How To Put A Cat On A Diet
The program for weight loss in cats is multi-stage and includes the following steps:
- Analysis by a veterinarian. You need to consult your veterinarian before putting your pet on a diet since there are many health considerations. Your veterinarian will assess your family friend and determine if there are any underlying diseases causing obesity or if your pet is at risk for any illnesses caused by obesity. They can then recommend the most suitable foods for your cat. Rapid weight loss can affect the health, so the veterinarian will help you set the optimal program ideal for your animal. A cat with excess weight should not be abruptly transferred to a diet with a limited number of calories or lose weight too quickly. This can cause serious and even fatal hepatic lipidosis.
- Changing the diet. Choose the most appropriate product. Naturally, to reduce weight, you need to limit the number of calories. Most programs recommend giving the cat 75% of the calories it would need if it had the ideal weight.
There are two ways to reduce the number of calories. The first is to give the cat less food. The second is to switch to a diet containing fewer calories.
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Hill’s Science Diet Perfect Weight For Weight Management
This is a chicken recipe, a veterinarian-recommended choice that features natural ingredients tailored for adult cat weight management.
It is highly reputable among overweight cat owners as one of the best low-fat cat food products in the market, providing the perfect option when you have an adult overweight cat pet that might find it hard to exercise.
Its ingredients are entirely organic and dont have any traces of additional human-made preservatives that might deter your cats health even further.
This meal is uniquely designed to support feline weight management by providing adequate and nutritious protein and fiber and is available in an assortment of categories, offering a wide variety to choose from.
What we like
Spayed Or Neutered Cats & Weight Gain
Once your cat is spayed or neutered, weight gain is very common. That is because these procedures cause a cats metabolism to slow down, causing body fat to be distributed to the body, especially in the abdomen.
Its very easy to tell when a cat is fixed because a large portion of their body weight gravitates towards their infamous fat pouch on their bellies.
Even though some weight gain is expected, it can be really easy for your cat to pack on the extra pounds. If their activity levels are also decreasing, it is incredibly important to get a handle on offering extra calories.
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Purina Friskies Tender & Crunchy Combo Senior Dry Cat Food
- This food contains meaty, tender pieces made with a combination of beef, chicken flavor, green beans, and carrots to help support strong lean muscles.
- Besides this food helps to support the healthy coat and skin of your cat with essential fatty acids.
- To improve the healthy immune system of your feline, it contains antioxidants.
- The pleasing crunchy kibble shapes grab your feline attention at mealtime.
- Lastly, this food is suitable for making belly happy for all life stages because this formula contains 100% balanced and complete nutrition.
Dangers Of Obesity In Cats
No good and loving pet parent would like to put their cats health at risk. However, if you are the type of owner who gives and gives in order to satisfy your catswants, you may be shortening your cats life.
If you are someone who is still doubtful about the life-threatening effects of excessive weight and imbalanced diet on cats, the risks below will hopefully change your mind.
- Mobility problems
- Degeneration of joints or osteoarthritis
- High blood pressure or hypertension
- Anesthetic complications
- Heart disease
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Purina Friskies Indoor Delights Dry Cat Food Best Value
If youre looking for the best cat food for indoor cats for the money, then we recommend the Purina Friskies Indoor Delights Dry Cat Food. This palatable kibble contains flavors of salmon, chicken, garden greens, and cheese. As a complete and balanced food, it can be fed as the only food to adult cats and will provide all the nutrition that they need. Bear in mind that any cat on a kibble-only diet should have their water intake monitored so you know if theyre staying hydrated enough.
This kibble contains less fat than the comparable Friskies option for outdoor cats, helping you manage your indoor cats weight while still helping them feel full and satisfied. As a budget choice, the compromise here is that the first ingredient is ground yellow corn, not real meat. The protein source for this kibble is chicken, meat, and fish meal. Thats expected for a kibble in this price range, though.
To conclude, we think this is the best indoor cat food for the money.
As our premium choice, we recommend the Blue Buffalo Wilderness Indoor Dry Cat Food. This food contains a high level of protein at 38%, most of which comes from the real deboned chicken as the first ingredient of this food. This helps your kitty build lean muscle, but it is combined with a lower fat content than Blue Buffalos equivalent kibble for outdoor cats, helping your indoor cat maintain a healthy weight. This formula is grain-free and made without soy, corn, or wheat.
- Contains peas, which can trigger allergies
American Journey Turkey & Chicken Dry Cat Food
American Journey Turkey & Chicken is a grain free dry cat food that features deboned turkey, turkey meal, and chicken meal as the first three ingredients. The mix of 40% protein and 15% fat offers a satisfying meal and complete nutrition for adult indoor cats.
Key Features:
- Grain free, dry cat food in turkey and chicken recipe
- Contains essential amino acids like taurine, and antioxidants that support immune system, heart, and eye health
- Manufactured in the USA
Pros:
- Complete with supplements including vitamin A, B2 , B3 , B12, D3, E, folic acid, and more
- Contains no by-product meal
- Made without corn, wheat, soy, or artificial preservatives
- Suitable for all life stages
Cons:
IAMS Proactive Health is specifically formulated for indoor cats to support healthy weight and digestion, two main considerations for indoor felines. Chicken is the first ingredient in the recipe, with the kibble containing 30% protein and 11% fat content.
Key Features:
- Dry cat food in chicken flavor
- Formulated to decrease hairballs and help cats maintain a healthy weight
- L-Carnitine to help indoor cats burn fat
- Fiber blend of grains, rice, and beets help reduce hairball issues
- Available in 3.5, 7, 16, and 22 pound bags
Pros:
- Chicken is the first ingredient
- No artificial preservatives or dyes
- Contains a complete set of essential vitamins and minerals no additional supplements required
Cons:
- Contains corn and wheat based ingredients
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Smalls Fresh Cow Recipe Best Overall
The Fresh Cow Recipe from Smalls is a great premium choice for your indoor feline. The recipe features a whopping 90% lean, human-grade, ground beef, which makes up 68.32% of the food total. It also contains 10% beef liver and beef heart, all of which give the food a 21.6% crude protein content overall. The food is also packed with healthy vegetables like green beans, spinach, and peas, plus all the additional vitamin and mineral supplements your cat needs to thrive like vitamins A, D3, B12, and minerals calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium. The food is available in a minced or pate recipe to suit your cats unique preferences.
The only issues we found with this food are the high price, as well as the fact that some of the overall protein content comes from peas.
- A portion of the overall protein content comes from peas
The Ideal Indoor Cat Weight
How do I know if my indoor cat is overweight? First, while you want your indoor cat within a healthy weight range, you also want to make sure that it is not underweight. One way to tell is by looking at the average weight range of domestic cats, basing it primarily on their size, age, breed, and gender. Generally, most domestic cats weigh between 8 10 pounds. However, bigger species such as the Maine Coon and the Savannah cat naturally weigh more. Keep in mind that some cats naturally have more lean muscles than others. You should have no concern about obesity with these cats as the “weight” is muscle weight, not fat.
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With The Right Food And A Solid Strategy You Can Help Your Cat Reach A Healthy Weight
Weight loss isnt an arcane pursuit. Once youve established a strong strategy and chosen a nutritious diet, your biggest challenge will be to stay disciplined and consistent.
Especially if youre converting your cat from dry food to wet cat food, youre bound to encounter some frustrations along the way. There will be days when you want to give in to your cats meows and give up altogether. When you feel like youre hitting a wall, take a deep breath and remember that a healthier, happier cat is waiting on the other side.
Track your cats weight loss from week to week. Also, talk to your veterinarian about your cats weight loss. If your cats weight has plateaued, your vet might recommend trying a different food or adding in extra exercise to stimulate weight loss.
Regarding exercise, physical activity is a critical component of weight loss. In combination with fewer calories from the new diet, physical activity will help increase your cats metabolism, helping your cat burn more calories.
Blue Buffalo Indoor Health Natural Adult Dry Cat Food Chicken & Brown Rice 15
$ as of March 5, 2022 11:32 pm
Features
- REAL MEAT FIRST: Blue Buffalo dry cat food always features real meat as the first ingredient High-quality protein from real chicken helps your cat maintain strong muscles Plus, it contains wholesome whole grains, garden veggies and fruit
- FOR INDOOR CATS: Holistically formulated to support indoor cats, BLUE Indoor Health Cat Food provides balanced calories from protein and fat to help maintain a healthy body weight It contains omega 3 & 6 fatty acids to promote skin and coat health
- WITH LIFESOURCE BITS: This formula contains Blue’s exclusive LifeSource Bits – a precise blend of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals carefully selected by holistic veterinarians and animal nutritionists, to support immune system health
- NATURAL CAT FOOD: Blue dry cat food is made with the finest natural ingredients enhanced with vitamins and minerals It never contains chicken by-product meals, corn, wheat, soy, artificial flavors or preservatives
- Contains one 15-lb. bag of BLUE Indoor Health Natural Adult Dry Cat Food, Chicken & Brown Rice
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The Dangers Of Obesity In Cats
Obesity in cats is defined as a bodyweight that is 20% or more above the normal weight. While different breeds of cat have different normal weights, it is easy to tell when a cat is obese. Aside from the actual numbers on the scale, you can tell whether a cat is overweight or obese by judging his body condition. To do so, you will need to view your cats body from the side and from above while he is standing at rest. When looking at your cats profile from the side you should be able to see a clear waistline and a visible tummy tuck the ribs may or may not be visible but you should be able to feel them under a thin layer of fat.
If your cat does not have a clear waistline and his stomach bulges outward and sags downward he may be overweight. If there is a noticeable pad of fat that wobbles when the cat walks, he is likely to be very overweight. If you view your cats profile from the side and the waistline is absent, he may be obese. Obese cats also typically exhibit a bulging stomach that sags downward with pads of fat over the lower back and an additional pad on the stomach which sways or wobbles as the c at walks. The ribs will be covered in a very thick layer of fat and you will not be able to feel them. If your cat meets the qualification for overweight, very overweight, or obese you should see a veterinarian.
Hills Prescription Diet Adult Dry Cat Food
- This food the best dry cat food for senior cats with kidney problems that help to reduce chronic kidney disease progression.
- The kidneys maintain the normal balance of minerals and fluid within the body by filtering toxins and waste from the blood.
- With the age of the cat and other pets, kidney tissue damage may occur, and its an irreversible process until the loss of kidney function.
- This decrease in kidney function may lead to loss of muscle mass, and less food intake results in sick cat health.
- This clinically tested diet is developed with a veterinarians and nutritionists prescription.
- Lastly, this food supports your feline kidney function properly, helps maintain muscle mass and lengthen their lives.
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Best Organic: Castor & Pollux Cat Organix Shredded Chicken
Calories: 1,121 kcal/kg wet food | Flavors: Chicken, turkey, chicken and chicken liver, shredded chicken, shredded chicken and chicken liver, turkey, brown rice and chicken | Prescription Required: No
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Omega-6 and 3 fatty acids for healthy skin and fur
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Added fiber to reduce hairballs
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Not available in all stores
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Some picky cats wont eat it
Although we couldnt find an organic cat food specifically designed for weight loss, many cat parents have found that their cats lost weight and maintained a healthy weight naturally when they switched to organic cat food. Although there are fewer organic cat food brands on the market, the ones that are available are pretty wonderful.
The first ingredient is organic free-range chicken or turkey. The high protein content from prey meats and low filler content will satisfy your cats appetite without wasted calories. The organic ingredients are also produced without pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, artificial preservatives, added growth hormones, or antibiotics.
Castor & Pollux have been making organic pet food since 2003. Since 2017, the entire Organix line of cat and dog foods, both wet and dry, are U.S. Department of Agriculture Certified Organic. Ten of its recipes are Non-GMO Project Verified. They are even cooked in an organically-certified kitchen in the United States. Its line is also certified by the Association of American Feed Control Officials Cat Food Nutrient Profiles for All Life Stages.
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Not available in a wet food
Iams Proactive Health Editors Choice
Pros
- Unique natural fiber blend for hairball control
- Fish oil for essential fatty acids
Once sold exclusively through veterinarians and special pet food stores, Iams premium pet food is now available anywhere you find cat food, and for its well-deserved premium-quality reputation, their products are surprisingly affordable. Iams Proactive Health dry cat food is our top choice for best cat food for indoor cats. Specially made to help manage the weight and hairball issues that indoor cats often experience, both adult cats and their owners love this tasty nutritious chicken and turkey kibble.
Nutrition & Ingredients
Iams ProActive Health dry kibble has chicken listed first on the ingredients list and protein makes up 30% of the formula. At about 300 kcals per cup, Iams includes L-carnitine, a naturally produced type of amino acid, to help the cats body burn fat and maintain weight, and fish oil for the omega fatty acids needed to maintain a healthy coat. The blend of beet pulp along with other natural fibers works to suppress hairballs and promote good digestion, all without using any artificial preservatives.
What Are Buyers Saying?
The Bottom Line
- Vitamins E & D3 for immune support
Cons
- Kibble has food coloring
Nutrition & Ingredients
What Are Buyers Saying?
The Bottom Line
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How To Spot If Your Cat Is Overweight
It can sometimes be tricky to tell if your cat is overweight – especially if theyre long haired or a stocky kind of breed. You might perhaps notice that your cat is reluctant to move around, or perhaps theyre not very agile and are unable to jump up into previously favourited high spots.
These signs can be caused by other things, of course, so if you are in any doubt as to whether your cat is a healthy weight, then see your vet. Theyll be able to examine your cat, check their body condition, weigh them, and advise you on whether you need to make any changes to your cats daily routine or diet.
Why You Should Trust Us
Over the last year, weve reviewed over 80 cat food brands, including most of the biggest brands on the planet. Weve read customer reviews, spoken with market insiders, and tested foods hands-on.
Based on that research, were bringing you an updated list of the best cat food brands and products in the industry. The following foods earn their place with outstanding ingredient quality, nutritional merits, and safety records.
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Why Your Cat Could Be Overweight
There are several reasons your cat could be overweight. Just like when humans are overweight, a combination of factors could be involved, especially when it comes to food and exercise.
Indoor cats are often not as active as outdoor cats. If they are not staying active enough, they could start to gain weight, especially if their diet does not reflect their level of inactivity.
Feeding your cat too much or too frequently could also result in their weight gain. Sometimes the food they eat has too many calories, their portion sizes are too large, and they get too many treats. Also, if you just leave dry food down for them all day long, they may become little gluttons and pig out too frequently.
We know its hard to resist that cute, furry face when theyre begging for treats or more food, but putting your foot down and monitoring their diet may just be what helps keep them healthy for a long time.