Extra weight can shorten a cat’s life and increase the risk of diabetes, arthritis, urinary problems and liver disease. The good news is that most overweight cats can lose weight safely with the right food, portions and a little more activity. The key word is safely: cats must lose weight slowly.
Never put your cat on a crash diet or stop feeding it to make it lose weight. Cats that eat too little, especially overweight cats, can develop hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver disease), which is life-threatening. Always plan weight loss with your vet.
Start with a Vet Visit
Your vet will weigh your cat, check its body condition score, rule out health problems and work out a target weight and how many calories your cat should eat each day. A safe rate of weight loss for cats is about 0.5–2% of body weight per week, which means a 15 lb cat should lose no more than about 0.3 lb (around 135 g) a week, and ideally less. Reaching a target weight can take many months. Read more about obesity in cats.
Choosing a Weight-Loss Food
- Weight-control or “light” foods are lower in calories than standard foods and are suitable for cats that need to lose a little weight or keep weight off.
- Veterinary weight-loss diets (from your vet) are designed for cats that need to lose more weight. They’re high in protein to protect muscle, high in fiber to help your cat feel full and contain all the nutrients your cat needs even when it eats less. They’re often more effective than simply feeding less of a normal food, which can leave your cat short of nutrients.
- Wet food is helpful, as it contains more water and fewer calories per bite, so your cat can eat a bigger portion.
Switch to the new food gradually. Read more: how to switch your cat to a new food.
How to Feed for Weight Loss
- weigh food with kitchen scales: measuring cups are often inaccurate;
- split the daily amount into several small meals;
- count treats as part of the daily calories, and keep them to a minimum;
- stop all table scraps and make sure everyone in the family follows the plan;
- in multi-cat homes, feed cats separately, or use a microchip feeder;
- use puzzle feeders and food balls so your cat has to “hunt” for its food;
- if your cat begs, offer attention or play instead of food.
Get Your Cat Moving
- play with your cat for 10–15 minutes two or three times a day with wand toys, balls and laser pointers (finish laser games with a toy your cat can “catch”);
- provide cat trees and shelves to climb;
- hide food in different places around the home;
- consider a cat wheel for active cats.
Read more about cat toys.
Track Progress
Weigh your cat every 2–4 weeks, ideally at the vet, and adjust the plan with your vet. If your cat stops eating, seems unwell or loses weight too quickly, contact your vet right away. Once your cat reaches its target weight, your vet will adjust the amount of food to keep the weight off.
