How to Make a Cat Lose Weight - 6 Vet Approved Truths (2023)
6 Amazing Scientifically Proven Methods For Cat Fat Loss - (100% Success Rate) - Written by: Wil Willson-Davies
#1 - Switch Up The Diet - High Protein/Low Carb
Humans and dogs have evolved to eat a whole range of proteins, fats and carbs. Cats aren't so lucky. As natural carnivores - cats thrive on a diet of mostly meat.
Change your cat to a more protein dominant diet and their digestive system will force the weight off.
Proteins are also more filling, meaning your cats appetite will come down - speeding up the weight loss process. High protein accelerate weight loss by up to 60%.
Check out: https://petobesityprevention.org/weight-loss-cats
Weight loss score: 9/10
#2 The Cat Food Bowl Trick
This ones simple, but effective. And here's why.
Moving your cat food bowl around the house during mealtimes forces your cat to hunt. This encourages natural behaviour, or 'Behaviour Enrichment'.
Behaviour Enrichment applied to mealtimes means your cat now associates food with exercise. An instinct which is lost when food comes easy.
Move the food bowl to a new spot every mealtime (don't make it impossible) and slowly see your cat become more active.
As we will discuss next - a moving cat is a cat which loses weight 100% of the time.
Weight loss score: 7.5/10
#3 Invest in a Cat Exercise Wheel
Warning: Spoiler -The cat wheel is the most effective tool to make a cat lose weight.
The Athlecat comes with an incredible number of benefits. It's a problem solving tool, meaning is cures boredom, and helps cats burn off fat - FAST.
Cat wheels make exercise fun - and come with an huge number of other benefits as well.
Using a cat wheel, cats are proven to...
- Decrease risk of serious health problems like obesity and diabetes
- Prevent depression and anxiety- a serious issue among indoor cats
- Make cats more social and friendly by improving overall mood
- Make overall training easier
- Increase lifespan by up to 30%
- Provide safe exercise - 39% of all cat deaths are caused by road traffic injuries
Read our blog: Are Cat Wheels Any Good? - 9 Reasons Your Cat NEEDS a Cat Running Wheel
You might need to bypass Rule #1 and give your cat treats to help with training, but the results are totally worth it. We recommend checking out some reviews for confirmation.
Learn more about training by reading our blog: How To Get A Cat Used To A Cat Wheel - 5 Essential Tips (2023)
Weight loss score: 10/10
#4 Separate Your Cats During Mealtimes
If you only have one cat - skip this one.
Cats work in dominance hierarchies - meaning quite often one cat eats before the other. Because cats are wired to eat until they're full, the first cat to eat will keep eating, sometimes eating for both cats.
Simple trick to avoid this, feed one cat at a time in separate rooms.
Don’t underestimate this tip if you have more than one cat. We've found it to be a serious help at home in avoiding clashes.
Weight loss score: 7/10
#5 Switch From Milk To Water
Your cat is going to hate me for this one.
Milk is high in saturated fats - and fats have the highest calorie content of food source.
Water is calorie negative -because you actually burn calories processing and gain none from consuming it. Making this small change is a great addition to your cat's weight loss programme.
Weight loss score: 5/10
#6 Be Patient
Everything: - In time.
Only you (and your vet) know how much your cat should lose. Weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint. Crash diets will only create a yo-yo weight bounceback, because the body panics and stores as much fat as possible.
Take it easy. Let your cat get used to their wheel - and in no time they'll be fit, healthy and happy again.
Weight loss journeys can take any time from a few months to a year, so don't get disheartened if you don't get the results you are after on day one.
Check out some amazing victories other people have had in our article: Do Cats Use Cat Wheels? 5 Amazing Stories about Cat Wheels (2023)
Conclusion
We've studied the maths and looked at the science. It's clear that a cat wheel is the smartest short- and long-term lifestyle choice for cat weight loss. Applying all of these tips together will bring the best results, and remember, have fun with it!
Lifestyle changes should be fun and exciting, don't make it boring for you and your cat.
Have a browse of our other articles here - Blogs/Articles - where we dive into detail about all things cat wheels, cat well-being and bring you some new and exclusive facts.
Thank you so much for reading, we wish you and your cat the best of luck!