Cat health and cat food are closely related. We know that overfeeding leads to obesity which in turn is linked with feline Diabetes- with roughly 40% of cats being overweight.
Just like in humans ad excessive amount of food can lead to feline obesity. Some of the issues a cat can face are actually very similar to what a human can suffer from.
poor hair coat
4 x increase in Type 2 Diabetes
arthritis
hepatic lipidosis
The following 8 tips are here to help your cat health and advise you in helping your cat stay lean and trim and reduce their risk of the above main conditions.
1. Fee a restricted calorie reducing diet. A natural cat food alternative is to feed you a cat high protein, low carbohydrate and potentially high fibre diet which is a mimic of their natural diet. Any change in diet because needs to be communicated to a Vet.
2. Feed regular measured meals 2-3 times a day. When the cat has finished the bowl of food it must go without until the next feed.
3. Cat food from “your table” and trips are not wise to give cats. If you want to give a treat, minus some of their food and give it back to them as a treat.
4. Monitor to see what your cat actually does. Does it go next door to get fed so reducing the benefits that you are doing?
5. Chart the cat’s weight per week. It should lose about 1% of their body weight per week. Drastic weight loss or increase is then wise to seek vet assistance.
6- Provide daily exercise and human companionship. This is especially noted for indoor cats who have a reduced exercise plan anyway. Also, make your cat work for its food- put it in different areas so that they have to “hunt for it”.
7. L-carnitine can be helpful in reducing your cat’s weight and it tends to increase lean body mass- which will help in your cat health. Any supplement will need vet approval.
8. When the ideal weight is obtained we need to keep it level. This can only be done with properly balanced food intake coupled with exercise.
Most of what we are finding with cat health is directly related to human interference in their natural DNA which does not require a cat to be fat, lethargic and unstimulated.
Featured Image: Everyday Health
Source by Dominic Hough