Overweight Sphynx

[Dallassummer]

Well.. Simba is almost 15 pounds! Nala is about 7. They both have the midriff sag. I don't want Simba to get any bigger. I can't take away their food and portion it right now because I live with my mom and she has her own cats. She wouldn't go for it. Right there they free feed on Wellness Core Indoor Formula. I bought the lower calorie in hopes it would help. They have toys galore, little krinkle balls, bell balls, straws, a tunnel, and a laser. I get him to play a lot, it is not that he is lazy. He just loves to sleep! His belly is so huge though. Any ideas on how to help him shed maybe 3-5 pounds?

 

[Dallassummer]

Just so you can see how big he is! Lol.

 

[Tiffany_Kay]

You may have to talk to your mother about his weight. And tell her that the free feed needs to stop so he can get healthy. Offer to feed her cats as well for feeding times. It may make her a little more accepting of the change.

 

[GoldHazel]

Well.. Simba is almost 15 pounds! Nala is about 7. They both have the midriff sag. I don't want Simba to get any bigger. I can't take away their food and portion it right now because I live with my mom and she has her own cats. She wouldn't go for it. Right there they free feed on Wellness Core Indoor Formula. I bought the lower calorie in hopes it would help. They have toys galore, little krinkle balls, bell balls, straws, a tunnel, and a laser. I get him to play a lot, it is not that he is lazy. He just loves to sleep! His belly is so huge though. Any ideas on how to help him shed maybe 3-5 pounds?

Speak to @curlysue. Her Violet's before and after pictures are truly amazing. Curlysue got her Violet to lose weight so that she looks great now. It was some sort of salmon and sweet potato food. I'm not 100% sure what brand. Good luck.

 

[curlysue]

Speak to @curlysue. Her Violet's before and after pictures are truly amazing. Curlysue got her Violet to lose weight so that she looks great now. It was some sort of salmon and sweet potato food. I'm not 100% sure what brand. Good luck.

Aww thank you Robin!! I put all three of my Sphynx on a cat food sold at PetSmart called Simply Nourish. It is a awesome food! I followed the amount of food guide on the back of the bag. They loved the Chicken dry food however I switched to the Salmon and sweet potato diet because of Violet's rashy skin. Violet has lost about 6 lbs and Hairry and Curly have lost there little pooch tummy and are nice and tone now. It took a some willpower not to give in the the cute little hungry face but after 11 months it was well worth all the work. Message me if you want to talk more.

 

[Dallassummer]

Sounds like portioning is the way to go? I guess I can try it out. They eat like every two hours sometimes! I know sphynx's eat more, but sheesh lol

 

[SphynxKid]

Sometimes it is a food intolerance that makes them gain weight and want to eat more. Does Simba show any other signs of food intolerance besides weight gain and fatigue, such as soft stools, diarrhea, or gas? My Moses used to eat ravenously , although he was not overweight- until I found a food that was suited well for hi . Now we go with one that has less grains, only specific meats and is made with rice and potatoes. He uses a sensitive systems. Once he might have more energy and he will want to play more, and start to tone up, etc , it's a viscous cycle.

As you said, for now, different food and portion control might be the way to go.

Jen

 

[GoldHazel]

Aww thank you Robin!! I put all three of my Sphynx on a cat food sold at PetSmart called Simply Nourish. It is a awesome food! I followed the amount of food guide on the back of the bag. They loved the Chicken dry food however I switched to the Salmon and sweet potato diet because of Violet's rashy skin. Violet has lost about 6 lbs and Hairry and Curly have lost there little pooch tummy and are nice and tone now. It took a some willpower not to give in the the cute little hungry face but after 11 months it was well worth all the work. Message me if you want to talk more.

You are welcome, Nicole, but no need to thank me. You are the one that should be thanked for helping Violet.

 

[Dallassummer]

When I first got Simba he had a lot of tummy problems. His stools are firm now, huge though! Wellness core is grain free, high quality meats. They even put probiotics in it, and l-lysine. It's a wonderful food. He just loves it so much. lol

 

[Timmy & the Twins]

We just started on royal canin. It has stopped all the gas and loose stools. They all love it but Timmy is fat, no not fat but FAT! I want him to loose weight but he wont even play. We tried portioning their food but they didnt like it. Our two little ones got on the cupboards and in to everything. They were always looking for food. Timmy even ate a mesh bag when I wasnt looking.I was afraid to go to work or let them out of sight.

I love them so much! I just want Tim healthy sohe will live a longfull life (forever!) any ideas what I could do?

 

[Catzzzmeow]

It is so hard playing "bad cop" when they are just hungry, but you have the right frame of mind a healthy baby is one who will hopefully live longer/happier life @curlysue is the "poster mama" of getting her Violet to an ideal weight over a healthy period of time. Might want to partner up with her for tips and encouragement. Our boy was 12+ pounds and we got him down to 9+ and it was hard to hear him cry, paw at the bowls and hound us, but he eventually leveled out and stopped sounding desperate. Being consistent is the key and ear plugs are a plus...lol. Hang in there...


patti

 

[curlysue]

We just started on royal canin. It has stopped all the gas and loose stools. They all love it but Timmy is fat, no not fat but FAT! I want him to loose weight but he wont even play. We tried portioning their food but they didnt like it. Our two little ones got on the cupboards and in to everything. They were always looking for food. Timmy even ate a mesh bag when I wasnt looking.I was afraid to go to work or let them out of sight.

I love them so much! I just want Tim healthy sohe will live a longfull life (forever!) any ideas what I could do?

@Timmy & the Twins It is a hard battle but one that is well worth it in the end. Baby steps is how we took things with Violet. She is a great weight now and I have to say she weighs less than out boy Hairry and she is right there with Curly now (Our thin Sphynx). I am sure you will do a great job and knowing he needs to loose some weight is the biggest part of the battle. You are a awesome Sphynx Momma for caring so much about his long term health.

I attached a before and after photo. It took about a year.

@Catzzzmeow Thank you!!! Patti XXX

 

[BusterTheCat]

Buster is also overweight. We have always fed him a regular diet but he never seems to lose. @Dallassummer he also had tummy problems as a kitten, we thought maybe he was just nervous being in a new environment. His bathroom habits haven't been a problem since he was a kitten, but he definitely is a chubby sphynx.

 

[curlysue]

@BusterTheCat We have all four of our Sphynx on Simply Nourish sold at Petsmasrt. They use the salmon and sweet potato but they like the chicken one better. I changed to the Salmon because of Violet's skin issues and chub rub.

 

[BusterTheCat]

@curlysue Thanks for the advice! I'll look into it

 

[Dallassummer]

Simba is about 14 pounds, portioning went horribly since I live with my mom's cats also. They would go nuts. I'm going to wait until I move out with my boyfriend so they are the only cats in the house. How much did Violet start out at @curlysue?