He's a bit chubby but he's not OH LAWD HE COMIN' or anything. I agree with the poster who said try to keep him from gaining more weight tho because a lot of vets will mercilessly bully you as a pet owner if your pet is overweight.
Not that easy when they are climbing all over you and your keyboard, screaming the house down because they are ‘starving to death’ having not eaten in the last 2 hours…
yeah, they can, and just as with a human, behavioural work is required. a cat destroying things because it wants food is not just a normal quirky thing.
Sorry, I think something has got lost in translation. I didn’t say she destroyed stuff.
When it gets close to food time, she will sit in front of me (usually on my keyboard as I WFH) and shout for attention, but if I try to cuddle or play she will walk off towards her food bowls.
She had a thing with her mouth when she was young (before I adopted her) and I think she worries about not getting fed, but she has been consistently fed the same diet for the last 2 years. If we feed her any more she gains weight, she would eat endlessly if given the chance.
It is hard because it is sad to see her begging for food, so keeping her on a good diet isn’t easy. I was just pointing out that giving cats less food isn’t always an easy thing to do.
This is why I don’t normally comment on cat subreddits.
I grew up with cats, have rescue cats, they have regular vet checkups, multiple cats trees, tons of toys, I WFH so they get loads of playtime and attention. But people here will always assume you are a terrible cat owner.
Putting a cat with food issues on a diet isn’t easy. Even a normal cat that has gained weight won’t usually eat less without some complaints.
But hey, I think this was my last attempt at engaging here. I didn’t say my cat was destructive, I thought keyboard sitting was pretty normal. Who hasn’t had a cat shout at them around food time or climb on them? I assumed people could relate to that.
Much more fun to suggest I can’t look after my cats I guess.
Sigh. I hear you. Its like some weird virtue posturing that ignores reality and invalidates how challenging it can be. I learned the hard way about how important portion feeding is after an overweight cat developed diabetes and I was doing daily blood tests and insulin injections for years! I portion feed now and spread it out throughout the day. I'm lucky because my cats aren't whiny like some I've seen that go absolutely crazy for food. Mine just sit on my keyboard and stair at me or gently paw at my arm.
Well for what it's worth, I have your back. People saying you can "train" cats haven't lived with enough cats in their lives. You can try to train them, and redirect the behavior you want to prevent, but at the end of the day, they're gonna do what they want.
They're also built different than pets like dogs are. Dogs have an inmate desire to please their owners and not upset them. That's why they obey quickly when training them. Cats, as much as they love cohabitating with us, do not give a fluff about pleasing us. This is why some ppl joke that cats are only in Egyptian hieroglyphics because they forced humans to worship them. 🤣 But it's true, cats just do not people-please the way dogs do.
All things being equal, sure. But if your cat has a stable weight when fed reasonably and looks like the one in the picture, all things won't be equal if you try to put them on a diet. If they're happy with the diet, then sure go ahead, if they're not their quality of life might be affected. Better a cat who got his favourite food for 18 years than one who was sad when eating for 21.
And it might not even be as drastic as my previous example, cats are like people, their ideal weight might sometimes be chunky and they might still live to a ripe old age that way because that's just how their body works. Maybe invest in a few scans at the vet when they get old as it might be harder to detect illnesses when they're not slim but that's it.
And sure, in the wilds these naturally chonky cats likely wouldn't be overweight, but in the wilds, cats also die at 8 so it's not much of a comparison point. Trying to change such a bodyweight just because perfect weight > slightly overweight can often be more trouble than it's worth for the cat. It can be worth trying though, just don't obsess over it unless the situation is significantly more drastic than the one in the pic.
Just like people, different cats are built differently and carry their weight differently. One size does not fit all. Often it’s not worth stressing a cat out by underfeeding them and changing their routine.
Ultimately, it’s the vet’s call. We can’t say just from a few photos and a generalized chart whether someone’s cat is TOO “overweight”, unless it’s morbidly obese.
ETA (since someone blocked me I guess? Very dramatic) - The bones and joints of a cat who is meant to be 5 pounds are “fundamentally different” from that of a cat meant to be 10 pounds. A Scottish fold should never weigh as much as a Maine Coon, but that doesn’t make Maine Coons obese even when they’re inching towards 12 pounds.
It’s all relative, and only a vet who ACTUALLY understands a cat’s specific build can make that call UNLESS it’s obvious a cat is extremely obese, which this cat is obviously not.
Redditor just love to downvote things for no reason. So glad there are so many vets in this group /s
No. Cat skelature is fundamentally different to a human. They are not able to compensate extra weight, as their joints are even more sensitive to pressure and added weight.
Additionally, your pet cannot consent (as its an animal) to being overweight and it's your RESPONSIBILITY to make sure the food intake is proper in nutrients and amount.
Extra weight in cats is extremely harmful very fast and has nothing to do with "one size doesn't fit all". Yes, some cats are built different (more muscular, lean, long etc) but we are talking about excess BODYFAT. The cats ribs don't dissappear because they are muscular. It's relatively easy to check from above or when a cat lays down like a bread.
This Cat is a lil Chonky. The owner should avoid additional weight gain and obviously consult a vet for further judgement.
I never said anything that contradicts what you said.
I simply said all cats are different and carry their weight differently.
The bones and joints of a cat who is meant to be 5 pounds is “fundamentally different” from that of a cat meant to be 10. A Scottish fold should never weigh as much as a Maine Coon, but that doesn’t make Maine Coons obese by nature.
It’s all relative, and only a vet who ACTUALLY understands a cat’s specific build can make that call UNLESS it’s obvious a cat is extremely obese, which this cat is obviously not.
Redditor just love to downvote things for no reason.
The person said, it's not good for a cat being overweight. This directly implies a weight that is disproportinal to the body size and shape. It already says it's extra weight. No, your comment just made no sense at that point of the discussion, hence the downvotes.
Your comment reads like "noo cats come in different shapes and sizes like humans (which is a body positivity statement about humans of all sizes loving themselves, which is great and i support, BUT THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO CATS!) So it's fine for them to weigh more!" Not your intended argument of "Cats of different builds and breeds have a different base weight" What NOONE denied.
EDIT: if grammatical errors are as far as your arguments go i'll stop here.
Nope. First, the word is “disproportionate”. Secondly, that is not something you can ASSUME unless it’s obvious, which it is NOT in this case.
The only people who should be calling cats overweight - or “disproportionate”, as you put it - are VETERINARIANS.
Any other way my comment is being interpreted is plainly incorrect and a reflection of the obstinate nature of this community. No one wants to hear facts if it contradicts some dumb, poor quality infographic that was probably posted for the first time in this sub YEARS ago.
961
u/trixie_sixx21 2d ago
He's a bit chubby but he's not OH LAWD HE COMIN' or anything. I agree with the poster who said try to keep him from gaining more weight tho because a lot of vets will mercilessly bully you as a pet owner if your pet is overweight.