How to help indoor cats lose weight
92
Fat cats may be cute. We all love Garfied the fat cat.
However, if a cat is too overweight, it may result in health problems such as diabetes. Oftentimes a cat may be so fat that it won't participate in the usual fun activities for cats.
There are many reasons an indoor cat may be overweight. Keeping a cat strictly indoors often does not help with this issue, as there is less room to run and play around and fewer things to stimulate and interest a cat as there are outdoors.
You also may be feeding your cat inappropriate foods that are not nutritious. There are also medical conditions that may contribute to obesity, but these are rare and are usually not the problem.
The first thing to do would be to go to your vet and have your cat checked out and make sure he or she doesn't have any serious blood problems or other issues related to or caused by obesity.
Here is a list of things you can consider to help your cat, based on what my mother says (she has been an assistant in a veterinarian's office for years):
- Please don't starve your cat. What you should do is stop free-feeding your cat, which means you shouldn't fill the dish every time your cat eats. Average cats should eat 20 to 30 calories per pound per day, but if your cat is overweight, feed him or her 20 to 30 calories times the number of pounds you want your cat to weigh. If your cat weighs 25 pounds but you want your cat to weigh 15 pounds, you can start feeding him or her 300 to 450 calories a day, preferably 300 or so. Try to plan out how you will divide the calories and how often to feed your cat.
- Make sure your cat is getting enough water. Never leave the water dish empty, and clean it and refill it regularly. Cats are finicky and don't like drinking out of dirty water dishes.
- Stop feeding your cat dry food. It seldom provides the balanced nutrition cats need, and is full of carbs and sugar. The grains serve as allergens and can upset a cat's stomach. Cats are carnivores and need meat proteins. Also, cats are biologically designed to get water from their food, and there is obviously little in dry food. And don't worry about vegetables; cats don't need them.
- Start feeding your cat diet food. Ask your vet which kind to get, as it depends on the breed and how much weight your cat should lose. Try to stick with natural brands, like Nature's Variety.
- You can try supplements, although weight loss should be able to occur without them. L-Carnitine is an example.
- Play with your cat more. Stimulate some activity and movement. They love laser pointers, but try a variety of toys; each cat has different preferences.
Don't be discouraged ifthe weight is not going down right away. Cats usually lose less than a pound a month or else health problems may occur.
Additional resources
- Commercial Canned Foods
More about the nutrition cats need - PetFit - Tips and E-Tools
The resources you need to check your cat's weight - Cat Food FAQs: Weight Control
- Nature's Variety
PrintShare it! — Rate it: up down flag this hub
Comments
Just a silly thought ... wonder if a cat will become discourage at only losing one pound a month? I said it was silly.
Good tips - thanks.
Good advice. My cats eat both dry and wet food. I thought the dry was good for their teeth, is that not correct?
Honestly, I've heard from both sides: dry food will keep their teeth cleaner, but wet food can help give them the water they need... I think dry food is best, personally :) Thanks for dropping by!
Ok, that's what I thought. There was a time I only fed them dry food but then felt like I was depriving them, so I started using both. My one cat is twice the size of the other, and they both have the same diet, so I guess it's her metabolism that keeps her heavy. I guess what I am guilty of is not making time to get them to play. I'll have to make it a point to do that and see if it makes a difference.
About not starving your cat to get it to lose weight, this is very good advice. Cats don't have the resilience we do about going without food. Especially with a male cat, urinary tract disorders may quickly follow a lack of food. Then you have a fat cat needing expensive vet treatments to keep him from kidney failure.
I've had many cats, and I've never had a fat one. My adult cats got a small portion of wet (1/4 of a 6-ounce can) and a small portion of dry (1/8 of a cup), twice a day. They ate what they were given, and then they waited for the next meal. There was never food sitting around in a dish all day. Sometimes they got tuna juice for a treat. They were all healthy until they died of ailments that had nothing to do with food, ailments like cancer, heart failure, and fatal reaction to thyroid medication.
Hope these thoughts help your readers.
Thumbs up!
Thanks for adding the point about a cat's urinary tract... they are so sensitive and problems are not uncommon :( I think it depends on the cat whether you give wet or dry, but I prefer to give my cat wet food for her teeth :)
there is this one cat that i love!his name is pirate because he has one eye! i still love him because he strokes next to me all the time and purrrrrs!
Cute!
Hi GV,
I need some advice.
I had two fat cats and last spring one of them, Simba, had to have an operation to have a huge clump of years old Christmas ribbon removed from his tummy. He had lost half his weight so now I have a thin cat and a fat cat. I was told to leave hard food out for the thinny so he can beef up. How do I keep that away from the fatty? PS Simba is not allowed to wrap presents anymore.
Hi Violet,
I'm so sorry about your kitty! My mom, who works at a vet, always yells about keeping the kitties away from the ribbon because she sees what happened to you all the time.
When my kitties were eating different foods, I had to keep them separated! It was terrible, but it had to be done. Maybe if your fat cat is too fat to jump or go into a certain space, you can put your thin cat's food somewhere he can't reach... though that might be difficult.
We have one fat cat and one normal sized cat. Both are indoors. Sally's Trove has given me an idea of how to handle the amount we should offer them. We started picking up the dry food at night, but have been leaving it down during the day. Guess I will try offering the amount she suggests and then pick it up so neither one can eat any more than what is offered twice daily.
If you have any other ideas......besides playing more with the fat cat........please let me know. And thanks for bringing up this subject.
I never heard this before. May be making a weightloss video training for fat cat is a good idea :)
Great article...its something that many owners and cats could benefit from.
How to Make Your Cat Lose Weight
First, check with your vet to see if your cat should be put on a special food, if not you may just want to monitor better what your cat eats. Make sure that all members of the household are on board about the cats diet so they are not feeding Little Fluffy table scraps. Treats should not make up more than 10% of your cat's total calories.
Second, after 3 to 4 weeks take you cat back to the vet for a checkup. They then may recommend a switch in food. Many vets prefer wet food to dry as it contains vitamin-rich fish oils, low fat, reduced calories high fiber content and a high ratio of protein to calories. Many vets also prefer the wet food because dry food dehydrates your cat and contributes to bladder ad kidney problems. Since your cat is eating less your vet may recommend vitamins so they are getting the proper nutrients. Most important work closely with your vet when you decide to change you cats feeding routine.nutrients
Lastly, Cats are like people they gain weight when they do not exercise. It is essential that your cat has space and things that he can exercise on. Yo9u want your cat to leap stretch and run. If your home has stairs this is great exercise for your cat. If your cat doesn't get this exercise on their own I suggest you play with your cat using toy and items that will entice them to be active. Proper diet and exercise is essential in keeping your cat healthy and reducing their weight gain.
Thanks everyone, and thanks for all of those tips, loseweightfast. Many of them seem basic, but really, a lot of people may not see the similarities between kitty diets and people diets
Love that picture! Thanks for the info, I have indoor cats, and weight is always an issue.
Do fat cats live better lives?
wow so nice cat can i use the photo plz
Thanks for the comments! I know, that photo is great! Mike, you bring up a funny point... My mom would argue that they live better lives because she overfeeds her pets like crazy :)
where u found this cat haha.....veryveryvery cute....but i think is time for "him" to buck up and losing some weight...if not i dont think he can walk anymore haha...
How did you get a picture of my cat? He is the spitting image of the one in the photo. I have tried everything to get his weight down, I am just hoping Winter will help as he will be more active.
Your cat looks like one of my "boys". I got 4 of them.
My cats aren't fat but I loved the photo. Reminds me of the "Built for Comfort, not speed" poster.
Good info, thanks. I hadn't thought that dry food could be the problem with one of my cats who is a hefty boy.
You can get cat diet food! Cool! If there's a nasty comment on this hub, it's probably from my 'fat' cat!!!
You should be able to feel your cat's ribcage--if it's too covered in fat to feel, it's likely overweight. Also, the "dandruff" often seen on cat fur is an indication of obesity.
Simply by slightly reducing the amount of food you put out each day will help.
Also, scheduling a half-hour of active playtime (a feather wand, little rubber balls to chase and other fun activities) helps to burn the calories faster, and they'll love the attention.
Thanks for the additional tips, everyone! My mom's cat gets the dandruff you're talking about, CDiMartino... I know it's because he's too fat to reach and groom himself!
It is so cute! but it is also true that no matter it is humans or animals.. obesity is a curse for all ..
Site Referenced
- How to help indoor cats lose weight | Home Sweet Home
Fat cats may be cute. We all love Garfied the fat cat. However, if a cat is too overweight, it may result in health problems such as diabetes. Oftentimes a cat may be so fat that it won't participate in the usual fun activities for cats.
Lela Bryan says:
2 years ago
I have a fat cat that I will try these tips on!!
Lela