How do I help my poor cat lose weight!?

It sounds likeTippy has a slow metabolism. Just like humans, cats each have different genes. What you can do is encourage her to play, but you can't force her. See what she likes.. feathers, catnip, string, , etc. She'll have a preference. Now, the key is to get her on a diet food. The best kind you can get is Hills Science Diet R/D. This is pretty expensive though, but my cat lost weight while on it. Also, I only feed my cats 1/4 cup of food twice a day. I also have to separate them when they eat because the fat one will gobble his down and eat the other cat's food. Just keep in mind that for a cat to lose a pound, it takes significantly longer than it does a human. So you will not notice much at all when you first put her on the diet.