Have you ever notice how your cats becoming rounder? Well, not every cat, but it sure that most domestic cats are overweight and obese these days. It is known that both overweight and obese cats are being seen more and more commonly by veterinarians. Yes, just like human, cats are able to experience obesity. This is an issue that we should know because overweight cats, even though somehow they look cute, are more likely to suffer from serious diseases such as diabetes, liver syndrome, or arthritis. That’s sound terrifying already, right?
The number of obese cats is rising partially because cats now tend to stay indoors all the time, which give them less exercise and activity. Some of our behaviors, undoubtedly, are also the reasons behind this, such as overfeeding, giving human food, and giving too many treats to our cat.
What do we do, then? You can start by tracking your cats’ weight so you may notice if they are getting fatter. Or you can go to the vet to have a routine check-up. Now, if your cats unfortunately obese or are way too plump, here are some tips and tricks to help you deal with them.
Your Cat Gets Too Plump? Ways To Deal With Cat’s Obesity
Putting your cat on weight loss plan is not that easy. Well, it is diet. Diet doesn’t suppose to be that easy, but it doesn’t mean it’s impossible, though! All you need is to plan them carefully and be dedicated to assist your cats to lose some pounds!
- Proper portion
The main reason for obesity is consuming too much food. And yet, many cats are fed freely. Their food is always available for them whenever they want. What we can do is to give an appropriate portion. You can try to feed them with two to four small portion daily, or for a seven-pound cat, are about 0.6 and 10-ounce food per meal.
- Fat and calories control
The best way to help your cats to lose weight is by controlling their fat and calories intake. Well, your cats cannot have salad or avocado toast all the time since they are carnivores… So give them meat-based food as the main protein source in their diet plan!
You can also feed them with a proper amount of canned or raw foods in their daily diet. Canned and raw foods are high in meat protein but low in carbohydrates. Remember that cats, unlike most mammals, have no amylase, or enzyme in their saliva to help them digest or breaks down large carbohydrate molecules into absorbable smaller units. Thus, cats cannot handle them efficiently. So make sure to know what exactly the ingredient of food before you put it in their bowl. For short, feed them with food with a high level of protein and fat, but low in carbohydrates to maintain their optimum body weights, but still, fulfill their nutrition needs. If you’re not sure about the portion, you can go to vet and ask for a suitable diet’s portion for your cats, depending on their current condition.
- Sorry, but no more treats!
As a ‘parent’, we like to reward our cats with food most of the time! No wonder why cat’s treats are so popular. You can see a rack full of cat treats in many form and flavor. But do you know that most of them have a high level of carbohydrate from flour and sugars?
So, try to be as persistent as possible! Which means you have to resist the urge to give them treats when they are staring at us insistently with their angelic eyes, head butting, meowing, or pretending that they are starving, just so we give the more and more treats!
If you do have to give them treats, give them a small portion, just like a little cut from cooked chicken, fish, or any natural protein treats to keep them stay healthy! Or, you can also pull a ‘prank’ to them by hiding the treats around your house so your cats have to walk or climb to find them. This is one fun way to let your obese cats exercise more.
- More playtime!
Well, it is not common to walk your cats just like we walk our dogs. So we should try others attempt to give them more physical activity. Remember that cats always like to play! So provide them with interactive cat toys like balls, mice, or place for them to climb around is a good idea to let your cats be more active and keep them from taking a nap from time to time. Let them play and be active for at least 10 minutes a day. They play better when they have companions, so spare your time to play with your cats for a while, or if you’re super busy, you can adopt cats from local pet store for a while just to play around with your cats.
That’s all the tips and tricks to deal with cat’s obesity. Another thing that you need to note is that your obese cat should have a physical exam to measure their weigh, and to have blood and urine test. This important to let you know is there any physical or metabolic issues in your cats. If your cats have no more than abnormal bodyweight (god forbid they have a serious illness due to their obesity), you can consult to your vet for weight loss program that your cat needs.
Also, remember that having a diet is not easy. Even human have many obstacles to maintain it. So take it easy with your cats. Let them adapt first, and then gradually increase the tension of the diet program. After all, not only full of fat but they still full of love too! So take care of them and love them as much as when they were in shape, okay? Good luck!