Mary Allen
With the right feeding, you can prevent your cat from becoming overweight or underweight. Find out here how your cat can best maintain its ideal weight.
It makes sense to prevent weight problems in cats from the start. Once the cat is overweight or underweight, it can be very difficult to get back to the ideal weight. In addition, the cat suffers from severe overweight or underweight. With the right weight management, you can keep your cat healthy and fit.
Correctly Control The Weight Of The Cat
If you want to protect your cat from weight problems, you should keep the following aspects in mind:
- body condition of the cat
- bodyweight of the cat
- controlled and adapted cat nutrition
It is important that you do not look at your cat’s weight in isolation: while a muscular tomcat may weigh eight kilograms, a petite domestic cat can also weigh less than three kilograms – and yet both animals have an ideal weight.
It is therefore important to correlate your cat’s body weight with its body condition score, the so-called Body Condition Score (BCS). The cat’s physique is determined on a nine or five-point scale and its actual nutritional status is determined.
Identify Weight Changes Early
The best way to keep track of your cat’s weight is to weigh her weekly and make a note of the weight. Fluctuations of thirty to sixty grams are considered normal.
You should be alert if the cat gains or loses more weight than usual within a week. If you see your body weight trending up or down for consecutive weeks, you should take action as well. However, before changing the cat’s diet, the actual cause of the change should be found first.
Causes Of Obesity In Cats
If the cat’s weight changes relatively quickly, an illness can be to blame. Most of the time, other symptoms such as weakness and fatigue also appear. However, with some chronic diseases, weight change can be the first noticeable symptom that should not be overlooked. So if you notice any weight changes, talk to your veterinarian first.
Certain feeding habits can also increase the cat’s weight. This is often not due to the main food: Snacks and treats that are fed to the cat in between often lead to obesity in the long term.
So The Cat Can Lose Weight Again
If your cat weighs a little too much, reducing the treats can go a long way. It’s best to stick to a certain amount of snacks each day and make note of what your cat eats in addition to the main food. This is how you keep track.
If the cat is overweight, the main food can also be changed: low-calorie food often offers a good alternative for the cat. How many calories should be saved in feeding varies from case to case?
Important: The cat must not lose weight too quickly – it may only lose a maximum of two percent of its body weight per week. Rapid weight loss can lead to metabolic disorders. So if you are looking to help your overweight cat lose weight, ideally you should seek help from a veterinarian specializing in feline nutrition or a feline nutritionist.
In addition to adapted feeding, you should also encourage your cat to exercise more.
Causes Of Obesity In Cats
Being underweight in cats can be a sign of a disease. Be sure to check this out with your veterinarian. But it is also possible that something is wrong with the quality of the food: cat food that is not labeled as a complete food sometimes does not contain enough protein for the cat.
This leads to muscle breakdown because the body withdraws the required proteins from its own tissue to compensate for the deficiency. As a result, the cat loses weight. In serious cases, protein loss can lead to life-threatening diseases. So make sure your cat is getting enough protein.
Build Sensible Body Weight
A cat that is underweight should never be fattened on just any food! She needs to gain weight gradually and healthily. High-quality, protein-rich cat food in combination with physical training will help the cat.
If your cat is less keen on eating, you can make the food more palatable by warming it up a bit. A few drops of tuna juice or meat broth can also make the cat food tastier. Feeding games can also be effective. If your cat is underweight due to a chronic illness, a special diet may be necessary.
In order for your cat to be able to maintain its ideal weight, you should always keep an eye on its weight development in order to recognize fluctuations at an early stage. If you react to weight changes in good time, your cat will remain healthy and fit.