- Take kitty to your veterinarian's office. They can easily determine if he/she is overweight and may recommend some things you can do to help.
- Most people do not know this, but a cat will actually work for its food. Go to your local pet store and buy a "foraging device". Simply put, this is a plastic ball with holes in it. You simply put some food in it and give it to your cat. They will play with it for hours while they try to get all of the food out.
- If you are changing the food that your cat is eating, never take away their old food completely. Instead, start to mix the new food in with the old and gradually wean them off the old food. Sudden diet changes can cause digestion issues and stomach upset and cats really don't like change, so do it gradually to allow them to get accustomed to their new food.
- Once your cat has been spayed or neutered, their activity levels may change. Just keep a close eye on your cat for weight changes and adjust their food accordingly.
- If your cat remains indoors, and is not an outside cat, make sure you have some climbing structures that they can use and explore. Cats love to get up to windows and look outside.
- Take a look at your cat's environment. Is you cat happy? If your cat tends to hide a lot, because it is afraid of things, then it is probably not getting enough exercise. If your cat is bored, it may spend the majority of the day eating and sleeping. These are both recipes for weight gain.
- Never feed your cat "people food". People food is not for pets and if your cat starts to eat the food that you eat, it will start looking for ways to get into your food. No one wants a cat that gets into the garbage or the cupboards. Once your cat starts to "help itself", there will be no stopping it from gaining a lot of weight.
- Ask your vet to recommend a lower fat or calorie reduced cat food. Many vet offices offer specially formulated foods that can help your cat to lose excess weight.
A healthier cat who is not overweight will lead a longer, healthier life. Cats have a special place in our lives, so we want to keep them around as long as we can.
No comments:
Post a Comment