Hello everyone, thank you all for taking the time to read my concern about my bengal, Neeko.
Neeko is almost one year old and my breedr told me that i should keep his bowl full when they are still a year old, so they can get the nutrients they need, but after a year, to moderate on how much i give him. Well I have been keeping his bowl full, but I have heard people say that he is "big" and "chuby" I was wondering if I could get some tips and advice, and some of your opinions by the pictures I will be posting up. Do you guys think I should stop feeding him as much...?

He acts normal, he plays, dances, talks A LOT, and loves to sit by the window sill and bird watch.

Once again, thank you guys for helping me out with this!

Miguel!

That's a pretty nice looking cat you've got there. Definitely a bit heftier than mine or most Bengals I've seen, but certainly doesn't look unhealthy to my untrained eye.

The most useful picture to determine if a cat is overweight is looking directly down on them from above. The images you have shown do not give any real idea.

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Img ... 062148.jpg

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Lollo

He looks like my Rhett- just a bit of a belly. Rhett is slim everywhere but his belly is just a little bit round. He's always been that way since we adopted him.

I think the important thing to realize isn't whether he's obese right this moment, but that you don't want him to gain a bunch more weight. I think free-feeding a cat dry food once they reach adulthood is potentially a big mistake. Some cats can effectively self-regulate, but I don't think most do that very effectively. It's much better to start understanding how much your cat needs to maintain a healthy weight, and begin a routine that achieves that goal. And that means limiting to 2-meals a day, and measuring out the food. Going to a wet or partially wet diet will help also.

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The little monsters 3

Definitely hard to tell from those photos, the best are when he is standing normally to look at him from the side and from above. From above is usually the best. You want to avoid being able to see a round belly from above. Its more straight back from the shoulders/ribs with maybe a small dip in at the hips.

Like the other posters have said, moving to a measured amount is probably best for most adult cats to keep them trimmed. You can always measure out half in the morning, he may may nibble off and on until it is empty, and then give the other half in the evening. It also makes it easier to watch his intake if he is not feeling well. Harder to tell if he goes off his food if he normally has a large full bowl.

Cute boy, good on you for taking care of his health and weight early on :)

This is quite a good guide to cat weight ideals.