First your cat should have a check up to determine what her healthy weight should be, and to make sure she is healthy. I recommend blood work, a full superchem, if you can afford it.
A cat should lose n
o more than half a pound a month. Slower than that is even better. A quarter pound a month is better, but NO MORE than half a pound a month.
Get a baby scale, and get your cat on a healthy canned diet, first. (dry food is not "good for their teeth")
After you transition your cat to a decent canned food:
Say you are feeding her 6 ounces of some grain free canned food a day.
Weigh her, and continue to feed her the 6 ounces a day for two weeks. Weigh her again. Has she lost any weight? Gained any? Or stayed the same. If she has lost a couple of ounces, continue with the 6 ounces a day, and weigh her weekly, you should see a weight loss of about 2 ounces a week.
If she has gained or stayed the same you will need to cut back. Cut back VERY SLOWLY.
If you were feeding her two thee ounce cans a day, cut back by 1/8 of a can. Meaning, feed her one eighth can less a day. Do this for two weeks, then weigh her. If she has lost an ounce or two, keep on that amount. If she has not lost any, cut back by another 1/8 can.
Feed small meals. In the morning, put down 1/4 of the three ounce can. In 15 or 30 minutes, put down another 1/4 can. Before you leave for work, put down another 1/4 can.
Play with her for a few minutes before you leave the house. This helps stimulate her both physically and mentally. She will play by herself more, if you play with her first.
When you get home from work, play with her again. Then give her 1/4 can. Now she has had three ounces. Before you sit down to your own supper give her 1/4 can. An hour later give her another fourth can. At bed time give her whatever is left of her remaining quota for the day. Have one more play session before bed.
(adding a little water to each serving can help her feel fuller. Just a little warm water, a tablespoon or so)
Keep a cat journal and record what you feed her and when. Weigh her at the same times every week. Keep track of when she has peed and pooped, because that will make a difference in how much she weighs at weighing time.
Exercise is very important. The more you play with her, the more interested in play she will become. Be patient. Heavy cats do not usually want to play much. It will take her time to get used to being more active.
Pay attention. She will let you know what kind of Games she likes best.
Do NOT suddenly cut her intake in half. This is extremely dangerous. Overweight cats get fatty liver disease (feline hepatic lipidosis) if they lose weight too fast.
No more than half a pound (8 ounces) a month.
Good luck. It is wonderful you want to help your cat reduce her weight, and be more healthy, live longer, have fewer vet bills.
PS If you don't want to get a baby scale you can bring your cat in to the vet every couple of weeks to be weighed. But it shouldn't be too difficult to find a baby scale. Check freecycle.org.
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