Looking at you with wide eyes, spinning sweetly when you walk by or rolling over the floor at the food bowl. Your cat knows exactly how to persuade you to feed her. And before you know it, you give in to her prayerfully. If you look at it this way, it is no wonder that at least 30% of the cats are overweight.
In this blog you will read tips to keep your cat at a healthy weight.
When is your cat overweight?
The optimal weight differs per cat. A general rule is that the ribs should not be visible, but should be easily felt. Remember that for a cat where 4 pounds is the ideal weight, an additional 2 pounds means that it is 50% too fat. If you compare that to a human weighing 80 kilos, that equates to 40 kilos of overweight. Those 2 pounds are certainly not as harmless as they seem.
The most common dangers of obesity in cats are diabetes, problems with the heart, lungs, joints and fatty liver. In addition, males who are too fat are more likely to suffer from bladder stones and cats are more likely to have cystitis. Being overweight can even shorten life expectancy by 3 to 5 years. Reason enough not to let the pointer of the cat scale break.
Causes of obesity in cats
Obesity can have various causes. For example, after spaying or sterilizing, your mini-tiger's energy needs decrease by 20 to 30 percent, while appetite increases. Furthermore, the older your cat is, the less it moves. Illness can also play a role in the development of overweight. Therefore, always go to your vet first if you see that your cat is getting too fat.
How do you ensure that your cat stays (or becomes) slim?
Eat less and exercise more. That is the key to a healthy weight. But that is easier said than done. Rule 1 for cats is that they should never be on a crash diet. It is best to lose your cat 1% of its weight per week. Your vet can work out how best to do this. Of course we have tips to make losing weight easier.
1. Play: Is the only exercise your cat gets walking the route between food bowl and sleeping place? Then challenge him to play. A feather rod, a lamp or a toy mouse with catnip stimulate the hunting instinct. Hiding chunks in different places in the house also provokes movement. Secretly put the lumps down, and the cat nose will detect them.
2. Feeding meals: Unlimited feeding works for some cats, but is not an option if your cat is overweight. So let your fluffy four-legged friend get used to meals. Divide the food over at least 3, but preferably more small eating moments per day. This way you know exactly how much your cat eats.
3. Go outside: Indoor cats are often too fat than their colleagues who play outside. Outside there are birds to lurk, insects to catch and flying leaves to run after. In other words, more movement. If you find it dangerous to leave your cat outside, you can trim your garden or balcony with a net to prevent it from escaping. Indoors, make sure you have a high scratching post or planks on the wall for a nice jump. The more challenging, the better.
Stay at a good weight
Good food is the basis of a healthy weight for your cat. Therefore, if your cat needs to lose weight, always look at the type of food you give him.
For example, Fokker has special food for spayed and neutered cats.
That contains less fat, but all important nutrients. This makes it a lot easier to keep your cat on weight.
Looking at you with wide eyes, spinning sweetly when you walk by or rolling over the floor at the food bowl. Your cat knows exactly how to persuade you to feed her. And before you know it, you give in to her prayerfully. If you look at it this way, it is no wonder that at least 30% of the cats are overweight.
In this blog you will read tips to keep your cat at a healthy weight.
When is your cat overweight?
The optimal weight differs per cat. A general rule is that the ribs should not be visible, but should be easily felt. Remember that for a cat where 4 pounds is the ideal weight, an additional 2 pounds means that it is 50% too fat. If you compare that to a human weighing 80 kilos, that equates to 40 kilos of overweight. Those 2 pounds are certainly not as harmless as they seem.
The most common dangers of obesity in cats are diabetes, problems with the heart, lungs, joints and fatty liver. In addition, males who are too fat are more likely to suffer from bladder stones and cats are more likely to have cystitis. Being overweight can even shorten life expectancy by 3 to 5 years. Reason enough not to let the pointer of the cat scale break.
Causes of obesity in cats
Obesity can have various causes. For example, after spaying or sterilizing, your mini-tiger's energy needs decrease by 20 to 30 percent, while appetite increases. Furthermore, the older your cat is, the less it moves. Illness can also play a role in the development of overweight. Therefore, always go to your vet first if you see that your cat is getting too fat.
How do you ensure that your cat stays (or becomes) slim?
Eat less and exercise more. That is the key to a healthy weight. But that is easier said than done. Rule 1 for cats is that they should never be on a crash diet. It is best to lose your cat 1% of its weight per week. Your vet can work out how best to do this. Of course we have tips to make losing weight easier.
1. Play: Is the only exercise your cat gets walking the route between food bowl and sleeping place? Then challenge him to play. A feather rod, a lamp or a toy mouse with catnip stimulate the hunting instinct. Hiding chunks in different places in the house also provokes movement. Secretly put the lumps down, and the cat nose will detect them.
2. Feeding meals: Unlimited feeding works for some cats, but is not an option if your cat is overweight. So let your fluffy four-legged friend get used to meals. Divide the food over at least 3, but preferably more small eating moments per day. This way you know exactly how much your cat eats.
3. Go outside: Indoor cats are often too fat than their colleagues who play outside. Outside there are birds to lurk, insects to catch and flying leaves to run after. In other words, more movement. If you find it dangerous to leave your cat outside, you can trim your garden or balcony with a net to prevent it from escaping. Indoors, make sure you have a high scratching post or planks on the wall for a nice jump. The more challenging, the better.
Stay at a good weight
Good food is the basis of a healthy weight for your cat. Therefore, if your cat needs to lose weight, always look at the type of food you give him.
For example, Fokker has special food for spayed and neutered cats.
That contains less fat, but all important nutrients. This makes it a lot easier to keep your cat on weight.
