Indoor cats live longer lives, but are more prone to pack on extra weight. Here are a few tips to help keep Kitty lose weight gradually.

How to help your cat lose weight

Keeping your cat indoors can help him live a longer life, but housecats are prone to a more sedentary lifestyle that can lead to problems with weight gain. To help keep Kitty a healthy weight, you may need to reconsider his diet by and lifestyle by providing him with nutrient-rich food, carefully considered portions, and interactive toys to inspire activity and play.

Before ever starting a weight-loss program for your pet, talk to your veterinarian about establishing a plan that supports healthy dieting and avoids severe food restrictions. Rapid weight loss can cause a serious disease in cats called known as fatty liver disease, so this is a not a step you should skip when putting your cat on a weight-loss program. Once your veterinarian has approved a plan, you can begin working towards achieving a healthy weight for your pet. What “healthy” means is unique to each animal, but you can use your pet’s body to establish a good baseline for your companion. Objective measures of a cat’s body condition are based on observable features, such as whether you can see his ribs and a distinct waistline, and how easily you can feel your pet’s bone structure. At a healthy weight, you should be able to see your cat’s waist behind his ribs; feel, but not see, his ribs; and observe a small pouch of fat on his stomach.  Cats should never lose more than 2 percent of their body weight in a week, so shedding excess body mass should be a gradual process. While your veterinarian can assist in calculating calorie goals and a feeding schedule to help Kitty achieve a healthy weight, you can try your hand at helping him lose weight through small changes such as modifications to his food type. For example, a diet high in fiber and low in fat can help your pet feel fuller longer by allowing him to consume more volume of food without excess calories. Likewise, a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet can help your pet feel fuller longer and contribute to weight loss. Choosing wet foods with more water content will help with weight loss by increasing the volume of Kitty’s portions without contributing calories.

In addition to feeding your pet nutrient-rich food in controlled portions, you can help him lose weight gradually by supporting a more active lifestyle. Though living indoors increases cats’ life expectancies and protects wildlife such as birds that serve as prey for outdoor pets, housecats are less active and are prone to packing on extra weight. You can help your pet become more active by using toys such as laser pointers or fishing pole to play with your pet; giving him a puzzle feeder to challenge both his body and mind; or providing him with more vertical spaces for jumping and climbing, such as a cat trees and perches in windowsills. Combined with a healthy diet and portions, this can help your pet shed unhealthy weight in a controlled way.