It is no surprise that domestic cats are lazy and love to lead a sedentary life. Aside from eating, sleeping grooming and rolling on the carpet, there is not much a domestic cat has to do.
This is one of the biggest reasons why 48 percent of all domestic cats are overweight.
Excess weight gain and obesity is a problem that's growing with leaps and bounds among pet cats. While a sedentary life and lack of activity are the major cause behind cat obesity, the lack of healthy cat food can also contribute to excess weight gain.
Cat parents can do a lot to not only help their cats lose weight but also prevent them from getting overweight in the first place.
Too much food
Overfeeding is something that most cat parents do without realizing it. As a rule, cats should have their own meal times and be away from the table when their humans eat.
When cats see their humans eating, they want to have a share of their food. Most pet parents cannot resist the look on their faces and feed them bits and pieces from their plates.
When you feed them from your plate, cats become demanding, and refuse to leave whenever they find you eating. This leads to overfeeding while pet parents think they are being pampering and affectionate!
Obesity in cats not only leads to various serious diseases what also shorten their lifespan. Overweight cats are lame and lack activity, losing their natural playfulness and curiosity over time. Getting a cat to lose weight requires time and patience; preventing obesity, on the other hand, is much easier.
To prevent obesity and also help a cat lose weight, feed them highly digestible canned cat food high in meat-based protein. Cats are obligate carnivores, and require meat for nutrition. Healthy cat food with meat as the main protein source can help prevent weight gain and also help in weight loss.
Something to know
When you're trying to make your kitty lose weight, you should also increase raw food and canned cat food. These types of food are high in protein and low in carbohydrates and unhealthy fats.
They are also less dense in calories compared to dry kibbles. Wet food also reduces chances of urinary tract infections as well as provides required hydration to cats.
A healthy cat food for your kitty can also be recommended by your vet. Make sure to consult the vet before starting your cat on a new diet and also consider the existing health conditions of your feline.