It’s pretty clear that we love our cats. After all, cats are the most popular companion animals in NZ! And if you visit any pet store, you’ll find more products for cats than any other pet in the NZ area. There are cat bowls, food, scratching posts, climbing posts, bells, swatters, you name it if a cat owner thinks their cat’s gonna love it, it’s most probably going to be there. 

 

And maybe we are guilty of loving our cats too much.

 

It can’t be helped, anything a cat does is cute. There are hundreds, if not thousands of Youtube videos devoted to the cats. And these channels are watched by millions of cat lovers worldwide! 

 

  Why are cats so cute? If it rolls around and looks at you with its big, round eyes, you fall in love. If your cat is fond of rubbing itself against your leg, you let it. If it climbs up on your chest and lightly rests its paw on your face, there’s no other feeling you can experience that’s just like that.
 

And when they meow to signal that they are hungry we hurriedly pour the contents of their food into their bowls. Which sometimes makes you wonder, we do so much for our pet cats… who’s the master and who’s the pet now?

 

This creates a cycle wherein our pet cats associate meowing as a form of irresistible begging and we feed them whatever they want when they do this. There’s a reward for insistent begging for this sneaky little fur babies! This cycle results in our cats becoming fatter and fatter. And do we even become worried? 

 

Not in the least bit. 

 

To be honest, we personally like our cats a little on the plump side. There’s just something about a plump cat that makes you want to hug it tight and give it all the love it can take. But plump and fat are two very different things. 

 

When your cat starts having trouble walking because it’s too big, then maybe it’s time to bring it to the vet and have it checked. Maybe put it on a diet.

 

But first, here’s how you can make an amateur assessment of your cat’s health. Or the level of obesity to be a little bit more blunt. 

 

1. Visual check - You’ll know if your cat is too fat if you can clearly see that it is. This type of check-up is applicable even for the long furred variety of cats. 

2. The pick-up-if-its-heavy test - The second examination you can do is to pick up your cat and assess just how heavy he or she is. Do not try this on an obese Main Coone or other large variety of cats, there have been reports of back aches after doing so.

3. The weighing scale assessment - after picking him or her up off the ground and grunting just how heavy they are, find out their exact weight and place him or her on a weighing scale. Take note and present this to your vet. Your vet will appreciate the info. Also, some cats are inherently heavy due to muscle mass or bone density. So, refer to a guide specifically for your cat’s breed and base your judgment of your cat’s weight on that.

4. The feel-for-a-rib-any rib method - run your hands against your cat’s body and try to feel for its ribs. If you can’t feel any rib at all, then it’s safe to say your cat is too fat. 

 

Ok, so let’s say we’ve determined that your cat is really fat and needs to shed some pounds off of its total weight. 

 

What do you do now? First off, you might want to head to your local veterinarian’s clinic and get his or her professional opinion. More likely, they’re going to say this: like us human beings, cats need a proper diet and exercise to be physically fit. You will have to engage your cat with physical activities to make it lead a more active lifestyle. Using toys to activate their predator instinct is a good way to start a game. 

 

And, if you’re looking to turn your fat cat into a model thin kitten, you’ll need nutritious food. And we have the nutritious food that you need to keep your cat’s diet complete here: https://www.vetforpet.co.nz/shop/Cats/Cat+Food++Treats/x_cat/00339.html

 

It won’t be easy. Your cat is going to complain all the way or ignore your attempts at making it run or exercise but if you keep at it, you will get results. Make it fun for your cat so it will like the physical activity you put it on. And try to resist giving him more than the usual amount of necessary treats ok?

 

Who knows, your cat’s physical fitness might even inspire you to go to the gym too.