Everyday you make choices for your cat regarding nutrition, environmental enrichment and well-being. These choices can affect your cat’s body weight and play an important role in your cat’s life expectancy and overall health. All too often, your cat’s weight gain can sneak up on you. For this reason, it is a good idea to frequently weigh your cat and have your cat’s body weight scored at every annual visit. Overweight cats are susceptible to many weight-related conditions such as diabetes, arthritis and skin disease. Counting calories matters! Understanding your cat’s true caloric intake requirements is key and our nutritional consultant can work with you to help you understand what is ideal for your cat and help formulate a plan to maintain ideal body weight.
Is my cat fat?
We use the same body condition score for cats as we do for dogs, with 1 being emaciated and 5 being morbidly obese. Your veterinarian will score your cat’s body weight during annual physical exams. Cats are typically considered overweight when their ribs are not easily palpable and they do not have a visible waistline. Cats require a lot fewer calories than many owners may think; especially indoor cats and cats that have been spayed/neutered. This is why it is important to consult with your veterinarian or pet nutritionist about your cat’s dietary needs around the time they are spayed/neutered.
How to have a cat lose weight?
Cats typically have more success at losing weight or maintaining an ideal body condition when they are eating primarily a canned diet. This is because they are obligate carnivores which means they do not require any carbohydrates in their diets, unlike humans and dogs. Measuring food matters as well. Cats who are used to “free feeding” are typically less successful at maintaining an ideal body weight.
What is offered in nutritional consultation?
During a nutritional consultation, our passionate, pet nutrition counsellor will body score your cat and build a plan to guide you through a successful and safe weight loss program. Dietary options will be given with follow up consults offered at times of weigh-in to help keep your cat on track and to meet your goals!
