According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, obese cats are 4.5 times more likely to develop diabetes, and seven times more likely to have painful joins.
If your cat is one of the 50 million overweight cats in the U.S., you might be thinking about trying to help your cat lose weight. Perhaps your vet has discussed weight loss with you in the past. Maybe you've tried diets for your kitty before, with no luck.
If your kitty has fallen off the bandwagon, there's no better time than the present to get back on it! Here are my weight loss guidelines that I love to give owners.
If your cat is one of the 50 million overweight cats in the U.S., you might be thinking about trying to help your cat lose weight. Perhaps your vet has discussed weight loss with you in the past. Maybe you've tried diets for your kitty before, with no luck.
If your kitty has fallen off the bandwagon, there's no better time than the present to get back on it! Here are my weight loss guidelines that I love to give owners.
You can help your cats exercise
Older house cats live particularly sedentary lives, and their exercise may consist of walking between their favorite napping spot, and the food bowl.
We can't (usually!) take cats for a walk, but we can increase exercise in other ways. The easiest way is to encourage natural playing behavior. Make it a goal to try and get your cat to play with a toy for 10 minutes every day. Some days your cat might not be fully interested in whatever toy you're trying to tempt with, but that's okay. The days when he does feel like playing are important. If you can keep his interest for even longer than 10 minutes, keep going.
You can also try cat towers to encourage jumping, and some cats will take to harness training. Anything that encourages a bit of movement can help.
We can't (usually!) take cats for a walk, but we can increase exercise in other ways. The easiest way is to encourage natural playing behavior. Make it a goal to try and get your cat to play with a toy for 10 minutes every day. Some days your cat might not be fully interested in whatever toy you're trying to tempt with, but that's okay. The days when he does feel like playing are important. If you can keep his interest for even longer than 10 minutes, keep going.
You can also try cat towers to encourage jumping, and some cats will take to harness training. Anything that encourages a bit of movement can help.
Calories count
Often, owners will tell me that they keep cutting back on their cat's food, and he still won't lose weight. If there is an underlying medical condition, it is possible to have an obese cat with a very restricted diet. However, this is very rarely the case. The truth is, if we're putting on weight, there are too many calories coming from somewhere. Of course, that 'somewhere' is from the food - from what goes in the bowl, what's given as treats, or even what your cat hunts!
Think about it: every animal has a number of daily calories required that he or she needs to maintain their current body weight. If you're not feeding enough calories, over time your cat will lose weight. If you feed too many, sometimes those calories escape out in the stool, but mostly they stick around in the body, and get turned into fat.
Increasing exercise will increase the number of daily calories required, but cutting back on calories is also going to be a required element of weight loss.
Think about it: every animal has a number of daily calories required that he or she needs to maintain their current body weight. If you're not feeding enough calories, over time your cat will lose weight. If you feed too many, sometimes those calories escape out in the stool, but mostly they stick around in the body, and get turned into fat.
Increasing exercise will increase the number of daily calories required, but cutting back on calories is also going to be a required element of weight loss.
Cut back on food by 10%
This includes the measured amount of food you give (and you are measuring out how much food you give, right?) and any and all treats. Stick to this amount. If, after a month, the weight isn't coming off, shave a bit more off.
There are several 'diet' foods available that you can try. These have a lower amount of carbohydrates and an increased fiber content, which means your cat can eat the same volume of food you used to feed, but with fewer total calories. The best of these diets will be at your vet's office. Although many are available in the pet food store, be wary: labeling pet food as 'diet' or 'weight loss' may only mean fewer calories than the brand's regular food, which might already have a very high calorie count.
There are several 'diet' foods available that you can try. These have a lower amount of carbohydrates and an increased fiber content, which means your cat can eat the same volume of food you used to feed, but with fewer total calories. The best of these diets will be at your vet's office. Although many are available in the pet food store, be wary: labeling pet food as 'diet' or 'weight loss' may only mean fewer calories than the brand's regular food, which might already have a very high calorie count.
Make time for the weigh-in
Living with your cat everyday means that you're unlikely to notice gradual weight loss. If you have a scale and your cat will sit on it, be sure to weigh-in periodically - about every week or so. You can always try putting your cat in his or her carrier and then setting everything on the scale, then subtracting the weight of the carrier. Or, you can ask to use your vet hospital's scales. At my hospital, I try to encourage people to come in and weigh their pets during a diet. You get an accurate reading, and we can log your progress into our records and monitor how everything is going.
And finally: don't give up
If the weight is coming off, be aware that at some point you will likely hit a plateau, and the weight will not budge.
This is obviously a source of a lot of frustration. At this point, you may need to decrease the amount you're feeding again. Often, metabolism can slow with continued weight loss, and your cat may have a decreased calorie requirement. Make sure no one is sneaking extra snacks on the side, because these add up rapidly.
Ask your vet to re-evaluate your plans, and try to brainstorm some ideas that help you continue with your cat's weight loss. It is possible to overcome these roadblocks, and absolutely worth the effort as well!
This is obviously a source of a lot of frustration. At this point, you may need to decrease the amount you're feeding again. Often, metabolism can slow with continued weight loss, and your cat may have a decreased calorie requirement. Make sure no one is sneaking extra snacks on the side, because these add up rapidly.
Ask your vet to re-evaluate your plans, and try to brainstorm some ideas that help you continue with your cat's weight loss. It is possible to overcome these roadblocks, and absolutely worth the effort as well!