Helpful Hints To Tackle Obesity In Cats

All of you who have overweight or obese cats know that tackling obesity in cats is a difficult problem to address. Like you, I have also seen many pictures and video clips of obese cats being dressed up and paraded around for entertainment. Although these may be humorous to see, but when you think of it, the poor things are not funny at all.

Many of these cats may be prone to several life threatening diseases because of their weight. Just like humans, cats can also have serious health issues if they are overweight or obese. The life expectancy of cats can be drastically reduced due to obesity. Cats can also develop many of the illnesses that affect us; like lung disease, heart disease, kidney failure, liver failure, arthritis, high blood pressure, diabetes, blindness, sores and so on. In certain cases, sudden death may occur as well. Other than physical ailments, in many instances, obesity in cats can also cause depression and lethargy.

Possible Reasons For Obesity In Cats

In some cases, cats that are susceptible to obesity get addicted to the sugar in their dry food. Yes, it's hard to believe but it's true! Your cat just might be an addict, lying around lazily, looking forward for the next fix of sugar. This, combined with inactivity and boredom, ultimately leads to obesity in cats. With the excess weight, even breathing becomes difficult and this causes many types of lung diseases. Thus, obesity in cats needs to be handled with care and it has to be done slowly so as not to shock the system.

Ways To Handle Obesity In Cats

With some simple techniques at home, you can get your cat to lose weight. All that is needed is discipline, a bit of hard work and a lot of patience. Some of the things that can be done are as follows:-

• Regular exercise: Make your cat exercise in some way or the other to get him moving around. If your cat is not interested in exercise, then try and make him work for his food. Keep the food in a place where your cat has to jump or climb to reach it. Encourage your cat to play with you by chasing you or rolling over to play with your hand, etc.
• Give your cat the right food: Canned food is an ideal option to give your cat. Give it the right food, in the right quantity. You may need to reduce the quantities which you were initially giving, to tackle obesity in cats. If your cat refuses to eat canned food, then a low calorie diet is another option. Whichever option you choose, the amount that you give must be carefully monitored.
• Never starve your cat: In order to get your cat to lose weight, do not deprive it of food. Cats, unlike other animals, can become fatally ill when they starve and hence starving is not an option to tackle obesity in cats.

Obesity in cats could also be an indication of some other disease; so take your cat to the veterinarian to rule out any such possibilities before starting a weight reduction program.