What happens if your cat has too much weight?
Even just a couple of extra pounds can make your pet more likely to get some health problems such as type 2 diabetes and make others, like arthritis, worse. It can even keep them from grooming themselves properly. Keeping off excess weight should lead to a healthier, happier cat.
What should I do if my cat is overweight?
Reduce calories by 20-30% at the time of spay/neuter when energy requirements decrease (but don’t change to adult food until at least one year of age). Try to prevent your cat from becoming overweight, but if he puts on a pound or two, be sure to address it quickly before your cat gets even heavier.
How long does it take for a heavier cat to lose weight?
But a heavier cat may need to switch to canned diet food or a special prescription diet that has more protein, vitamins, and minerals per calorie. Be patient, Mustillo says. “If your goal is [your cat] losing a pound, it might take a good 6 months, maybe up to a year. It’s very slow.”
What’s the average weight of a medium cat?
On average, a medium or small cat should weight between 7 and 13 pounds. A large cat should weigh between 13 and 24 pounds. However, like people cats vary in shape and size. Your cat might fall outside of these ranges and still be healthy. Doing a body check can help you determine if your cat’s weight is a problem.
How much weight can a 10 pound cat lose?
But a pound weight loss in a 10 pound cat is loss of 10% of the cat’s body weight. That is significant. Too often, I have seen cats brought in for an examination only after they look like the cat to the left and this is MUCH too late! Unfortunately, when you look at your cat, you may not notice early weight loss.
Can a one year old cat gain weight back?
Erica wrote:”I have a one year old male cat. About 3 months ago he started drooling, lost body weight, and was irritable towards the other animals in the house. The symptoms keep coming and going. But he has not gained all his body weight back.
Is it common for cats to be overweight?
Fat cats are so common that you might not even realize yours is on the portly side. But overweight and obese cats now outnumber those at a healthy weight, and vets are seeing more super-obese cats, too.
What should I do if my kitten is overweight?
It’s been shown that cats are more likely to become overweight after spaying or neutering. We routinely recommend to decrease the amount of food after this procedure by 20-30% and to watch body condition closely, but it’s still important to keep your kitten on a diet that meets the needs of growing cats until he is at least 1 year of age. 4.
Is there an average weight for a cat?
It’s impossible to identify a true average cat weight because no cat is average, and every breed is unique. Only you and your veterinarian can determine your cat’s ideal body condition and come up with a plan to help her achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
Is it possible for a cat to be underweight?
Obesity is a concern with many cat breeds, but it’s possible for some cats to be underweight. This may be especially true if you’ve recently adopted a cat or taken in a stray.
In fact, the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention estimates that nearly 60 percent of cats in the United States are overweight. Excess weight can cause and exacerbate health problems in your cat, so it’s important to be able to recognize when your kitty is getting chubby so that you can take steps to reduce the impact on her health.
What causes a cat to gain so much weight?
The Cummings Center also notes that excess weight can cause chronic inflammation, a condition that negatively impacts the overall health of pets in ways vets and pet parents are only beginning to discover. The most common causes of cat weight gain are overfeeding and not enough exercise, says Wag!.
But a heavier cat may need to switch to canned diet food or a special prescription diet that has more protein, vitamins, and minerals per calorie. Be patient, Mustillo says. “If your goal is [your cat] losing a pound, it might take a good 6 months, maybe up to a year. It’s very slow.”