Is Your Cat Overweight?
As a cat parent, you might often have doubts about your cat’s nutritional well-being. An important issue to address is that of your cat’s weight. It is important to keep a tab on your cat’s weight since it is an essential factor in their overall health.
Being overweight has pathological and psychological effects on your cat. Your cat might start to refrain from participating in activities they would normally undertake such as playing and personal hygiene. This can lead to skin problems and prone infections, as well as indicate that your kitty might be feeling depressed or anxious. Overweight cats are more prone to diseases and excess weight gain can lead to chronic inflammation. Thus, keeping a check of your cat’s weight is an essential step of caring for their overall health.
To check if your cat is in fact gaining weight at an unhealthy rate, incorporate these quick and easy steps in your frequent grooming routine.
- Rib Check: You should be able to feel their rib cage, which can be difficult to judge merely by a visual check. Place your thumbs on your cat’s backbone and spread both hands across the ribcage to check the same.
- Profile Check: Level yourself with your cat and examine their profile. Check if their abdomen is tucked up behind the rib-cage, which is an ideal posture.
- Overhead Check: Check if you are able to see a waist behind her ribs when looking from above. This is ideal as well.
In case your cat doesn’t pass the checks above, there is a chance that they are overweight. To tackle this issue, it is imperative to control their diet. While the obvious solution might seem to be cutting down the portion sizes, it is important to avoid that as it could lead to a liver disease. Instead, switch to a nutritious weight control cat food formula which will help in gradually reducing weight. Take your cat to the vet immediately to identify or rule out any underlying health issues that could be leading to their weight gain. Additionally, increase your pet cat’s activity levels by combining play time with a cat tree.
Identifying and tackling any chances of your cat being overweight or even inching towards obesity puts you in the right track of cat care. Keeping an eye out on your kitty’s food and exercise ensures long years of snuggles and cuddles.
Related Articles
Why you shouldn’t feed your cat a Raw Food diet
Your cat’s well-being depends on the essential
