Maintaining a healthy weight is all about balancing the calories offered with the calories needed each day.

Count Calories:  As a general rule, cats require about 200 calories a day.  For a more accurate calorie count you can calculate your cat’s daily energy requirements by multiplying his/her ideal body weight in kilograms by 30 and then add 70.  For weight loss, gradually reduce the amount of calories currently being fed to 60-70% of the calculated energy requirement.  Your veterinarian can estimate your cat’s ideal body weight from his/her current body condition score. 

Keep a food diary: Include ALL of your cat’s food sources (treats, human food, and other pet food).   Pet foods vary greatly in calorie content and determining the calorie count can take some research (online or by phone to the food manufacturer.)

Make calories count: The ideal feline diet provides 50% calories from protein and less than 25% of calories from carbohydrates.  Satiety depends on the quantity of food offered, so food needs to be nutritionally complete and filling.  Dry food is energy dense; a small amount (1/2 cup) contains all the calories a cat needs for a whole day. Unfortunately, this small amount may not be filling (or nutritionally complete), and your kitty might still feel hungry after eating enough calories for the day.  Canned food is much more filling due to the increased water content, so a cat can have more food for the same calorie count!

Feel the burn: The benefits of exercise go beyond burning calories; it also increases muscle mass and metabolic rate, improves mobility, strengthens the pet-owner bond, provides mental stimulation, and benefits the cardiovascular system.  One study showed that active play for 10 minutes daily produces the same weight loss as calorie restriction.

Make it interesting:  In the wild, cats spend time exploring, climbing, hunting, interacting with other cats, chasing things, and investigating interesting sights, smells and noises.  All of this physical and mental stimulation burns off the calories that have been consumed.  This same level of stimulation can be replicated for domestic cats by using devices that require physical activity and mental prowess to obtain food, adding climbing towers, window perches, scratching posts, grooming supplies, toys and having regular play time with your cat.

Slow and steady wins the race:  Losing weight too rapidly can be unhealthy and even dangerous for cats.  The ideal rate for weight loss is 1-1.5% per week; at this rate the majority of weight loss is from body fat and not muscle. 

Form a support system: Has your kitty hit a plateau in weight loss?  Does he beg for food, sometimes violently?  Keep you up at night?  What about your senior cat’s dietary needs?    All worthwhile goals have a few obstacles. Don’t give up!  Call us for support, suggestions, and tips on what has worked for other cats.