Cats are creatures of habit and need consistency to remain healthy. Just like us, cats can become sluggish and inflexible if they don’t get enough sleep and daily exercise. However, it’s quite a different story when it comes to keeping them at a healthy weight. For some cats, even a small food bender can cause them to balloon in size, making it incredibly difficult to maintain a normal weight. Luckily, there are ways that you can help! Here are some great tips on how to get your kitty to shed those extra pounds.
Make Small Changes, Gradually
For many cats, losing weight can be as easy as making some smart food choices and getting some regular exercise. If you know that your cat is a picky eater and enjoys the occasional fish treat or eyeball, then you know that he’s going to need a little bit of coaxing to make the dietary change. Begin by introducing him to new foods one by one, and make sure that he associates these new additions with positive reinforcement. For example, give him the fish treats when he’s behaving well, and remove them when he starts acting up. If you want to see if your cat will eat green chilli, you can give it a try as a test run once or twice, but make sure that you don’t overwhelm him with new flavors all at once.
Use Food As A Reinforcer
A lot of cats are going to need a little bit of help shedding those extra pounds. For those that do, you can use food as a reward to motivate them to lose weight. You can either give them food specifically for losing weight, or make sure that they get some extra servings at each meal. Ensure that these extra snacks are healthy and nutritious, and don’t contain any artificial flavors or preservatives. Some cats may require an additional low-calorie diet to help them lose the weight. However, as long as their overall caloric intake is balanced, most cats can and will achieve the results that you’re looking for. When giving your kitty rewards for good behavior, make sure that you don’t overdo it and give them too many treats or snacks. This could potentially cause overeating, which in turn, could lead to health problems. Keep a careful eye on how much food your cat is eating, and try to limit those extra snacks to once or twice a week.
Increase The Amount Of Movement
Another way to help dogs and cats lose weight is to increase their level of activity. Your cat’s body needs sufficient energy to function properly, and getting enough sleep helps with this as well. To promote movement, you can play with them or let them explore new places. This will improve their mental health as well as help them lose weight. It’s also a good idea to get them a ball to play with, as this can help promote movement as they chase it around the yard.
The point is to introduce your cat to new things little by little, so that he doesn’t get overwhelmed. Just like with most things in life, gradual changes tend to produce the best results, and your cat will thank you for it.