Millie has always been quite a large cat - but she now looks barrel-like so I need to do something about it.

I took her to the vet earlier today to get her checked over as she is 13 and I wanted to make sure her plumpness is just that - and nothing sinister. She needs a dental and has been booked in for after payday as it will cost £170 ish and the vet said she is in no pain so it is OK for her to wait. Apart from her teeth the vet assured me she is healthy - just overweight. Given her age she recommended I didn't do anything drastic.

As well as Millie I have Mogling and Mischief - her Mum and sister. Both are plump but not seriously so - just a bit of middle age spread. The vet isn't concerned about either of them weightwise. I also have Tigger (my only male who disappears for a couple of days at a time) who is underweight and Tabitha who has only recently stopped feeding her kittens and is also underweight. And then I have three 16 week old kittens. All my cats are moggies - not a pedigree amongst them

Feeding time is going to be a nightmare!!!

I work more than full-time so can't be here to watch who eats what. The cats (apart from the kittens) all go out so aren't all around when I feed them. I usually leave wet and dry food down and just top it up when it disappears so that there is always food available when Tigger comes home (he wanders a lot). I can see why Millie has got fat and feel guilty - as I realise over-feeding is a form of abuse.

The vet suggested I feed wet food only when I am in so I can monitor who eats it and then leave dry down (which I do anyway). Millie doesn't like dry food so the vet thinks she will only eat it if she is really hungry.

The kittens are fed separately - I come home two or three times during the day to check on all the animals (I have bunnies too) - so Millie doesn't have access to kitten food.

I did think I may start seeing if Millie will eat some raw chicken to help her teeth but then read somewhere (I think it was in one of Alan's posts) that his moggies have put on weight since he started feeding raw, so that could exacerbate the problem.

All my cats are active and go out in the garden and even the older ones still chase each other and play so they are getting exercise.

I will try and do as the vet suggested and just keep an eye on Tigger and Tabitha and make sure they are not losing weight. I just thought I'd post here to see if anyone had any other suggestions or advice for me. I really do try to be a good slave - although I know having an overweight cat contradicts that.

If they are 'out' cats are you sure you are the only feeder?


(I don't have a problem with out cats).

I am glad you are OK with 'out' cats

Yes, I'm sure I am the only one who feeds the older ones as they only really go in my garden or yard. My neighbours are not really cat lovers Tigger may be getting fed elsewhere as he wanders a lot and is incredibly friendly. He does wear a collar so hopefully people will realise he has a home. He is slightly underweight so I am not so worried about him.

What your post did make me wonder is if they are eating wild-life. I often get left a little present - or part of one - and maybe they are eating more of this than I realise. Mmmm - food for thought (pun intended)

Yes that is perfectly possible. I have a semi feral who has adopted us - we have absolutely no control over her (we think it is a her but a neutered her).

She is a big prey catcher though not so much now she is being fed regularly. She does eat her prey though. I regularly found frogs legs and mouse/shrew tails.

So if I feed Millie less, she may well just increase her hunting skills?

I really hate them hunting - I won't even kill a slug (I'm a bit weird like that). I do have a wild animal rescue centre about 30 minutes away where I take the injured animals that the cats bring in, but most of them are either dead or die quite quickly after I find them.

I guess if Millie has to hunt more it will increase her exercise so she may lose weight that way. At the moment she is laying fast asleep upstairs on my bed with no idea of the stress she is causing me! Bless