Weight is relative, and a large male will always weigh more than a petite female. It doesn't hurt to take a critical look at the character from time to time. Especially when you're wondering if you have a big cat or a wide cat! If the latter is the answer, it's time to throw the bacon away!
When is my cat too fat?
You should start thinking about losing weight at the latest when you are gasping for breath as soon as your cat lies comfortably on your stomach and both neighboring dachshunds can hide behind it without any problems.
Being overweight is just as unhealthy for cats as it is for humans.
Ditch the bacon with exercise
Heavy skeleton? Leftover winter bacon? Voluminous, but unfortunately extremely unflattering tousled fur? What justification will be given to the veterinarian's reproachful looks this time while he critically examines the ball of fur, which has turned out to be a bit too round?
The truth is: as soon as the four-legged roommate slowly but surely mutates into a couch potato and the once agile house tiger becomes an increasingly comfortable couch potato, only three things help. Movement, movement and more movement!
However, Mieze's physical activity is often limited to turning comfortably from the right side to the left - and eventually back again, despite many animation attempts. And let's be honest: Even that is more reminiscent of a seal-like rolling around than physical acrobatics. Not a trace of the much-vaunted velvet paw grace!
Slim with the right toys
But how do you get the cat going now? Even if it sounds like a contradiction at first: The key to success are treats. Because if anything is stronger than the joy of sleeping, it is the love of food. Indoor cats in particular can be encouraged to exercise more with various toys that have been filled with tasty morsels beforehand. Balls with small openings through which a treat occasionally falls out are true training miracle machines. And because the best play partner is still the human being, you can romp through the apartment with us. Go ahead! Exercise isn't just good for cats.
Cut the bacon with diet food
If more exercise alone is no longer enough to melt the love handles, there is only one solution: diet food!
It contains less fat and more fiber, so it fills you up, but not as fat. That sounds good, but it doesn't appeal to everyone. And so the cat perfectly masters the disgusted facial expression when sniffing the new food. Anyone who puts that in front of her has forfeited the right to scratch her ears for the next four hours. You play offended liverwurst - and dream of the same.
The trick: Replace an increasing part of the normal food with diet food. The cat gradually gets used to the taste.
Anyone who thinks that you could simply feed smaller portions to reduce the number of calories is wrong. The cat would not have enough. And a hungry cat is a dissatisfied cat. Apart from the fact that this calculation doesn't work out anyway in the case of releases. They get their food from somewhere else.
If need be with big cat eyes and pity-seeking meows at the nice older lady next door.
