Easy Ways to Help Your Cat Lose Weight

Easy Ways Your Cat Can Lose Weight

Our cats are becoming rounder, says Kerri Marshall, DVM, and Executive Vice President of Customer Experience with Trupanion. This is partially because there’s been a transition from cats being indoor-outdoor cats to them staying indoors all the time and thus getting much less exercise, she says.

To return your cat to their pre-obese shape, you need to consider both exercise and food. Here are some other tips from Dr. Marshall…

First, check your cat’s body condition. Many websites provide pictures of cats from above and from the side to help you determine if your cat is overweight and by how much. In general, says Dr. Marshall, “you should be able to feel your cat’s ribs and backbone, check under the belly, which is a common place for fat to develop.”

Next, make sure you’re feeding high-quality food. “A low cost pet food could have more fat or not the right nutrients in it,” Dr. Marshall says. Studies also show that it’s not just how much cats eat but the quality of what they eat. Higher-quality cat food contains better protein, and nutrients that are more readily digested. Lower-quality cat food is often sprayed with fat for palatability, which is not the case with high quality brands.

Your vet can recommend good brands of cat food and advise you on the correct portion sizes — though most products contain recommendations on their packaging.

Don’t forget exercise! “Cats are one of the few pets that love to play and have a high play instinct—the predator instinct,” Dr. Marshall says.

Try to play with your cat and get them moving for at least 10 minutes a day.

For the complete article on cat weight loss tips, visit petMD!