1/2 of cats & dogs in the UK are overweight - link

[Desley (booktigger)]

But, if you let them get a bit overweight, they are likely to then get more overweight once they get older (like humans, they put weight on with age as they get less active), and it is then even harder to get them to lose it, so the best plan is to keep them at a good weight all their life.

[swampmaxmum]

In my 'umble there's a diff between overweight and obese. If a cat can't do any 'cat' things like jump any more, then it's diet time. But if s/he's only a bit overweight and getting older and food's one of the few pleasures, why not. I know I need my bit of magnesium (cough; dark organic magnesium) most days.
Then again, my brother feeds his dog The Pook sausages. The Pook looks like a cross between a bat eared fox and a corgi - when you see pics of her on an email you scroll down expecting more but nope....that's it, mega short legs. Then again, noshing sausages instead of what he *used* to feed her on (RC in South Africa) saved her life, as they were badly hit by the chinese contaminated melamine food thing out there.
Wild cats are never overweight but don't live nearly as long as our furry friends. Everything in moderation.

[Desley (booktigger)]

MArk, just because they are not fat doesn't mean it is OK to feed them - there could be a medical reason why she is thin, and you could be making it worse. Sorry, but it is one of the things I really hate, as that is why i struggled so much with Ginger, my neighbours were happy to feed him, as they do all the neighbourhood cats and dont take any notice of owners asking them to stop.
I Think it would be easier with a dog, as long as you can take them for a decent walk that is, and it is also easier to fill them up with vegetables (tip a friend has been given by the vet to help her Shih Tzu).

[Gwen]

but shes not your catr Mark ,my OH is skinny but nobody offers to fatten him up

[Mark]

Oops - just reminded me of the Tortie I feed. She isn't at all overweight, a bit on the skinny side so I always put a pouch out for her. I have to slide it under the gate at the back of my garden as kylie attacks her if she comes in the garden 

I wouldn't feed a fat cat.

[Gwen]

I have to disagree there sorry Mark.

I feel that you can control a dogs food easier than cats,well especially if you have indoor/outdoor cats like me.  Theres a couple up the road with 16 cats and they seem to think every cat needs some food and they give any cat whos on their territory food,now don't get me wrong I know they are only doing it out of good intentions but I do get a bit irritated by it especially if you are monitoring your cats weight as I am with Grwndi as he is prone to put weight on especially in winter.

With dogs they only really require their bowl of food in the morning and night then they are happy,yes they will give you puppy eyes asking for treats but you mustn't give in because at the end of the day its not good for them and with dogs also once you start something they expect,like my dogs know when its a roast dinner day as we have most saucepans etc and they expect their gravy lol  Also you can walk dogs,I'd feel stupid walking a cat down the road on a lead wouldn't you?

[Mark]

Its probably even harder with dogs. I take my friends staffy/boxer out for a walk sometimes and she eats any old s :censored:t of the beach like rotten fish heads  - The woman I know in the sandwich bar gives her a sausage as well 

[Kittybabe (Ruth)]

Lexy isn't greedy with food. She was just on dry food to start off when she first moved in. That's what the vet recommended for her teeth so I followed it. Poor thing was on a dry diet for months so naturally picked up weight. When I realised this was not great I experimented with her food to a mix of dry and wet and now she's on a steady diet of mostly wet with dry biscuits down which she always leaves for last, so I know its her least favourite.

And she's lost weight. Not much but its a start. 100g is good I think.

However, I have noticed as its become chillier in London, madam is eating more. Normally she leaves a good heap of her food when its warm...

[The Duchess]

as someone who's always on a diet  , I'm a bit paranoid about not letting mine scoff too much.  I've always measured out their food - for Cosmo it's not a problem as he's always on the move but wee Jessie - not only is she small, she's also not inclined to move much and isn't really interested in the great outdoors, unlike her bruv, who's always out patrolling "his" patch 

They've now switched over completely to adult food and as there looks to be a lot less in the bowl, I think she's scared it's gonna run out so I can hear her scoffing more than her fair share when Cosmo isn't looking  although he does get to ok OH's sandwich filling in the mornings (but only if it's meat!)...we've also cut right back on their treats as well as I know from listening to people here what a 'mare it is to get cats to lose weight once it's on.

But I guess it's like us humans really - probably down to a lack of exercise than anything else...sigh  I am so not a gym bunny     

[blackcat]

knew someone like that at the dog park I used to frequent. He was terribly upset when the dog dropped dead on the vet's examination table. We didn't have the heart to remind him how many times we had given him tips (and stronger) about weight and healthy eating. Pity the poor dog had to suffer for his negligence/over-indulgence.

[Gwen]

I don't get why people feed their cats and dogs human food though.

My dogs get gravy if we have a roast and the cats have occasionally chicken,beef, etc if we have any spare and we don't want it.  99.9% they have cat/dog food as its made for cats and dogs,nothing complicated about that is there? lol

I remember watching this programme last year about this woman who had a roweiller I think it was and she was feeding him chocolate,cakes,fry ups.mc d's the lot,it made me feel so sorry for the poor dog,he could heardly move and the woman thaught she was doing good in feeding him junk human food as he was asking her for it

[karenjet]

Tigger is overweight. He is so greedy with food though. Always trying to eat the kitten food as well as his own. I think he's lost a bit of weight since I got him. Apparently the elderly woman that had him before spoiled him rotten with food.

[Desley (booktigger)]

I hadn't realised just how many pets were overweight, but I can imagine it. And it is so much harder to get them to lose weight - Lucy has another weigh in on Thurs, fingers crossed for her, but she has had more dry this weekend as I have been fussing with Tiger's food and it isn't fair on the poor cat to hear all this food and not get any. My neighbour had an overweight cat, dog and both rabbits the other year - she put the rabbits on a diet, but ignored the vet about the cat and dog!!! They are now feeding some of the other neighbours cats (they get left out a lot) and they have gone from being slightly thin to being slightly chunky!!

[Michelle (furbabystar)]

My Lilly has done her first week of weight watchers 
And She still likes the RC food !!


Susanne i think you are right about Dry food being to blame - Lilly only eats Dry (her choice)

[Mark]

No Pic on there?

I should put kylie on there but you are only allow one frame 

[Kittybabe (Ruth)]

  I created a Lexy profile on the link.. 

[Mark]

I know how it goes. I could say that I had a slice of toast with cheese on for breakfast, a banana for lunch, and smoked haddock florentine with rice & veg for dinner and conveniently forget the 1/2 box of maltesers, 1/2 family bag of chocolate covered raisins, the twiglets, the wine gums and I nearly forgot - the 4 jammy dodgers  - I'm not fat but I have a beer belly although I don't drink it  - that will have to go (along with the back hair  ) If my t-shirt is coming off on holiday 

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

I've seen a few tv programmes where participants have claimed that they don't over eat but are overweight and can't understand why their slim friend seems to eat loads and stays slim.  Nine times out of 10 when they actually keep a diary they are consuming more calories than their slim friend.  Very few people have medical problems that cause weight gain.

There are lots of reasons why we seem to gain weight easier as we get older, not least of which being we do actually need fewer calories.  But constant dieting can play havoc with our metabolism and cause people to gain weight on moderate calorie intake.  Sometimes gradually increasing calories actually results in weight loss.  I'm overweight but I'm under no illusion it's for any reason other than I eat too much! 

[blackcat]

... and when I was younger I used to hoover up food and my weight varied between 8stone12 and 9stone 2 (height 5'9"), now i just have to look at food and I gain weight. No, that is not fair, I gain weight and lose weight without any conscious decision on my part, but my general weight is 11 stone (give or take a stone or two) and I have no idea what causes the fluctuations as I generally consume food moderately and good quality food at that ... go figure.

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

I try to watch their weight but they are just like people in that some are naturally slim and don't eat much and some (Like my Kylie) are big-boned and hoover food up.

Well I do think that most overweight people who say they don't eat much are kidding themselves, lol!

But yes, I think it can be hard with some cats.  And of course if the cat goes outside it's hard to monitor what neighbours are feeding.

I'm lucky in that Jaffa has very flat, short fur so I can see very clearly whether he's carrying any excess weight.  I'm always feeling up Mosi (sorry Mose!) to see how much fat he has around his abdomen    I've always measured out their food and when they were on predominantly dry it really was a very small amount they needed to maintain their weight.  But I was very strict and wouldn't give them more.  It's a lot easier to prevent them gaining than to get them to lose but it does need a very close eye kept on the amounts.  That must be very hard when you have a cat that's a grazer.  I'm lucky in that mine have set meals and have always been ok with that.  They only ask for food at meal times (well, a bit before in Jaffa's case!)

[blackcat]

It is actually quite hard to monitor when you see them every day. Poor old Shadow crept up to 44 kg (ideal weight 38kg) without me noticing. A friend who had not seen him for several months commented that he had become a bit of a porker. Hills diet food plus some extra effort exercise wise got him down to 41 kg but it was not until my friend took him to her farm every weekend for 6 months that he regained his waist. Will need to monitor him closely now he is back in my care, but suspect there is less chance of elderly doting neighbours slipping him extra food here than when I was in NZ....

[Mark]

I try to watch their weight but they are just like people in that some are naturally slim and don't eat much and some (Like my Kylie) are big-boned and hoover food up. I now have kylie on Hill's r/d + white fish. After a month, there is no visible improvement. She had been gradually gaining weight on Hill's light so its not easy.

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

It is rather worrying.  I think the same thing is happening with pets as I see with people - we've become so accustomed to obesity that being just a bit overweight is considered normal or nothing to worry about.  But it is a health problem and personally I don't like to see overweight cats.  They look like they feel the indignity more than some animals.  Cats are lithe, graceful creatures and I don't like to see them fat.  I'm lucky in that mine have always been active and I've never overfed them so no problems there (I have only had 3 cats mind!  ).

I think dry food is very much to blame when it comes to obese cats.  It's so easy to overfeed.

[blackcat]

not my babes, though at the rate the kitties are going through their food this may be just a matter of time 

[Mark]

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/pressass/20070819/tuk-half-of-uk-cats-and-dogs-too-fat-6323e80_1.html

Apparently, there is a website www.petsgetslim.co.uk with advice.