We all love playing with cats as they are such great pets and everyone loves to spend their free time with them. But the most important thing for a cat owner is to know about the ideal weight of a cat as we have seen many cats in recent years that have exceeded their normal weights.
Obesity is one of the major issues that most cats experience and the major cause of this problem is that cats spend most of their time indoors and spend less time in healthy activities.
If your cat is also experiencing the problem of obesity, you must sort out a weight loss plan so that your cat can be saved from various diseases like arthritis, diabetes, and many more complications that are common due to the overweight problem. Most of the cats that we see weigh around 10 pounds (4.54 kg), but it can vary by age and breed of the cat.
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How to Find Ideal Weight for Your Cat?
Your cat must maintain a healthy weight and for that a healthy diet is important. There are not any specific weight ranges because all it depends on the breed and sex of your cat. One thing that you can do is that get the services of a veterinarian who can easily provide you the information about the average weight of your cat.
They use various tools to examine the cat visually and physically so that it can be identified that whether a cat is thin or if it is overweight. It is not possible to identify the average weight scale so that we can find out about the optimal weight of our cat and the reason for that is because every cat we see have its unique breed, and it entirely depends on it.
For instance, an average weight of a Persian cat is around 12 pounds (5.44 kg) while a ragdoll weighs around 8 to 15 pounds (6.8 kg).
Self-Examining Your Cat
You can also examine your cat at your home if you are not in the mood of going to a vet or if you are in a situation that you do not have any veterinarian available. One way to examine your cat is that you can put your fingers on the body of your cat and try to feel the ribs and bones of the cat. If you can feel the shoulder bones and ribs, there is the possibility that your cat is underweight.
In contrast to that, if you examine your cat and you do not feel any visible bones and ribs, there could be a possibility of an overweight situation and you need to modify the diet in order to cope with it. Professional advice is more important in this case as you do not want to take action without being sure about the actual condition of your cat.
Make sure that you pay a visit to your nearest clinic or a vet so that you can know about the actual facts and can sort out an effective health plan in case your cat is overweight. If you are concern about the weight of your cat, there are certain things that you need to understand because any cat’s weight can be affected by different things.
First of all, it is the breed because you will find a lot of breeds of cats like Siamese cat, ragdoll, American shorthair, sphynx cat, and many others who differ based on their sizes and hair growth and many other factors that are directly dependent on it. The type of sex also matters because generally male cats are bigger and for that reason, they weigh more, and in contrast, female cats are smaller and weigh less.
The age factor is also crucial because cats undergo various changes in their bodies as they grow, so an increase in weight is normal for a lot of cats. However, a regular vet check is crucial to find out about any abnormality in the weight of your cat. Finally, the size is equally important because the bigger a cat is, the heavier it is going to be.
Obesity is a major concern these days and simple formula to cope with this situation is to indulge your cat in more healthy activities with a good diet. You can also consult with a doctor that can better help you in this regard and can provide a suitable diet plan. Metabolic abnormality is also one of the major concerns of many cat owners and that is one of the major causes of obesity in cats.
A Better Way to Maintain Healthy Weight
Some recommendations that can be helpful for every cat owner to achieve the ideal weight for the cat include using that particular food that has low calories. Also, you can avoid feeding dry food to your cat as these foods are enriched with more calories. Feeding the cat every time is also not a great practice because in this way your cat will have a higher risk of obesity and other diseases.
Exercise is also important for pets in the same way it is crucial for human beings so make sure that your cat is engaged in healthy physical activities because it is the key to staying in shape and losing weight.
What foods are better for a Healthy Weight
There are so many options available for a cat owner to choose from when we talk about cat food. There are a variety of flavors available and most importantly you can choose from wet or dry foods. Many people find it so difficult to decide that what kind of food is best for their pet because they do not have an idea that whether they should choose dry cat food or wet food.
The most important thing is to know about which kind of food is better for the heath of a cat so that it can enjoy a good and healthy weight.
Wet Cat Food
Wet cat food generally comes in cans and every cat owner is familiar with it and also some companies provide them in various sizes. There are also a variety of flavors available as different flavors are preferable by the cats.
Talking about the wet cat foods, they are moisturized a lot and they have more than 50 percent moisture ingredients. It should be utilized quickly and fed to the cat so that any kind of bacterial growth in the food can be avoided.
Fresh and good quality wet food is great for the nutrition of cats and it can be a good addition to the diet of a cat. The ingredients that are included in the wet food are also liked by cats and most importantly they can chew it more easily that helps them better digest it. Staying hydrated is equally important for cats and these foods can be a great source to fulfill the need for water in cats.
Dry Cat Food
Unlike wet food, dry cat food does not have much moisture and it is around 20 percent. Dry cat food is preferred by the cat owners as it is easy for them to buy a large pack of it and feed it periodically to the cat. It is the most cost-effective option for cat owners.
The dry cat food is also not prone to bacterial growth like wet food and for that reason, it can be kept for a long time. When we talk about the effectiveness of dry cat food, it is also important for cats because it is good for the teeth of cats. Dry food is also rich in calories so make sure that you only feed the calculated amount of it to your cat to reduce the possibility of obesity.
Snacks
Snacks are also very common and are loved by cats. The snacks for cats generally come in the chicken flavor and are nutritious for the cats. Many companies provide very good quality snacks especially curated for cats and that do not contain any kind of artificial flavors.
It is a balanced diet for your cat. These snacks also have fewer calories, so there is less chance of gaining more weight as it is a balanced food for cats. Nutritionists suggest that every cat owner should feed a combination of wet and dry food to the cats so that they can enjoy healthy ingredients that are included in both foods.
Set a schedule on which you are going to feed your cats so that your cat could be saved from obesity and can maintain the ideal weight. Serving food at all times to the cat can lead to serious complications and diseases in the cats so make sure you maintain a healthy diet for your cats.
How to Help Your Cat Lose Weight
Feeding food to your cat or any other pet all the time can lead to an increase in their weight and this practice should be highly avoided. Once your cat gains weight, it is more prone to other diseases so you should avoid giving extra food and high-calorie food to your cat.
We have seen in many cases where cats have exceeded their normal weight due to poor diet and other reasons, so a change of lifestyle is necessary in order to overcome the obesity in cats. There are a lot of options available for you in this regard because just cutting back the daily food intake of your cat is not enough and should focus on other things to achieve it.
Pay A Quick Visit to Vet
Different cat breeds require a different quantity of food in a day and to find out about the ideal weight of your cat, you can schedule an appointment with a professional doctor and can take your cat to the vet. The doctor will examine the current condition of the cat and can suggest things accordingly in the form of a good diet schedule and a weight loss plan.
Metabolic abnormality is also very common in many cats and that can also lead to obesity in many cats. A doctor can examine your cat by testing the blood and urine to find out any problem with the stomach. When all things are clear, an effective weight loss plan can be made to help your cat lose weight quickly and to enjoy good health.
Weight Loss Plan
After paying a vet visit, you will have an effective weight loss program that includes a diet routine for your cat, healthy exercises, and the use of low-calorie food. The simple formula here is that fewer calories in and more calories out so that weight could be reduced. Diet is the most important thing for your cat so only that food should be used that is low in calories than normal food of cat.
You can also monitor the weight of your cat every week while you fed your cat a balanced diet so that you can know that whether your weight loss strategy is working or not. You can make changes in the diet according to the progress and eventually you will be able to reach your target weight.
Avoid Free Feed
Feeding food to your cat all the time can be very harmful as we have seen that many cat owners leave the cats with food and that is straight bad for the health of cats. Fill up the bowl only when your cat needs it and follow the right diet plan. In this way, it will be a lot easier for you to keep track of calories intake by your cat.
Exercise is the Key
We all know the secret to a healthy life and that is exercise along with a well-balanced diet and same is the case with pets as they also need some kind of healthy activity. Make sure that your cat is also spending some of his time in healthy physical activity for proper digestion of food and the burning of calories.
There are a lot of pet toys available in the market that can be very helpful for a cat to move its body and to stay engaged in physical activity. A good diet plan combined with good exercises and physical activity is all you need to reduce the weight of your cat and to save it from obesity and other serious diseases.
What if Your Cat is Losing Weight?
Loss of weight in cats is a serious matter and you need to investigate that what are the factors that are causing this problem. There is a possibility of a serious disease that is becoming the cause of weight loss in your cat. You need to find out about it so that your cat should be saved from other health risks.
It has also been observed in many cases that cats show symptoms of certain diseases much later. It is crucial to know about it before time so that appropriate treatment could be provided. Digestive problems also lead to weight loss in cats and bad quality food can be a cause for it. Like humans, cats also got the chance of having a tumor and that is also one of the causes of weight loss.
This situation should never be overlooked as it is a serious matter because as we have discussed that it takes time for the cats to show symptoms. A regular visit to a vet can be very helpful in this regard to know about the health of your cat and so that it can also enjoy a healthy and balanced weight.
Health Risks that Come with Obesity
Obesity is bad for cats the same way it is for humans, so it should be avoided at all costs. If you notice that your cat is heavier than usual and it is building some fat on its tummy, it is the right time for you to sort out some very important things. If you did not pay serious attention to this matter that can lead to very serious complications in the future in the form of diseases.
Serious health issues that are common with overweight cats include infection and metabolic abnormality. Some cats are even more prone to heart diseases that can affect their body and the proper functioning of other organs of the body. So, obesity must be taken with more seriousness in cats.
You can try various loss tips that are provided by a vet to quickly get control of this situation and most importantly so that your cat can be saved from the risk of catching other diseases. A nutritious diet can also be helpful and food with high fiber can make the metabolism of your pets strong.
Conclusion
Pets are important for us and their extreme care is necessary for us. Make sure that you take some time from your daily routine, and schedule a regular visit to a pet clinic to keep track of your cat’s health and to know about their ideal weight. Vaccinations are also important, so make sure that you properly vaccinate all of your pets so that they can be saved from other diseases.
Always buy good quality food for your pet and do not rely on cheaper food. Good physical activity and a healthy diet are all you need for your cat so that it can enjoy a healthy body.
