Help! How to Fatten Up a Cat?

**kgsilvas** · 12-16-2005, 01:55 AM

This is a serious question. No cat haters, please. No "cat on the menu" jokes. Thanks!

My 22 year old cat is feeling pretty skinny. Her vet says that she is healthy, with slightly decreased kidney function. We free-feed her on Science Diet Prescription KD dry food. That is supplemented by pureed freshly cooked chicken in the a.m. and canned supermarket cat food in the p.m.

She has been holding steady at 7 or 7-1/2 pounds for about six months, but she feels fairly bony. We'd like to see her at 8 to 9 pounds so she has a bit of safety margin in case she gets ill.

Any suggestions? Most of the stuff I find on the web is about getting cats to lose weight. She needs to gain weight, so I need something that acts like "Weight On" for felines.

**johnnymk** · 12-16-2005, 03:44 AM

Most of the treats, like Pounce have a lot of fat in them.

**Merlin** · 12-16-2005, 04:39 AM

22 - wow that is one old cat.

**Sweetpear** · 12-16-2005, 07:03 AM

I found a stray cat last spring and she was very skinny (and pregnant) when i took her to the vet, he said the best way to fatten her up was to give her lots of canned food... not a huge bowl of it at once, but about 2 table spoons full 4 or 5 times a day. That did the trick, she is at a very healthy weight now.

**Airencracken** · 12-16-2005, 08:39 AM

Have you tried half and half or cream?

**DarkFury** · 12-16-2005, 08:43 AM

By the title of it.... I'm just glad this thread didn't turn out to be a "cookbook recipe" or something.

**zero2dash** · 12-16-2005, 09:05 AM

Originally Posted by Airencracken

Have you tried half and half or cream?

I've never seen a cat that could tolerate lactose...I'm not sure anything dairy will help to do anything but give the cat the *runs*. (eww)

Treats will probably work the best...and it's not like you'll have to force the cat to take them. The cat'll probably think you're nuts for giving it so many treats, but will be like "what the hell".

**johnnymk** · 12-16-2005, 10:50 AM

My cat has been drinking skim milk for 3-1/2 years and no runs. I put the water bowl next to the milk bowl. The milk is always finished before the water bowl.

**Airencracken** · 12-16-2005, 11:05 AM

My kittens love half and half and don't get the runs, maybe picking up some kitten formula instead would work?

**kgsilvas** · 12-16-2005, 01:22 PM

Thanks for the helpful suggestions.

Picked up kitten formula and heavy cream today. (I've read that cream has less lactose than regular milk.) She was originally raised on kitten formula, so she should still have a taste for it. Hadn't thought about supplementing her with that.