You may have heard of "Meow"the morbidly obese cat. This cat weighed 39 pounds, which is 27 pounds
more than he should have weighed. What a horrible thing to do to your pet. In human weight, Meow was the
equivalent of someone who is over 600 pounds. Feeding your cat more food does not equate to more love.
Meow's owner, an 87 year old woman, had
to turn him over to a Santa Fe shelter because she could no longer care for
him. Unfortunately, despite the shelter's best efforts to help Meow slim
down, he died just a few months after he entered the shelter.
There are many ways to help you cat
avoid a similar fate:
1. Talk to your vet about a
prescription diet. If your cat is overweight, talk to your vet about a
prescription diet food such as Hills prescription diet cat food. A
specialized diet food will give your cat the nutrition she needs while helping
her shed excess weight. Your vet can tell you how much food your pet
should eat and how frequently during the day.
2. Play with your cat. Cats
love to play, and if your cat is out of the habit or if it is difficult to play
due to increased weight, consider buying a toy with a long string and a feather
at the end. Dangle this gently in front of your cat, and even the laziest
cat will likely chase after it. Start out slowly at first, and then allow
your cat to play for longer periods of time. The more she plays, the more
exercise she is getting.
3. Consider getting your cat a
companion. If you only have one cat in your home, consider buying a
kitten. Kittens are naturally very active, and chances are they will want
to involve your older cat in their play. While the transition for your
cat may be difficult at first, soon your cat may love the companionship.
Feeding your cat a healthy diet and
encouraging exercise and play are the two most important ways to make sure that
your cat doesn't end up like Meow the cat.