**GUEST POST** Is Your Cat Overeating? Here's How You Can Help! Top Tips from Closer Pets UK

Tuesday Greetings Fluffy Furiends and Cat Pawrents

Welcome to a special *sponsored guest post* at BBHQ. Today our pawesome sponsors are:

 www.closerpets.co.uk

And they are sharing some epically epic advice about how to help us cats if we get a little chubby or overweight to keep fit and trim, in today's post about:

Is Your Cat Overeating? Here's How You Can Help! 

At some point in our lives, some of us may pack a little bit of timber on, and our girth expands. I, Celestial Basil, did go through a chonky phase in 2008/2009. Mew can see me by clicking here, I called it my bulking phase, and whilst I wasn't a supurr-chubb-bub, I was a heavyweight, though I did lean down not long after that.

Amber, however, did get rather chubb'a'licious. She really packed some timber on and was like it for quite a while, although she has refused to share any evidence of her chubb-a-liciousness! MOL

Anyhoo, let's dive into the post before Amber starts getting a little hissy!

How To Stop Your Cat Overeating

Have you noticed your cat is gaining weight? Do they always seem to be side-eyeing their food bowl or meowing for more? Are they a little… ‘rounder’ than they used to be?

Our feline friends have always had a remarkably good memory when it comes to feeding time and often like to manage their own food intake. But sometimes they can overeat or gain excess weight.

Our furry companions don’t naturally eat too much, so what has changed? How can you stop your cat overeating?

This article discusses everything you need to know about overeating in cats. It will also provide some actionable tips to ensure your cat has a purrrfect life!

Royalty-free image. Image credit - https://unsplash.com/@kat_von_wood

Why is your cat overeating?

Cats don’t naturally overeat. Sure, rustle a bag of their favourite treats and they’ll appear in a (furry) flash.

But they seem to view meals differently – they seem to know exactly when enough is enough and generally have the willpower to stop there.

Until they don’t.

There are a few reasons why a cat might overeat. They include:

Stress

Our feline friends are incredibly sensitive and the smallest thing can stress them out.

Some cats lose their appetite altogether. Some will go the other way and will eat more because it’s familiar and comforting (we’ve all been there!).

Change in environment

Changing anything, from moving house to simply switching the wallpaper next to their food bowl, can cause pets to overeat. Anything out of the ordinary can cause a change in cat behaviour.

Boredom

Boredom affects everyone in different ways. One way for anyone to alleviate boredom is to eat something, just for something to do.

Cats do it, and – hands up! – their humans do it.

Medical issues

Medical issues such as hyperthyroidism, diabetes or certain medications can disrupt a cat’s appetite, so they eat too much.

But if your cat is overeating without an obvious cause, it may be worth looking into with your vet.

How to stop your cat from overeating

The good news is you can generally stop your cat from overeating using some simple tips.

As you’re providing the willpower on behalf of your kitty, there’s every reason that one or more of these tips could stop your cat overeating for good!

Food choice: Choose a high-quality cat food lower in calories

Cats are known for being picky eaters. Quality is everything – especially if you feed them ‘complete’ cat food with everything in it.

Meals made from better quality ingredients and fewer filler ingredients will not only taste better, but will also provide more nutrition from better quality sources. Win-win!

Stop free feeding: Switch to a regular feeding schedule

Cats are creatures of leisure, and some therefore love being able to eat graze whenever they like. Others prefer set mealtimes and a regular routine.

If you currently free feed your cat and let them lunch whenever they wish, try them on set mealtimes. This allows you to control their portions and monitor them.

If you’re not around during the day, use an automatic cat feeder. Divide the portions before you leave home, set the timer and the feeder will take care of the rest.

Some automatic cat feeders are designed specifically for wet food, so if your cat prefers wet to dry, you can still use this method to monitor their food intake.

If you have multiple cats, a microchip cat feeder might be the perfect solution. This ensures that only the cat with the correct microchip can access the food. It’s also a great method for cats who require weight management or medication at set times.

Minimise stress: Give them a life they understand

Minimising stress is essential for everyone – four legs or two. As cats are so susceptible to worry, we need to minimise it as much as possible.

Keep environmental changes modest, try to maintain a routine, introduce them to any changes you make so they understand it’s not a threat and provide somewhere safe and warm for them to hide or sleep.

Create a routine: Comfort in predictability

Have you noticed how cats like to sleep at the same time, wake at the same time, eat and drink at the same time and sit on your lap at the same time (usually during that important Teams call!)?

They’re creatures of habit. The comfort of routines and knowing exactly what will happen and when makes them feel comfortable. Work with that.

The routine can include when you/they wake up, your morning routine, mealtimes, when you play, when you have lap time and everything your cat does on an average day.

Water: Fresh, clean water at all times

Anything you can do to encourage your cat to drink more is a good thing. They’re incredibly smart, but sometimes even they miss the obvious.

The lack of water can lead to medical complications, which can add stress and can result in an overeating cat.

Nobody wants that, so make sure there is always fresh water around. If your cat turns their nose up at a water bowl, try a cat water fountain instead. That’s sure to work!

Make time for fun and exercise: Who doesn’t love to play?

Making time for fun and exercise will destress you as much as your feline companion.

You’ll both benefit from playing, chasing, hiding or watching your friend destroy their latest toy or hunt a feather on a string.

Play is one of the joys of having a cat in the family and taking time out each day to play is good for everyone.

Plus, it helps your little loved one burn off those excess calories and get back into a condition you’ll all be happy with!

Stop your cat overeating

In many ways, our cats are like us. They like routine, they like as much predictability in their life as they can manage and they like to minimise stress as much as possible.

Also, like their humans, cats can turn to food if they aren’t happy.

It’s our job as pet parents to ensure our cats have the healthiest life possible. The good news is that by following our top tips, your cat’s overeating should be a thing of the past!

Many thanks to Closer Pets UK for sharing this totally terrific post with us today, and do check out their furbulous website, as they have some pawsitively pawesome products!

And if mew need to refer back to any of the info, we'll be putting a purrmanent link on our Tops Tips for Cat Pawrents page, on the top menu.

We'll be back tomorrow with the Midweek News, so do join us then, and get ready to see Melvyn strutting his stuff on the BBHQ catwalk.

In the meantime...

Wing Commander Basil & The B Team 

BBHQ Disclosure:

*sponsored guest post*

 Please be advised that we did receive remuneration for sharing this post with mew today.

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