This is a specific conversation about Senior cat care — what changes and what helps — ask about yours and get one honest answer for your exact situation.
inparticular.ai
Cats age more gracefully than dogs in many ways, but they're quietly prone to a handful of conditions — kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, dental disease, and arthritis — that are much easier to manage when caught early. At 13, your Abyssinian is well into senior territory, and combining arthritis with excess weight is a particularly tough pairing, because every extra gram puts more strain on already-sore joints. I'd love to help you find the right approach. How much does your cat weigh currently, and has a vet confirmed the arthritis diagnosis? And what's made you start looking for help now — is she slowing down noticeably?
She's about 6.2kg, vet said she should be around 4.5kg. Arthritis was confirmed last year. She's really stiff in the mornings and struggles to jump up onto things she used to manage easily.
inparticular.ai
That's a significant difference — she's carrying nearly 40% more than her ideal weight, which really does amplify joint pain. The tricky thing with arthritic cats who need to lose weight is that standard weight-loss foods don't address joint inflammation, and standard joint foods aren't calorie-controlled. So you end up needing both problems solved at once. Is she currently on any food, or has your vet suggested a prescription diet? And does she eat wet food, dry, or a mix?
She's on a supermarket senior dry food at the moment. Vet mentioned prescription food but didn't push it. She eats dry mainly, occasionally wet as a treat.
inparticular.ai
In this case I'd move her onto Hill's Prescription Diet j/d Joint Care — the dry cat formula. It's specifically designed for cats with joint disease and does two things at once: it contains elevated omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA from fish oil) to reduce joint inflammation, and it's calorie-controlled enough to support gradual, safe weight loss. For a cat her size, slow loss is essential — crash dieting in cats risks hepatic lipidosis, which is serious. The j/d formula threads that needle well. You'll need your vet to authorise the prescription, but given she already has a confirmed arthritis diagnosis and a documented weight concern, that should be straightforward. I'd ask them at the next check-in or give them a quick call — most practices will approve it without a new appointment if they have recent notes.
That sounds sensible. Would I just feed the j/d as her complete diet, or keep giving her wet food occasionally?
inparticular.ai
You can keep occasional wet food, but if you do, count it within her daily calorie allowance rather than adding it on top — that's what tends to stall weight loss in cats. Hill's actually make a wet version of j/d too, so if she loves a bit of variety you could swap one of her daily meals for the j/d wet pouch rather than a random treat pouch. The key is keeping total intake consistent. Once she's on the food, weigh her every three to four weeks — aim for no more than about 50g loss per week. Slow and steady is exactly what her liver needs.
Really helpful, thank you. I'll call the vet tomorrow about the prescription.
inparticular.ai
Perfect — that's exactly the right move. While you're speaking to them, it's also worth asking about a mobility supplement like Yumove Cat in the interim if there's any delay getting the prescription sorted, as it can offer some joint support in the short term. But j/d is the proper long-term solution here. I hope she's jumping back up onto the sofa before long.
