Getting Weight Off

If your cat is more than a little overweight, first thing you need to do is make an appointment with your veterinarian. There are a few medical reasons for gross obesity that require veterinary care to fix. Barring a medical problem causing condition, your vet should monitor your obese cat's health as you restrict calories. Strict dieting can be deadly to obese cats. Do not just drastically cut down on her food and hope weight will melt off. Obese cats who are suddenly deprived of food are prone to Fatty Liver Syndrome, which can be fatal if untreated. Weight loss should be a gradual process - natural result of a healthier diet and a more active life.

Most cats are not so grossly obese that they need medical care to supervise their weight loss. Most are simply result of an unhealthy lifestyle where they consume too many calories, are too inactive, and eat wrong kinds of food (pretty much just like overweight people). Addressing these problems will result in weight gradually reducing to a healthy number. Try these tips.

*Buy premium food. Many inexpensive brands don't use quality ingredients and use far too many fillers. The nutrients are not as digestible, thus aren't bioavailable (they just pass right through system). The cat eats more to compensate.

*Feed portioned meals at regular mealtimes. Cats will eat out of boredom, just like people. They may also compete for food in a multi-cat home. Feed portion recommended on food packaging, dividing into two or three feedings daily (barring any medical condition requiring a different feeding schedule). Separate your cats in your multiple-cat household if necessary. Leave food down for 30-40 minutes, then take it up. You eat meals at mealtime. So can your cat.

*Feed wet food in addition to or instead of dry. Cats are meant to eat meat. Dry foods tend to have far too many carbohydrates (not very digestible) and not nearly enough water and protein. The wet food, high in protein and fat, satisfies cat's hunger better and is used more efficiently by body. If your cat likes wet food, feed wet only. If she isn't all that crazy about it, give her half her calories as dry and half as wet. If you're just starting out, even a quarter of her calories coming from wet food is a start.

*Skip treats. Food should not be equated with love. Once your cat is down to a healthy weight, an occasional treat is fine, but until then, try using praise, play time, catnip, and other rewards to show how much you enjoy your companion.

*Integrate activities other than eating into routine. Your cat was made to be an active being - one that hunted for food, competed for territory, stayed safe from predators, stayed warm in winter, cool in summer, ranged for mates, and raised young. Now that cats are kept as indoor pets, they need activity to be provided for them. Get some interactive and automated toys for your cat. Play chase with her - get her to chase you from room to room by dragging a cat toy behind you. Get her a big cat tree and hide interesting things such as catnip pieces in it, especially towards top where she needs to climb to get to. Plant a little container of cat grass and secure it to top. Be creative, but get her thinking and moving. Playing with your cat reduces stress levels - for both of you!

Keep Weight Off

Don't get lazy once your cat can actually jump onto couch without effort. A healthy weight is all about lifestyle. Maintain feeding regimen, don't start feeding a lot of extra treats, and keep up activity levels. Spending a little time to get your cat to a healthy weight will help your cat live a longer, happier life.

Was he afraid in moments before his death? Was he crying for his family to come help him? Did driver who hit him even see him? Did that driver care that he or she had just killed someone's pet? Was he cherished by his family as I cherish my pets? Did his family care about him enough to have tried to keep him inside away from harm, or had they let him wander about and be exposed to just this sort of danger, thinking that he was just a cat and they can get another?

I bent down and very gently touched cat's fur. I don't know if I harbored a tiny hope that cat was still alive and able to be saved. I just know I wanted to pet him and let him know that someone cared that he'd died. I didn't cry until I began to walk away. Then tears came. Sometimes, when I think of him, they still do. I wonder if he's in heaven, or at Rainbow Bridge, or wherever pets go when they die, waiting for his family. And I think of him as Oscar. Because he deserved a name and someone to cry for him.

-- In memory of all pets killed by cars every year…