It’s a problem many cat owners struggle against: extra pounds. Not on themselves, but on their beloved furry pets. Especially after being neutered, house cats can get lazy – and fat. Most owners switch to special diet or neutered food (hopefully), but that’s not always enough, as often times, cats just eat too much.
Now, a new study from the University of Illinois comes to the rescue, explaining just what it takes to help kitty slim down.In other words, they came up with a cat diet.
“The intent with this diet was a healthy weight loss: getting rid of fat while maintaining lean mass. The big question was how much does it take to make cats lose weight, especially lazy neutered males? It turns out you have to keep reducing their food intake because they’re not very active. It takes a long time,” says Kelly Swanson, a Professor at the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Illinois.
Keeping a pet on a diet can be more difficult than with a human. It’s not just about the motivation and know-how – there are many more health risks associated with weight loss in pets than in humans. But as long as the change is slow and gradual, things should be ok.
“The risk with rapid weight loss, especially in a cat, is hepatic lipidosis. The body releases too much fat, and the liver gets bogged down. They can’t handle that much,” Swanson says. “We targeted a 1.5 percent body weight loss per week, which falls in line with the range (0.
5-2 percent per week) suggested by the American Animal Hospital Association.”
So the first goal is to achieve a 1.5% body weight loss per week, and in…
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