Do you really know how to make your cat lose weight? When your cat’s weight increases dangerously · Babuzoo Blog
The issue of a cat’s weight is a very controversial issue. Depending on the breed, cats can have different body shapes and heights. For the health of our fur baby, it is worth being consistent and setting a clearly defined goal that will allow us to achieve the success that it is maintaining proper weight at our cat.
Is cat obesity just a matter of neglect?
The correct weight of the cat This is the basic thing we should take care of when taking care of him. An improper diet may be the first step to your pet’s obesity. High-calorie food given to cats can quickly increase its body weight. If your cat does not get enough exercise, weight changes may become noticeable even faster. Obesity in cats can also be caused by various diseases, such as hormonal changes related to diabetes, thyroid or adrenal gland diseases, which strongly affect their body weight. A cat suffering from joint pain may have problems with movement, which may cause its weight to increase significantly while maintaining the same caloric diet. Any doubts related to the health of our cat should be consulted with a veterinarian, and questions about its diet should be consulted with an animal dietitian. It is also important to perform periodic tests on your cat (about every six months), which will detect any abnormalities in its body.
What is the correct weight for a cat?
Unfortunately, there is no clear answer to this question. The correct weight of the cat should be assessed by a veterinarian each time. A veterinarian’s assessment in this case is necessary because we, like people who spend every day with our pet, may not notice or incorrectly assess changes in its weight, even if we weigh it regularly. The appearance of a cat’s body will vary depending on the breed. Correct weight of British cats will vary greatly from correct body weight Bengal cats, even if the cat remains the same age, height and length. These differences result from genetic conditions, which have a huge impact on the appearance of our cat’s body.
How much should a cat eat to avoid gaining weight?
The basis of a well-balanced diet is the appropriate selection of calories. However, this is not the only issue, because the appropriate amount of microelements, such as taurine, protein, vitamin D and fatty acids, is also important. However, it is the calorie content that has the greatest impact the correct weight of our cat. The resting amount of calories (RER) in our cat, i.e. the amount that will provide it with basic life functions, can be calculated using the formula in which we raise the cat’s weight to the power of 0.67 and then multiply the obtained value by 70.
How to keep your cat at a healthy weight?
However, a cat’s daily energy requirement will be much higher than at rest. To calculate the amount of calories your cat needs for the entire day, you need to determine what condition your cat is in. The K coefficient will depend on his health, age and activity, which, when multiplied by RER, will indicate the daily amount of calories needed for maintaining the correct weight of the cat.
The value of K will be:
1.2 – adult cats neutered
1.4 – adult unneutered cats
1.6 – active adult cats and female cats in heat
1.0 – adult cats not very active
0.8 – slimming cats
2.0 or ad libitum feeding – pregnant cats
2.5 – adolescent cats
1.2-1.4 recovery.
Correct weight for a cat will vary depending on various factors. If our cat is 100% healthy, we can confidently calculate the daily calorie requirement using these formulas. However, if the condition of our cat raises doubts, any issues regarding its diet should be consulted with a specialist.
