Overweight cats

Hi Vets I have 2 indoor cats, Timmi & Pepper. Timmi is 6 & Pepper 5. We found Pepper before his eyes were open, his momma abandoned him or something happened to her. We took him in and from the start he was an aggressive eater. When Pepper was around 1 - 2 months old, we had been gone from the house a few hours. Upon our return he had a plastic bag around his neck so tight he couldn't breathe. It was removed. Over the years anytime he goes w/o food more than 2 hours and then eats. He throws up several times so possibly his throat is damaged? Timmi has gingivitis and is allergic to his own saliva, and were told by our vet to not give him canned food as it will make his gum issue worse. They are both overweight, not obese but definitely way more than they should.. Do you have any suggestions to help them lose weight? Btw my husband are only home in early mornings and after 6pm.

Hello!   - and just as an aside, poor Pepper!  I wonder if you are describing a mega-oesophagus, where the oesophagus is too narrow in a particular place, so food tends to back up before the narrowing.  With all the 'backed up' food behind the stricture,  the oesophagus gets stretched / big.  If your vet thinks that this might be the case, they may offer to test for it with various kids of imaging.  I ask because it may fit your history with the tight bag around the throat and can leave cats prone to regurgitation after eating. Anyway, the question was about helping cats to lose weight.  This can make a huge difference to their lifespan and so carries huge importance if required.  As with humans (I know a lot about this!) slow, steady loss is often longer-lasting than crash diets.  Most veterinary clinics have low-cost nursing clinics, where a qualified nurse will spend time weighing your cat and making a sensible plan for them to lose weight. This usually involves limiting food and encouraging exercise.  It sounds as though you would prefer Pepper not to have to 'go without' for too long.  There are slow-release food bowls available that will expose food 'little and often' in an owners' absence, in order to ensure that the cat doesn't eat it all in one go.  There are also special foods on the market which 'feel' filling but are relatively low calorie-content.  These foods come in cans and in packets;  I feel that the contents may prove to be more important than the packaging.  It's another thing to ask your vet and nursing team about. It's awesome that you have identified the need for your cats to lose weight and there are definitely the resources available to help you.  Because your cats both have special requirements, we would urge you to contact your vets and nursing team to give you and them the support that will give you the best chances at this.  Wishing you all the best of luck!