How to encourage a cat to be more active?

It’s almost impossible to find a cat that spends its time outdoor and is overweight. But some cats don’t go outside at all — they very often have extra pounds and don’t have the motivation to lose them. You definitely saw social media memes with obese cats, but this is not only about fun and breaking the internet. Extra pounds can cause many more severe problems with cat health. So it’s vital to catch the moment and start exercising with your beloved pet until it’s too late.

What health risks do overweight cats have

There is no doubt that the obese cats are hilarious and lovely as much as their healthy-weighted brothers and sisters. But on the other side cats with extra pounds are suffering in many ways. It’s crucial to fully realize that obesity can lead to diabetes, liver diseases, urinary system problems, skin problems, arthritis, pancreatitis. In addition, cats with a high percentage of body fat have a lower quality of life and are more likely to get cancer than other more fit pets. 

A better way to avoid these serious health problems is to prevent obesity from the beginning. Owners should pay attention to cats’ weight and correct this condition if a situation is under control. 

How to find out if my cat is overweight? 

There are a few disturbing signs you should notice to prevent your cat’s obesity:

• Extra pounds;
• Over 18 hours of deep sleep per day;
• Activity decreasing. 

Your domestic cat should weigh about 8-10 pounds. The weight, of course, depends on the breed of your pet. For example, if you are a happy owner of a Siamese cat, then you should start worrying when your cat weighs over 6 pounds. On the other hand, if your cat’s breed is Maine coon, whose average weight is about 25 pounds, there is no reason to worry if, while growing, your kitten gains more than 10 pounds.  

An average adult cat sleeps about 17 hours per day, and it’s normal. But most of the time, this sleep is a nap. During the nap, a cat should respond quickly to any activity or noise. But if your cat sleeps over 18 hours, its sleep is deep, and the cat doesn’t want to wake up unless it’s dinner — it’s time to visit a vet and change the pet’s diet and lifestyle. 

If your cat avoids playing, becomes tired quickly, and prefers sleeping or lying on a couch — it’s a sign to pay attention to your beloved animal. You should show the pet to a vet to get it checked, and if there are any serious health problems, discuss with a doctor how to shake up your lazybones or follow our tips below. 

How can I make my lazy cat lose weight? 

It’s a well-known fact that you will lose weight if you have a calorie deficit. It works for pets too. You should decrease the calories of food and treats and increase activities. But before starting a diet, you have to visit a veterinarian to comprehensively check your pet’s health and discover what an ideal weight for your cat is. Once you determined it, you can calculate how many calories your pet may eat per day with the help of your vet. 

It’s vital to follow a recommendation about the number of calories and determine a food portion following these numbers and instructions from cats’ food producers. Don’t ignore weighing food before giving it to a cat, and don’t give extra more even if the cat begs you. Remember that it’s vital for your cat’s long and healthy life. 

Once you sort out a cat’s diet, you should change the behavior of your adored animal — add more moves, plays, activities. Use our recommendations below to find the best way to exercise your cat.

Exercises your cat will enjoy

Domestic cats should play at least two times per day for about 20 minutes to stay healthy and decrease an obesity risk. If it’s hard to find a stimulus for your cat to move, try one of these fun exercises to reach a good shape for your cat. 

Food puzzles

Cats are predators and don’t get food “for free” in their natural environment. Expanding market of food puzzles and toys offers different sizes of containers, balls, and toys for dried food where you can hide a portion and make your cat sweat a little to get the “prey.” 

Cat trees 

Differently shaped and sized cat trees have a lot of variations of games with cats. Encourage your cat to play and climb up and down, placing its favorite treats or small pieces of dried food at different stages of a cat tree. But don’t forget to count these treats in a daily calorie amount. 

Cat toys 

You definitely recognize a situation when you come home with a new toy, but your cat isn’t interested at all. Sometimes it’s tricky to find a toy your cat will love to play with. There are cat balls, squishes, mice, tunnels, feather toys in today’s pet toys market. It’s worth finding your cat’s favorite one. Not only it’s a healthy activity, but also it’s awesome to spend time with your beloved animal while it joyfully tosses around the house. 

Fitness wheels

It’s a unique product in the cat’s activities market. A wheel can improve the physical state of your pet, stimulating it to run and drive a wheel. It’s very effective training equipment that leads to higher muscle strength and calorie burning. Fitness wheels are a must-have for homes with cats of Bengal and Sphinx breeds that tend to learn how to play with a wheel faster than others. 

Laser pointers

Remember just one crucial moment — don’t shine a laser pointer right into a cat’s eyes because it can cause permanent sight damage. But, in other cases, it’s a fun and simple way to make your cat jumping, running and twisting around. 

There are a lot of activities and practices to help your cat lose weight. But, it’s a long-distance run and, of course, needs more attention from an owner. So, it’s up to you to do a little more work than usual and secure a long and healthy life for your beloved animal friend.