Weight Watchers for Cats
Smart Solutions : Episode SSL-737 -- More Projects »
Veterinarian Dan Christian shares some fun and easy ways to keep your cat healthy and in shape.
- There are two easy ways to tell if your cat is chubby. First, feel for the ribs right behind the front legs (figure A). If you can't feel the bones, your cat has too much padding. Second, if there is a fat pad underneath the back legs, your cat is too heavy.
Be sure you feed your cat the correct amount of dry food daily. Kittens require the most food daily--1-1/2 to 2 cups is the norm (figure B). The adult cat needs only about one cup, and the senior tabby needs only 3/4 cup daily. Canned food can be used in combination with dry. Feed a small can in the morning and one in the evening, and decrease dry food by about 25 percent. Canned food contains only about 1/3 the calories of dry food.Cats sleep nearly 18 hours a day. They need to be encouraged to play and can greatly benefit from 30 minutes of activity a day, broken into three sessions. The best times are during their naturally active periods, which are early in the morning and in the evening.Elevate food so they have to jump up to get it. Encourage them to go up and down the stairs with you as you move through the house.
Make an inexpensive cat toy out of a simple tissue box (figure C) with tape across the middle and a ball hidden inside.A paper bag also makes a wonderful toy as well as a box with a hole cut into it.
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