My Cat Is Fat: What Should I Do?

Do you suspect your cat is fat? Are you worried those extra pounds could affect your feline companion's health and well-being? If you answered yes, especially because you think the extra weight will affect your pet's quality of life, rest assured that you can always take action. When it comes to feline obesity, the right decisions can go a long way toward improving your pet's condition.

So if you're wondering what to do to manage feline obesity, today on the NUPEC Blog we share some tips for overweight cats.

What to do if your cat is overweight or obese

The first and one of the most important steps when a cat is fat is to take it for a check-up with its veterinarian. The purpose of this visit is to assess its overall health and, above all, for the vet to determine whether or not the cat is overweight, based on its body weight, size and age, as well as an assessment of its body condition.

Once the vet confirms that the cat is indeed overweight or obese, they will recommend nutritional management suited to your cat's needs. This plan will specify how much food it should eat and how often, and may even include a specific food recommendation.

Note: Never put an obese cat on a diet without veterinary supervision.

You may think it's obvious that your cat is fat and that a vet visit is unnecessary, since losing weight is easy in theory: fewer calories and more exercise equal weight loss. But it isn't that simple for cats, and not eating or eating poorly can lead to health problems. That's why only the vet can determine the nutritional management of an overweight cat, to prevent health problems related to weight loss. Also, not every weight-loss strategy works for every cat, for several reasons. For example, the extra weight may not be the result of overfeeding but of a disease (thyroid disorders, diabetes, respiratory diseases), or the strategy (food) you choose without consulting the vet may not be right for your pet's weight problem. All of this makes the vet visit very important: first, to determine whether your cat is overweight; second, to understand the cause; and third, to establish the best way to achieve weight loss.

Following this process will help your cat gradually lose weight in a healthy way. This will have a positive impact on its life, extending it, making it easier to move and, above all, helping prevent obesity-related diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and joint problems.

Taking care of your cat's weight can bring many benefits to its life and, of course, to yours. Finally, we recommend asking your vet how the NUPEC Feline line, in kibble or wet food, can support your pet's well-being.

At NUPEC^®, we are committed to enhancing the health, beauty and life of pets through responsible scientific nutrition, bringing fulfillment to their owners.

References:

• Creating a Weight Reduction Plan for Cats
• The Growing Problem of Obesity in Dogs and Cats