With over 32% of cats considered overweight or obese in New Zealand, we often see and treat the problems associated with excessive weight. Unless a cat has an underlying medical issue, there are two basic reasons for cats becoming overweight.

The first is too many calories, and the second is not burning enough calories. They are exactly like people, except that they rely on us to feed them properly and maintain them at a healthy weight. To keep your cat trim, here are some exercise tips:

Using toys to play with your cat is always the best way for them to get the regular exercise they need to help them lose weight. A piece of newspaper or a plastic bag tied to the end of a string works fantastically. Just make sure that any homemade toys you use are safe and don’t have any small parts that your cat could swallow.

Cats love to hide, so an empty cardboard box or a paper bag left in the living room can provide plenty of entertainment and exercise for your cat. While they are ‘hiding’ in the box, move a piece of string past the front and watch them try to catch it while staying hidden.

Use laser light pointers or torches to shine light on the floors and walls, moving it around for your cat to chase. This is terrific because you don’t have to move from the sofa in order to exercise your cat!

Hunting is something that comes naturally to cats, so make them hunt for their food. Leave their food bowl in the same room so as not to confuse them too much, but move it around to make them search for it.

Every cat is different depending on their age, weight, lifestyle and even breed. A tailored weight loss program will help you meet weight loss goals even sooner. Organise an appointment for a consultation with our veterinarian who will check that your cat is otherwise healthy before we design a free nutrition program for your cat.

Rapid weight loss is not necessarily a healthy outcome. Track your cat's weight by dropping in to see us regularly - our scales are available at your convenience. To make it even easier to keep track, ask us about our weight management program.


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