing in their practices, as well as new developments in animal care.
Hopefully, you have discussed this condition with your veterinarian; if not, please do so. Although hypothyroidism has been reported in cats, it is very rare. Fortunately, your veterinarian can test for this condition by sending your cat's blood to a laboratory for analysis. 
