I’ve always had a special place in my heart for fat cats. They just seem so fluffy and cuddly! Overweight cats, however, aren’t healthy and their weight should be addressed to avoid illnesses that come with obesity.
I don’t know about you, but it bothers most people when someone calls their pet “fat”. No one wants to be seen as the cat parent who doesn’t take care of their kitty’s health. If you find yourself in this position, it’s time to take action and help your cat lose some weight.
What To Do With Fat Cats
As you would expect, adjusting diet is the first mode of action when addressing your cat’s weight problems.
Calories is one way to address diet. Here’s the equation you need to figure out how to adjust caloric intake:
- Convert your cat’s weight to kilograms by dividing the weight in pounds by 2.2
- Multiply the number of kilograms by 30
- Add 70 to that number
- Now multiply that number by 0.8
The end result is the number of daily calories that your kitty needs to maintain the same weight she is currently at. Reducing the amount of calories helps her to lose weight.
Calories vs. Carbs for Fat Cats
While caloric intake is an important aspect of weight loss, the type of calories our cats eat is equally important. If you’re feeding your cat empty calories – meaning food that doesn’t contribute to health – then adjusting the type of food they eat is also necessary.
As we all know, carbohydrates and starches convert to sugar and cause weight gain. It’s the same for our cats as it is for us, only they don’t actually need carbohydrates in their diet at all. Carbs offer no nutritional benefit to felines, so it’s not wise to feed them in excess – especially to fat cats.
All kibble, regardless of quality, contains a high amount of carbohydrates in each serving. Simply switching your cat to a canned or species appropriate fresh food diet will help your cat lose weight quickly. No more counting calories necessary! If you need help on transitioning your kitty from kibble to a better food, click here.
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