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Apart from dogs and hamsters, cats are one of the most popular pets kept by people all over the world. They are great animals that fit perfectly into families and homes. One point worthy to note is that the presence of cats in any home keeps rodents and other creeping creatures far from such homes. We have different species and breeds of cats that most people keep as pets. Raising cats can be fun and exciting as they come with several benefits. One of such benefits is that they reduce the stress of taking care of them on their owners as they can groom themselves. This they do by licking their coats and furs, and it keeps them clean.
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As beautiful and pleasant as keeping cats can be, living with an overweight cat can be discomforting. This is because the excess bodyweight of the cat makes them easily susceptible to different diseases and poses a risk to their health and well-being. Shocking research reveals that a good number of pets raised in homes are overweight, and their owners are oblivious to this fact as they rarely notice the changes in their animals. There are simple ways to check for overweight in cats without even using the scale. One can check their ribs and back, look over them from a raised point or observe them from a side view. When you can no longer feel their ribs or see their waistline, it is a clear sign that your cat’s weight is becoming excessive. In light of this realization, there are some tips and ways to help your cat shed excess weight.
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Tips for weight loss in cats
An overweight cat can be displeasing and boring as its movements may become slower than usual as a result of the extra bodily fat. However, certain tips can be taken to help your cat lose weight, and they include the following:
Consult with your veterinarian
Having carried out bodily evaluations on your cat and weighed it on a scale, it is very necessary to visit your vet for confirmation and consultations. When your cat’s overweight status is confirmed, it is on your doctor’s advice that you should carry out weight loss. Without a go-ahead from your vet, it will be dangerous to carry on such a process. Your vet would also help with valuable information to help kickstart the weight loss process and ensure that it will benefit the cat’s health. Information that would be vital to the whole exercise like diet restructuring and control, body fat checkers, among others. This is a major tip and should be the first action taken by cat owners to correct overweight.
It is also essential to keep your vet in contact all through the duration of the weight loss exercise in case of any health problems that may arise.
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Weight loss routine
In desiring and working towards weight loss in cats, it is important to develop a routine that would be carried out gradually and with ample time so as not to trigger any adverse effects or health problems for the animals. It has been scientifically proven that rapid weight loss in cats can lead to liver problems, so it is necessary to be slow, steady, and strategic with the whole exercise. This is where the advice of your vet comes in, as it forms a basis upon which the routine is established. This routine should include a diet pattern which is the number of times the cat eats, playtime, sleep hours, and feeding method. It is also important to avoid starving your cat under the guise of weight loss as it can be dangerous for it. Create a schedule that strikes a balance between overfeeding and underfeeding to achieve maximum results.
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Regular exercise
Cats naturally do not like prolonged athletic activities like running and jumping. They prefer occasional or spontaneous outbursts of speed, especially when they are in pursuit of a smaller animal. However, they can be trained to get into regular exercise patterns, which would be beneficial to them as it would help them stretch more and stay fit. These exercises can be fitted into mealtimes, so instead of just offering them their food in a simple way, you can hide it and make them search and hunt for it. This way, they become more alert, happy, and stay fed. Going on walks with your cat too can be a good form of exercise. So while we check the nutritional and dietary intake of our animals, regular exercise has its part to play in weight loss and should be treated as necessary.
Consider weight loss foods
Foods with low-calorie content are regarded as weight loss food as they reduce the calories that get into the cat’s body. If our cat continuously consumes such foods in the defined pattern and adds to it steady exercises, weight loss is guaranteed. Canned foods also reduce the amount of food consumed by the cat as they come in different sizes and proportions.
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Keep cats occupied
It is easy for your cat to feel hungry when it is bored and has nothing to do. Having observed this, it is necessary to keep it occupied with activities that take its mind off food. It is also important not to indulge our cats with foods and treats every time they make faces at us. Instead of feeding them, we can readily give them water this keeping them hydrated.
Conclusion
While it is necessary to stick to these tips and ways in getting a weight loss in your cat, it is also imperative to note and always keep in mind that losing weight is not an instant process. It takes time and patience to be achieved both in people and animals.