Obesity in cats is a growing problem! Getting your cat to lose weight can be difficult, but we hope you will find the following tips and tricks helpful!
Activity Feeders
Activity feeders are a great way to help your cat lose weight. Many people are surprised to hear cats enjoy them. They are a great source of enrichment and will encourage them to move around more. In addition to this, the slow release of food means they are much more likely to feel full after a meal than if they were to eat it quickly out of a bowl.
There are some other options, such as:
- Throwing the food up the stairs
- Calling your cat so they have to move from room to room to get the food
- Scattering it on the floor or in the garden
- Using the meal as a reward to teach them a trick
- Moving the bowls around the house and on to different levels for them to find
- Splitting the meal up and hiding portions for your cat to seek out.
What Should I feed?
Whilst some cats think wet food is more tasty, it is much less filling than dry food. This is because once eaten, the biscuits gently expand in the stomach during digestion which means your cat will feel fuller for longer.
Should I Stay or Switch?
Deciding to switch your cat’s food can be a big decision. However it is useful to know that the way weight loss diets are developed means that they can be fed a greater quantity of food without being subjected to weight gain. This is a good alternative if you find your cat is feeling hungry due to smaller portions of their normal diet.
Weigh Your Rations
We strongly recommend you weigh your cat’s food to ensure they are being fed consistent amounts. This can be once a day or done in advance. Take the day’s ration and place it in a container. Any treats can then come out of the container during the day, this way you know that your cat is not being overfed.
Some interesting facts
1kg of extra weight on an average cat is the equivalent of an adult human carrying around 17kg (3 stone).
Playing is an excellent form of exercise for your cat. Try and find a toy they like and invest some time everyday to play with them. Some great games include feather chasers and laser pens. If you use a laser pen be sure to throw in a real toy at the end of the play session so that they get the satisfaction of catching something, otherwise they can become frustrated and sometimes even afraid of the laser pen.
