My 9 yr old, female cat weighs 12lbs. She has a small frame and small teeth. The vet thinks she should weigh between 9-10lbs. I was feeding her cooked chicken breast, dry grain-free food and occasionally a little Wellness canned food instead of the chicken. She seemed to be straining to defecate from the chicken. I took her to the vet (exam and bloodwork) who could find nothing wrong with her. He suggested that I quit feeding her the canned food and feed her only a low-cal dry food. I selected Felidae Platinum (for Senior and Overweight Cats.) The feeding guidelines suggest 1/2 - 2/3 cup a day for a 5-10 lb. cat. I've been giving her barely 1/2 cup a day for almost a year now but she has not lost any weight. She wants more food. I've tried other light foods but she won't eat them. She also still strains to poop and poops everywhere but her litter box (urination is not a problem.) I've ruled out all of the usual reasons for litter box problems. The only reason I have left for this problem is that she is bored and wants a change of scenery (a new home with a different view). Any insight you could share, Dr. Tobin would be much appreciated. Thank you.
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Fat cat and litter box problems.
Replies (2)
Although your dry food contains no grains, it still contains significant carbohydrates. Cats do not handle carbohydrates well, as there is little of it in their natural diet; small birds and animals. The best we can do is to try to duplicate that diet. So a homemade diet should consist of meat and skin and bone, as a starter, with added fish oil(normally found in brains and nerve tissue), plain yogurt or probiotic (to replace intestinal bacteria), organ meat such as liver, heart, or kidneys, and some wheat bran or psyllium in place of fur and feathers. Your cat will lose weight as long as you leave out the carbohydrates and dry food.
Do you know of any "tried and true" recipes for this diet? I'd hate to spend a lot of time and expense experimenting trying to find a combination that is palatable. Do you know of a book I could get of cat food recipes? Thanks for your feedback.
