Are you puzzled that your cat looks a bit skinny compared to the normal standard? This article shows you exactly how to get a cat to gain weight.
We have heard a lot about cats being overweight, but they can also be underweight if they do not get the nutrients they need. In fact, there are a lot of other factors that contribute to your four-legged friend’s weight loss. Continue reading for more useful insights and tips on how to get a cat to gain weight.
Why Doesn’t Your Cat Gain Weight?
Health Issues
Toothache
Cat’s teeth are designed to tear apart raw meat but they are still subject to teeth pains like their human parents. Reasons for your cat’s toothache is likely to be the texture of the food, especially dry hard food, or improper dental care, or a condition called FORL. Sore teeth make it difficult for cats to eat. They lose their appetite and their weight.
Intestinal Troubles
Cats can be victims of intestinal conditions such as infections, inflammatory bowel disease and allergies. There may be too many harmful worms in your cat’s body which take all the nutrition from your cat.
Food
Admit it! Cats can be really picky when it comes to their meals. Food is the major factor in your cat’s reducing weight. Reasons vary from one cat to another, such as food ingredients, flavors, amounts of food, diet changes. We will show you exactly how to deal with food problems in the next section.
Competition Among Cats
This is easy to understand, but you may not have noticed it. Cats can be quite mean to their brothers and sisters sometimes. It is common for cats not to gain weight or even lose weight due to harsh competition with other cats in the same house. The dominant cats may gobble up all the food of inferior cats without your knowledge.
Environment
Cats are among the most sensitive animals in the world with very sharp senses. They can detect the slightest changes in their surrounding environment. If you have just modified your house in some way, for example introducing new furniture, new paint, new pets, your cat may be in a disturbed state right now and need time to explore their new habitat. This can lead to their infrequent food consumption and appetite loss, all of which contribute to weight deterioration.
How to Get a Cat to Gain Weight?
Don’t Skimp on Regular Check-Ups
As you notice the unusual decrease of your cat’s weight, the first move you should think of is visiting the vet. Professionals should be able to diagnose exactly the root causes in your cat’s weight condition. You can rely on them to instruct you in detail what to do to add some more kilograms to your cat.
Especially in the case of complicated health issues such as the aforementioned intestinal diseases, vets will recommend a description diet, monitor your cat’s weight closely and promote weight gain in a healthy way. Sometimes you just don’t have sufficient medical knowledge to help your cat put on more weight.
Food
Step 1. Choose the Food Content
Always study food package labels carefully before making a purchase. For cats to get fatter, they need to consume more protein as well as calories. Their system is made for meals rich in protein. If you don’t see high-quality meat as the main ingredient on a food package, then the food may not be ideal for your cat.
You should also opt for dry food rather than wet food. Since wet food is made up of about 70-75% moisture, they do not offer as many calories as dry food. Withdry food, your cat will benefit from more calories, her weight will improve, and you will certainly enjoy a better value for your money.
Watch out for foods that contain more artificial preservatives, fillers and flavorings than real nutritious stuff. The pet food market is a very competitive place, so many manufacturers are trying to reduce their production costs by filling their products with ingredients that have no significant nutritional values. In fact, there are some brands claiming their products can help cats gain weight, but the reality is not as ideal as that.
Step 2. Choose the Treats
Treats are amazing inventions to make your cat eat more. But you don’t want your beloved feline to consume more of the things she doesn’t need. You want her to consume more protein and calories to reach the ideal weight range. So, choose treats that are specially made for weight gain.
We highly recommend you check out our reviews of best food for indoor cats because you’ll find lots of great products, including treats, to help cats gain weight.
Step 3. Change the Way You Feed
Your cat is not happy with mealtime maybe because you’re forcing her to gobble everything up at once. Many cats prefer eating small meals throughout the day. Therefore, you should try feeding your cat less per meal and more times a day.
About flavors, it’s really up to your cat to decide. You should switch among various flavors to surprise your cat once in a while and make her eat more. Another tip in how to get a cat to gain weight is changing diets properly. If you need to change food brands for your cat, follow the instructions from the manufacturers about the ideal percentage of old food and new food before feeding 100% new food. This way, your cat won’t lose appetite and avoid health complications.
Solve Cats’ Fights for Food
If you see some unhealthy competition among your cats at mealtime, you should separate them. The most important thing to remember is providing each cat with their own bowls. Then, try putting the bowls at places in your house that are far from each other. This way, cats won’t be excited by the food smell of their friends’ bowls.
Environment
If you have a new pet and you want to introduce to your cat, make sure your house has enough room for them to be in separate areas without having to come into contact with each other too often. They need their own space to get used to a new life first, and then they will naturally explore each other by their sense of smell. When your cat is comfortable with the presence of a new partner, she will eat normally again and manage to achieve a good weight.
Conclusion
Overall, nutrition is the major contributing factor in cats’ weight management. If you notice undesirable changes in your cat’s weight, you should consider every step we’ve shown, from vet visits to food content to surrounding environment.
Do you have any questions to ask us? Feel free to leave them below so that we know and we can help you. Thank you for reading!
