As veterinarians, we often meet pets who are struggling, not just with illness, but with the emotional imbalances of the households they live in. One case I’ll never forget is that of Josephine, a sweet tortoiseshell cat who weighed more than twice what she should. At 33.5 pounds, Jo wasn’t just overweight, she was immobilized, unhappy, and silently pleading for help. Her story isn’t just about food or fat, it’s about how unchecked emotional feeding, denial, and love without boundaries can quietly sabotage a pet’s health. This was the case that taught me that treating obesity isn’t just about diets and exercise, it’s about understanding the humans behind the pets.
A Mysterious Case of Feline Obesity
I first met Josephine during my senior year of vet school, during my internal medicine rotation. Her owner, a kind and well-spoken clinical psychologist, had brought her in because no one could figure out why Josephine weighed so much. At 33.5 pounds, she was the largest cat I had ever seen, more than double her ideal weight. She waddled more than she walked, and when she laid down, she resembled a tortoiseshell-colored tick. Yet despite her size, her demeanor was gentle, even shy.
As a diligent student eager to make a difference, I dove into her case. Her physical exam revealed no obvious abnormalities beyond her weight. Her previous bloodwork was unremarkable. Her owner suspected an endocrine disorder, maybe hypothyroidism or Cushing’s, and was hoping we’d find a clear medical reason to explain Josephine’s size.
We moved forward with testing: thyroid panels, adrenal function tests, and x-rays. In the meantime, I focused on getting a detailed dietary history. That’s when the pieces slowly started to fall into place.
The Real Reason: Too Much Love, Too Much Food
Initially, her owner claimed Jo only ate about half a cup of dry food per day, along with “some” canned food. But when I gently pressed for specifics, the truth began to emerge. As it turned out, Josephine would cry loudly between her owner's in-home therapy sessions, begging for food, and her owner would oblige.
After discussing a few more things, I had to ask her again about how much she was feeding.
"I told you, about half a cup of dry food, and some canned food," was the response.
I asked, "Well, how much canned food?"
The owner demurred and finally said, "Well, she begs for food a lot, and she just cries. It’s the only thing that makes her happy, so I give it to her."
"How much canned food exactly?" I asked again.
"Well, I see patients in my home. When I finish with a patient, she cries when I come out of the room, and I give her some."
"Well how much?" I was beginning to feel like a broken record.
"About a half a can each time."
"How many patients do you see every day?" I asked, fearful of her response.
"Oh, generally five or six."
I grimaced, internally of course. "Does she cry any other time?"
"Usually when I am making a meal for myself."
That meant Josephine was getting an additional three to four full cans of wet food every day, on top of her dry food. It was enough to feed eight cats, and it was all done out of love and the heartbreaking belief that food was the only thing that made Jo happy.
This wasn’t just a case of overfeeding. It was emotional feeding, a form of caretaking that many of us fall into, especially when we feel guilty, overwhelmed, or disconnected. Josephine’s owner wanted to bring her joy, and food was her tool.
Finding a Way Forward: Diet and Movement
With the true feeding pattern revealed, I took that new information to my senior clinician, and she asked what my plan was now. I told her I would calculate an appropriate diet for her, and devise an exercise plan. I hit the books and worked out the daily caloric requirements for Jo, based on the foods the owner told me she fed. This was before the time of the internet, so it took two hours to go to the library, look up the values in a book, and then call the pet food manufacturers for the caloric content of the food. It was also a time before laser pointers, so devising an exercise plan was harder, and there were very few options for cats.
I went back to the owner with the diet plan. I asked her if she could get a scale and weigh the food out, to divide it into six portions. She said she could. Then, I gave her the total volume to feed in grams for the day (at that time, they made us do everything in metric to be more scientific, even though it had little real world application).
Then came the hard part: exercise. Jo wasn’t interested in toys, wasn’t food-motivated (surprisingly), and was terrified of the outdoors.
"What does Josephine like to do?" I asked. Sleep and eat, was the answer.
"Does she have any interest in toys?"
No.
"How about balls of paper?"
Nope.
"Ok, does she like to go outside?"
"No" Jo’s owner retorted, "she is petrified of being outside."
"What happens if you take her outside?" I asked.
"She runs back to the door as fast as she can."
I decided to use fear as my ally. "Ok," I began, “her exercise program will be to take her out in the yard 25 feet away from the house, and let her run back to the door. Gradually increase the distance.” The client agreed to this, and took Jo home.
I wrote up all my notes and discharge instructions and placed them in her record. Later that night, my clinician told me I had been very creative in devising a plan for Jo. I had the distinct feeling that she had secretly been laughing her head off.
The Plan That Never Took Off
A week later, I called the client to see how Jo was.
"How’s the diet going?" I asked.
She replied, "I haven’t been able to find a gram scale, so we didn’t start yet."
"Oh," I replied, "you should have called. That works out to about x ounces of food per day. How’s the exercise going?"
"Well, I didn’t start that because I hadn’t started the diet."
"Oh," I replied again, "well, can you find kitchen scale or would you like me to convert it to tablespoons?"
"Oh no, I’ll get a scale and start right away," she replied.
Still nothing. She hadn’t started. She hadn’t cut the food back either, citing stress and a busy work schedule.
When I called the following week, she didn’t answer. And she never returned my calls.
When the Problem Isn’t Medical, It’s Emotional
This experience stayed with me, not just because of Jo, but because of what it taught me about people. This client was a psychologist. Her job was to help others become more aware of their behavior and take steps to change it. But when it came to her own actions, especially ones wrapped up in love, guilt, and emotional comfort, she couldn’t or wouldn’t make the shift.
At first, I was baffled. But over time, and with many more cases like Jo’s, I’ve come to understand that this is incredibly common. Many pet parents struggle to separate their own emotional needs from their pet’s physical needs. They use food as a substitute for attention, affection, or even relief from their own stress.
And in many cases, pets do become emotional eaters too. I’ve seen cats and dogs that cry, beg, and demand food for reasons that go far beyond hunger. I’ve explored solutions through Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) and found some success using herbs and energetics to soothe this imbalance, but even then, success starts with the pet parent’s willingness to change.
Smart Feeding Strategies for Busy, Loving Pet Parents
If you see yourself in Josephine’s owner, busy, well-meaning, and emotionally invested, it’s important to know you’re not alone. Many pet parents unintentionally equate food with love, especially when time and energy are limited. But there are practical ways to break this cycle without sacrificing your bond.
Start by setting boundaries around food. Instead of using meals or treats as emotional band-aids, create structure. This gives your pet security and helps you shift away from the guilt of not always being available. It’s not about withholding affection, it’s about offering love in a healthier way.
Smart Feeders: Support When You’re Not Home
One potential tool that might be helpful is a smart feeder. These devices allow you to:
- Schedule precise portioned meals throughout the day
- Monitor feeding habits through a paired app
- Prevent overfeeding triggered by begging or stress
Many smart feeders now include wet food compartments with built-in refrigeration, making it possible to pre-portion home-cooked meals. You can cook nutritious batches of food for the week and store them in your feeder's compartments, reducing daily prep time while still offering whole food nutrition.
Cook with Intention, Serve with Structure
If you prefer home-cooked meals over commercial diets, you don’t have to abandon that just because you’re short on time. Preparing food in bulk and dividing it into small, pre-measured servings makes feeding simple, structured, and supportive of your pet’s long-term health. Whether you use a smart feeder or clearly labeled containers in your fridge, this method reduces the temptation of "freestyle" feeding when you’re tired or emotionally overwhelmed.
Creating emotional distance from feeding can be surprisingly healing. When food is no longer the only expression of love, space opens up for other forms of connection, play, grooming, training, or even quiet companionship. These moments, not just meals, become the foundation of a healthy bond.
From Overweight to Thriving: Real Stories, Real Solutions
If you’re ready to take that next step toward mindful feeding, try The Original CrockPET® Diet recipe. It offers a practical, personalized home-cooking framework that supports your pet’s health. You won’t sacrifice a lot of time, you can cook in bulk and store meals for later. It’s more than just a recipe, it’s a whole-body approach to nutrition. And best of all, it’s species-specific, with customized recipes designed not just for dogs, but for cats as well
Luna, a Golden Retriever struggling with weight and chronic allergies, finally finds relief after being on the CrockPet Diet for over a year. Her pet parent, William, shared:
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"I met Michael to help with my Golden Retriever Luna, who was overweight. He coached and guided me to begin the Crockpet diet and traditional Chinese veterinarian medicine. The results have been nothing less than amazing! She lost over 12 lbs and looks great. My vet was so impressed!. She also used to have seasonal allergy issues, which she has no longer experienced since being on Crockpet for well over a year now. It’s great not having to go to the vet and give her medication (Apoquel)...” |
William worked with one of our Certified Holistic Pet Health Coach, Michael Daly, who guided him through customized food choices and wellness strategies. If you're unsure where to start, booking a session with our team can help you build a doable, nourishing plan tailored to your pet’s needs, and your lifestyle.
Because structured feeding isn’t about restriction. It’s about intentional care, long-term wellness, and learning to love your pet in ways that last.
