The verdict’s in: your fluffy friend is obese. Sure, a chubby kitty might be adorable, but obesity in cats can lead to some pretty serious health problems, like urinary tract issues, kidney disease and diabetes. And let’s not forget that if your cat’s too round he’ll struggle to groom himself properly.
So, what should you feed your obese cat? How can you help him lose weight? We break it all down for you in this article.
How to know if your cat is obese?
First, obesity is different from being overweight.
Body fat represents about 20% of the body weight of a fit cat who's not carrying excess weight. Overweight is when a cat weighs a little more than his optimal weight. He gains fat rather than muscle! And he slowly becomes obese if he hits 20% excess weight, meaning 20% over his optimal weight. At this stage, body fat represents 30% or more of his body weight. It can go much higher, of course. Our cats are very good at accumulating a lot of reserves.
So, for example:
If your cat's optimal weight is 4kg, and his actual weight is 4.4kg (instead of 4kg), he's overweight. But above 4.8kg, he's considered obese.
Being overweight and obese affect lots of cats: almost one in two cats is overweight today, while a third suffers from obesity.
Only a special diet, low in carbs, fats, and rich in premium proteins can help our furry friends lose weight.
Is my cat is obese or overweight?
Only your vet can determine whether your little friend needs to lose weight. They’ll examine your cat from every angle to assess his physical condition and evaluate his optimal weight. His optimal weight may be the same as when he finished his development if he wasn't overweight at the time.
There are a few ways to check if your cat is at his optimal weight:
- Feel his ribs: hands flat along the rib cage, each rib should be easy to feel without pressing
- Spot his waist: move your hands towards the pelvis, his waist should be easy to identify from above (between the rib cage and the pelvis)
- Check his abdomen: from the side, the abdomen appears slightly raised compared to the sternum. The inguinal fat pad is minimal and does not hang below the belly.
Underweight: the ribs and pelvis are visible from a distance (for a shorthaired cat). There's no layer of fat covering the ribs. You can feel each vertebra when running a flat hand along the back.
Thin: the ribs may be visible and the waistline apparent. The layer of fat covering the ribs is very thin. You can feel a few vertebrae along their back.
Ideal (ideal weight): you can easily count the ribs by touching them without pressing. The waistline is defined (from above, the cat forms an H with a very large crossbar!). The abdomen is raised. The inguinal pouch does not protrude from the abdomen.
Overweight: You have to press to feel and count the ribs. The abdomen is straight. The waistline is not well-defined. You can feel a pad of fat starting to appear.
Obese: You can't feel the ribs even when applying pressure. The waistline is hidden and you can't make it out from the rest of the body. The abdomen is round or even stretched. The fat pad protrudes from the abdomen.
My cat is obese, what are the risks?
Obesity in our furry friends is a serious condition.
The most serious and common risk in cats is developing diabetes.
Like humans, cats can become diabetic. It’s a serious disease in itself, but also has further repercussions.
Other risks include urinary problems (the infamous crystals and stones), dermatological issues (developing a dull and greasy coat in cats, damaged skin, scabs, flakes, infections...)
Another risk: arthritis in cats. Or rather arthritis-related pain, and the distress caused by an arthritic flare-up. Arthritis is a bone and joint condition where cartilage is destroyed. It mainly affects older cats but can occur in younger ones too. It often goes unnoticed in cats because it affects the elbow rather than the hip, so it doesn't prevent cats from climbing. However, it becomes more difficult for them to get down from a high surface they’ve hopped onto.
Fatty tissue produces inflammatory substances when there’s too much of it. Obesity is associated with what's called a moderate chronic inflammatory state. In simple terms, the cat's body is constantly inflamed. When you add the mobility constraints that come with excess weight, a cat suffering from arthritis suffers even more if he's overweight.
Obesity can also both mask and worsen respiratory disorders, heart diseases...
What are the causes of obesity in cats?
Stress
Just like in humans, stress can lead to our little companions gaining weight. And unfortunately, this is more common than you’d think. Even minor changes can disturb them: a new sofa, the arrival of another animal or a child in the family, a change in your work schedule, etc. Your stress can also stress them out. Our furry little friends are like sponges and pick up on your emotions, from afar or up close.
Of course, the opposite's also true: a stressed cat can also lose weight. A cat under stress can easily lose his appetite.
Sterilization
Sterilization has many advantages, but it also has a major downside: weight gain.
A neutered cat will indeed tend to gain weight because neutering often causes a drop in activity and an increase in the cat's appetite, just when his energy needs drop 20% on average. As a result, he will eat more than he should and gradually gain weight over time. Without a specialised premium diet, a neutered cat can quickly gain a lot of weight.
Lack of physical activity
Neutered cats and/or housebound cats are at greater risk of becoming overweight than their counterparts running outdoors, simply because they do not get enough exercise! Weight gain comes from an energy imbalance between the food they consume and what they burn off.
As we all know, physical activity keeps you healthy.
Genetics
Genetics also play a role in obesity. Many breeds are predisposed to the condition, like Chartreux, Ragdoll, and Persians.
Overeating
Overfeeding is undoubtedly the main cause of obesity. Our furry housemates (we're talking about our cats) are greedy little souls. Aside from sleeping, what they love most is eating! It's sometimes hard to say no to their adorable little faces, and we fill their bowl more than we should. Sometimes we even give them table scraps! An act of love that can, however, prove harmful.
My cat suffers from obesity: how can I help him lose weight?
First, let’s make things clear. Of course, a cat suffering from obesity needs to lose weight but we're not talking about putting him on a strict diet and drastically cutting his daily portion!
For cats, as for humans, a strict diet can be frustrating, ineffective and, above all, dangerous for their health. A strict and abrupt reduction in their portion size can cause hepatic lipidosis (in extreme cases), also known as 'fatty liver disease.' This life-threatening condition induces diarrhoea, vomiting, or even localised jaundice in the cat's ears, eyes (whites of the eye), and mucosal tissues.
When losing weight, the aim is to reduce body fat while preserving lean body mass, thanks to the right, high-quality food.
Before changing your cat's diet, first seek advice from your vet!
Opt for wet food over dry food
For many reasons, wet food for neutered cats is a particularly good choice.
1/ It's on average 4 times lower in calories than dry food: it allows your furball to eat his full without overdoing the calories.
2/ It's very difficult for a cat to lose weight on dry food alone, as it would require drastically cutting the size of his portion. By increasing the proportion of wet food in their diet, you can reduce the calorific density of their daily food intake without your cat feeling like he's on a diet.
3/ What's more, unlike dry food, wet food also has the advantage of meeting your cat's daily water requirements as it's very rich in water! As a naturally light drinker, your cat will take on water without realising it. A good thing for his health, and especially his kidneys!
A water deficiency can lead to chronic dehydration, which may cause concentrated urine and promote the development of urinary stones. Keep in mind that the less a cat drinks, the more concentrated in minerals his urine will be. If a cat eats wet food he is much less likely to suffer from cystitis than if he ate dry food.
Now for the big question, should I give my cat wet food or dry food? Easy, wet food wins every time!
What’s more, it’s been proven that cats who eat wet food — and less dry food — will be more likely to play, run, and be generally more active and full of energy. As we mentioned earlier, physical activity is essential for our furry friends' wellbeing.
If you’re looking for more info, we’ve listed all the current scientific research on wet food here.
Of course, you can also give your cat dry food, but only if it’s low in carbs and just a small part of his portion. We go into this more a bit further down in this article.
A complete wet food!
Wet food must be COMPLETE and not complementary!
What's the difference? A complete food contains all the nutrients your cat needs: proteins, lipids, fibre, as well as vitamins and minerals and can be given on its own or mixed with dry food.
A complementary food does not cover all the nutritional needs of your cat. It must be combined with other foods to make up a complete meal and avoid nutritional deficiencies.
At Ziggy, all our wet foods for cats are COMPLETE!
High-protein wet food
Opting for wet food for your cat is the easy part, making sure that it’s a quality wet food can be tricky. It must cover all your cat's nutritional needs!
To remain healthy, cats must eat food that contains animal proteins (of quality), fats (essential fatty acids), minerals (calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, etc.), vitamins (A, D2, E and all B-group vitamins) and a little fibre to help with their bowel movements.
Animal proteins are pretty much indispensable as they're the source of the 11 amino acids essential to your cat's health. Among these amino acids are taurine, arginine, phenylalanine, methionine, valine, leucine, isoleucine, lysine, tryptophan, threonine, and histidine. These micronutrients support the proper functioning of their body (immunity, development, digestion, reproduction) and structure (bones, skin, muscles, fur).
A deficiency of any of these amino acids is harmful and can even be fatal. A taurine deficiency can notably cause degenerative damage to the retina (irreversible blindness), a weakening of immune function, or even cardiomyopathy.
Even in the context of weight loss, a cat needs an adequate quantity of protein in his food. An adequate intake of protein in their diet is essential to preserve lean mass, which promotes muscle mass, immune function, disease resistance, and a healthy coat... Many studies, including the one by Laflamme (2005), have highlighted the importance of quality protein intake in maintaining lean mass and successful weight management in cats and dogs.
Ziggy's wet food is rich in high-quality protein, with an excellent amino acid profile. Inside: genuine pieces of muscle and premium organ meats with very high nutritional value. No reconstructed meat or meat by-products.
At Ziggy, we do not use animal meal, reconstructed meat, or even meat by-products. All our wet food for cats contains genuine muscle meat and premium organ meats with high nutritional value.
Ziggy’s extra tip: check the protein-to-calorie ratio (PCR)
When choosing your wet food, it’s essential to check the protein-to-calorie ratio (PCR). This indicates the ratio of protein to calories and allows you to understand the actual amount of protein that will be ingested by your cat. For a neutered, sedentary adult cat, this should be high, ideally above 100.
If this ratio isn't indicated on the packaging, do some simple math:
% of crude protein / Metabolisable Energy (ME) x 1000
Let’s take the example of wet food for neutered adult cats sold in supermarkets.
Crude protein: 8%
Metabolisable Energy (ME): 77 kcal/100 g
This gives: 8 / 77 x 1000 = 103.8 g/mCal
A protein-rich wet food, but make it a premium one!
The protein-to-calorie ratio is a good indicator, but it only tells you half the story.
Some manufacturers use low-quality animal proteins with little nutritional value.
In some wet foods, you mainly find reconstructed meat (a mix of animal and plant proteins), mechanically separated meat (MSM), a product obtained after the meat is removed that may contain bone, cartilage, or marrow residues.
Of course, most manufacturers using these products avoid listing them explicitly. However, the tell-tale signs remain if you know what to look for:
- The Protein-Phosphorus Ratio (PPR)
- The phosphorus content
- The crude ash content (an indirect quality indicator). For example, the crude ash content indicates the amount of minerals (calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, etc.) present in your cat’s food after complete combustion. And the higher it is, the more carcass scraps have likely been used.
Read all about it in our article on proteins in your cat's diet.
At Ziggy, we do not use reconstructed meat or even meat by-products. All our cat wet food contains real pieces of muscle meat and premium organ meats of high nutritional value.
A wet food that’s low in carbs and not too rich in fats
You should also limit fat content if your cat is sick. But only limit it though, don’t remove it entirely!
Fats, provided by animal protein sources, are an excellent source of energy due to their energy density being twice that of other macronutrients. Commonly referred to as 'fats', lipids are one of the three main categories of macronutrients along with proteins and carbs. Lipids are essential.
However, some wet foods can be too rich. A food high in fats will certainly be delicious, but it will increase the energy intake and decrease the amount that your cat can eat each day!
Aside from fats, you also need to watch how many carbs are in their diet. Ziggy's wet food is excellent in that respect. It’s very low in carbs - less than 1% on a dry matter basis - and meets all their essential fatty acid needs.
If your cat only eats dry food, try offering them wet food! And if they eat both, increase the daily ratio of wet food and reduce the dry food.
How much food should you give your cat?
It depends on your cat's weight, age, physical activity, if he's neutered or not, etc. You can use our portion calculator or ask your vet, specifying if your cat's fed wet food and/or dry food. There are many factors to consider when determining their ideal daily portion size.
No more treats!
Are you used to feeding your cat scraps from the table? We strongly recommend you stop this bad habit, however much your furry friend purrs!
These small treats provide unnecessary calories. If the temptation is too great, make sure you avoid giving them canned vegetables that may contain sugar, certain soft cheeses, rice, corn, or cakes or bread high in butter. These foods are completely forbidden if your cat is diabetic.
As a special treat, however, you can offer your cat our Ziggy cat treats. Suitable for all cats, even overweight ones. They contain less than one calorie per bite and are as healthy as they are tasty.
My cat's always hungry, what should I do?
Give your cat diced courgette: cut them into small pieces the size of a dry food biscuit. Some cats prefer them steamed, while others prefer them raw. Courgettes have many benefits for cats. It contains a lot of water and helps fill their stomach without many calories.
The key is also to have several small meals per day. If your cat has only two meals a day, he will definitely get hungry during the day. He will get frustrated and make a bid for whatever you're eating. Whether dry or wet food, we recommend giving cats at least four meals a day.
You can, for example, schedule a meal when you wake up, one before leaving the house, one upon returning (regardless of the time), and one before bed.
Your cat needs to lose weight. And for that, they will need a special diet that should be:
- Low in calories (hooray for wet food)
- Rich in quality proteins!
- Low in fats and carbs
At Ziggy, our wet food meets all of these criteria. See for yourself by clicking on the link 😻
Although rich in proteins, low in calories and carbs, our food is not specifically formulated for obese cats.
Our wet food contains slightly more fats than those specifically formulated for obese cats, but they cover all their essential fatty acid needs (only 91/kcal/100g).
Seek advice from your vet, and why not show them the nutritional composition of our recipes?
The guide to feeding your obese cat and helping him lose weight
Find all our advice in our guide on how to properly feed your cat while helping him lose weight.
Bonjour Florence,
Nous ne livrons pas en Roumanie, mais on espère arriver un jour dans plein d’autres pays. 😺
Pour votre chat obèse, continuez à privilégier la pâtée, car elle est riche en eau et apporte du volume dans l’estomac. Votre moustachu sera davantage rassasié. Celle-ci doit couvrir tous les besoins nutritionnels de votre chat. Petit point de vigilance toutefois sur les taux de glucides : il ne doit pas être excessif. Vous pouvez vérifier ce taux dans les constituants analytiques. On vous donne aussi quelques astuces dans notre article. Si votre chat est un petit glouton, pariez aussi sur la courgette. Riche en eau, elle permet d’apporter du volume dans sa gamelle (et son estomac) sans les calories qui vont avec. N’hésitez pas à nous contacter par email si besoin à hello@ziggyfamily.com
Plein de caresses à votre chat
L’équipe Ziggy 💛
Bonjour
Je suis à la recherche d’une nourriture bonne pour mon chat (11 ans). Il est castré et il a mangé pendant 4 ans en France des croquettes de mauvaise qualité chez des voisins. Il est devenu obèse. Je n’arrive pas à le faire maigrir. 8.5 kg
Depuis longtemps j’aurais opté pour la pâtée Ziggy mais voilà je n’habite pas en France. Pouvez-vous me conseiller, les vétérinaires ne prônent que pour leurs croquettes qui font plus de mal que de bien.
Je lui donne ce que je peux trouver par internet (j’habite en Roumanie) c.a.d. de la pâtée Almo nature complète. C’est celle qui m’a paru la meilleure… (?) Et plus du tout de croquettes.
S’il-vous-plaît, donnez-moi votre avis et des conseils. Merci.
Bonjour
Je suis a la recherche d’une nourriture bonne pour mon chat (11 ans) obèse. Il est castré et il a mangé pendant 4 ans des croquettes de mauvaise qualité chez des voisins. Je n’arrive pas à le faire maigrir. 8.5 kg
Depuis longtemps j’aurais opté pour la pâtée Ziggy mais voilà je n’habite pas en France. Pouvez-vous me conseiller, il n’y a pas de vétérinaire près de chez moi. De toute façon, ils ne prônent que pour leurs croquettes qui font plus de mal que de bien.
Je lui donne ce que je peux trouver par internet (j’habite en Roumanie) c.a.d. de la pâtée Almo nature complète. C’est celle qui m’a paru la meilleure… (?) Et plus du tout de croquettes.
S’il-vous-plaît, donnez-moi votre avis et des conseils. Merci.
Bonjour Catherine,
Nous travaillons actuellement dessus pour proposer à nos chats le meilleur produit qui soit. En attendant, vous pouvez tout à fait donner à votre moustachu nos délicieuses pâtées qui sont peu caloriques, pauvres en glucides et riches en protéines animales de qualité.
Bonjour, où en est le projet de nourriture pour chats en surpoids ou obèses ? Merci
Bonjour,
Si vous changez de croquettes, il faut respecter la phase de transition alimentaire. Et dans ce cas, vous pouvez mélanger les deux sortes de croquettes dans le distributeur 😺
Bonjour
Quand on est absent 1 journée ou 2 et que l on utilise le distributeur de croquettes comment faire si on swiche pour des croquettes? Metci
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