When is a cat considered overweight?
If you can’t feel its ribs, or if its belly is visibly bigger, then your cat is overweight. According to Howstuffworks, cats should typically weigh between 3.6 and 4.5 kilograms (depending on the breed). We can talk about obesity if there is an excess of 15 percent, i.e. an average cat, if it exceeds 5.5 kilos, is already probably overweight.
What can make cat fat?
In a significant percentage of cases, excess weight in cats can be traced back to overfeeding and a sedentary lifestyle. But it is also possible that hormonal and metabolic changes after neutering cause weight gain. In this case, however, it is essential to take it to a veterinarian, since in many cases there is some kind of disease in the background.
What problems can it cause?
Obesity can have serious consequences and is a major contributor to disease. Among other things, it can increase the risk of diabetes, circulatory and joint disorders, and cancer. If underlying diseases can be ruled out, it is also advisable to ask the veterinarian for further steps. Because the sudden weight loss resulting from a drastic diet can cause fatty liver syndrome, which can be extremely dangerous.
What weight loss methods are there?
It can be a solution if you give your cat food specially designed to promote weight loss, which contains fewer calories and more fiber than traditional food. Of course, in this case it is essential that you stick to the prescribed amount. The other alternative is to reduce the amount of cat food, but only by 10 percent at most.
It is absolutely important that you do not stuff your cat with reward snacks during a weight loss diet, as there is no point in reducing the portions. Furthermore, it is better to divide your meals into 5 portions per day rather than two or three large meals. And if you have more than one cat, be sure to separate their food from each other, as it is easy for one cat to eat the other’s. And that can cause serious weight gain in the long run.
Another important part of losing weight is exercise. You should encourage your pet to engage in physical activity with various toys. At the same time, the principle of gradation must always be kept in mind! The effectiveness of weight loss should be monitored with regular weight measurements. A baby scale is best suited for this purpose.