Healthy Feeding Routines for Indoor Weight Control

Just as with humans, cats need to maintain an ideal weight to remain healthy. Achieving this goal may help prevent or delay diabetes – an increasingly prevalent condition among overweight indoor cats.

Limit treats and table scraps to 10% of total calories to help mitigate hard-to-ignore begging behavior that leads to weight gain.

Feeding Schedules

Adult cats require a balanced, high-quality diet to meet their energy requirements and maintain optimal body weight. Achieving this balance benefits the immune and cardiovascular systems as well as helps prevent fatty liver disease (hepatic lipidosis) and joint discomfort.

Cat owners know that excess weight gain is a serious health threat for their cats. Excess weight puts an undue strain on joints, heart and liver systems as well as making exercise harder to come by – leading to more stress and reduced activity levels for cats who are overweight.

Owners should be able to determine how much food their cats require; however, assistance from a veterinarian or nutritionist may be necessary. A general rule of thumb for cat feedings is that two-thirds of daily calories should come from one to three meals daily and the remainder in form of water consumption.

Some owners find their cats prefer grazing throughout the day and enjoying small meals throughout the day, rather than eating all at once. Although allowing grazing may be acceptable in certain households, owners must remember the nutritional value of each meal and track intake with a food scale. Rehydrated freeze-dried raw or canned food can be added to dry kibble to make it more tempting for cats who like nibbling; however it must be remembered that this food must remain at room temperature within hours after it has been brought to room temperature.

As soon as a cat knows when and where its food will arrive, they begin exhibiting anticipatory behaviors around eating time, such as pacing, vocalization or aggressive behaviors to try to secure sustenance from its owner or household members. When food resources become limited, these behaviors become even more intense as cats seek attention from humans or other animals in order to obtain nourishment.

Some owners worry about “whisker stress,”42,43 the discomfort allegedly caused when cats’ whiskers touch the sides of a bowl when eating. To minimize this issue, offer different styles of dishes so your cat can choose his or her preferred style of dishware for eating. Many owners may worry that cats won’t drink enough water when its source is close by; however, studies show this doesn’t increase consumption rates at all!

Nutrition

Along with creating a consistent feeding schedule, it’s also vital that your cat has sufficient nutrition. A balanced diet provides essential vitamins and minerals necessary for good health and weight control, with your veterinarian being the ideal source of guidance on this matter. They may suggest commercially produced cat food or customizing homemade diets according to what suits your pet best.

As cats are carnivorous animals, most of their nutrition comes from animal sources. A quality commercial cat food product should provide this essential mix without providing too many extra calories or carbohydrates.

Cats typically prefer eating smaller, frequent meals rather than free-choice feeding which can lead to obesity, overeating, health issues and reduced life span. Overfeeding can result in obesity as well as many other serious medical issues which shorten a cat’s life span.

An optimal diet includes providing your pet with adequate water intake in order to promote proper hydration and digestion. Your veterinarian can advise you on the optimal water amount for your animal.

As soon as a cat becomes sick or stressed, their appetite can decrease drastically and they may refuse to eat certain new diets due to texture, smell, or taste concerns.

To engage a reluctant or finicky eater, gradually introduce their new diet over several days or weeks. For instance, when switching from free-choice dry kibble to regular wet food schedule, mix in small portions of wet food daily into their dry kibble meal before gradually decreasing its ratio until your pet eats its full daily portion of wet food.

Due to cats’ penchant for grooming themselves, they tend to swallow large quantities of hair that builds up in their stomach and intestines, leading to painful conditions known as hairballs that must be surgically extracted. Veterinarians recommend providing cats with special diets designed to minimize hairball formation as one way of helping avoid this happening.

Medication

Fat is essential to cat health, but too much fat can lead to obesity and related health problems. To keep cats in peak physical condition, owners and vets should regularly discuss weight and feeding habits with one another. A vet may provide ways of decreasing unnecessary calories through treats or chews from table scraps or home-prepared food; alternatively they could suggest methods of increasing fat consumption without adding too many extra calories such as using foods that release their fat slowly over time or enrichment toys to make eating enjoyable while encouraging physical activity.

At the consultation, it is crucial to establish who lives with and interacts with the cat, in order to determine its behavior and if it steals food or gets into garbage, scavenges or hunts (see diet history box, page 331). Furthermore, it can provide clues as to when and how often he or she spends time outdoors; additionally, their veterinarian should inquire as to their activity level as well as any preexisting conditions which might impede energy needs of their energy needs.

A healthy pet is defined as one who consumes exactly as much energy as they expend, so vets should recommend an individual caloric allowance tailored specifically to your pet’s age, breed and lifestyle needs. While most information can be found on pet food labels, only an experienced veterinary technician or pet nutritionist would possess accurate knowledge regarding each client’s dietary requirements.

Veterinarians should explain to clients how to feed their pet correctly by emphasizing a balanced diet is key for optimal health, including all necessary vitamins and minerals. In addition, they should suggest ways to accurately measure serving sizes while encouraging use of feeding toys for controlling calorie consumption.

Wild predatory cats typically consume multiple meals throughout the day to match their natural metabolisms. According to the World Small Animal Veterinary Association, felines need a diet high in proteins, low carbs and fat to remain at an ideal weight and health status; canned foods offer greater variety while helping prevent urinary tract disease while making consumption easier for your cat.

Activity

Establishing regular meal times helps establish expectations for felines who are food motivated or likely to gain weight quickly. This is particularly beneficial in cases of food obsession or sudden weight gain.

Cats need at least two meals daily, typically spaced 8-12 hours apart. This timing corresponds with their natural hunting rhythm as well as the anatomy of their stomachs which only have room for small quantities at any one time. Furthermore, this allows accurate measuring and avoidance of overfeeding which could result in weight gains.

Enrichment options that promote foraging behaviors are an excellent way to stimulate activity levels in cats, and allow them to spend more time playing. Not only can these activities help burn calories, but they can also reinforce behaviors like chasing and playfulness–an integral component of living healthily both indoor and outdoor cats alike.

Studies have demonstrated that many indoor cats are fed free-range or solitary diets, which can present problems when it comes to weight control. Cats fed this way are more likely to become overweight; free feeding also encourages consumption of treats and table food which increase calorie consumption significantly.

Teaching clients how to assess their cat’s body condition is a key step in combatting obesity issues. Owners who misjudge their pet’s physical condition could lead to weight gains that lead to health risks and potentially increase costs associated with care.

Indoor cats that have lost the opportunity to forage for their food often resort to enrichment options like hiding kibble around the house and placing it in puzzle toys to recreate a treasure hunt-esque experience and provide exercise while providing stimulation and challenge.

Employing multiple of these strategies can assist clients in controlling their cat’s appetite, activity level and overall health. Working closely with their veterinarian to select appropriate types and amounts of food is also key for optimal nutrition.