How to Help an Obese Cat Lose Weight in Granger, IN

When you have cat who needs to lose weight, you might feel defeated. It can be hard to encourage an obese cat to lose weight through activity. Dogs are easy to trick into exercising since they love to hang out with humans and engage in fun with their families. Cats, however, are not prone to be excited by exercising, particularly as they age.

There are some other strategies that can make it possible for your cat to lose weight. Exercise is not the only way to get your cat’s weight under control, which can offer many owners a sense of relief when they hear that their chunky kitty needs to lose weight. If you have been told that your cat is overweight, you will need to look at these suggestions to help your cat to get back to a healthier weight.

1. Diet Changes

Changing your cat’s diet is often your best bet when it comes to getting them to lose weight. Since cats don’t tend to like to exercise, this can be the best way to get your cat’s obesity under control. There are many different weight loss diets that are offered for cats, and most of them are quite effective at helping your cat to feel full while consuming fewer calories.

Besides changing what your cat is eating, you will also want to be sure to change when your cat eats. Free-choice food will likely have to become a thing of the past for your cat. You will want to feed them a few small meals a day and keep them from grazing on food whenever they want to eat. Cats who are quite sedentary will not move around enough to burn off the calories that they are consuming when they have access to food at all times.

There are various ways that you can make the process of feeding your cat at set times of the day easier as well. Companies make cat feeders that dispense food at specific times of the day and in specific amounts. This can be a big help if you are not able to be home and are worried that your cat will miss a few of their meals but do not want to give them access to food at all times. Controlling the amount your cat eats can be easier than you might have thought.

2. Invest in Creative Toys

Some cats can be motivated to be more active if you find the right kind of toy to entertain them. From automated movement toys to remote-controlled items, there are all kinds of tempting cat toys out there that can be used to keep your cat busy and moving around. This might not work for all cats, but if you can find some kind of toy that your cat enjoys playing with, you will be much more likely to get your cat’s weight down.

In some cases, just keeping feeding to specific times of the day can make your cat more active as they will often get restless when they know that feeding time is approaching. While this can make many owners feel bad, cats are natural stalkers of their prey, and they should actually be more active around known feeding times. Cats who are not active when it is food time are actually not acting like normal, healthy cats.

3. Friendship

Keeping your cat active can also be easier if you choose to get a new cat or another companion animal to live with them. While this might not work for all situations, if you have thought about getting a younger pet to share the house with your older or obese pet, you might be able to get them to be more active and lose weight. Sometimes cats can get quite lethargic due to a lack of stimulation but having a friend can help them to engage with life and be more active again.

Be mindful that a very young cat and an elderly cat might not get along well at all, so this solution might not work in all situations. You need to be sure that you are also thinking about your cat’s other needs for their well-being. However, if you think your cat might be lonely and might benefit from having some friendship, even fostering cats can help your cat to be more engaged in their daily life during the times when they have company.

4. Move the Food Bowl Around

If your cat is prone to shrugging off their sleepiness, eating, and then going right back to sleep, hide their food bowl in new locations around the house each day. This will encourage your cat to be active while finding their food. While this might not seem like it will help that much, having your cat wander around the house a couple of times a day is much better than allowing them to sleep all day long and get up only to eat. This can also help your cat to be more mentally engaged each day, which encourages more active behavior.

Obese Cats Can Lose Weight If You Adjust to Their Routine

Getting a cat to lose weight can be easier than you might think. Changing their diet and making sure that they are more active can help a lot toward getting your cat’s weight down. As they lose weight, they will naturally become more active, and they will have a better time keeping their weight under control. It is important that you do not have a change of heart once your cat loses some weight and allow them to go back to eating too much. This is a life-long change for more cats who struggle with being overweight.

Keeping your cat’s weight in check can be easy if you are willing to make the above changes to their environment and their lifestyle. Don’t cut corners on your cat’s weight loss protocol, and you should have no trouble getting them back down to a healthy weight. 

Have questions about your cat’s weight loss and dietary needs? Call Kryder + Harr Veterinary Clinic at (574) 277-6533 for a nutritional consultation today!