Cats with a healthy weight are often happier, more agile, and live longer. Obesity, which is commonly described as being 20% or more beyond normal weight, is the most prevalent nutritional problem encountered in domestic cats. Thankfully, obesity is frequently curable!
Why Should Your Cat Keep a Healthy Weight?
Obesity may have a negative impact on quality of life. Overweight cats usually connect with their families less physically and have less vitality, playfulness, and energy.
They might also be more susceptible to developing a number of dangerous diseases, such those listed below.
- Arthritis (the extra weight could put unnecessary strain on joints, tendons, and ligaments) (the increased weight can place an excessive burden on joints, tendons, and ligaments).
- Urinary disease
- Renal disease
- Heart problem
- Ongoing inflammatory
- A high blood pressure level (placing an added burden on the heart)
- When the body does not produce or use enough insulin to meet its own demands, it is said to have diabetes.
- Difficulty breathing (fat in the chest and abdomen can restrict the ability of the lungs to expand)
- Decreased immune reaction
- Skin conditions like diarrhea and flatulence
- Even some cancers have been related to obesity.
Causes of cat obesity
Cats can develop obesity, just like people, for a variety of reasons; it isn’t always as simple as simply overeating. Identifying any potential underlying medical causes of obesity is essential before beginning a weight-loss program.
Some of the typical reasons of obesity in cats include one or more of the following:
- Overfeeding \sGenetics
- Low activity levels and insufficient exercise
- Unhealthy eating practices such as neutering or spaying
- Hypothyroidism
- Multiple medications
- Cushing’s disease
- Pain from diabetes, stress
How to Help Cats Lose Weight
In order to effectively manage a cat’s weight loss program, a variety of strategies must be used in conjunction with veterinary professionals.
A sound plan won’t offer any quick fixes and will call for you to change your regular household chores and activities in order to best support your cat. The finest suggestions for helping your cat reduce weight are listed here.
- Rule out possible medical issues as a contributing factor
The most important step in any weight loss plan is determining whether there are any underlying medical issues that may be contributing to your cat’s weight gain. It’s critical to rule out, identify, and handle problems with weight gain.
- Listen to Your Veterinarian
Don’t take it personally if your vet asks your cat to lose a few pounds during their annual checkup even though you haven’t noticed them putting on a few pounds here and there. Being an expert in the field, your veterinarian’s advice should be followed.
Your veterinarian will typically suggest a broad target weight loss that can be accomplished gradually if there are no clear underlying causes for your cat’s weight growth. In dire situations, they might offer a special prescription diet plan to help people lose weight. Additionally, they could suggest periodic weigh-ins at the clinic to monitor their progress.
- Consider the food that you are giving your cat.
The quality of over-the-counter cat food ranges greatly. Others may be extremely high in fat, while some may contain unnecessary added sugars.
Because canned food is easier for cats to digest, has more water than dry kibble, and has fewer calories, many cats prefer it. Some owners choose to transition to offering a considerably higher percentage of wet food than dry food as part of the program. Retailers of pets also offer over-the-counter weight-loss diets. Although they are not meant to have a miracle effect and amount gauging is still required, they can slightly alter the situation.
Look at what you are doing and gradually switch if you discover that the food you are giving your cat is not as nutritious as you had thought. A knowledgeable pet nutritionist or your veterinarian can help if you need more guidance.
- Determine the daily food allowance for your cat.
The simple act of overfeeding cats significantly contributes to their weight issues. A great place to start is by measuring their daily servings with a cup or scales.
Revert gradually to regular feedings and away from free feeding, which involves leaving food out unattended. When there is an unending dish of food, it is impossible to monitor how much each cat consumes. Despite the fact that it could at first seem useful, it can significantly contribute to obesity.
As you transition away from free-feeding, start by introducing more frequent, scheduled, smaller meals. When it’s time to eat, make a loud announcement to the cats so they can become used to the new routine. Utilizing an automatic feeder, which disperses a specific amount of food at predetermined intervals, is an additional choice.
Setting up separate food stations for your cats can also be helpful. Given that cats dislike eating in groups and sometimes have issues with resource guarding, mealtimes shouldn’t be stressful for them.
- Playing often to get more exercise
In addition to calorie counting and feeding your cat high-quality food, exercise is crucial to helping them maintain a healthy weight. There are several ways to get more exercise for cats even if they don’t go outside.
Interactive play that satisfies your cat’s hunting instinct is very beneficial to their development and quality of life. Additionally, it’s a fantastic method to get your cats active.
Scheduled playtimes provide your cat structure and a consistent routine every day for the same hour or two. A few interactive toys should be kept on hand all the time, while others should be reserved for playtime.
Have two or three unique mouse on a string or wand toys available only at these times to keep them interested and occupied. These are effective at simulating prey and supporting your cat’s natural instincts.
Allowing your cat to “catch” its prey while playing is essential. If you don’t, they’ll get annoyed and either quit playing with you or misbehave because of her unfulfilled goals. If you play with a laser pointer, be sure to have some kitten performance sessions with a toy she can catch.
- Make use of brainteasers and feeders
Puzzle feeders will increase your physical activity while slowing down ravenous eaters and avoiding boredom. They provide cats the ability to scavenge and “search” for food, enhancing their intuitive eating.
You can either purchase a variety of cat toys that release food or even make your own. Starting with a straightforward issue, move on to more complex ones as your cat shows a preference for them.
Here are a couple straightforward DIY puzzle feeding options:
- Fill paper lunch bags with catnip, toy mice covered in catnip, nibbles, or pieces of dry kibble. It’s a great hiding spot and entertaining toy that your cat can explore, pounce on, and devour (tear the bag).
- Paper towel roll inners are made by halves a roll of paper towels, tucking the ends inside, and then poking several, varying-sized holes. Then you can fill it with dry goods or low-fat desserts. When your cat begins to use the holes more regularly, you should make them smaller to make them more challenging.
- Water bottles: Gather a number of empty water bottles, remove the labels, pierce various small to large holes, and then stuff them with goodies. You may leave the lid on or off for this homemade puzzle toy to alter the degree of difficulty.
- Regularly Assess Progress
Keep a written log of your weight, exercise level, and food intake each week (including all treats). Weigh your cat once a week at the same time on the same scale. Sometimes plotting this data on a graph can be useful (dates and weights).
Remember that your cat may experience “plateaus” where she seems to be stuck at a certain weight. This is standard. Continue your weight-loss program while making sure no one in the house is “cheating,” do not give up.
The minimum monthly weight loss that is advised for a healthy adult is 0.5 pounds. In an ideal world, your cat should lose roughly one pound per month. Others may be able to reduce weight more quickly, while some cats may need to do it gradually.
- Reject accepting beggarly
To beg for food, your cat may vocalize and participate in other attention-seeking activities if you periodically feed a little less than usual. The speed at which changes are implemented should be comfortable for your cat.
As long as you are correctly adhering to the weight-loss plan, your cat has access to plenty of fresh water, and there are no underlying health issues, it’s imperative to resist giving in. Remember that your aim is to improve your cat’s overall health and quality of life.
CATS
CAT NUTRITION & FOOD
If you suspect your pet is sick, call your vet immediately. For health-related questions, always consult your veterinarian, as they have examined your family pet, know the pet’s health history, and can make the best recommendations for your pet.
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