Sitting in the vet’s office waiting for a diagnosis on my cat, I wasn’t prepared to hear the vet inform me, “Did you know your cat is overweight?” My first response was, “No, and if you think this cat is overweight you should see our other cats.” I decided that might not be the most prudent answer and wisely held my tongue. I’ve since learned over half of all dogs and cats in the United States are considered overweight or obese, but many cat owners don’t even realize their pets are overweight. As research proves obese cats are more likely to develop health problems , we’re sharing tips to know if your cat is obese and dieting tips for proper cat nutrition.
How Can I Tell If My Cat is Obese?
Give them a “Healthy Hug!” A simple rib check is a great way to determine if your cat has a weight issue—and it’s a great excuse to give your cat an extra hug today. If you feel a little fat in the hug, consult your veterinarian about whether a weight management program is right for your cat.
Tips For Weight Lose in Cats
- Give Them The Right Nutrition
Check with your vet for a nutrition place to help you cat reach it’s ideal weight. An effective diet should include the right balance of protein, fat and fiber to promote healthy weight loss.
Remember, you don’t want your cat to lose weight too quickly. It needs to be slow and steady, just like an ideal human diet.
- Measure Each Serving Before Feeding
How tempting is it to fill the food bowl to the top and allow your cat to eat all they want? I’m guilty! Instead, follow the feeding guidelines on the back of their food packages. Measure each serving to make sure you’re feeding the right amount of food for your cat’s ideal body condition.
Tip: Dividing the daily food allowance among multiple meals can help keep your cat satisfied all day. This tip works well with my cats who think they should gorge themselves if there is a full food bowl available.
- Limit The Serving of Treats
My cats love treats. They’ve even learned the word. If we discuss treats we have to spell the word. My cats are also sneaky enough to try to find “people food.” If you (or, more importantly, your cat) feel the need for a treat, ask your veterinarian about treat allowances, such as 10% of the daily calories, that can be built into your cat’s nutrition plan.
- Get Them Moving
Find an activity your cat enjoys and get moving! A favorite at our home is the laser pointer or a spinning toy that allows the cats to chase a ball around in circles. Not only will your cat feel healthier, she’ll get mental stimulation to keep her brain sharp! I know some people are able to walk their cats, but so far that’s been a no go at our house, met with much resistance.
Be sure to check with your vet to determine how much exercise is appropriate for your cat.
Make Sure They Eat Healthy
It’s easy to think that limiting the amount of food you feed your cat will cause them to lose weight. BUT, it’s not the best approach. Cats need the right balance of protein, fat and fiber for successful weight loss without losing muscle.
Check with your Vet to discuss Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets® OM Overweight Management® Feline Formula. It includes high levels of protein to support your cat’s metabolism. That’s important to maintain lean muscle. It also contains low levels of fat and calories to encourage healthy weight loss, along with fiber to keep your cat feeling full. After all, a hungry cat is a cranky cat! (Or at least mine are.)
Want to learn more?
Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets shares tips on how to properly assess your pet’s weight, along with healthy living tips for cats and dogs. You can also visit www.fightingpetobesity.com for more information.
Win it! One Lucky Reader will win a coupon for a free bag of Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets Pet Food. (ARV $60)
Pingback: How to Make A DIY Decorative Cat Water Bowl
Thanks so very much!!!!!
Hope you enjoy it! Thanks for entering!
When I had my cats I would let them chase me around the house. Aww I miss my cats.
We provide lots of different toys and play with them all the time.
I feel odd playing around with a laser pointer before with our old cat and seeing it as a good tip from here. I’ve never owned a cat since but i definitely would like to tell my cat-loving friends about the advice here!
I no longer have a cat because of my allergies, but these are wonderful tips. Thanks for sharing!
I know so many overweight cats! These tips are great and easy to implement.
These are great tips. I can’t mention his name or he might bite me, but I have a plump kitty in the house who could stand to drop a few pounds. Now I know how to help him get the ball rolling!
Nice tips! I play with my cat daily but he is still overweight. He will be 14 in October and I try to watch his food intake but well he is pretty demanding.
What fantastic tips, I had an overweight cat years ago and he was my favorite. BUT I never knew how to get his weight down.
My best tip for making the cats active is to give the cat an 8yr old boy. 😉 We took in an old one eyed cat they said never played or was active. That was true but my son is always playing with him now and loving on him, and by george that cat’s getting downright playful and frisky. 🙂
I have a friend who owns a cat that is also obese. Sometimes we thing they are cute when they are chubby. I’ll share your tips to her to remind here it’s unhealthy.
This is so important. So important to keep our pets at a healthy weight. People don’t realize the importance.
Not so different from people losing weight from the list! I know from my Vet that dogs lives are extended if they are slimer and I’d guess the same is true for cats too.
while I don’t have cats, I have dogs–these are some great tips to keep the pets you love healthy and around longer-great post
Lots of toys!
I don’t own a cat but I have some friends who are cat-lovers. This is very helpful, I will share it to them.
This is a really informative article. We are struggling with our beagle now regarding weight issues – and we think cats are overall trickier to deal with than dogs! Thanks for your insight.
My only tip is to take the dogs for more walks and to play with the cats more often.
I’ve seen some FAT cats lately, so this post made me giggle! Great tips, though, because it’s so unhealthy!
I see a lot of fat cats on social media. They are usually a bit older, it isn’t healthy for them but they look like big soft pillows.
Our cat is 110% overweight! We have been trying to get his weight down for year but it has really been difficult.
I have never had a cat before but I know a lot of people who have had trouble with theirs being overweight. Great tips and ideas!
My best advice is to play with them often to keep them active.
Best tip is really to keep them active and if you can, have more than one cat! Multiple cats will play and chase and in general move more than one loner cat. There will also be competition for treats!
These are great tips. We have two cats that are pretty fit, but years ago we had one that was very over weight. She stayed that way for most of her life.
Chunky kitties are cute, but I would not want anything to affect their health. These are great suggestions for encouraging a healthy weight.
I never thought about how difficult it would be for a cat to lose weight. It’s not like a dog that you can take on extra walks! These are great tips for cat owners!
These are some great tips – my parents cat never seems to put on weight ever so matter how much she eats. x
My best advice for get your cat active is making them work for their treats. My cats know that they have to run around the house “play” before they can get treats.
Sounds like an epidemic! I don’t have cats but these tips could easily help my dog stay at an optimal weight also.
We love Purina! i swear its why my cats have always been the perfect weight and are so healthy. They love it too, such picky cats purina is what they all enjoy!
These are really great tips and what a wonderful contest. I don’t have pets, but I will share this with friends and family that do.
I’ve got to quit filling my cats bowl full. She eats about 3 full bowls a day and is extremely overweight. I want her to live a long life so thank you for the tips that are going to help me help her to lose weight.
i have lots of toys and we play daily
We don’t have a cat right now, but I know that they can gain weight easily! These tips are a great way to keep your cat healthy and happy!
Thanks for the tips! I have a cat lover friend, and all of her cats are portly. I need to send this to her.
I am guilty of letting my two older cats become obese. I need to follow your tip to get them back on track to a healthy weight.
It can happen so easily. Luckily it’s not hard to help them get back on track.
This is good to know. My mother in law has a little chubby cat & her cat could definitely stand to lose some weight.