One of the most common medical issues we see in cats is obesity. Many people don’t recognize it as a medical problem as it has been so common to see an overweight cat. Just like in people, carrying too much weight can predispose you to many other health issues like joint problems, diabetes, heart disease and even skin irritations, just to name a few.
How do I know if my cat is overweight?
The ideal weight of your cat is just a number. More importantly, it is how your cat looks and feels. You should be able to feel the ribs with just a bit of pressure but not be able to see them. If you have to push in to feel the ribs, your cat is probably overweight. We should also see a nice tuck in at the waist behind the last rib giving an hourglass figure. Cats will often store fat in a little pouch on the belly. If your cat has a swinging at the lower belly when it walks, this is an excessive fat store.
How can I help my cat to lose weight?
We suggest you come into the clinic and we can discuss some options for weight loss (see nutritional consultation information below). Managing diet and activity level are important. Owners often think that they cannot get their cat to exercise, however, we have some easy and fun suggestions to help with that! Also, if you have a multi-cat household with one slim and one overweight cat, we have a few solutions to help manage their nutrition differently.
What is offered during a nutritional consultation?
We can offer several tips and tricks to help with weight loss. Obviously, diet is a big component, however, exercise is very important as well. We use a special program to calculate the ideal weight of your cat based on 6 different body measurements. We find this gives us a more accurate indication of how much your cat should actually weigh and makes the weight loss program even more successful. We may also be able to help you recognize areas where you can be doing a little more to help with weight loss.
