Five Pet Weight Loss Tips That Work!

by Deborah E. Linder, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Nutrition)

Getting and keeping cats at a healthy weight often requires a little creativity to work cats’ minds and bodies. Watch Sunshine’s journey through weight loss by using some of the following tips for keeping a healthy feline lifestyle!

Tip 1: Making Dinner a Moving Target

• Place your cat’s food in different areas throughout the house in order to encourage her to move around to eat.

Tip 2: Try Dispensing Toys and Gadgets

• There are a lot of dispensing toys and timed auto-feeders require your cat to move the toy around to dispense kibble and can be very fun and interactive way to enjoy a meal!

Tip 3: Engage Their Hunting Instinct

• Use a pen light or laser light that your cat can chase. Also, feather toys and shoelaces can be useful (but must be used with supervision to avoid having your cat ingest them in his enthusiasm).

Tip 4: Count Your Calories

• First step to watching what you feed is knowing what you’re feeding! Start a food diary of everything your cat is getting (brand, specific product, amount, treats, etc.), so you can know how many calories your cat gets per day.

Tip 5: Work With Your Vet

• An important part of any weight loss program is knowing the right amount of calories to feed and adjusting their diet, so ask your vet for guidance!

Deborah E. Linder, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Nutrition)

Dr. Deborah Linder, a board-certified veterinary nutritionist, is the head of the Tufts Obesity Clinic for Animals and has had articles appear in Eating Well, the Boston Globe, AARP, SHAPE, and XM Sirius Radio Doctor Channel. She has spoken at national and international conferences and a Capitol Hill briefing, and is an expert in pet obesity, nutrition communication, and in the human-animal bond. 

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