How To Care For An Obese Cat

A chubby cat may make a great companion, but they also make Veterinarians wealthy. While it may feel great as a cat owner to take a stray or rescue kitty and fatten them up to good health, there is also a time to put away the feedbag. Your cat, as adorable and intelligent as it may be, does not know when to stop overeating and needs a little help in maintaining a healthy weight from its best human buddy. Although this may be distressing to you both, in the long run you'll be able to extend your friendship by a few years.

A cat owner needs to address the subject objectively, and realize that the overconsumption of food and lack of exercise that made your kitty fat can kill them eventually. While your cat has been eating until it is full and then eating more 30 minutes later, you as the human have to break the cycle of gluttony. No doubt, when you do this your cat will be upset and may beg or act out in an attempt to sway your change in its eating routine. However, you need to be strong and recognize that as long as you cat is getting adequate nourishment it is not suffering from hunger, but only throwing a child-like temper tantrum.

Start changing your cat's eating habits by introducing regularly scheduled feeding times. If you leave a bowl of dry cat food out round the clock, remove it, and at the scheduled feeding times give the cat a normal portion. If the cat eats it all quickly, do not give it more food until the next scheduled feeding. If you give your cat table scraps or leftover milk, stop doing this. Believe it or not, milk has a horrible impact on the dental health of cats (I have a $1,200 vet bill to prove that), not to mention the sugar and fat in milk can impact a cats weight negatively.

Do a little intense research in the area of cat nutrition, and find an appropriate commercial diet cat food to fit you particular cat's needs. As they are not all the same, and since you want what is best for your friend, it is well worth the time and effort to choose the right one. Experiment with differing brands and flavors until you find one your cat likes.

Exercise and diet goes together with cats dieting the same as in humans. Start an easy daily exercise program of playing with your cat, and gradually increase the intensity over an extended period. Remember your fat cat is out of shape, so take it easy at the beginning. Eventually, the cat and you both will look forward to this daily activity that is quite fun and a good bonding opportunity.

The most important thing to remember is that it's is your responsibility, much the same as a parents, to make certain your baby is eating and exercising properly. Although it is hard to see your cat friend not get everything they want, you are extending their life with "tough love".