How to Take Care of Your Cat's Figure

Being overweight is never a good thing for both humans and animals. If you want your cat to stay happy and healthy, in addition to looking beautiful, you have to make sure they don’t get too fat. In this article, you can find out what you should do to take care of your cat’s figure.

Reasons why cats become overweight

Obesity in pets is an increasingly common issue and often parallels the excess weight that their owners have as well. It’s a phenomenon that tends to occur more in the developed world. This is due to our tendencies to eat a lot of unhealthy foods and the fact that we’re doing less and less physical activity.

You should know that the lives of cats have changed considerably in a short amount of time. Many cats were adventurers who went out in the evenings and only came home to eat and sleep. Now, they’re pampered and sterilized animals who only leave the house to go to the vet every now and then.

There’s also a decrease of daily exercise, along with neutering and the fact that they usually have food and treats that are at their disposal the entire day. This all creates a fatal combo for kittens and leads them down a path to becoming overweight.

Statistics show that it’s becoming more and more common for pets to become overweight. So, you should grab the bull by the horns and learn to take care of your cat’s figure.

Proper diet and exercise are the pillars of taking care of your pet’s figure

So, if you notice that your furry friend is a little chubby, it’s time to take action so they can return to their normal weight.

An overweight cat looks like a cylinder, like the one you see above, or has a waist that widens at the ribs. If the animal has too much hair and you cannot evaluate their physical state visually, just feel their body. If you cannot easily feel their ribs, then they have a weight problem.

To get their figure back, you have to keep two fundamental things in mind: a proper diet and getting rid of their sedentary routine. 

How to feed a cat so he doesn’t gain weight

Whether you give them commercial food or a homemade diet, you should know that you have to give them the right amount of food according to their weight, age and physical conditions. The veterinarian, or an animal nutritionist, will know what their needs are.

Also, except for the specific health issues of each pet, choose foods that are rich in animal protein and with few carbohydrates. Always remember that your furry friend won’t stop being a hunting carnivore, no matter how much time they spend sleeping on the sofa in your living room.

Even though cats should know how to regulate their food intake according to their needs, in practice this isn’t always the case. Ideally, you should divide their daily rations into 3 or 4 meals. If they get a special treat while you’re cooking, make sure you include it in their daily calorie consumption.

Avoid a sedentary lifestyle to keep your cat from becoming overweight

If your cat can’t go outside and is sterilized, you have to get them away from their sedentary lifestyle. Come up with a game that will keep them active. Not only will it get them moving, but you’ll both have a great time.

If that’s not enough time to meet all of their daily exercise needs, give them some toys or surprise them with a climbing apparatus. Or, better yet, consider the possibility of adopting another cat. 

You’ll see that they’ll spend the majority of the day chasing each other around and having fun, while they’re also burning a good amount of calories.

Obesity and good health don’t go hand in hand

Keep in mind that, although overweight cats may seem like nice and furry balls, the truth is that being overweight is not good for the cat’s health and it takes away from their quality of life.

Obese felines may have:

• Liver, kidney and pancreas problems
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Dermatological issues
• Athritis
• Diabetes

So, don’t waste another minute and make sure you’re doing everything you can to recover your cat’s figure.