Does your cat need to lose weight? How can you tell if your cat needs to lose weight? Sometimes it is hard to tell if a long haired cat is too heavy. Your cat needs to have a well defined waistline. Your cat’s waistline is at the end of his rib cage. If your cat does not have a waistline he is overweight. Some really overweight cats will have a stomach that hangs down. When a cat is overweight you will not be able to feel his ribs. Keeping your cat slim and trim is very important. When a cat is overweight he can have many medical problems. A common medical problem an overweight cat can develop is diabetes. They can also develop numerous skin problems
Some purebred breeds are prone to getting overweight. Sometimes cross breed cats will gain easier than some purebreds. Some cats are overweight because they eat too much. Some cats are overweight because they do not get enough exercise. Sometimes when cats are spayed or neutered they will become lazy and gain weight. You should weigh your cat regularly to tell if he is gaining weight. Many cats gain weight when they get older.
Some people do not care if their cat is overweight. They say their cat looks happy so they are not going to worry about it being too heavy. Some cats are overweight because they eat too much, do not get enough exercise or they have a medical problem. When you determine your cat is overweight it would be a good idea to take him to a veterinarian for a check up. The veterinarian will be able to determine if your cat has a medical problem.
Sometimes a cat’s environment will cause him to be overweight. Your cat may be gaining weight because he is afraid to come out so he hides all day. Sometimes the family dog or children scare the cat and he will only come out of hiding to eat and use the litter box.
Maybe your cat is bored because he has nothing to do so he just sits around and eats. Cutting down your cat’s food will not help. You will need to do things that will make your cat happy so he will not get bored. You will need to get your cat a climbing post if he does not have one. You will need to provide your cat with lots of toys so he will play and thus get exercise. Feeding your cat the proper diet and making sure he gets proper exercise will help him lose weight.
Article sources:
http://www.pet.webmd.com/cats/guide/healthy-weight-for-your-cat
http://www.pet-helth-care-gazett.com/2011/09/27/weight-loss-tips-for-cats/
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