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Feline obesity is a pretty serious problem on the rise. Although people find overweight cats to be adorable, that’s never the way it’s supposed to be. Various disorders like diabetes and hepatic lipidosis have been associated with obesity in cats. However, you can’t just start your cat on a diet out of the blue. The whole subject has to be approached very carefully. The best thing to do is to slowly transition her diet.She may not necessarily be okay with it at first but remember that at the end of the day, it’s for her own good. It’s important to change her eating habits gradually and not overwhelm her with everything at once.
Why is it important to transition your cat into a new diet?
Changing a diet without any pre-warning will not only upset her mentally, but it could also upset her gastro intestinally. It may even end up resulting in vomiting, diarrhea, and even an overall decrease in appetite. If you have a cat that is usually nonchalant about change, start by adding a little bit of her new food with her old one. Start increasing the amount of new food and decreasing the amount of the old one as she grows used to it. If all goes well, you can start following the new diet by the end of the week.Not all cats are okay with a change in diet though. It’s especially hard to transition some cats to a new diet and it could take a lot of patience. Although it may be difficult, never resort to extreme measures like starving her to achieve your goal. Try feeding her at scheduled times rather than just putting out food so she can eat whenever she pleases. Remove all uneaten food after 30 minutes.After she grows accustomed to following a diet, start adding new food in with the old. Gradually increase the new and decrease the old. Go slow. Don’t rush the process. She’ll get there eventually, if you rush her, she may give up eating all-together and that can cause a lot of additional health problems.
How should we exercise our cats?
Exercising our canine friends tend to be easier than exercising our feline companions. This is mainly because dogs are more active and cats need a little motive to get into action. Add a few toys to her environment. Leave toys next to her food and water bowls, her litter box, and her safe space (granted that your cat has established a safe space of her own where she goes to get away from the hustle and bustle in the house). Consider adopting another cat to play with her. Cats require communication and interaction just as much as humans do.Always speak with your vet before you start you vat on a new diet or exercise program. He can recommend the best cat foods and exercise regimes.
Safe Weight Loss Tips for Your Cat
If you are worried about the sudden weight gain of your loving feline pet, your worries may not be totally unfounded after all. Obese cats run a number of health risks and if you want to keep your cat safe and healthy, you need to follow some tips that will help it to easily lose the extra weight.A fluffy, plump cat may look cute but the health risks far outweigh the cuteness quotient. But as in humans, if a cat takes more calories than it can burn, it will very soon gain weight.
What do vets have to say?
On an average, an indoor cat needs 20 calories per pound to stay healthy and maintain weight. An outdoor cat may need 35 calories to maintain weight. Although not all cats have the same rate of metabolism, a rough calculation would suggest that a 10 pound cat needs about 200 calories of energy every day. However, if you cat is overweight according to the vet, you may have to limit his food intake so that he ingests about 40 calories less.Veterinarians are worried about the fast growing trend of obesity in domesticated cats and it has almost become an epidemic. Research suggests that obese cats are more prone to heart diseases, diabetes, arthritis, high blood pressure and hepatic lipidosis among other diseases. Being overweight makes your cat inactive, lazy and may even reduce its natural lifespan.
What should you do?Control the food intake:
Regulating the food intake should be done with a lot of caution. If a proper diet chart is not followed, the withdrawal of certain food from the diet is too sudden, your cat will suddenly lose weight and it may lead to other health problems.
a) Provide a meat-based, easily digestible diet:
Cats are not omnivorous. They survive mainly on meat. Don’t give your cat a grain-based diet because its energy requirement won’t be easily fulfilled and it will eat more and gain weight easily. As they are obligate carnivores, cats can mainly derive their nutrients in forms found in meat. Meat should be the main ingredient in the cat food that you buy for your cat.
b) Feed it dry animal food:
Dry animal food helps in weight reduction and also provides energy. If you see that your cat is not losing weight despite consuming dry food, you may need to shift to prescription-based dry food that is low in fat and high in fiber.
c) Don’t make the diet fat-free:
Allow some proportion of fat in the diet of your cat.
d) Include fiber in the diet:
Fibers are easy to digest and help in full utilization of the calories the cat ingests. You can find canned fibers.
Make it exercise:
Involve your cat in physical activities throughout the day. Make it jump up and down stairs, take it for walks to nearby parks, let it run with feather toys or bird or mouse shaped toys. You can use catnip to make it run after you. Innovate and think of new games. Use the surroundings to make interesting games and make tunnels using rugs and coils through which it can slide through. Also don’t overfeed your cat or give it frequent treats. Use dry food as a treat.
Conclusion
Don’t allow the problem of obesity to continue unchecked. Try out different diets to see which suits your cat best. Make it work out. If nothing works, consult your veterinarian and get a thorough probe done.
