Since joining this forum, I have spent hours reading various sites about feline nutrition and obesity (you wouldn't think I have a tonne of university work to get through...), and I just wanted to ask a couple of questions.

I have two cats, generic rescue moggies, not purebreds of any kind. Fudge is thirteen, looking quite old now, and has a very bony spine/shoulder area, which I think is the area called the topline? According to the bathroom scales he weighs 3.6 kg (7.9 lbs). Charlie is eleven-ish and doesn't look old. He looks large, I can't feel his ribs through his fur and can only feel his spine near the base of his tail. He doesn't really have a waist either. He weighs 5.35 kg (11.8 lbs). On this chart I found, Fudge is probably around 3 or 4 but with a "doolap", and Charlie around 7.

First question: From looking at this website, it says that the ideal weight of a male cat is around 11-13 lbs. Charlie is within that range, and I think he is overweight. (No pictures I'm afraid, can't find a camera!) Other websites say the ideal weight for a cat is around 4.5 kg (9.9 lbs) (using Domestic Shorthair as the breed), or 4.3 kg (9.5 lbs). What should I take as a rough guideline for his ideal weight?

Their diet is currently half a pouch of wet food in the morning before Mum goes to work, and permanent dishes of dry food left out all day. I think the wet food was introduced because Mum worries about Fudge not eating enough (he hasn't got many of his teeth left). I am seriously considering persuading my mum to get them on to a permanent high protein low carb wet food diet. The problem is, I live four hours away when I'm at uni, and Mum usually buys her cat food at the supermarket. I don't think I can persuade her to buy her catfood online, either, she really isn't good with the internet.

Second question: Would changing their diets like this actually have the desired effect (increasing Fudge's weight/muscle mass, decreasing Charlie's weight)? I think it will, but considering I only discovered dry food wasn't good for cats a few days ago...

More questions: Anyone else had an issue like this? Anyone have advice to get my Mum to feed them a decent, wet food diet? Are there any good buys in the UK supermarkets or would I have to get her to buy online? Does Pets at Home sell anything good? What about Jolleys? (Both are in the town Mum works in.)

Sorry for the novel, and thanks in advance!

__________________
"I don't believe in the concept of hell, but if I did I would think of it as filled with people who were cruel to animals."

My family's cats: Fudge the Vile Cat and Charlie the Wimpiest Cat in the World.
My uni roommate: Darla the Roborovski hamster.

TBH, I don't think you can be guided by guidelines when it comes to weight. Some cats have more muscle mass than others, making them slightly heavier. Instead of going by random weight information (which in turn is based on averages meaning that there will be those who are lighter as well as those who are heavier) I would look into body condition scores to assess the correct weight for my cat. A quick google will give you some info.

I have two male moggies. One is 6.4 kg, which is about the right weight for him and the other is nearly 7kg. Okay, he could lose a little bit of weight but knowing him, a good weight from him is around 6.7kg. So, they aren't anywhere near the 4.5 kg mark.

Re the food, not sure what wet or indeed what dry you feed but I would hazard a guess that the dry is not a grain-free one, in which case the dry will be full of carbs. It is carbs that probably make one of your cats to be heavier; if indeed s/he is indeed too heavy for their frame.

Personally, I would move both of them over to a wet only diet. Even your standard supermarket fare, as long as it is complete, will be better for them than a predominantly dry diet.

The best wet food is had online, which is a problem if your mum doesn't want to order online. Though I guess you - the more internet savvy one - could order the food for her from Uni and have it delivered to her address.

If that is still not a viable solution, then perhaps have a look at Nature's Menu in P@H. However, that is pate food and I am not sure whether that is a consistency that they are familiar with. Alternatively, if your mum wants to stick to Whiskas and co and your cats are ok with eating pate, then get her to get the supermeat variety. These tend to contain more meat than the stuff that is the cubed stuff in jelly/gravy.

HTH