Cat Weight Loss and Feeding Issues

Is Your Cat a Picky Eater?

Cats may have minds of their own, but they still learn from how we treat them. A sure way to create fussy eaters is to chop up or change their routines, or panic at the first sign of rejection by tempting them back to the bowl with tidbits from your table. They’ll quickly learn how to manipulate you to feed them tasty ‘owner’ food rather than a healthy balanced diet. Think about it from your cat’s point of view: what would you do if you were ‘rewarded’ with a treat every time you didn’t eat? To avoid fussy tendencies, your best bet is to pick a routine and stick to it.

If your cat isn’t normally picky about her food and you’ve avoided creating “problem eater” habits, a trip to your veterinarian may be in order. Any deviation from her normal habits may be a sign of illness.

How to Tell if Your Cat is Overweight, in Ideal Body Condition or Too Thin

Here are 3 simple ways to tell if your cat’s diet needs an adjustment.

• Rib Check: Place both of your thumbs on your cat’s backbone and spread both hands across her rib cage. You want to be able to feel her ribs. Actually feeling your cat is
  important, as the coat of many cats will make a visual check difficult.
• Profile Check: Examine your cat’s profile – it’s best if you are level with your cat.
  Look for the abdomen to be tucked up behind her rib cage – this is ideal.
• Overhead Check: Looking at your cat from overhead, identify whether you can see
  a waist behind her ribs.

If you find that your cat’s ribs and waistline aren’t where they’re supposed to be, adjust
your cat’s food accordingly.

Vomiting After Eating

Your cat may throw up occasionally in order to eliminate hairballs or from eating too rapidly due to competition around the food bowl. There could also be a more obvious explanation. If your cat frequently gags or vomits after dinner, she may simply be chowing down too quickly. In fact, one of the most common reasons why cats vomit is that they eat too fast.

When cats eat too voraciously, they often swallow their kibble whole and end up gagging on it. The easiest way to slow down an overeager feline is to spread the biscuits out on a large flat plate so she takes longer to consume the biscuits. You can also try feeding your cat smaller portions of food more often.

Digestive Health

Digestive upset is one of the most common reasons cats are brought to their veterinarians. Some digestive problems can be a result of food intolerances, and may resolve once the cat’s digestive system is given a chance to rest. But more serious conditions could result in weight loss, dehydration and debilitation. Your veterinarian can determine the appropriate treatment.