Slowing down or in pain? Reading an older dog
Seven signs that are not just age, and what helps.
Most indoor cats are fed about a third more than they need. It happens a few biscuits at a time, and it shows up years later as stiff joints and diabetes.
An average indoor cat of about ten pounds needs around 200 calories a day. Many dry foods carry 400 calories a cup, so half a cup, poured by eye, is already too much.
The number on the bag is a starting point for an active cat. Indoor cats, neutered cats and older cats usually need less.
Look from above: you should see a waist behind the ribs. Run your hands along the side: you should feel each rib under a thin layer, like the back of your hand. A belly that swings is fat, not loose skin.
Two meals and a measured scoop beat a bowl that never empties.
If your cat needs to lose weight, aim for about one percent of body weight a week. Cats that lose weight too fast can get a serious liver problem, so we plan it together.
"Weigh the food, not the cat's opinion. Cats are very good at asking for dinner twice."
Dr. Ana Ruiz
Measure every meal with a kitchen scale, not a cup.
Count treats as part of the day, no more than a tenth of it.
Use puzzle feeders so dinner takes longer and burns a little more.
Written by
