Cats are popular in America and they can live a long time. Aging cats can spend a great deal of time in their senior years. Advances in nutrition, better veterinary care and owners with more education on cat care are helping the cat live longer and healthier lives. One thing that’s still a problem for some senior cats is weight issues. A cat’s nutritional needs will change as they get older. They also experience a decline in senses, reduced activity, fat digestion and nutrient absorption.
Dr. Arnold Plotnick who developed a wellness program for cats at his veterinary clinic says that “you need to keep an ideal weight when feeding a senior cat and keep that weight stable.”
Cat owners can help their older cats by maintaining their weight as they become senior cats and beyond. A cat’s nutritional needs may be met by the 
. This brand claims to have been reformulated to work throughout the senior years of the cat. The food works at the senior stage of 7 to 11 years and then through the mature years of 11 and up. Read the label carefully, watching for fillers and flavor enhancers!
When your cat ages they lose some ability for their bodies to repair, are susceptible to stress in their environment, and they have difficulty with some normal functions. Weight and disease problems are common through the senior years of a cat. As their activity levels decrease they may gain weight with the slowdown in their metabolism. After age 11, weight can become an even greater concern for the animal.
As cats reach 11 years that can have even more problems. This is because their taste and smell diminish as well as some interest in food. They can’t digest fat and key nutrients as well. Their overall eating becomes less efficient as they grow older.
Aging cats have more food that passes through as waste and less is used for their energy. They will drop lean muscle mass and fat which can lead to too much weight loss. Owners of senior cats need to provide a proper diet and watch their activity levels. Owners should note changes in grooming habits, weight, activity, and their bathroom habits. Anything that’s deemed out of the ordinary should be reported to a veterinarian.
While changes are a part of the normal aging process for a cat it can also be a sign of a serious health issue. Make sure you have your cat checked at least twice per year when they reach senior age which can help spot potential problems before they harm your animal.
My sudden realization! When I woke up this morning and I saw my cat I couldn’t help crying out “My cats overweight!” Obviously, it was not the first time I saw her, but it was surely the first time when I realized my cat was not just fluffy anymore. She was past chunky, she was obese!
Don’t panic I thought.
If you are a cat owner, you should know that your cat being overweight is not the end of the world. Once you realize your cat has weight issues, the problem is almost solved. Overweight is a common problem in house cats. Comparing to wild cats, house cats do not need to search for food, they simply get the food without doing nothing, just being adorable. House cats do not spend enough time climbing, exploring, chasing like they do in the wild. Sometimes, they prefer sleeping or just contemplating you.
What you should do
Both diet as close to natural food found in the wild along with an increasing amount of exercise can help your cat lose weight. Cats are obligate carnivores which means they eat meat only; much more so than our pet dogs.
The first rule of a diet is to give up feeding your cat between-meal treats. It should eat a normal portion of food along with as much water as it wants. There’s a large variety of diet food for cat on the market, but to be sure you make the best choice, either consult a veterinary or do a lot of online research. Don’t buy the cheapest dry food for your cat, it’s like someone condemns you to eat junk food every day.
When it comes to exercise, your cat is probably bored with the same decorum and does not feel the need to play anymore. In order to help your cat get some exercise, play with it! Throw a cat toy or flash a laser pointer or flick a birdie-toy, it will definitely try to chase.
A few exercise toys entrance cats for hours and then they just seem to ignore it. Put it away, out of sight. Reintroduce the toy in a few days. Variety may be what your cat needs. Other cats love to play with a single toy all the time.
Healthy cat, satisfied owner
It’s not difficult to help your cat lose weight. It does take more will-power for you, the owner, to adjust some thinking and your habits. After few months of feline diet, with some exercise, your lovable fur-ball should be at a better weight with a greatly improved fitness. It is rewarding to see a normal weight, healthy and active cat, and you won’t be thinking my cats overweight anymore!
My friend came to me yesterday and said ‘My cat’s overweight!‘ Surely it is not that fat, I thought. It is quite big and cuddly, but a lot of cats are like that, I thought that it must just be big boned, or a large breed of cat. But in reality, obesity is quickly becoming a big problem for pets and their owners in many parts of the developed world.
It is very tempting to over feed a beloved pet animal. For some owners, their pet plays a very important role in their lives and they show their love for their best friends by constantly feeding them and treating them. It feels good to feed your pride and joy. Especially if that animal feels like a part of the family, then it is even more satisfying to fulfill their desire.
Unfortunately, for some animals, it is doing them a lot more harm than good to feed them a lot more than they should be eating. Owners of overweight cats should realize what would happen to their overly-plump fur ball if they were to live in the wild. Firstly, they would spend a large part of their lives actually hunting for, and catching their prey. Secondly, any food that they did find for themselves in the wild might be scarce. So, in effect, they would live a highly active, low calorie lifestyle.
Now, compare this to the luxurious and pampered life that your beloved pooch or fur ball now spends in living with you and your family. There are now realistically, at least three square meals a day. Because we humans have conditioned ourselves to eat at least three times a day, then this is what we also feed our pets. As well as this there can be many treats which we just can not help giving out as we stare deeply into those big brown eyes.
Overweight cats suffer from many of the same problems as overweight people. They can have heart problems and kidney and liver conditions. Their little joints can also hurt from carrying around too much weight on a daily basis. Overweight cats can also develop diabetes in the same way that people do and this can unfortunately lead to a great many problems with eye sight, vascular problems and trouble with their feet.
The bottom line is that if an owner truly loves their pet, then they will encourage them to have an active and healthy lifestyle and they will both be able to enjoy each others’ company for years to come. Feeding a cat more in line with their natural environment is not cruel and getting them to exercise more is the perfect way to increase their lifespan.
Cats are so similar to human beings, yet in some ways so very different. My cats overweight seems to be a common phrase among feline pet owners. These animals can equally become obese and suffer from similar disorders like people. Some examples are hepatic lipidosis, arthritis and diabetes. It may sound strange, but it is a reality.
It is now common for veterinarians to see such overweight cat companions on a much more regular basis. These specialists have some good advice for such owners. Each situation should be approached differently and with caution. In most cases, kittens are the most commonly affected. Experts wonder why this is so.
The answer to this concern is not far-fetched. Felines tend to be fed more often. As a result, they consume a lot more calories. If they are inactive, they burn less energy than they take in. Hence, the bulk. The type of food given to these creatures then becomes the focal point to resolving the problem at hand.
Consequently, weight loss schemes have to be put in place and observed very closely. Importantly, people can control how much food their four-legged friends can eat. Diets allow owners to place the right amount that is needed. From time to time, it is also advised to engage them in physical activities.
The routine procedure is to have an overweight kitten taken to the vet for a physical examination. This includes measuring the actual weight and carrying out both urine and blood tests. Through this, metabolic and physical dysfunctions can be eliminated.
Conclusively, healthy feeding habits should be developed here. The first step is to stop making food available at all times. Introducing balanced nutrition normalizes and sustains the body mass index of the domestic friends. Taking note of food labels is likewise significant. Over time then, my cats overweight will become a thing of the past.
An overweight cat is a concern for any responsible cat owner, and some owners will feel quite guilty about letting their cat become obese, but what can you do? Sometimes a weight issue may not always be immediately apparent, perhaps due to the breed of cat and/or the amount of fur, for this reason the first step is usually to seek the advice of the vet. A quick visit to the veterinarian will confirm if the cat is indeed clinically overweight.
Identifying the reason for the weight gain will be the first step towards rectifying the situation and getting a fit and healthy cat back. The primary reasons for an overweight feline are lack of proper exercise and overeating the wrong type of foods, e.g. carbohydrates. A typical cat diet of dry kibble-style food will probably contain around 30% protein and anything up to 65% carbohydrates.
Cats are obligate carnivores. An obligate carnivore’s digestive system cannot break down carbohydrates like a human or even a dog can, so cat food carbs are already broken down. What this means is that once the carbohydrate makes its way into the cats bloodstream, it is already sugar, and excess sugar is one of the reasons you have a fat cat.
In order to maintain a healthy diet a cat owner will need to seek out the healthy option from their preferred local supermarket and avoid the low quality foods that will usually be high in fillers and lacking in balanced cat nutrition. Inspect the label and check what the major ingredients are. You should be able to tell if the cat food is plant based or meat based, and if grain or meal is prevalent.
Wet food is recommended by some vets as it is generally meat based which is better for your cat and it includes water lacking in dry foods. Another thing to look for on the label is any evidence of by-products, for example it may say “chicken by-products” rather than “chicken”. Also look for the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) marking on the label as a seal of approval.
Obviously cats need the nutrients that real meat provides but do not shun all animal by-products. Think of your cat’s food this way, a cat eats a mouse. Your cat doesn’t carve the mouse into portions as we humans do, cutting out fat, bones, fur, entrails etc. Nope, your cat eats the entire mouse, from nose to tip-of-tail. Some of the “unpleasant” things your cat is eating would be considered animal by-products – bones, organs, fat, blood, etc. The key is:
Balanced Nutrition.
Ideally your cat will need a food that provides up to:
- 40% protein
- 15% fat
- below 18% carbohydrates
- Additionally, look to include 6% minerals
- 2% vitamins
- 3% fibre
Finally, make sure your cat is getting enough taurine, which is essential for a cat to avoid serious health issues. Cats intestines are not nearly as long, proportionately, as humans. Cats simply do not have the intestinal ability to completely digest and assimilate all the nutrients in vegetable and fruit material. Cats need taurine in their food. Taurine is found mostly in animal muscles, and is highly concentrated in the heart (a highly-differentiated muscle) and liver.
Read the label!
Do not fall into the trap of feeding your cat less in the hope she will lose weight. Cats are no different from humans in this respect, starving does not work as the lack of vitamin and protein intake results in less energy for exercise. Also be aware that so called cat diet foods may be lacking in the nutrients required to sustain a healthy cat, and a nutritionally balanced diet is always the best option. However, if you are keen to try diet cat food, a nutritionally balanced food of reduced calories, check with your veterinarian for an approved source.
In addition to not eating nutritionally balanced food, a cat may become fat due to feeding in-between meal times, “free-feeding” and getting too many treats. Try to portion the food out into smaller amounts and stick to two or three times per day.
It is also important that your cat gets enough fresh water. If you are away for extended periods or often find the water bowl is dry, invest in a cat drinking fountain that keeps water fresh and dispenses it as and when the cat needs it.
Gradually increase your overweight cat’s exercise by playing with her more, encourage chasing and running to burn calories.
If you follow good veterinary principals and guidelines your overweight cat should lose weight in a steady manner. It probably took years for your cat to become clinically overweight. It may take that long to improve unbalanced nutrition, increase minimal exercise and other habits that led to her being fat. Persistence, proper nutrition along with gradually increasing healthy exercise will eventually be rewarded!
