Paws-itive Press
Weight Loss in Cats
By Mark Planco of Planco Veterinary Care
When cats are overweight they are at risk for many medical conditions. Being overweight by two pounds or more make a cat very likely to develop serious illnesses. Overweight cats live shorter lives than more fit cats. Overweight cats tend to be less energetic and lazy, and this inactivity causes the problem to escalate. When cats lie around and aren’t active it may be because of the excess weight and not the reason for the weight. Some common illnesses associated with excessive weight include:
Diabetes
Osteoarthritis
Heart Disease
High Blood Pressure
Cancer
Here are some tips to help your cat lose excess weight or keep them from gaining unhealthy pounds.
Cats must eat. Introducing a new diet food and taking the approach of “He’ll eat when he gets hungry enough” doesn’t work for cats. If cats don’t eat anything for several days in a row their metabolism changes and can get a life threatening illness called hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver disease).
A weight loss formula starts with knowing the calories a cats needs for maintaining optimal weight or for weight loss. The most effective way for cats to lose weight is to eat high protein, small meals multiple times per day. A meal should consist of 10-15 pieces of kibble or small amount of canned food. This equates to 20-30 calories per meal. Overweight cats should have the same amount of food except using food made for weight loss and containing fewer calories. If possible to feed your cat four to five times daily this small, high protein diet, cats will lose weight. To determine how much canned food to feed visit petobesityprevention.com and click on “Food and Calories” at the left side of the page.
Changing diets in cats should be done slowly over one to two weeks. Start by introducing the new food to be approximately 25% of his diet for a few days, then 50% for a few days, and then 75% of new food for a few more days then you can change to all new diet. To make dry food more appetizing for a finicky cat you can warm it with a small amount of an Omega 3 supplement or salmon juice.
Exercise is the other important factor in weight loss. Exercising cats isn’t easy. If a cat is young and playful, keep his/her interest in playing by rotating toys and activities to prevent boredom and lack of interest. If your cat is not into playing or too fat to play for long, you will have to be creative. Examples or things to try are feathers on a string to have them chase, mazes to get their food or a favorite toy, cat condos or shelves for them to climb. Some cats like chasing flashlights or laser lights. Overweight cats that won’t exercise may need to work to get their food. There are toys that you can put dry kibble in and as cats roll it around a piece drops out for them to eat. This makes them exercise for their meal. Once cats start losing weight they will become more active which encourages more weight loss and should make it easier.
Making the commitment to keeping cats healthy and living long active lives is important for every cat owner. Obese cats live shorter lives with more medical issues. Consult your veterinarian for other helpful tips on weight loss in cats.
Dr. Mark Planco’s compassion for animals has been a lifelong labor of love. He earned both his undergraduate and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degrees at the University of Florida. Dr. Planco has treated small and large animals since 1991, and has been in Palm Beach County since 1994. Dr. Planco is a member of the Palm Beach Veterinary Society, American Veterinary Medical Association and the Florida Veterinary Medical Association. Visit PlancoVetCare.com for further information or call 561-795-9507.
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Disclaimer: This column is not intended to provide information on which you should use to diagnose or treat a medical condition or delay seeking medical attention. This column is of no value with respect to any medical condition that needs prompt attention. If you have a question that needs an immediate answer, you should call your own veterinarian or emergency animal hospital, especially if you are confronting a medical emergency!
Furthermore, we urge you to always seek the advice of your own veterinarian, and you should not disregard, discount, or delay seeking the advice of your veterinarian because of any response posted in this column.