Did you know that about one in four cats is likely to be overweight or obese?
Here’s how to recognise whether your cat is overweight and how you can help them attain a healthy body condition score.

Assessing your pet’s body condition score
Given the large variety in body size between various cat breeds, we recommend assessing your cat’s body condition score (BCS) rather than simply measuring their weight. If you are unsure about your cat’s score, please book your pet in for an assessment with one of our helpful vets.

Once we’ve determined your pet’s condition, keeping an eye on their weight can be a useful at-home monitoring tool thereafter.

Why is a higher BCS concerning?
Unfortunately, being overweight or obese can affect your cat’s health in many ways, giving them an increased risk of:

• Reduced heart function
• Reduced respiratory capacity
• Insulin resistance and diabetes
• Arthritis
• Kidney and urinary problems
• Liver problems

So, how can I help my overweight cat to lose weight?
Helping your cat to lose excess weight effectively and safely can be tricky, so we’d recommend consulting our vets on how to best achieve this. In terms of general tips, we’d advise:

• Aim for between 0.5% to 1% loss of total body weight per week. More than 2% per week can be unhealthy for cats.
• Weigh your cat every two-to-four weeks on the same set of scales.
• In consultation with your veterinarian, feed a high-quality feline weight loss diet, strictly following the instructions and weighing out portions (and taking any extra treats into account!)
• For some cats, feeding a tinned food diet may prove beneficial to weight loss
• Encourage at least 10 to 15 minutes of increased activity per day in your cat with the use of puzzle feeders, interactive toys, and vertical climbing (e.g. the use of a cat tree)

With some steady persistence on your part plus some professional assistance from us, your cat will be feline fit n’ fine!