How to Determine if Your Cat Is Overweight
If your favorite feline is wearing an apron instead of sporting an hourglass figure, you've got one fat cat.
- Difficulty:
- Easy
Instructions
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1
Check that your pet's ribs are easily felt but not visibly sticking out. This indicates that your cat is at a desirable weight.
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2
Look at your pet from above. Some indentation between the rib cage and the hips, depicting an hourglass shape, indicates that your pet is at a desirable weight.
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3
Check your pet's belly. If the belly of a cat protrudes, the cat may be overweight. (A protruding belly on a cat is called an apron.)
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4
Feel your pet's hips. Anything more than light fleshiness indicates that your pet is above normal weight.
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5
Always consult a veterinarian before putting a pet on a diet. Your veterinarian can recommend a special diet appropriate to your pet, and can examine your pet to rule out the possibility that a serious medical condition is causing the obesity.
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Tips & Warnings
Regular exercise helps your pet lose weight.
A cat's weight at 1 year of age often reflects the animal's optimal body weight, although this is not true of cats that are already obese at 1 year. A veterinarian can provide weight guidelines.
Visible ribs or excessive thinness could be a sign of hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) in cats, especially in those over 12 years of age. Consult a veterinarian if your pet is chronically underweight.
It's crucial not to let your cat become overweight - it could lead to hepatic lipidosis (a fatty liver).
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Comments
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CraftyStageGerl
Mar 04, 2009
Another alternative to typical fatty dry food (and yes, dry food is more fatty than wet food) is raw meat. Cats usually love it and mine lost significant fat and gained muscle. Any kind of raw hamburger meat or cooked chicken is a great idea. Supplement the diet with millk, cottage cheese, yogurt, or anything else high in calcium. -
CraftyStageGerl
Mar 04, 2009
Another alternative to typical fatty dry food (and yes, dry food is more fatty than wet food) is raw meat. Cats usually love it and mine lost significant fat and gained muscle. Any kind of raw hamburger meat or cooked chicken is a great idea. Supplement the diet with millk, cottage cheese, yogurt, or anything else high in calcium.
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CraftyStageGerl
Mar 04, 2009
Keep in mind that just one pound on a cat is like a grown man gaining 30 pounds. While you may think of it as "only one pound", this is a huge amount on most cats and can cause health problems.
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CraftyStageGerl
Mar 04, 2009
Keep in mind that just one pound on a cat is like a grown man gaining 30 pounds. While you may think of it as "only one pound", this is a huge amount on most cats and can cause health problems.
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ursulasmom
Feb 21, 2009
Comment about giving the fat cat more snuggle time might be helpful to my beautiful fat Strega.
