4 Ways to Aid Cat Weight Loss

Is your feline friend carrying around a few extra pounds that you would like to get rid of? You are not alone, almost 50% of the pet population is overweight. Unlike their canine counterparts it is much more difficult to get rid of those pounds if you are a feline. The unfortunate part about being overweight is there are many health risks that are associated with higher body fat. These are not limited to but include shortened life expectancy, diabetes mellitus, reduced mobility, arthritis and the list goes on. There are a few things that we would recommend to help facilitate some weight loss for your cat. Here are 4 tips to help your overweight cat lose weight.

1. Physical Exam

   It is always recommended that before starting any diet you seek advice from your physician. Same holds true for our pets. A physical exam is recommended to rule out any pre-existing health problems that could be preventing your cat from losing weight. It is also a good idea for the doctor to give you a target weight that is realistic to achieve. Knowing what type of food you are feeding and even having the calorie count would be helpful.

2. Measuring Your Cats Food

   It is highly recommended that you measure out everything your cat is eating. Free feeding allows your cat to decide how much food it is going to consume. We need to be in control of the food. Measuring and meal feeding have higher chances for success. Treats must also be included in the calorie count for your cats. Including any human food they may receive.

3. Increase your cats energy output through exercise

   Sounds simple enough but having cats exercise isn’t as easy as leashing up your dog and going for a walk around the block. Things you can do to increase their activity include putting your measured amount of food in different places around the house (making your cat search for their food), using toys such as feathers on strings, laser pointers to get them moving around.

4. Regular weigh-ins

   It is a good idea once a weight loss program has been started, to get weighed routinely to make sure we are on the right path. This can be done in clinic or at home if it is easier.

Hopefully together we can transform your pleasantly plump kitty to lean mean machine. Please contact the clinic if you have any questions or concerns