maybe because you’ve over fed him, perhaps?

When people free feed their cats and keep the bowl full, it leads to fat cats. Put your cat on a schedule of a certain amount of food. But contact your vet before you start – he/she can guide you on the best way to reduce a fat cat.

Please learn about feline nutrition. Feed the proper food and the problem will go away

Nutrition since there are so many bad things out there is very important to your cat’s health
Contrary to what you may have heard; dry foods are not a great thing to feed a cat.
Please read the label on what you are feeding? What are the ingredients? Do you know what they mean? Is the first ingrediant a muscle meat like chicken or meal or other things?
Dry foods are the number 1 cause of diabetes in cats as well as being a huge contributing factor to kidney disease, obesity, crystals, u.t.i’s and a host of other problems. Food allergies are very common when feeding dry foods. Rashes, scabs behind the tail and on the chin are all symptoms
The problems associated with Dry food is that they are loaded with grains and carbohydrates which many cats (carnivores) cannot process. Also, Most of the moisture a cat needs is suppose to be in the food but in
Dry, 95% of it is zapped out of dry foods in the processing. Another thing, most use horrible ingredients and don’t use a muscle meat as the primary ingredient and use vegetable based protein versus animal. Not good for an animal that has to eat meat to survive.
You want to pick a canned food w/o gravy (gravy=carbs) that uses a muscle meat as the first ingredient and doesn’t have corn at least in the first 3 ingredients if at all.
THE BEST CAT FOODS CONTAIN NO GRAINS NO BYPOODUCTS NO MEAL
Cats are meat eaters not cereal or rice eaters
Fancy feast is a middle grade food with 9lives, friskies whiskas lower grade canned and wellness and merrick upper grade human quality foods. I would rather feed a middle grade canned food then the top of the line dry food.
Also, dry food is not proven to be better for teeth. Does a hard pretzel clean your teeth or do pieces of it get stuck?

Please read about cat nutrition.

Vetinarian diets The reason your vet thinks so highly of the pet food they sell probably has more to do with money than nutrition. In vet school, the only classes offered on nutrition usually last a few weeks, and are taught by representatives from the pet food companies. Vet students may also receive free food for their own dogs and cats at home. They could get an Iams notebook, a Purina purse and some free pizza.

If he’s a short hair tabby then it’s normal, Ours weighs 19 lbs and all she eats is dry food from the vet, she’s also on timed feedings 6am 12pm 6pm all 1/3 cup and less than a 1/4 cup at 10pm.
She’s healthy and as I would say she’s Big Bone!

Your cat may not be getting a nutritionally balanced diet that is suitable for him.

Especially as he is now lazy, it would be a good idea to go along to the vet and check out if all is well.

Perhaps he needs different food, or a special diet.

This is especially so as your other cat is normal size.

Take care

Cats in the modern age are pampered and live easy lives. They do not have to worry about survival and eat as they please. People also do not play with their cats enough, and the effects of overeating, stress and laziness has the same effect in cats as it does in people… extra pounds. It’s not healthy and can result in diabetes, arthritis, liver disease, and heart problems.
I suggest slimming down the portions of food you give him and only making dry food available for controlled periods of time. Try low-carb brands of food. Also try to get your kitty active.

You’ve been overfeeding him.
Do you just leave the bowl of food out for him to get to whenever he wants? if so, stop.

And if you’re buying cat food from Meow mix or Whiskas or Purina, stop that to. It’s basically kitty junk food. I suggest Wellness.

PUT YOUR KITTY ON PROPLAN WEIGHT MANAGEMENT AND ONLY FEED HIM TWICE A DAY. INDOOR CATS TEND TO EAT MORE AND GET LESS EXERCISE. MY CAT IS FAT TOO…SHES ON A DIET!!!!!!!!!!! WHATEVER YOU DO PUT HER ON SOME SORT OF WEIGHT MANAGEMENT FOOD OR SHE WILL DEVELOP DIABETES, ARTHRITUS, AND ALL KINDS OF BAD STUFF.

He eats more calories than he burns.