Cat Weight Loss and Body Condition Scoring

July 01, 2021

While weight loss can be challenging for anyone, it is extremely important to keep our furry companions at an appropriate weight as this will help to reduce their risk for serious medical conditions.

By using a body condition scoring chart for cats like the one found in our blog here, a proper assessment can be made. Sometimes this becomes difficult when a cat has a larger primordial pouch - loose flap of skin in front of their hind legs, this is when we need to use additional methods of evaluation to our advantage.

• Evaluate the cat from a top view, there should be a slight tuck in after their final ribs 

• Place your hands on your cat, ensure that their ribs can be easily felt underneath a slight fat covering 

Even just an extra 2lbs can make a significant difference when it comes to cats, for a cat that should be 10lbs having an extra 2lbs is a very large percentage of their overall body mass as they would need to lose approximately 17% of their current body weight (12lbs) to achieve their ideal body weight. This is comparable to a 180lb human losing 30lbs to achieve an ideal body weight of 150lbs.

Many owners find that when they transition their cat over to a raw diet, weight loss begins to happen naturally as the higher protein/low carbohydrate food is a more ideal diet for them.

If you find your cat is not losing the weight, here are a few tips and tricks to help your cat shed those extra pounds:

• Move their food bowl further from their favourite lounging area, this will force them to walk further for their dinner, burning off a few extra calories. 

• Increase play time! Foil calls, feather toys and jingle balls are often favourites.
• If your cat likes to pester you for food when it is not mealtime, take a few minutes to play with your cat instead. Play time + a single treat can often be quite rewarding for our feline friends.
• Try an interactive feeder or licki mat such as Messy Mutts to extend meal times and slow down eating
• Choose leaner proteins! This will decrease the overall amount of calories your cat is consuming and can aid in weight loss.

Have questions? Feel free to reach out to our amazing team at Iron Will Raw

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