fat cat who always wines for more food

I have a four year old cat who is big boned and fat. I just adopted him a month and a half ago but already I feel that he has gained weight. Which I fear is a major health problem, he already weighs 25 lbs. He cries incessantly for me to feed him and I always feel so bad about letting him go hungry throughout the day. I feed him a handful of dry cat food in the morning and at night, and occasionally a snack if he is being very persistent.
I dont know how to put him on a diet because he is always crying. Is there anything I can give him to help curb his appetite, so he is not hungry all day?
thank you,
peeweepotter

[Mrs_Savas]

I completely understand your not wanting to put him on a diet!  I feel like that with my kitties, too, I hate to take away something they look forward to.

But, overweight cats do have health issues, from being at higher risk for diabetes, to digestion and constipation issues, even skin conditions.  The list does go on.

There are definitely some things you can do and some stuff to be aware of.  First, different weights are appropriate for different size cats.  Have you been to a vet who has told you that your cat is overweight for his size?  At 25lbs, it's likely, but it is difficult to know just how much.  One way to tell, roughly, is to run your hand over his sides, lightly.  If you can't feel any ribs at all, then there is a layer of too much fat!  Also if he has trouble cleaning any parts of himself or getting around - I have a cat whose weight is an issue and she doesn't manage to jump as high or as easily as the others.

One thing to do is to play with your cat as much as possible.  Tie something to a long string and run it around, get him to chase it or jump at it.  If you aren't home a lot or you are busy, there are exercising toys like mechanical mice or a really neat laser thing that moves a light around on a blank wall that cats usually will try to catch for hours on end.

Diet is a huge issue, though.  This is already getting long, so let me just say that cats don't digest commercial grade pet food properly and it leads to them overeating.  You need to give your cat the best food you can afford, preferably a human-grade, natural brand (google human-grade cat food or please feel free to pm me).  Feed him canned and dry food in order to assure that he gets sufficient hydration (drinking water alone isn't enough for cats).  When he is digesting his food efficiently, he'll need to eat less and his body will deal with it better.

You can also add a digestive enzyme supplement to his food, especially if you can't afford the top cat foods (and I totally understand, trust me!)  The enzyme will help him digest better.  The only issue with it, though, is that it sometimes causes weight GAIN at first, so if you use it, you should think about a low calorie food.

Also, there are low calorie cat treats available as well as lower calorie diet regimens.  Usually I think that just using a really good cat food is enough, but if need be you can think about one of the special diets.

Like I say, please don't hesitate to message me for more details.

Good Luck.  Welcome to the forum, I hope you will stick around!