My overweight cat whines constantly. Is he sick or just hungry?

For pets like Carl who feel hungry all the time, I would first make sure that he is not pre-diabetic. I can see that he is severely overweight and we want to make sure he doesn't have any underlying health problems first. If he checks out ok, then I would recommend getting him on a diet that will make him feel fuller longer. There is only 1 food on the market that I know will do this effectively and that is a prescription diet called Royal Canin Satiety. Ask your vet for a prescription card, because this is a prescription diet food. Best of luck with your pet Carl and much success to getting him to lose the weight!

Thanks for visiting Petcoach! In a situation like this where your pet is always seemingly hungry and eating other pets food, you want to first rule out any underlying disorder that can cause an increase in appetite, including Diabetes Mellitus. I would first get some baseline bloodwork done at your local vet to do a good overall health check. Then if she comes up clear for any underlying condition, I would recommend getting her on a food that is going to make her feel fuller longer. My top recommendation here is the Royal Canin Feline satiety. This is a prescription food however, so you willl need to get a prescription card through your vet in order to purchase the food from your local pet store. https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/royal-canin-veterinary-diet-satiety-support-dry-cat-food Her urinating outside the litterbox may be related to an underlying UTI or it also may be signs of diabetes, so it is important to get her tested. I hope this helps and best wishes moving forward with your pet Guinevere. I hope you get her appetite and inappropriate urination in control soon. Take care.

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. On average, most normal sized cats should be between 8 and 12 pounds. Any cat over 12 pounds (unless it is a large breed cat like a Maine Coon) would be considered overweight. So, Mittens is at the high end of the range already. Based on the photos she does look to be overweight. Due to her body frame I would say 10-11 pounds would be a more ideal weight for her. You just need to cut back on her food. Typically wet food is very high in calories so I suggest you cut that way back or stop giving it all together. My recommendation would be to work with your vet on weight loss if you attempt to get her to lose weight and she doesn't. Sometimes a prescription weight loss diet is needed. Many cats are just vocal - it doesn't mean they are hungry. If you give in to her every time she begs you she will continue to gain weight. Many times it is not food they are after is that they are getting something from you (it's like a type of bonding). You many have to get her an automatic feeder so she does not associate you with food. Hope this. helps. Best wishes.

If this is new behavior it is possible that this is a sign of pain. Being overweight can lead to problems like arthritis, but while I can tell from your pictures that Ali is beautiful I'm not sure if he seems overweight. I'd recommend making an appointment with your veterinarian to bring up your concerns. From an exam your veterinarian should be able to let you know whether or not Ali would benefit from weight loss and may be able to determine if he seems painful as well.

It is more likely she is bored rather than hungry. You should do some environmental enrichment for her and I would also suggest you get an automatic feeder that will dispense food every few hours (her daily amount broken up into multiple smaller feedings through the day). I would cut out the wet food all together. Some Feliway diffusers may help to calm her a bit as well. ( https://www.feliway.com/us/Products/FELIWAY-CLASSIC-Diffuser ) ( thedrakecenter.com/materials/environmental-enrichment-indoor-cats ) ( https://www.amazon.com/PetSafe-5-Meal-Automatic-Dispenses-Digital/dp/B000GEWHNS/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3LGP5X3KNCN9U&keywords=automatic+cat+feeder&qid=1563116991&s=gateway&sprefix=automatic+%2Caps%2C485&sr=8-3 ) Hope this helps. If you have more questions you can always opt for a private consultation where we can chat back and forth. That way you can ask as many questions as you'd like. Best wishes.

Greebo is probably just hungry. Even if he wasn’t overfed before he may be feeling the effects of dieting. Make sure he is being fed twice daily. You can also add water to his food in order to bulk it up. One thing that may be extra helpful would be to get interactive toys that dispense food as he plays with them. This will give him exercise as well as a treat reward for playing. You can use his diet food as the treats in the toys. This will keep him entertained as well as give him small bits of food as he plays.

If he's on a weight loss diet prescribed by your vet, then it may be that he just isn't used to getting "less" food. Feeding a higher fiber diet (most weight-loss diets add fiber) can help him feel fuller on less food, which can help with his being hungry on fewer calories. If the problem continues, ruling out any issues such as metabolic problems is also a good idea to make sure there isn't an underlying cause with it. You may also want to spread out his meals to several more throughout the day, instead of just 1-2 large meals, so that he feels like he is getting "more" over a longer period of time.