Cats make such terrific pets, from their playful nature to their independence they really are lovable creatures! When you love your cat you’ll want it to be as healthy as can be. Sometimes though- cats can get a little overweight! They love eating and sleeping (as you’ll know), and often they fall into patterns of not being very active. If your vet has confirmed that your cat is overweight here come some handy solutions.
Consider your calories
One of the simplest ways to help your cat to lose weight is to control the calories that you feed it. As a general rule, it’s recommended that indoor based cats eat approximately 20 calories for every pound of weight. Outdoor cats can have up to 35 calories per pound. Most cats spend their time split between being indoors and outdoors (so should eat around 27 calories for every pound). Your vet will be able to weigh your cat and determine an approximate calorie intake for your feline per day.
It’s a good idea to feed your feline meat-based foods. Cats are highly suited to such easily digestible sources of protein. Regardless, ensure that you don’t overfeed them with meat. Can cats eat human food? They sure can- from broccoli to spinach, chicken and beef. They can’t eat all human food so don’t give them things like onion or avocado. Your vet will be able to provide you with a complete list.
Measure the food
When trying to help your kitty to lose weight, it’s a good idea to measure your cat’s food with a measuring cup. You’ll want to give your cat no more than around 250 calories per day. Look closely at the guidelines on the bag to ensure that you aren’t overfeeding your cat. There should be a serving suggestion depending on the food type. When you are feeding your cat, it’s better to provide it with small meals around 6 times a day. You can measure a cup of around 41 calories for each of your cat’s small meals. You won’t want to restrict your cat’s diet too much, but with slightly smaller meals than usual, you’ll be doing your feline a world of good!
Create a meal plan
It’s a good idea to create a meal plan for your cat so that you can keep everything on the right track. The meal plan should focus on raw food and wet food from cans or packets. Try not to include too much dry food in your meal plan as these can often have a high-calorie content. It’s a good idea to type up your meal plan as a document, getting organised will make it easier to follow the plan. Why not make the document into a nice PDF to share with your other cat-loving friends or online? It could also include a cat exercise plan! You’ll need the best pdf editor for Mac to help you create something great!
Cat exercise
To ensure that your cat gets lots of exercise, you’ll need to play with it as much as you can! If your cat isn’t too keen on its current toys, why not buy it some new ones? Cat’s will often have a favourite kind of animal toy that they prefer over the others. It might be a bird or a mouse, for instance? You could play a game with your cat by hiding toys around the house. Purchase a toy with feathers on a wand, and you’ll find that your cat will be jumping all over the place!
Cat’s love a chase and they can be entertained for hours by the simplest of items! Why not get yourself some string and run about the house? Your cat will soon be chasing you and getting the exercise that it needs!
Catnip
If you’re finding that your feline isn’t very active lately, why not try some catnip? Catnip is an herb from the Labiatae mint family. One active ingredient inside is nepetalactone (which is what cats react too). Catnip can give cats a sudden boost of hyper- energy that gets them running and jumping about in no time. For a cat that’s lacking in energy – catnip is well worth a try!
Your cat won’t lose weight overnight, but after a few small changes, you’ll start to see the difference gradually. You should check-in with your vet after a few weeks to see how your cat is doing. When your cat loses the weight, you’ll find that it’s far more energetic than before. With more energy, your cat will be more active and playful too.
