Stubborn Owner Refuses To Listen To Vet's Advice About Her Overweight Cat, Depletes Month's Supply In Two Weeks

She even reprimanded her daughter-in-law who's only following the vet's recommendation.

May

• Published in Interesting
• March 12, 2024

It's not just humans who struggle with obesity — even our beloved felines can face this challenge. When a cat weighs 10-20% more than its ideal body weight, it is considered overweight.

If the excess fat surpasses 20% above its ideal weight, it is then considered obese. It's quite common, affecting up to 63% of cats in developed countries.

Vets diagnose weight, but not in a way you would expect. It's not about how high the number on the scale is.

They use a Body Condition Score chart alongside a body weight assessment. These charts guide them to look and feel specific spots on our cats.

In other words, two cats of the same weight might carry their fat differently. That's why assessing more than just weight is crucial for diagnosing obesity.

Over at the "Am I The A**hole?" (AITA), a woman shares not only an issue with her MIL but also her MIL's cat. According to the original poster (OP), her MIL, along with her tabby, moved in with her and her partner.

The tabby, weighing over 35 lbs, has become a topic of concern due to its obesity. Despite efforts to regulate its diet, the MIL's feeding habits and perceptions are at odds with the recommended regimen, leading to frustration and conflict within the household.

To make things even worse, the MIL, who simply refused to listen to the vet, had her cat consume one month's worth of cat food within two weeks. Now, the OP wonders if she would be the a-hole if she refused to purchase diet food for the MIL's cat.

The OP asks:

The OP's MIL couldn't live alone anymore, so the OP and her partner took her in. The MIL owns an incredibly large tabby cat.

Some time ago, the MIL decided it's time to have her cat checked by the vet.

She was told that her cat was obese and it needed to be on strict diet.

The vet visit proved to be futile because the MIL won't listen to the vet's recommendation.

She fed her cat an entire month's supply of cat food within two weeks.

Unfortunately, she doesn't see the extra food as the problem. And that's why the OP doesn't want to buy diet cat food anymore.

This can be considered animal cruelty already.

The MIL doesn't even realize that she's putting her cat's life at risk by those extra feedings.

Maybe the MIL will finally listen if the vet scolds her for what she's doing to her cat.

The reality is that it's never the OP's responsibility to buy cat food from the very beginning.

The MIL is getting cat food for free. Why is she even making an issue out of the OP following vet's orders?

The OP wouldn't be the a-hole for refusing to buy cat food simply because the feline is never her responsibility. Ultimately, it's on the MIL to purchase what the vet prescribed and keep her tabby healthy.

The vet's words bear a heavier weight, so maybe the OP could try and have the vet reprimand her MIL in an effort to improve the situation.

May