 Overweight cats are owned by more than half of all cat owners. And, while it's easy to dismiss a few extra ounces as just extra fluffy fur, extra fat has serious consequences. Whether it's the risk of a shorter lifespan, an increased risk of health problems, or simply mobility issues, even a few extra pounds can have a significant impact on your cat's health. It's easy to minimize the importance of weight loss when your veterinarian says your cat could lose two pounds or so. After all, two pounds don't make much difference to humans. But with the average cat weighing in at 10 pounds, two pounds represents a substantial problem. To understand the scope of the problem, think about it this way. Consider the average 160-pound person and compare them to the average 10-pound cat. Two extra pounds on that cat is the equivalent of 32 extra pounds on that 160-pound human. And if the average cat had three pounds of weight on their frame, that equals nearly 50 pounds of excess weight on an average human frame. Reasons why your cat should lose weight. As little as two pounds above the ideal body weight can put your cat at risk for developing some serious medical conditions. Unfortunately, when a cat is overweight or obese it no longer is a question of if your cat will develop a condition secondary to the excess weight, but how soon and how serious. Some of the common disorders associated with excess weight include. Type 2 diabetes, an obese cat is three times more likely to develop this serious disease than a cat of normal weight. Heart disease. Osteoarthritis, arthritis. Increased frequency of joint injuries. High blood pressure. Some forms of cancer, especially intra-abdominal cancers. Overweight and obese cats usually have shorter lives than their fitter, normal weight counterparts do. Heavy cats tend to physically interact less with their families and are less energetic and playful. Because they tend to lie around more, it is easier to overlook early signs of illness, since we may attribute their lethargy to their normal laziness. We are just now learning how serious and threatening a few extra pounds can be for both humans and our cuddly companions. Theoretically, weight loss seems simple enough, fewer calories and plus more calories out equals weight loss. Unfortunately, it is not as simple as that. You should never put an obese cat on a diet without veterinary supervision. Determining how much weight to lose. Human beings often talk about weight loss in terms of pounds because we often use weight-based guidelines to assess our ideal body type. But BMI charts and other guidelines that work for the majority of humans don't really work for cats. When assessing the best body type for a cat, we recommend you use body condition scoring. Body condition scoring for cats often uses a 1-5 scale or the 1-9 scale. Mud Bay uses the 1-5 scale, so a score of 3 is considered ideal. If your cat exceeds the ideal score, a scale can be useful to track monthly weight loss goals, but you'll still want to do a hands-on and visual check as you approach your goal. It can also be tough to assess your own cat. Your veterinarian will be able to help you determine your cat's body condition, as well as set weight loss goals. Muddies are also trained to help you assess your cat's body condition if you need help. Hello. This video is sponsored by Beemix Pets. Are you looking for high quality cat collars at an affordable cost? Check out BeemixPets.com. Use coupon code KittenLife to get 20% off. Slow and steady weight loss wins the race. Purposeful weight loss should improve health, but cats need to follow a careful weight loss plan to make sure their liver isn't impacted. When a cat loses weight quickly, it's possible that they could develop fatty liver disease. Fatty liver disease, which your veterinarian probably calls hepatic lipidosis, in some circumstances can be caused by rapid weight loss and can potentially be fatal. Slow weight loss will allow your cat to reap all the health benefits of a svelte frame without the risk to internal organs. Your goal should be weight loss that's only 3-4% of your cat's total weight per month. For a 12-pound cat, that's a range of 5.76-7.68 ounces per month. To further protect against fatty liver disease, consider feeding your cat diets high at L-carnitine or supplementing their L-carnitine consumption with low calorie treats or a supplement. There's limited evidence, including a 2002 study, that found that L-carnitine helps protect the liver during weight loss. L-carnitine also protects and may even help build muscle mass during weight loss, so it can be a valuable supplement for any cat working towards a weight loss goal. Fitting exercise into the hunt-eat-groom-sleep-repeat cycle. Your cat already has a preferred daily rhythm cultivated by millions of years of evolution. Unlike other animals, your domestic feline expects to hunt several times a day with shorter rests in between. We call this the hunt-eat-groom-sleep-repeat cycle, and by understanding it, you can glean valuable information about the best time to play with your cat. Many cat owners think their cat isn't interested in playing, but often it's just the timing that's wrong. The best possible time to play with your cat is right before they're ready to chow down. 10-15 minutes before it's time to eat, you can start the hunt. Now's the time to break out a favorite toy and lead your cat in a chase around the house. Sometimes, your cat is more interested in food than playing before meals. In this case, the solution is easy, try moving food around as part of playtime. If you can get your cat to follow you around the house for 10 minutes as you carry around their bowl, that's a win. Do that before each of their three meals, and you'll have handily fit 30 minutes of exercise into their routine. Depending on your cat, you can also help them hunt for their food. Try portioning their foods into tiny amounts and placing the food in various parts of the house. Make some places somewhat difficult to reach to ensure your cat will have a challenge. Many cats will enjoy the intellectual stimulation of hunting around the house for food. It can be a great game to play when you're away at work or appointments because it encourages your cat to stay active. Of course, if you have multiple cats, hunting for food may not work for your household. Diet alterations that may help your cat lose weight. Feeding your cat slightly less food can help them lose weight. But food reduction isn't the only weight loss option to try. Kibble contains a lot more carbohydrates than cats need, so many cats naturally lose weight when they eat the same amount of lower carbohydrate wet or raw food. Switching from wet to raw may also help your cat lose weight. While not all cats will make a diet switch, we strongly recommend incorporating at least some wet or raw food into your cat's diet. The advantages of the higher moisture levels in these foods help protect your cat from chronic dehydration in the urinary stones and infections that often come with it. Weight loss is often a desirable side effect of this diet change. When weight loss is your top priority, raw food is the most effective. Cats respond best to a low carbohydrate diet that's full of muscle protecting protein. And many cats transition easily to raw food if they're given enough time to adjust. Sometimes kibble is the only type of food that works for your cat or your household. In these cases, look for a high protein, low carbohydrate kibble to help aid the weight loss process. Most cats's obligate carnivores will respond to this change by dropping excess fat. A few felines might not respond to this type of kibble. In these cases, low calorie and high fiber kibble is the next food type to try. When to talk to your vet about weight loss? Most veterinarians are eager to partner with you to help your overweight cat. Ensuring that your cat loses a small amount of weight every week can be tricky, and there are a few unusual health issues that can hinder weight loss. So if you've switched to raw or wet food, or the lowest carbohydrate option your cat will eat, and played regularly with your cat, but you still don't see the scale budge, talk to your veterinarian. Your veterinarian's office will be able to help you troubleshoot any specific issues you've been having. 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