Originally Posted by Colette

If you (or your parents) want to continue feeding some dry food my main suggestion would be to ditch the food bowl!

There are a range of treat dispensing cat toys available, from very basic treat balls to far more complex models - you simply put the dry food in and let the cat work to get it out. Zooplus has some fab ones, but most pet shops sell the usual types.

Alternatively you can scatter feed - sounds odd but it works, the cats find it easily enough and it isn't really a mess issue with dry food anyway. I scatter mine round the living room - on the flor, shelves, in boxes, hidden in and on the cat tree, etc.

I definitely wouldn't be free feeding an overweight cat - work out how much she needs (depending on the food) and give that amount, spread over a few meals.

Might also be worth looking into what type of food she is getting - as I understand it carbs are a major cause of obesity in cats, and most dry foods tend to be very high in carbs, especially from grains. Again, if you want to stick with some dry maybe switch her onto something that is grain free and lower in carbs, like Orijen, Arcana or Applaws.

(Agree about getting her on to at least mostly wet diet tho)

Originally Posted by Jiskefet

Can't you switch to pure meat food? It's the grain and carbs in most brands of cat food that makes them overweight, and there are brands that do not contain grain. And do not offer any more food than he is allowed to have, and devide it over several meals, or indeed, let him work to get the food (treat ball or hiding the food).

Also, feeding wet food may reduce the amount he eats, some cats overeat on dry food.