weight management for older cats

Hi everyone. I'm having a hard time keeping Tater's weight down. He is a 10-year-old DSH and he has gained about two pounds since we last saw the vet. I know I wrote about his dental issues and the history of his weight in my previous thread about his weight, so I won't repeat all of that here. But I am looking for specific ideas on how to manage this now that he is older. He is still quite active but maybe not as much as he was a year ago. Any advice on portion sizes or food types would be great. Sam, my 6-year-old mix, is perfect weight-wise, so it is just Tater who is the concern.

Oh no weight gain is the worst 🙁 I had this with Jasper when he was 5. I just switched him to a high protein dry food and it helped a lot. He is a tuxedo so he gets hungry fast. Maybe check out this thread about high protein dry food? I think it had some good info on whether that is safe for older cats. Hope that helps!

Hello terri_w66. I am so sorry to hear about Tater's weight. I have a 10-year-old black cat named Mimi who is blind, and weight management is tricky for her too because she can't see where the food is. I actually found that using a specific feeding station helped a lot. You can read more about it in feeding a blind cat. For Tater, if he is still eating dry food, you might want to look at tracking weight gain at home to make sure you are measuring accurately. It is easy to lose track of ounces when you are pouring from a bag.

I am so worried about this. My Kiwi is only one but I am already anxious about her weight. If Tater is gaining weight, does that mean the food is too rich? I read somewhere that seniors need less protein but then I saw low calorie wet food recommendations and I am confused. Is it better to switch to wet food entirely? Or should I just reduce the dry food? I feel like I am doing everything wrong. Does anyone have a specific gram amount I should aim for? I am overthinking this so hard.

Anna, take a deep breath. You are not doing anything wrong. It is normal to feel anxious. For Tater, I would suggest looking at mixing dry and wet food for portion control. I did this with my Smudge when he was a senior. It helped me control the total calories without making him feel like he was starving. The wet food adds bulk and hydration which is great for older cats. Just be careful not to add too much dry food on top of the wet.

Thank you all for the quick replies. I have been reading vet recommendations for senior weight and it says to reduce calories by 20% but I am not sure how to do that without Tater getting grumpy. He is very vocal when he is hungry. I was thinking of switching him to a smaller kibble to see if he chews it more, but is that a good idea? Or should I stick to the advice about mixing wet food that Carol mentioned? I really want to avoid him losing too much muscle mass since he is already ten.

I think the mixing idea is solid. My Luna is a shy ragdoll and she likes the texture change. Also, if Tater is vocal, maybe try a slow feeder? It makes them work for it a bit. I used one for Jasper and it slowed him down. Hope Tater feels better soon! 🐾