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Low fat cat food

Low Fat Cat Food

Low fat cat food is highly recommended if your cat is obese.



Obese cats are at risk for lameness, diabetes and even an early death. Slimmer and fitter cats are happier, healthier and live longer as well. Simple changes to your cat’s lifestyle can result in it losing weight. Studies have shown that an obese cat can lose weight if put on a high fat/low carbohydrate diet or a low fat/high fiber diet.



These diets also improve glucose intolerance.  A good cat diet is one that has the essential nutrients, vitamins and supplements that is good for the cat’s overall health.

Vets use a 9 point body score to evaluate the weight of the cat. A score of 1 means that the cat is extremely thin. A score of 7 means that it is obese while a score of 9 suggests a grossly overweight cat.



Your cat should ideally have a score of 3 or 5.

It is best to combine canned and dry foods for your cat's diet. Low calorie canned cat food is better as it is more satisfying than dry food. Ensure that your cat is getting meat, sea food or products made out of meat. Do not give any cat supplements unless recommended by your vet. Ensure that you choose low fat treats for your cat. Diet cat food is available in both dry and canned forms. They come in various flavors and combinations and are categorized into food for kittens, adult and older cats. Dry diet food has fewer calories which result in leaner fitter cats. Most dry cat food is made up of animal material and grain. These light blends are essential in maintaining a healthy weight. Besides, dry cat food contains more fiber and ingredients which helps to keep your cat more satisfied during meal and thereby turns fat into energy. Canned food also has light blends in delicious flavors and these are low in fat and calorie content too.

Ensure that you do not supplement a healthy diet with treats. Treats should only make up 10% of a cat’s diet. Low calorie treats are available. Some healthy homemade treats you could give are cooked rice, a tiny piece of cottage cheese, rice cakes, cooked egg whites etc. Look for cat treats that provide nutrition.

In order for a cat to remain healthy and to prevent medical problems, it is necessary to feed it high quality diet cat food. A low fat cat diet will help in both maintaining your cat’s health as well as cutting down on visits to the vet.

 
  Submitted on May 10, 2010