If you thought that your cat is safe from weight-related health problems, then you are in for some bad news. Being above the cat’s average weight requirement exposes it to severe health conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and increased joint injuries.
And since cats are not as intelligent as humans, they will rarely engage in a weight-loss program. That is unless you decide to help your cat lose weight through dieting and exercising, among other techniques.
Helping your furry feline to shed few pounds might not be as simple as it seems. However, with commitment, paying attention to meal plan details, and fitness regimes you can help your pet cat get back to the normal weight range.
A vet primarily decides the whole process, but below are simple methods you can use to regulate your cat’s diet to shed excess weight.
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How Much Should I Feed My Cat?
It is dangerous for an ordinary person to determine the right diet for a pet. You have no idea what nutritional requirements your feline friend needs, and Google can only do so much.
For an accurate plan, a vet will need to look at your cat. The vet will compare your cat’s data to an ideal cat to see the most suitable feeding program. From the information given by your cat’s doctor, you can then start on the diet plan.
An ideal domestic cat weighs approximately 8 – 10 pounds, but this depends on the breed and age. For example, for a cat weighing 18 pounds, you can consult with a doctor and arrive at the ideal weight. Thus, you can determine an effective feeding strategy to ensure weight loss.
How Do I Feed My Cat to Lose Weight?
Let’s consider an ideal weight of 10lbs and calories of 240 – 300 (kcal) dietary requirement.
You should try to meet 80% of the detailed dietary statistics per day.
Satisfying your cat’s nutrition requirement depends heavily on the number of calories in each food.
The best-approved method worldwide to lose weight is using canned diet food fed several times a day instead of having your cat’s food box full at all times. This method works best as the furry felines prefer wet foods to dry foods.
How Much and How Often to Feed My Indoor Cat?
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Wet Foods
Cat feeds come in many forms, grouped into two categories, wet foods or dry foods. Many wet foods come in 3-ounces cans. By providing your cat one can of wet food a day, you cater to your cat’s dietary needs, thereby ensuring it stays healthy and also loses some weight.
And above satisfying your cat’s basic needs, wet foods play a huge role in preventing urinary tract infections and constipation in high-risk cats.
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Dry Foods
Dry food, on the other hand, is packed in boxes. They contain more calories than wet foods. Therefore, you should be careful when administering such foods so that you do not give your cat more calories than it needs.
If you are worried about the number of calories, most solid and wet cat foods have package indications on the portion you can administer to an average cat. Alternatively, you can count the calories and determine the amount contained in the food you feed your cat.
How Much to Feed Your Adult Cat
The daily feeding program of your cat that’s to ensure the desired weight loss target is all that matters. From six months to maturity, most cats will do well when fed two times a day.
Once the feline grows to about one year, feeding them once or twice a day is appropriate in most cases. For senior cats (age seven and above) please provide them with 1/4 of an eight-ounce cup (dry cat food) daily.
You should serve the solid food with 2.5 ounces of canned food (about 1/2 of a standard can of cat food). This diet is said to increase the fat break down, which translates to weight loss.
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Feeding a Cat With Health Exceptions
Cats also undergo health conditions that may lead to changes in their diet or food intake. These conditions may have a direct influence on meal intake.
Below are some medical exceptions that may lead to your cat’s diet change:
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Post-surgery
After surgery, feed your cat with approximately half its serving food and water only two hours after the surgery. If your cat is 16 weeks of age, feed the cat half the regular feed immediately you get home.
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After giving birth
At this time, the cat needs half more of the everyday food to gain strength to take care of the kittens; also, feed her with high quality canned kitten food supplemented with a kitten milk replacement.
When and How Much to Feed My Cat?
Cats should eat at least two meals a day, most preferably at 12-hours intervals. Failure to adhere to the feeding times could result in stomach discomfort. For instance, if 12 hours pass and the cat has not had a meal, the stomach could become hyper acidic and cause nausea.
Engage Your Cat in Physical Exercise
Although diets work in weight loss for cats, engaging in exercise helps to speed up the process. Walk your cat around the block or play with it as much as possible. Engaging in more physical activities could help re-ignite the metabolic system, which in turn helps to speed-up the weight loss process.
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While you could attempt to regulate the diet for your cat, talking to a veterinarian is essential. To find the best-rated, affordable, genuine, and customer-recommended pet doctor near you, visit our website or contact us for more information.
