Has your cat lost their waist? Do you have to loosen their collar? Is walking becoming a bit tough for them? Is there shortness of breath, bad temper and too much sleeping? If so, your pet is a fat cat!
Most cats should be about 8-10 lbs. Veterinary experts say that your cat is overweight if it is 10% more than the ideal weight and obese if over 20% of the ideal weight. Being overweight also increases their risk of diseases like diabetes, skin disease, joint pain, and even cancer. Here are some ways to help your cat lose weight:
- Let the vet assess your cat’s weight and health, the exact diet you’re feeding. Ask them for a food recommendation for weight loss, including what food and how much, and do your best to stick to it. Every pet has different nutritional needs.
- Measure the amount of food your cat eats in a day to determine how many calories they are eating.
- Check the ingredients of the commercial foods that you’re feeding the cat. Some foods are very high in salt and fat.
- Stop feeding the cat table scraps and ‘people food’.
- To encourage movement let your cat play with toys, catch the light of the torch or cellphone – anything that your cat finds interesting to chase, take the cat out for a walk. Cat harnesses are available both online and offline. It might take some time, but it could work. Spread the food throughout the house, so the cat has to move about to reach it.
- For many cats, the best way to lose weight is with a canned diet food fed several times per day, rather than leaving food down all of the time.
- Most cats will reach their ideal weight within six to eight months. A healthy weight loss would be close to one pound per month. If this doesn’t happen, consult your vet. They may wish to make changes in the weight loss plan.