.Sorry to be Debbie Downer but come on. Cats are one of the few obligate carnivores, meaning that unlike dogs, their diets naturally are almost exclusively protein or meat A certain no. of cats are unable to self-regulate their intake of high carb kibble.... with unfortunate results. I had a diabetic cat once so I know of what I speak. Its not something that you want to have happen.

Does make you wonder how they got that way. Leaving a constant source of food for them is a dead giveaway.

tortilla chips so Im not without some sympathy! Feline nutrition has come a long way in the last 10-20 yrs.

One of my guys would look like that if I left a bowl of junk food out for him. He was a former stray who used to gobble his food and literally eat til he puked .... and then would eat the puke. Sorry if anyone is trying to eat breakfast!. It took a while but eventually hes come to love his canned food and it satisfies him so hell walk away when hes full. He's still a pudge (and yeah they are cute) but notdangerously obese.

Food that's lower in protein means they will eat more to fulfill their protein requirements and weight gain is hard to avoid. In the case of dry food it also means they can blow out their kidneys due to dehydration.