I put my cat on a diet, I feel bad?

Feed a weight reduction diet: Weight reduction diets allow you to feed the usual amount of food (unless you are severely overfeeding), but still feed less fat and calories. For example, if your cat is normally fed 3/4 cup of dry food, the recommended amount of diet food will probably also be about 3/4 cup.

Feeding your cat more often during this time will keep hunger under control. Generally feeding 2-4 small meals throughout the day is recommended. Also feed your overweight cat separately from the other pets to prevent him from eating their food. Overweight cats are generally not as agile, so try feeding the overweight cat on the floor and the other cats up higher, e.g.; on a cat 'tree.' (This approach has worked for one of my cats who was becoming overweight.) Feeding your cat before you prepare a meal or eat may also be helpful.

Weight Loss Programs for Overweight & Obese Cats

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=1+1398&a...

Characteristics of a Good Weight Loss Diet for Cats

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=1+1402&a...

If you limit the food and do not change the food then your cat is going to be starving most likely if you feed a poor quality cat food. Cat foods that use poor quality ingredients include anything from Purina, Iams, Eukanuba, Science Diet, and Royal Canin. These foods use corn in the ingredients among other grains which cats should not be eating. They use species inappropriate ingredients. These foods cause obesity in pets. But when you try to put your cat on a diet and still use one of the bad foods, it is not going to work out well. These foods increase hunger because they are so low in protein and nutrients in each bite. Your cat needs to eat more to get enough energy. Look for a good cat food. Brands I like are Nature's Variety, Wellness CORE Indoor, and Halo Grain Free. You do not necessarily need a diet cat food, just a better cat food. Raw food is even better. Nature's Variety makes raw as well as kibble and canned food.

I hope this makes you feel a little better:

"Obesity can result in serious adverse health effects, such as reducing the lifespan of an affected cat, even if the cat is only moderately obese. Multiple areas of the body are affected by excess body fat, including the bones and joints, the digestive organs, and the organs responsible for breathing capacity."

"What problems does obesity cause in cats? Diabetes, Arthritis, Hepatic Lipidosis, Shortness of breath, especially after exercise, Skin problems, Greater risk during anaesthesia and surgery, Heart disease"

I'm sure you'd rather tough that out than have your cat suffer through all these! I know it's not easy but it's the best thing you can do for him. While waiting it out, maybe you could get him a new toy or something. I heard Da Bird is an amazing one! I wish you both the best! Take care of yourselves! xoxo

I am having to do the same thing with my cat! And he cries for his food all the time, but I know that he is getting enough food. As of right now, he is just not used to the major adjustment in his diet, waiting it out will probably be your best option. Give him lots of love, pet him and such, try to keep his attention away from wanting his food. I would not worry about it though unless he starts to maybe look unhealthy, as if the lessened food amount is stressing him out or something more complex like that. Good luck with his weight loss!

You can't give the cat less food. If you are feeding the younger cats kitten food you should not be feeding the older cat kitten food. That could be why the cat is putting on weight. Kitten food is high in calories.That is what kitten need to grow healthy. They burn up so much energy. You need to feed the three in one place with the kitten food. Then feed the older cat a brand of food for cats that are over weight feed it in another area. When the cats are done eating pick up the food not eaten. You can't give the older cat less food then it will be crying because it is hungry. There is food out there for cats over weight. If your cat keeps gaining weight it may need to be checked out by the Vet. It could have some medical reason why it is gaining weight?? Good Luck

What you can do is STOP FEEDING KITTY CRACK

If you fed proper food for the species, then you would not have to limit food and your cat would not get overweight. Please learn about feline nutrition. If you don't change to proper food, save my email addy so I can help you when your cat gets diabetes Do YOUR RESEARCH

www.catinfo.org

Nutrition since there are so many bad things out there is very important to your cat’s health

Contrary to what you may have heard; dry foods are not a great thing to feed a cat.

Please read the label on what you are feeding? What are the ingredients? Do you know what they mean? Is the first ingredient a muscle meat like chicken or meal or other things?

http://www.catinfo.org/#Learn_How_To_Rea%E2%80%A6

http://www.sniksnak.com/ac/petfooddefini%E2%80%A6

Dry foods are the number 1 cause of diabetes in cats as well as being a huge contributing factor to kidney disease, obesity, crystals, u.t.i’s, constipation, and a host of other problems. Male cats are especially prone to blockages

from dry food. Food allergies are very common when feeding dry foods. Rashes, scabs behind the tail and on the chin are all symptoms The problems associated with Dry food is that they are loaded with grains and carbohydrates which many cats (carnivores) cannot process. ( Have a fat cat?)

An even bigger problem is that it IS dry and it dehydrates no matter how much your cat drinks

Most of the moisture a cat needs is suppose to be in the food. Cats are not naturally big drinkers.

95% of the moisture is zapped out of dry foods in the processing. Think about it.

Another thing, most use horrible ingredients and don't use a muscle meat as the primary ingredient and use vegetable based protein versus animal. Not good for an animal that has to eat meat to survive.

http://www.catinfo.org/#My_Cat_is_Doing_%E2%80%A6

You want to pick a canned food w/o gravy (gravy=carbs) that uses a muscle meat as the first ingredient and doesn't have corn at least in the first 3 ingredients if at all.

THE BEST CAT FOODS CONTAIN NO GRAINS NO BYPRODUCTS

Cats are meat eaters not cereal or rice eaters

Fancy feast is a middle grade food with 9lives, friskies whiskas lower grade canned and wellness and merrick upper grade human quality foods. I would rather feed a middle grade canned food then the top of the line dry food.

Also, dry food is not proven to be better for teeth. Does a hard pretzel clean your teeth or do pieces of it get stuck in between.

http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?ac%E2%80%A6

http://www.felinefuture.com/?p=470ary&ac%E2%80%A6

Please read about cat nutrition.

http://www.catinfo.org/

http://www.catinfo.org/?link=felineobesi%E2%80%A6

http://maxshouse.com/feline_nutrition.ht%E2%80%A6

Prescription diets It is extremely rare that they should be fed

The reason your vet thinks so highly of the pet food they sell probably has more to do with the people pushing it on

them with their own research showing how great their food is. Who is going to spend money or research for animals these

days. The food companies that is who. Their research is designed not to hurt their bottom line

Believe me a company researching their own products are in it for profit

Some vets are behind the times when it comes to nutrition

but more are reading and becoming up to date

Times change information changes over time as more is learned. Please do your research

Do 45 minutes cardio workouts a few times a week

I hate to say it but suck it up. When he cries, pet him and walk away and do something else. Diets suck whether you are cat or human.

You give him a small meal several times a day, and measure each out so the total fits the amount of calories he needs to consume.

if you re having trouble getting started make a small move such as starting an eating log or buying walking shoes you re three times more likely to follow through if you start with small gestures such as these